Wide receiver Brian Robiskie wasn’t gone from the Lions long enough to miss them.
Robiskie was released last week by the Lions and Tim Twentyman of the team’s website reports that he’s re-signed with the team on a one-year deal. Twentyman doesn’t get into the specifics of why Robiskie was briefly cut loose, but the minimum salary benefit is likely the reason for the procedural maneuvering.
Robiskie had been on a two-year deal, but the Lions will wind up saving money under the salary cap by cutting him and re-signing him to the minimum for a player with his experience. Only $555,000 of the deal counts against the cap, though, thanks to the minimum salary benefit rule that’s in place to encourage teams to sign vets on one-year deals with limited signing bonuses over younger players who would otherwise count less against the cap.
That rule helped Robiskie get back onto the Lions roster, but it probably won’t do much to help his chances of holding onto his job into next season. Robiskie didn’t do much to impress during his brief stint with Detroit last season, a stint that came about because Nate Burleson was hurt and the team needed a body. Burleson is expected back and the team is likely to add another receiver in the draft, leaving Robiskie with an uphill climb to make the team.