Patrick Robinson to Chargers: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

The San Diego Chargers have reached a deal with free-agent cornerback Patrick Robinson on a one-year, $3 million contract.

He spent the first five seasons of his career with the New Orleans Saints.

Aaron Wilson of NationalFootballPost.com passed along the news:

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Former New Orleans Saints cornerback Patrick Robinson has signed a one-year, $3 million maximum value contract with the San Diego Chargers, according to a league source.

His deal includes $1.25 million guaranteed, including a $1 million signing bonus.

Robinson has a $1 million base salary with $250,000 of it guaranteed. He has up to $1 million in playtime incentives.

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The Chargers later confirmed the signing.

Robinson has traveled a winding road since being selected by the Saints in the first round of the 2010 draft. He ascended to a full-time starting role in 2012, missed most of 2013 due to a patella injury and then was demoted during the 2014 campaign before eventually earning his spot back.

All told, he's racked up 180 tackles, 46 passes defended and nine interceptions across 58 career games (33 starts).

He had 39 tackles and two interceptions last season.

The Florida State product is a versatile corner capable of playing on the outside or sliding inside to cover a slot receiver. He's not a top-end contributor, but he's a solid member of a secondary.

He played much better in the latter stages of last season. Back in December, he explained why his on-field performance had improved. 

"Now that I'm starting (again), I think my confidence is a lot better now than the last couple of years," he told Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune. "That makes a huge difference."

Now, the 27-year-old corner will look to continue that progression with a new squad. There's always a transition period when it comes to switching teams, but his versatility should allow him to quickly adapt to whatever he's asked to do.

With Brandon Flowers on the free-agent market, the Chargers needed a new corner, and Robinson fits the bill.

It's a signing that does come with some risk because of the previous drop-offs in play. With that said, he was playing well late last season, and the hope is he'll parlay that into a strong 2015.

If that happens, then it should become a nice value signing.

While Robinson's Saints career has come to a close, sometimes a fresh start is all it takes for a player to find his true comfort zone.