Category: Cam Robinson

Jaguars to franchise tag OT Cam Robinson

With a new staff in place, it appears the Jags want to hang on to Cam Robinson for one more season.

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In a bit of a surprise move, the Jacksonville Jaguars have decided to place the franchise tag on offensive tackle Cam Robinson on Tuesday.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the move, which comes just ahead of the 4 p.m. deadline across the NFL for teams to use the franchise tag. With Robinson receiving the tag, he’ll make anywhere from $13.6 million to $14.5 million, according to Over the Cap.

Robinson getting the tag would put him on a one-year term with the Jags. Their decision to do so could be a result of not wanting to make a long-term commitment to Robinson yet, as he’s struggled with consistency. However, if a long-term deal was in their plans, they have until July 15 to get one done. The team also would avoid coming up short with a starting blindside protector in free agency, or relying on a rookie in the draft to protect probable No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence.

In 2020, Robinson started in all 16 games for the Jags. Per Pro Football Focus, he ended the season with a grade of 61.7 overall. Overall, he’s started in 47 games since being drafted in the second-round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Alabama.

Cam Robinson listed among CBS Sports’ top-100 free agents

With the Jaguars likely to let him walk, Robinson could see some attention on the free agency open market.

If the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to draft Trevor Lawrence, then there may not be a higher priority than securing his blindside. Cam Robinson has held down the left tackle position for the last few seasons in Jacksonville since he was taken in the second round in 2017.

Robinson has been decently productive during his time with the Jags, but with his contract expiring, it’s a chance they could move on. There are high-caliber free-agent options available like Trent Williams (or Orlando Brown through a tag-and-trade) and several draftable prospects, and Jacksonville likely doesn’t want to allocate a large chunk of its more than $82 million cap space to giving Robinson a large deal.

Still, Robinson will likely have some suitors on the open market. In a ranking from CBS Sports of the top 100 NFL free agents, he was listed at No. 64.

He is a relatively young tackle (26) with lots of starting experience, which will make him appealing. But he didn’t have a good season in 2020, even though it was a contract year.

Robinson has started all 47 games he’s appeared in since coming into the league, and his experience is certainly one of his main selling points as a free agent. Though he missed most of the 2018 season with an ACL injury, he’s never missed more than two games in one year otherwise.

However, as CBS notes, he didn’t have an overly impressive season despite it being a contract year for him, and given the amount of cap space the Jags have, it makes sense that they would want to go in a different direction during the rebuild.

Jaguars can use franchise tag starting this week

If Jacksonville chooses to tag a player, tackle Cam Robinson, whose contract expires, would be the most natural choice.

Beginning on Tuesday, NFL teams will have the opportunity to franchise tag a player on their team, which locks the player up with a one-year deal at a salary at least equal to the average of the top five salaries at the position over the last five seasons.

It’s currently unclear if Jacksonville intends to take advantage of the franchise tag this season. Last year, it used the tag on Yannick Ngakoue, who was later traded to the Minnesota Vikings.

But if the Jags do choose to tag a player in 2021, there’s one clear-cut candidate: offensive tackle Cam Robinson. The fourth-year player’s rookie deal expired this season, and he is set to become an unrestricted free agent in a couple of weeks.

Jacksonville could choose to extend Robinson, who has developed into a solid player despite having some injury issues throughout the early part of his career. But if it doesn’t want to get locked up in a long-term deal (or wants to address the position in the draft), it could choose to tag him to keep him around for one more season, albeit at a bit of a high price tag.

The projected offensive line salary for the franchise tag this season is over $14.5 million by Over the Cap’s estimation. When looking at the yearly average of left tackles, Robinson would be tied at the No. 10 spot with Atlanta Falcons tackle Jake Matthews if franchised.

Jaguars vs. Chargers: 3 players to watch on offense

Gardner Minshew is in jeopardy of being benched against the Chargers which is exactly why he needs to rise to the occasion and play better.

