Category: Cam Robinson

OT Cam Robinson receives franchise tag for second consecutive season from Jags

Cam Robinson has received the franchise tag for the second consecutive time in Duval.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be using the franchise tag for the second consecutive year. And for the second consecutive time, they also will be using it on left tackle Cam Robinson.

With hours remaining before the tag deadline, the Jags decided to keep Robinson from hitting the open market, and if they choose, they can now work out a long-term deal with the veteran. However, if a long-term deal isn’t agreed to, or the tag isn’t rescinded, Robinson will be playing on a one-year deal for about $16.5 million. That’s a 20% raise from his 2020 salary under the tag when he played for $13.7 million.

It was clear coming into the offseason that the Jags needed to prioritize the offensive line for the sake of quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he was under a lot of pressure last season. However, Robinson was the least of their problems, and in the process of starting in 13 games, he registered a pass-blocking grade of 76.6, according to Pro Football Focus.

Overall, though, Robinson’s grade on PFF was a 67.4, leaving some fans to desire an upgrade. Additionally, rookie Walker Little played well in his place, leaving many thinking that he could be the left tackle of the future.

If Robinson is willing to play on the franchise tag, though, it appears the Jags could view him and Little as the bookends. That would remove one of the weak links from the line in Jawaan Taylor, who has been the team’s right tackle the past two years.

Robinson, if he decides to play on the tag, gives Lawrence a player with 61 regular season starts on the blindside. He also gives the Jags the luxury of having one less need heading into free agency and the draft and opens up the opportunity for the Jags to bolster their pass-rush with the No. 1 overall pick.

Offensively, this is a move that allows the Jags to focus on other areas where they can help Lawrence like the interior offensive line and adding skill weapons. Only time will tell how they go about it, though, but this decision has opened up the opportunity for many different approaches.

It’s decision time if Jags plan to use the franchise tag

OT Cam Robinson and WR DJ Chark seem to be the only candidates the Jags would tag and they have until 4 p.m. EST to do so.

In roughly five hours (4 p.m. EST) the franchise tag deadline will be here, which means teams in the NFL have some decisions to make if there are any notable free agents on their roster that they want to keep. In the Jacksonville Jaguars’ case, that means a decision could be coming on retaining offensive tackle Cam Robinson or receiver DJ Chark, both of whom could be important pieces for the offense.

If Robinson was franchised, he’d be receiving the tag for the second consecutive year. The Jags franchised tagged him last year on March 9, which locked him into a $13.7 million figure that was later decided when the NFL announced its salary cap number. Afterward, he was able to take the field for the team for 14 games and had a decent season, while garnering a Pro Football Focus grade of 67.4 and a pass-blocking grade of 76.6.

Robinson would probably prefer a long-term deal, but if he’s tagged he would receive a 20% raise and that would make his salary around $16.5 million for the year. All of that would be guaranteed if an injury occurred, and the figure would give him the highest cap hit on the team.

As for Chark, franchise tagging him would cost the Jags even more as the receivers figure is $18.4. However, it seems his chances are lower to be franchised than Robinson’s when looking at his availability. While Chark does give the offense speed on the outside, he’s struggled to stay healthy and has missed 22-of-65 games (33%). That said, if the Jags want to keep Chark, the transition tag would make more sense, which would pay Chark a salary of $16.7 million.

When looking at both former second-round selections, both have done some notable things for the Jags. Robinson has started in 61 regular season games on the blindside, while Chark is a former Pro Bowler who has accumulated over 2,000 career receiving yards for the Jags and 15 touchdowns.

However, the open market or the draft could give them even better options, and if that’s the case, they may be fine letting both at least test the market. But if the Jags feel like they would be hurting themselves and making their team significantly worse, they may be willing to use the tag before the deadline.

In this week’s episode of “Touchdown Jaguars!” we looked at the top needs for the Jags heading into the NFL Combine. Progressing forward, we will continue to put out weekly episodes, giving Jags Wire readers a new go-to podcast, which will discuss the latest in news, rumors, and more. To stay up to date, subscribe via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and also feel free to rate and comment.

Franchise tag watch for 2 players on Jags’ offense begins

The franchise tag window is now open and it appears the Jags have two names to at least consider for it.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a busy offseason ahead of them after finishing with the NFL’s worst record for a second consecutive time. Of course, the key for their roster will be to acquire more talent with their high draft picks and also add help through free agency (and potentially by trading, too).

However, they also could afford to keep some of their pending free agents, especially on the offensive side of the ball where it was clear that rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence needed help. With needs on the offensive line and at receiver in terms of protecting him and giving him targets, tackle Cam Robinson and receiver DJ Chark Jr. are clearly the biggest names from the Jags’ group of pending free agents.

