Raiders provide safe landing spot for former Chiefs WR

Some transitions are bigger than others. For new Raiders wide receiver Demarcus Robinson, the one he’s undergoing is a whopper.

It’s right up there with trading New York Yankees pinstripes for Sweet Caroline and the Boston Red Sox. Or jetting south down California’s Pacific coast for the Los Angeles Dodgers after playing your entire career with the San Francisco Giants.

It goes without saying those rivalries, and all the history and emotions and disdain that come with them, are as big as it gets. And from a pro football perspective, the rivalry between the Kansas City Chiefs and Raiders absolutely rises to that level.

Robinson knows all too well the discord between the teams, having spent all six years of his NFL career in Kansas City. In March he did the almost unthinkable, shedding the red, gold and white of the Chiefs in favor of the Raiders’ silver and black.

So it’s still a little weird.

Dating all the way back to the formation of the AFL in 1960, the two franchises have developed long-standing contentiousness by continuously sharing the same division and playing in monumental games that decided who would play for AFL and Super Bowl championships.

And even though the rivalry has turned decidedly in the Chiefs’ direction over the last decade or so, it is still a big deal when the two foes meet. This year in particular, their meetings could decide an AFC West some consider the toughest division in the NFL.

“The last six years, I’ve looked at the Raiders like a rivalry,” Robinson said. “Now it’s home.”

Needless to say, there is still some getting used to — although the change in scenery does come with some similarities.

Much like he did in Kansas City, Robinson looks around the Raiders’ locker room and sees offensive talent galore. Where he once played alongside premiere football weapons like Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, he’s now joining Davante Adams and Darren Waller.

The experience Robinson has in not only fitting in with dynamic forces like Hill and Kelce but also finding his way to the point of providing important contributions, should serve him well as he feels his way around Waller, Adams and Hunter Renfrow.

While some people only see the ball finding its way to the star players, Robinson knows firsthand the benefits of playing in and around players that other teams are determined to apply max focus on.

“That’s a good thing for me and other guys on the team,” Robinson said. “Once someone else is getting a lot of targets like Davante, Hunter, Darren, it just opens it up for whoever else is on the field, trying to get one-on-one type coverage. Because those guys probably will be double-covered probably most of the time.”

Coupled with the addition of new coach Josh McDaniels, Robinson had a favorable view of the Raiders upon hitting free agency. For a guy who has produced 145 catches for 1,679 yards and 14 TDs over 97 NFL games, the Raiders offered a safe landing place.

“Josh gave me a great opportunity to come here and play with a great group of guys,” Robinson said. “It’s just going to open up stuff for me to be able to make plays.”

Even if it’s in a uniform that represents the biggest rival of the team he just left.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.