The Jacksonville Jaguars travel to Los Angeles to play the Chargers this weekend as the team desperately searches for a way to get back into the win column. After losing five straight, the Jaguars are 1-5 and any momentum picked up in that opening weekend victory against Indianapolis is now long in the rear-view mirror.

If they are to save their season, they need to do it now. Another loss before the bye week would leave the team 1-6 with a much tougher slate of games following the bye. In a nutshell, that could mean the 2020 season may be over for Jacksonville before the mid-way point of their campaign.

For the team to win today, they simply must produce more offense than they have shown lately as they’ve lost three of the last four by at least two touchdowns. Here are three players on offense who will have to step up for the Jaguars to emerge victorious against the Chargers on the West Coast for the first time:

QB Gardner Minshew II

After a report from insider Ian Rapoport surfaced suggesting that the Jags’ could bench Minshew Week 7 if his struggles continue, Sunday’s game against the Chargers might be the most important of his career.

Simply put, Minshew has looked a shell of the player fans saw in 2019 and Week 1 of 2020. Rattled early and often, the turnovers that we saw last year have been damning this season, committing eight total turnovers during the teams five-game slide.

Minshew has the tools and the upside to be a viable quarterback in the NFL, but if he is unable to keep the ball out of the oppositions hands again this week the leash will undoubtedly get shorter. That could especially be the case  if Doug Marrone endures another loss, which could leave him searching for options to cool his hot seat.

WR Laviska Shenault Jr.

The team has struck gold with their second-round pick from 2020. Laviska Shenault Jr has done a little bit of everything for this Jaguars team. Having lined up outside, in the slot, in the backfield and even in the wildcat at points in this season, the offense has the potential to run through this rookie receiver for years to come.

When asked what position he played, the former Colorado man defined himself as “a playmaker” who loves the pressure. There will be plenty of pressure on him this week as offensive coordinator Jay Gruden will look to dial up plays which takes the responsibility away from Minshew’s lone shoulders.

OT Cam Robinson

Melvin Ingram (who lines up everywhere) is back, which means that left tackle Cam Robinson is in for one of his toughest games of the season. With the fourth-year lineman playing with a contract negotiation or free-agency in mind, a strong showing against one of the league’s most versatile pass-rushers will only help matters.

Add in the abilities of two-time Pro Bowler, Joey Bosa, and it’s clear the Jags’ offensive line will have a daunting task on their hands. Protecting Minshew has to be emphasized with such talent on the Chargers’ defense, especially when considering the young quarterback’s ball security problems.

If Jacksonville is able to remain strong up front, they may not have to lean so heavily on Minshew, who has thrown at least 40 passes in five-straight defeats. With Robinson being an impressive run-blocker throughout his NFL career, this would be a great time to play to his strength and get running back James Robinson going again, too.

Jaguars OL Cam Robinson gets ejected in third quarter vs. Dolphins

The Jags’ night just keeps getting worse. The team had another starter exit the game, this time due to an ejection.

The Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line will be down a man in the remainder of the fourth quarter.

Jaguars lineman Cam Robinson received a controversial ejection from the game with time winding down in the third quarter for making contact with an official:

The ejection came after a scrum on the ground caused by a fumble from quarterback Gardner Minshew II. Miami Dolphins linebacker Kyle Van Noy would recover the fumble in Jaguars territory leading to a rushing touchdown by quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Robinson could possibly face further discipline from the NFL if his contact with the official was deemed extreme enough to warrant such discipline other than an ejection. The Jaguars are down 28-7 in the fourth quarter so tempers are understandably on edge.

3 Jaguars to watch on offense vs. Colts

The Jags will need their offense to lead the way if they are to beat the Colts Sunday and, of course, Gardner Minshew is one of many keys.

Today is finally the day. Jaguars football is back on our screens in just a matter of hours. The offseason has been filled with a multitude of storylines, some controversy, and distress for fans. Opening day represents something entirely different: when the hope has yet to be taken away, and the air is thick with Bud Light, excitement, and anticipation.

