Just as the Tamp Bay Buccaneers seem close to getting a cornerback back from injured reserve, another one is joining that list. On Friday, the Buccaneers placed fifth-year corner Rashard Robinson on I.R. due to a hamstring injury he sustained in practice on Wednesday. Robinson did not practice on Thursday or Friday and was initially ruled out on the final injury report before this move. He will now be required to miss a minimum of three games before he can return to the active roster.
While the Buccaneers did not announce a corresponding move on Friday, the placement of Robinson on injured reserve does open a spot on the 53-man roster that the team could choose to fill before Sunday's Week 10 game at Washington. Cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting and Scotty Miller, both currently on I.R., were designated to return to practice on November 2 and were able to work out with the team this week after the rest of the roster returned from the bye week.
Murphy-Bunting is one of two starting corners on the Bucs' injured reserve list, along with Carlton Davis, and he has not played since suffering a dislocated elbow in the season opener. The Buccaneers have until November 23 before they have to make a decision on Murphy-Bunting and Miller's status, but they can activate either or both at any point during the current 21-day practice window.
While the Buccaneers have had to shuffle their cornerback ranks repeatedly in the first half of the season, the loss of Robinson is a bigger blow to the team's special teams units than it is to the defense. He has played 90 snaps on the kick-and-coverage units in five game so far for the Buccaneers, averaging 18 per game. Meanwhile, he has only been on the field for 14 defensive snaps, all late in the blowout win over Chicago in Week Seven.
Overall, Robinson has played in 47 regular-season games with 18 starts for the Bucs, Cowboys, Jets and 49ers. He has tallied 87 tackles, two interceptions, 15 passes defensed, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
