“It is very weird,” Gipson said. “It’s down and up if I’m being completely honest. I was sad and I didn’t expect it. Even when I came in my rookie year, I’ve always been with Rob. He showed me the ropes. It was hard telling him goodbye last night, especially. But it is an opportunity and I’m just going to give it my all.”
“I told the guys yesterday that they don’t have to be Robert,” Williams said. “I still want them to be themselves. There is a void, but I’ll just wait and see who fills that void naturally. As a coach you don’t want to push guys into being or doing something that they are not comfortable with or are not capable of. So ultimately there is a void, and ultimately someone will step up. We’ll just see who that missing piece is.
When Poles was asked Wednesday about feeling comfortable trading Quinn, he spoke of his trust in Gipson, his satisfaction with the intensity and toughness that Muhammad brings and the flashes he has seen from Robinson, the former quarterback and wide receiver who converted to defense late in college and has 1 ½ sacks this season.