However, this year the anticipation is different and it’s because football is not going to look like it has in the past. For much of the year, the mere prospect of football was very much in doubt, but thanks to the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols and each franchise’s diligence, the season is here.

On today’s slate of games, the only matchup that will have fans is the one being held in Duval County as the Jags will host the Indianapolis Colts. If the Jaguars fans in attendance are to go home happy, the three players below need to have a good game:

RB James Robinson

The undrafted rookie running back from Illinois State was supposedly a large factor in the team’s decision to move on from former top-5 pick Leonard Fournette. With the likes of Devin Ozigbo and Ryquell Armstead both unavailable for the game, James Robinson looks set to become the feature back for Jay Gruden’s offense early on this season.

If he gets off to a hot start, the Jaguars running back might join the likes of Philip Lindsay and Austin Ekeler, two undrafted running backs who’ve held their own for their respective teams. The Colts’ front seven is beginning to come into its own and the addition of second-team All-Pro DeForest Buckner will only help them.

Simply put, Week 1 will provide a tough test for Robinson in his pro debut. However, if he shines, he might be the long-term future at the position for the Jaguars.

LT Cam Robinson

Someone whose long-term future is by no means certain is left tackle Cam Robinson. As of now, there hasn’t been any news about the Jags looking into an extension, so it’s possible they will let the season play out to evaluate him.

Robinson missed nearly all of 2018 after suffering a torn ACL in a Jaguars win over New England and hasn’t been able to consistently perform at the same level since his return. The reports coming out of camp suggest that this is the best he has looked for quite some time, having been able to rehab properly over the course of the offseason.

The former Alabama star will need to play up to his full potential if he hopes to secure a new deal with the team who drafted him in the second-round back in 2017. Having a solid showing against Justin Houston Week 1 would be a great start towards getting that new deal.

QB Gardner Minshew

The 2020 season is Gardner Minshew’s audition for the role of franchise quarterback. In his rookie year, Minshew played well enough to bench $88 million man Nick Foles, but more importantly, he did enough to prevent Dave Caldwell from taking a quarterback early in the draft.

Make no mistake, if he underperforms this year then the Jaguars will almost certainly be moving on from MinshewMania for 2021. For that reason, it’s vital that the second-year passer gets off to a hot start.

Everybody outside of the Jaguars’ facility seems certain that the team is “tanking for Trevor Lawrence,” but those within the organization are hopeful that their current quarterback can show he’s able to lead the team to wins. That would not only save his jobs, but also Caldwell’s and Doug Marrone’s.

Minshew’s only game against the Colts (2019’s season finale) is one of the best so far in his career. He was able to put up almost 300 passing yards for three touchdowns in a 38-20 victory. If he’s able to come anywhere close to that production today, there is a real chance the Jaguars can shock the league and start out 1-0.

K’Lavon Chaisson discusses how battling Jags’ starting OTs has helped him

K’Lavon Chaisson is learning more by the day in training camp and his competition on the OL has been a vital part of the process.

As a first-round selection for the Jacksonville Jaguars in April’s draft, many fans and media members understand how important K’Lavon Chaisson is to the team’s success in 2020. That’s why he’s been one of the most analyzed players since his return from a hamstring injury he sustained a few weeks ago.

So far, the reviews on him have been encouraging on the No. 20 overall pick as he’s soaking in a lot of tips from players on the defensive side like Josh Allen, Abry Jones, and Dawuane Smoot. However, another aspect of practice that has helped him is the reps he’s taken against starting offensive tackles Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor.

“I feel like it’s great. It’s new sets and I feel like those two guys [Robinson and Taylor] are elite,” Chaisson told the media in a virtual presser Monday. “Just going against them two every day, it kind of brings me a new pass rush offense arsenal. Obviously, you’re going to be going against different sets every week. [It’s great] to go against them every day in practice and those guys give me gems after practice and even during practice on what I can and cannot do. ”

While many have been critical of the Jags’ offensive line, Chaisson certainly could learn a lot from both tackles as they faced elite talents like J.J. Watt, Cam Hayward, Frank Clark, Melvin Ingram, and Joey Bosa last season just to name a few. Additionally, they are players who also practiced against a line that consisted of Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue as fans witnessed last year in training camp.

