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.
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