Fans would be hard-pressed to find an NFL analyst that won’t put the offensive line and receiver at the top of the Jags’ list of needs this offseason. And while retaining one or both players would help the Jags tremendously, their roster will still need additions at both respective positions regardless.

Of course, both of these players can be extended with new short or long-term deals. The idea of franchise or transition tagging the pair has been floated around, too, which means it’s now time to watch both players closely with the tag window officially starting today. The window will remain open until March 8, which gives all 32 organizations a two-week window to make their respective decisions.

However, if tagging wither player in some way is the route the Jags do choose to go, don’t expect them to jump on the opportunity quickly as we’ve seen these situations go down to the wire at times. But with the NFL Combine set to take place in a week, we’ll start to gather more information on what the Jags’ plans truly are.

If the Jags were to tag Robinson, it wouldn’t be unfamiliar territory as the team used the franchise tag on him last season. As a result, he received a one-year deal of over $13.7 million that was all guaranteed. Tagging him again would give him a 20% raise from his previous deal, which would put his salary at about $16.5 million for 2022.

It’s on general manager Trent Baalke and Doug Pederson to figure out if Robinson’s play will warrant that type of money. Last season, Robinson played in 14 games and took 857 snaps. He only allowed one sack and eight hits and registered a Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade of 76.6. That alone gives the Jags something to think about, but they also have the luxury to upgrade left tackle through the draft and free agency with an estimated $59.2 million available in cap space.

As for Chark, it’s even more difficult to make a case for the franchise tag as he’s missed 22-of-65 games (33%). He missed a career-high of 13 games last season after suffering a fractured ankle Week 4 after he inadvertently got rolled up from behind. That said, he unfortunately, wasn’t able to give the Jags a season that would warrant a big deal, though he has one Pro Bowl season that took place in 2019.

Due to how his career has been up and down and affected by injuries, it’s clear that Chark has less of a chance of getting the franchise tag than Robinson. That’s especially the case with the receivers franchise tag projected at over $19.1 million, which means the transition tag ($16.7) may be more reasonable.

Time will tell what the Jags do over the next two weeks in terms of retaining these players and others. Keeping at least one certainly wouldn’t hurt a team with a bunch of needs, but at the same time, deciding on what route to go with both after a 3-14 season won’t be easy.

POLL: Should the Jaguars franchise tag left tackle Cam Robinson?

Jacksonville has until March 8 to make a franchise tag decision on Robinson.

As the Super Bowl is in the rearview, the beginning of the new league year will be here before we know it. It’s a key offseason for the Jaguars, who have a new coaching staff in place and could still see a reorganization in the front office, as well.

They have a lot of cash to spend in free agency and the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. But before they can get to any of those decisions, they face a big one: what to do with left tackle Cam Robinson.

Robinson was franchise-tagged last offseason after his rookie contract expired. Now, he’s a pending free agent again, and the decision with him this offseason has been a hotly debated topic.

Jacksonville has a few options. An extension would be expensive; the team can afford it, but Robinson was a below-average NFL tackle this season. Making him one of the highest-paid players at his position in the league may not be the best course of action.

Franchise tagging him again, though, would be a more reasonable option if the team wants to keep him around. It would be pricey for the one year, but it wouldn’t require a long-term commitment from the Jaguars. Plus, they could potentially get some return for him if they choose to trade him next fall.

Jacksonville has until March 8 at 4 p.m. EST to place the franchise tag on a player.

But of course, the plan with the first overall pick could change things. Many expect the team to take a tackle with that selection, and considering Walker Little was a second-round pick last year and played well as a rookie, he and the draft pick could be the starters at tackle next season.

If the Jags plan to take a player like Evan Neal at No. 1, tagging Robinson wouldn’t make a lot of sense unless the team doesn’t feel confident in Little’s development. Jawaan Taylor has struggled and could be replaced at right tackle next season, so drafting someone with the top pick wouldn’t necessarily solve all of the problems there.

Starting-caliber offensive linemen don’t grow on trees, and it’s always a risky decision to let one walk. But while Robinson fits that bill, the team could do for an upgrade, especially with bolstering the line being among the top priorities.

What do you think? Should the Jags franchise tag Robinson, try to work out a long-term extension or let him test free agency? Let us know in the poll below.

[polldaddy poll=11047945]

Extending Cam Robinson could cost Jags nearly $17 million/year, per Spotrac

The value of a projected extension for Robinson would make him the seventh highest-paid left tackle in football.

Jacksonville’s toughest decision last offseason regarded offensive tackle Cam Robinson, a second-round pick in 2017 whose rookie contract was expiring. The Jaguars kicked the can down the road a year by placing the franchise tag on Robinson, but now the time has come to decide on his future once again.

The team could choose to tag him once again, but that would result in an even bigger one-year deal than the $13.8 million agreement he played under in 2021. With that being said, signing him to a long-term contract would be even pricier.