With just three weeks left before the season, both the Jags offensive line and defensive line will need to continue pushing each other to new heights. That especially should be a point of emphasis for rookies like Chaisson, who won’t have a preseason or joint practices to see different personnel.

Jags depth chart prediction: Offensive line

Jags fans entered 2020 with a lot of concerns about the OL and with the team only drafting one player on the unit, it may not change.

We started our depth chart predictions around this time last week and have previewed the quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends, and receivers so far. That leaves just one unit on the offensive side: the offensive line. Here are our predictions for how the unit could turn out in the trenches:

Left tackle Left guard Center Right Guard Right Tackle
No. 1 Cam Robinson Andrew Norwell Brandon Linder A.J. Cann Jawaan Taylor
No. 2 Will Richardson KC McDermott Tyler Shatley Ben Bartch* Ryan Pope
No. 3 Blake Hance Tyler Gauthier Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms* Steven Nielsen*

Left tackle

Cam Robinson will enter 2020 as the starter and will be on a contract year. It appears he might also have some competition to remain a starter as the Jags will be letting Will Richardson settle in at left tackle, too. Right now, I’d say the edge goes to Robinson, but it’s probably not a certainty as he’s been up and down on the blindside.

Behind them could be Blake Hance, who will be entering his second season but has no starts to his name. When looking at his background, however, he was a starter for multiple years at left tackle in college at Northwestern University.

Left guard

Andrew Norwell has been underwhelming since joining the Jags in 2018 via free agency. The team renegotiated his deal this offseason but he still will come with a $9 million (all guaranteed) price tag, so he’ll be starting.

It’s unknown who will be a reserve behind Norwell at left guard, so I slotted KC McDermott there for the time being. He’s been developing on the team’s practice squad for two seasons and it’s about time he enters the season on the final roster as he played at a variety of offensive line spots in college at Miami.

Center

There aren’t many who would disagree that Brandon Linder is the best offensive lineman on the team. As one of the team’s generals, he’ll enter 2020 with another solid season behind him as he registered a 75.3 Pro Football Focus grade, good for the best on the offensive line.

Behind him will be the Jags’ most experienced reserve offensive lineman in Tyler Shatley. He’ll enter 2020 with 16 starts, and like Linder, he possesses the ability to play both guard and center if the team has to do some shuffling.

Tyler Gauthier joined the team in early December of last year as a reserve. He previously played guard and center during the preseason process with the New England Patriots but was designated to their practice squad in the regular season. With a solid preseason, he has a small shot to make the roster on the back end, but if not, he’s a perfect candidate for practice squad.

Right guard

While it hasn’t always been pretty, A.J. Cann will come into the 2020 season as one of the team’s most experienced players, with 75 career starts to his name. He’ll have some competition from fourth-round rookie selection, Ben Bartch, who the team believes is a developmental project for now.

Behind those two could be the massive Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms (6-foot-5, 330-pounds), who went undrafted in April’s draft. He could be a sleeper to make the team after being a starter for Missouri since 2017 and earning all-conference honors in 2018.

Right tackle

Rookie Jawaan Taylor started in every game for the Jags a right tackle and finished strong after struggling mightily with penalties earlier in the season. He’ should only get better with more experience and fans should be encouraged about his future.

Behind him on the depth chart could be Ryan Pope, who joined the Jags’ practice squad last year as an undrafted free agent. Before that, he spent time on the Detroit Lions’ and San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad so he’s unproven on the NFL level. He’ll get an opportunity to prove himself as a practice squad candidate in the preseason and it will likely come at the right or left tackle positions when considering his background at San Diego State.

