With the NFL’s franchise tag deadline concluding at 4 p.m. today, several players ended up being assigned one-year deals by their respective teams. One of those players was Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson, who received the franchise tag for a second consecutive year in a row.
The move was somewhat of a surprise as many felt that the $16.5 million price tag he’d come with was too pricey when considering the team has the No. 1 overall pick that could be used on cheaper (and potentially better) options. Of course, those options were Evan Neal and Ikem Ekwonu, who feel like unlikely candidates to be taken first overall now.
For whatever reason, Jags general manager Trent Baalke decided to hold on to the former Alabama tackle, who will be getting a 20% increase in pay. His $16.5 million salary, which is all guaranteed if injured, also gives him the seventh-highest average in the league at his position and he’ll be the highest cap hit on the Jags’ roster (for now).
When looking at the pros to bringing Robinson back, while expensive, it allows the Jags to potentially enter the offseason with one less need. That’s huge for them as they simply have way too many to address this offseason.
Additionally, it frees up the Jags to potentially take Aidan Hutchinson or Kayvon Thibodeaux to help out their defense. Depending on who you ask, that could be huge because some draft experts feel that either of the two are the draft’s best players. If that’s the case, they could potentially help a defense that was ranked 20th overall last season.
The Jags front office thought retaining Robinson was the best option for the team at the moment, though the tag could be rescinded, or the Jags could attempt a tag and trade him. Now, we would like to hear from you all at home on the matter. Let us know how you feel in the comments and the poll below.
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