Perhaps the biggest loss the Atlanta Falcons had to endure this offseason was a player who wasn't even in the starting lineup last season. Part of why the run game was so efficient because Tyler Allgeier was there to spell Bijan Robinson as the change-of-pace back, but he's not here anymore.
Allgeier signed a two-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals, but the Falcons moved quickly to replace him. They signed former Washington Commander and San Francisco 49er Brian Robinson Jr. to be the new yin to Bijan's yang--and it hasn't taken long for him to prove he's a perfect fit for the new role.
When Robinson was signed, the Allgeier comps quickly started popping up, and all training camp did was fan those flames. And while going over some early roster takeaways, The Athletic's Josh Kendall revealed that Brian Robinson Jr. confirmed what we already knew: we have a new short-yardage RB.
"He has shown a physical style in practice that cements his role as the new Tyler Allgeier," Kendall wrote. "Bijan Robinson fantasy managers may not like how many goal-line carries he gets."
Brian Robinson Jr. is already stepping into the role Tyler Allgeier left behind
The hallmark of Allgeier's old role and B-Rob's current role is stepping up as the goal-line back behind No. 7, and Kendall is aware of the impact that'll have on fantasy managers. Bijan logged only one more goal line carry (11) than Allgeier (10) last season, and that number could stay the same in 2026.
Robinson Jr. recorded 700+ rushing yards in each of his first three NFL seasons and scored eight touchdowns in 2024--the same number as Tyler Allgeier's career-high from last season. So if he gets the same goal line work, he may be in line for possibly double-digit touchdowns this coming season.
If Kendall's assessment is correct, this means the Falcons got Allgeier-lite for a fraction of the price. That's a good decision from a cap management perspective, but when you consider how the talent gap is minimal despite nearly a $4 million difference in cap hit, Atlanta hit this one out of the park.
And given the production between the 2022 draftees will be eerily similar, that difference in price tag matters. The Dirty Birds wouldn't have been able to afford keeping No. 22 on the deal the Cardinals gave him, but they were still able to utilize their limited cap space to find a player to play the same role for cheaper.
While Tyler Allgeier is in Arizona and is presumptively the current RB1 over No. 3 overall pick Jeremiyah Love (who's now hurt), the Falcons are paying Brian Robinson Jr. less money to play the exact same role, so it's clear to see who is better off a part of this thunder-and-lightning duo.
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