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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.
A surprise: The #Jaguars are expected to franchise tag OT Cam Robinson, locking in their valuable OL for 2021 and keeping him from the free agent market. He was to be one of the top tackles available.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2021
#Jaguars are franchising Robinson because the cost isnt that high ($13.6Mish a year), young left tackles get paid, and there is nobody else available.
— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) March 9, 2021
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.