According to Spotrac, a market-value deal for Robinson would be around a four-year, $67.3 million commitment that would pay the veteran tackle an average of $16.8 million. That would rank seventh among NFL left tackles and give him a contract similar to those of others at the position like Garrett Bolles, D.J. Humphries, and Laremy Tunsil.

With the Jags either losing or opting out of the bidding wars for players like Trent Williams and Orlando Brown last offseason, retaining Robinson on a one-year basis made a good deal of sense, given the other positions the team also needed to prioritize. Robinson was decent in 2021, but it’s a stretch to say his production justifies a contract of this size.

According to Pro Football Focus, he earned a season grade of just 67.3, squarely in the bottom of the average range. That grade ranked just 50th among 84 NFL tackles, and that’s not exactly the type of contract year a staff would like to see from a player they’re about to hand a top-10 contract at the position to.

If Jacksonville decides to move on from Robinson and let him test free agency, it has options. Walker Little, a second-round pick from 2021, started three games this season. Though it’s a small sample size, he registered the third-highest offensive grade on the team at 68.8 (higher than Robinson). The Jags could also shore up the position with the first overall pick by taking a player like Alabama’s Evan Neal or North Carolina State’s Ikem Ekwonu.

Regardless, if the Jaguars decide they want Cam Robinson in Jacksonville in the long run, it won’t be a cheap move for the team.

Urban Meyer praises Jaguars tackles for play against ferocious Denver pass rush

Meyer said both Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor played well against Denver’s talented edge-rushing duo.

There wasn’t much praiseworthy about Jacksonville’s offensive performance on Sunday, but one thing the unit actually did fairly well was protecting quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The Broncos’ edge rushing duo of Von Miller and Bradley Chubb is one of the NFL’s best, and while Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor didn’t do a bad job holding their own Week 1, fans still had concerns about how they would fare Week 2 due to the duo’s penalty issues.

In Week 2, they were much better. Lawrence was only sacked once, by Miller, and he had plenty of time to make throws (though that didn’t necessarily correlate with success).

On Monday, coach Urban Meyer said he was pleased with the play of the offensive line, particularly with Robinson and Taylor.

“Our offensive line was very much a positive,” he said. “They kept a nice, solid pocket for him [QB Trevor Lawrence] for the most part. Obviously, against two elite pass rushers, Jawaan Taylor really hung in there. I know we chipped a little bit and helped him, but for the most part, he hung in there. They had one sack and it was on a twist. But straight pass rush, we hung in there really well.

“I was really proud of the offensive line. They put us in position to win the game if we didn’t have a couple other areas where – in the first half, we left two of the touchdowns right there on the field and it’s a whole different ball game if you don’t do that.”

Though Chubb missed a large portion of the game when he exited with an injury, the tackles still held their own against the pass rush for most of the contest.

As fans are aware, both players need big years to solidify their roles moving forward. Robinson was franchise tagged last offseason, and he’s currently making his case for a long-term contract. Taylor, meanwhile, is under contract through 2022, but his play has been inconsistent, and Jacksonville drafted another tackle in the second round this year in Walker Little.

But Robinson and Taylor have been solid through two games, and while it hasn’t correlated with offensive success, it’s definitely a positive sign moving forward.

B/R predicts Cam Robinson will be Jacksonville’s biggest bust in 2021

Brent Sobleski thinks the Jaguars overpaid for Robinson, who is due $13.8 million from the franchise tag.

Jacksonville had a big decision to make at the left tackle position this offseason. With starter Cam Robinson’s rookie contract expiring and because of his inconsistent play (as well as injury issues), many fans hoped for an upgrade at left tackle during free agency.

But no move materialized, and with first overall pick Trevor Lawrence’s blindside in need of protection, the Jaguars decided to bring back Robinson on the franchise tag. He’s due $13.8 million this season, and unless he plays at a very high level, it could be his final season in Jacksonville.

Though he’s set to be the biggest cap hit on the team this season, expectations aren’t exactly high for him. He was tagged mostly out of necessity, and it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise that Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski lists him as the most likely bust for the Jags in 2021.

Certain expectations are placed on those who receive the franchise tag from their respective teams.

Cam Robinson’s situation is quite different. The Jacksonville Jaguars decided to pay their left tackle $13.8 million this season because they didn’t see the value in anyone else on the market.

Basically, the organization looked at the free-agent pool and decided it couldn’t get anyone better than its current serviceable left tackle.

The rationale is terrible. Sure, Robinson is only 25 years old. But he hasn’t been particularly good during his career. The organization could have spent far less on a comparable talent like Russell Okung, Alejandro Villanueva or Charles Leno Jr. The draft was still an option at the time as well.

