Falcons RB Robinson expected to debut vs. Cincy

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons rookie running back Bijan Robinson is expected to make his debut Friday against Cincinnati, but even then don’t expect a full gamut of what the No. 8 pick in this year’s NFL draft can do.

“We’re not going to go crazy,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. “We just need the reps. We need to get our bread-and-butter concepts in there and he’ll see his tracks.

“We’re not going to sit there and show everything but we need to execute well.”

Smith said they’ll give him some of the basic stuff so he can feel the speed of facing another opponent in a game and have tackling in order to get him ready for Week 1 against Carolina. Robinson sat out the preseason opener against Miami along with many of the team’s key players.

This is part of a “constant education,” Smith said, of Robinson throughout his rookie year in Atlanta. It’s part of a longer strategy Smith has for keeping rookies fresh throughout the season — something they have experience in the past two years with rookies like Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Arnold Ebiketie playing a lot of snaps.

Robinson said he has learned a lot during camp, although the professional camp is different than college because college “is all day, you’re grinding all day.” The NFL day, Robinson said, is structured differently and built to protect players versus hitting more often in college.

Robinson appreciates the structure of pro practices and has allowed him to get used to things better.

So on Friday, he’s ready to see what full NFL tackling and playing in a game will be like for the first time.

“I’m really excited,” Robinson said. “Shoot, even last week, it was super fun just to support my teammates and be the best teammate I can be.”

One thing standing out to Smith early on came not from what Robinson did on the field but off of it, where his maturity stood out despite his early celebrity status.

“He’s a very mature person for a guy that has had a lot thrown at him, that has a lot of hype, a lot of celebrity,” Smith said. “He’s handled it really well, better than most people.

“So this is another step for him. We’re not going to show everything with him. He just needs to get his feet wet.”

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