As for undrafted free agent Steven Nielsen, a majority of his collegiate starts at Eastern Michigan came at right guard, which makes him a candidate to battle Pope for a practice squad spot this offseason.

4 players from the Jags offense who could take a step forward

With the additions made to the Jags’ roster, Cam Robinson is just one of several offensive guys who could make tremendous strides in 2020.

The Jacksonville Jaguars as a whole must improve as 2018-19 has left fans beyond disappointed. If they are to make progress, their offense especially will need to make strides because we’re now at a day and age where the most successful teams are the ones that put up a lot of points.

After finishing 26th offensively last season (with an average of 18.8 points per game), the front office knew adjustments had to be made, and while they catered to the offense more, they certainly didn’t leave the defense hanging. Now, it will be a matter of putting it all together during the offseason and preseason, then letting their work speak in the regular season.

The new acquisitions made to the team shouldn’t only help the Jags improve offensively, but they should also help some of the key players from the 2019 unit get better, too. Here are four names we think will take a step forward in 2020 thanks to the additions made by the front office:

Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

QB Gardner Minshew II

While the Jags didn’t add a starter on the offensive line for Gardner Minshew II (unless Ben Bartch replaces someone), he could still take a big step forward. The reason for that is because the Jags might be right to gamble on the offensive line taking a step forward after spending a lot of investments into the unit.

The other key reason Minshew could flourish is because of the pass-catching options the Jags added. Granted he will have to stay healthy, Laviska Shenault Jr. could be a solid No. 2 receiver who alleviates the pressure off of Pro Bowler D.J. Chark Jr.

The other key pass-catchers that will be added into the mix are tight ends Tyler Eifert, who also needs to stay healthy, Josh Oliver, and James O’Shaughnessy. Eifert, a former Pro Bowler, knows the system better than anyone at the moment as he played under coordinator Jay Gruden in Cincinnati.

Meanwhile, O’Shaughnessy was Minshew’s favorite target early in the 2019 season before going on injured reserve, while Oliver built a strong bond with him in training camp. If they can pick up where they left off, it would be huge for the second-year quarterback.

The bigger question is rather or not the progress Minshew makes is significant enough to prevent the Jags from taking a quarterback early next year. In a recent episode of the “Bleav in Jags” podcast, I personally said Minshew needs to look like a top-12 quarterback or better to prevent the Jags from finding another starter.

If he doesn’t and the Jags find themselves in the top-10 of the draft order again, they definitely should explore options in the draft. If he does, and they are still in the top-10, picks it would probably be better if they continued forward with him and spent their draft pick elsewhere.

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Winners, losers after Jags’ 2020 NFL Draft haul

While Gardner Minshew didn’t get any immediate starters on the offensive line, he did get some threats at receiver to help him in 2020.

With every draft class comes the potential of veterans being replaced by younger and cheaper options. That applies for the Jacksonville Jaguars and the class they brought in last month, which consisted of a whopping 12 draft picks. Add in the fact that the team added 18 undrafted players, and it appears Dave Caldwell could be looking to make the team super young.

That being said, there were some players on the roster who benefitted from the moves made in the draft while others, unfortunately, didn’t.

Here’s our list of winners and losers from the annual event:

Winners

(Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

OT Cam Robinson

Many fans were hoping the Jags drafted an offensive tackle or guard early to help upgrade the line, but that did not happen. In fact, with the offensive tackle class being talented at the top, the Jags elected to pass on names like Mekhi Becton, Tristan Wirfs, and Jedrick Wills, all of whom were thought to be top-15 prospects grade-wise.

This is huge for Cam Robinson as he will now get to return to the starting lineup and protect Minshew’s blindside. While his play has been sporadic, there is a chance he’ll improve in 2020, especially when considering he’ll be further removed from his ACL tear from 2018. That said, like Minshew, 2020 is a year for Robinson to be a permanent starter as he’ll be playing on the last year of his rookie contract.

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