Instead, the Jaguars decided to overpay a marginal performer. Robinson will be forced to improve his level of play or be continually chastised.

Jacksonville may have overpaid for Robinson, but it’s no guarantee that any of the aging options Sobleski listed would have been better. Still, it’s hard to imagine that even a solid season from Robinson would justify the tag amount he’ll be playing under.

The Jaguars need him to play at a high level to aid in the development of quarterback Trevor Lawrence, but the tackle spots remain the weakest points on an overall above-average offensive line.

Jaguars not expected to reach extension with OT Cam Robinson

As expected, Cam Robinson is set to play on the Jags’ one-year franchise tag worth over $13.7 million as a long-term deal isn’t likely.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and offensive lineman Cam Robinson, who was franchise tagged by the team, are not expected to reach a long-term extension.

The deadline for NFL teams and players who were tagged is on Thursday. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Robinson was added to the growing list of players who are expected to play the 2021 season on the tag:

This news comes after the Jags invested the No. 45 overall pick into Stanford left tackle Walker Little. However, with Robinson on the franchise tag (valued at $13.7 million), it appears Little could be viewed as the starter after 2021 unless he temporarily switches positions.

 

Little was one of the players who Jags offensive line coach, George Warhop, praised for his preparation during organized team activities and minicamp. Even if that translates to a solid performance in camp, though, it’s hard to envision Robinson not being Trevor Lawrence’s blindside protector during his rookie campaign.

Robinson will enter camp with 47 starts to his name since being drafted by the Jags in 2017. He’s become more known for his run blocking abilities over his pass blocking skills, but that fits well with what Urban Meyer could want in 2021 as running backs James Robinson and Travis Etienne could be a nice rushing tandem.

Cam Robinson named an honorable mention on ESPN’s top OTs list

Robinson may be on the hot seat entering 2021, but he still earned a mention from an NFL insider as one of the top tackles.

Jacksonville offensive tackle Cam Robinson enters a decisive fifth season in 2021. With injury problems and inconsistent play throughout his first four seasons, the Jaguars elected not to extend him this offseason, and though he’ll be playing under a pricey franchise tag this fall, his future on the team beyond that is unclear.

The Jags will hope to see Robinson have a career resurgence in 2021 as he’ll be tasked with protecting the blind side of new franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence while he adjusts to the speed of the game.

Robinson has shown flashes at times, but not enough to appear on the list of the top 10 offensive linemen from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, which is based on the opinions of players, coaches and executives around the league. However, Robinson did garner an honorable mention, with one anonymous NFL insider saying that he’s “very talented but undisciplined.”

This shouldn’t be a grand revelation for Jaguars fans, who have had a front-row seat to Robinson’s struggles over the last four years. Considered a potential first-round prospect coming out of college, he slipped to the Jags in the second round back in 2017.

His play as a rookie contributed to the team’s success that season, which resulted in the first AFC Championship appearance for the franchise in 18 years. But even that year, he was held back by injuries and his play hasn’t reached a high level since.

Now, he has what will likely be his last chance to secure a long-term deal in Jacksonville.

Who is the Jaguars’ most overrated player?

According to Pro Football Network, Cam Robinson is Jacksonville’s most overrated player.

Considering the Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off a 1-15 season that resulted in the No. 1 overall pick, there aren’t many players on the team that could be called “overrated.” But even on struggling teams, there are players that don’t live up to expectations, or in this case, their contract.

According to Pro Football Network, offensive tackle Cam Robinson is Jacksonville’s most overrated player.

You can put either of the Jacksonville offensive tackles here. Although I believe Travis Etienne is a stellar athlete, the Jaguars could have used an upgrade at OT instead of an RB. In each of the last two years, Robinson has allowed 11 sacks, with his 2020 total being behind only teammate Jawaan Taylor. Moreover, Robinson accumulated 30+ blown blocks and committed 5+ penalties every season outside of 2018 when he played just two games.

While neither Robinson nor Taylor has been dominant, Taylor has been the more promising player to this point. Further, he’s still on his rookie deal, while Robinson was given a hefty payday with the franchise tag this offseason.

Injuries have been an issue for him throughout his first four seasons, and even when he’s stayed healthy, he’s been inconsistent on the field. Many thought Jacksonville would try to upgrade the tackle spot this offseason and move on from Robinson.

After options like Trent Williams and Orlando Brown fell through, the only remaining option was the draft. But the 2021 tackle class wasn’t ideal, and though the team drafted potential future starter in Walker Little, he’s considered a project player who won’t contribute much as a rookie.

Robinson’s future on the Jags is murky beyond this season and barring a breakout year, the team is almost certain to let him walk. But in the meantime, he’ll be tasked with protecting Trevor Lawrence’s blindside, and Jacksonville will expect him to hold his own, overrated or not.