Tag: Cam Robinson

Cam Robinson injury: Jaguars LT exits with left leg issue

The Jaguars’ starting left tackle was injured early in the team’s Week 12 game against the Texans.

Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson suffered a left knee injury during the team’s Week 12 game against the Houston Texans.

Robinson was able to walk off the field under his own power, and went into the blue medical tent on the sideline to be evaluated. The Jaguars ruled him questionable to return, but later downgraded him to out.

With Robinson out of the lineup, the Jaguars moved Walker Little from left guard to left tackle and inserted Ezra Cleveland in the void left by Little’s move.

Jacksonville was without Robinson for the first four games of the season while the veteran offensive tackle served a suspension for a performance-enhancing drug policy violation. Little started in his stead with Ben Bartch and Tyler Shatley splitting time at guard.

Cleveland was acquired in a midseason trade from the Minnesota Vikings and saw limited snaps in the Jaguars’ Week 11 win against the Tennessee Titans.

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Jaguars react to 34-3 loss to 49ers: ‘They beat the [expletive] out of us’

Jaguars players didn’t mince words in the locker room after their 31-point loss to the 49ers.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ 31-point loss to the San Francisco 49ers was about as bad as it gets.

An offense that has struggled to live up to expectations was at its worst, managing only a field goal and turning the ball over four times. A Jacksonville defense that has often carried the load in 2023 gave up four touchdowns and 437 yards of total offense, and failed to record a takeaway.

“We got our ass whooped,” Jaguars offensive tackle Cam Robinson said. “We can take from it what we can take from it, but I think we just flat-out got our ass whooped. It is what it is. It’s not more complicated than that.

“Just flush it. I think there’s gonna be a game like this every year. Not that you want there to be, but it just happens. Last year, Detroit beat the [expletive] out of us. This year, San Fran beat the [expletive] out of us. We’ll get better. We’ll come in and watch it. We know what we need to fix, we’ll fix it, and get better.”

Frustration and disappointment were a common theme in the Jaguars locker room. Panic wasn’t, though. Like Robinson, players expressed confidence that the 34-3 loss won’t come to define the team.

“We’re definitely mad as hell, first and foremost,” outside linebacker Josh Allen said. “Obviously, we just played so those emotions are still inside of us. I think we should all be pissed. But at the end of the day we’ve got eight more games left.”

“They just simply beat us,” wide receiver Christian Kirk said. “They beat us in all aspects in every single phase. We didn’t help ourselves out with the turnovers. … We’re going to watch it on film. It’s just all about executing. Especially when you play teams like that, you have to execute.”

No player gave himself a harsher review after the game than quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The third-year passer finished with two interceptions, one fumble and zero touchdown passes.

“It’s one of the worst games I’ve probably played in my career,” Lawrence said. “So, I feel that and I take responsibility for that and, yeah, we couldn’t do anything right today, but you got to flush it too. That’s the thing, it sucks, but the reality is that a 31-point loss — and that’s crazy to even say, but a 31-point loss is the same as a three-point loss, and we lost today. We have got to move on.

“It seemed like everything went wrong, and right when we got momentum, we just shot ourselves in the foot. So, I take a lot of responsibility for it. Played really, really bad today.”

Jacksonville has to turn the page fast because the Houston Texans are coming on strong in the AFC South race. They’ll get that chance next week with a home game against the Tennessee Titans.

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5 Jaguars players to watch vs. the 49ers in Week 10

Here are five Jaguars players to watch in their Week 10 game against the 49ers:

With the Jacksonville Jaguars coming off a bye week and their best stretch of the season, now is the perfect time to host the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers will travel to Jacksonville after also coming off their bye. And since both teams had an extra week of preparation, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan should have their squads playing at their best.

San Francisco is loaded with talent, its head coach is one of the best in the league. So Jacksonville will need a team effort in order to come away with a victory.

Here are five Jaguars players to watch against the 49ers in Week 10:

What does the Ezra Cleveland trade mean for Walker Little?

Walker Little has spent most of his NFL career as the odd man out. It looks like that could be the case once again.

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Walker Little has spent most of his NFL career as the odd man out. It looks like that could be the case once again.

On Tuesday, the Jaguars made a trade just before the NFL deadline to acquire veteran guard Ezra Cleveland from the Minnesota Vikings. While coach Doug Pederson described the addition as one that’ll give the Jaguars “really good depth,” it sure seems like a little more than that.

Cleveland, 25, developed into a consistent and reliable starting lineman during his time with the Vikings. And Jacksonville probably didn’t give up a draft pick for what could be a short-term rental just so Cleveland can watch from the sideline.

If Cleveland does end up starting at left guard (a consistent weak spot for the Jaguars for the last two years), that probably leaves no place for Little. That’s nothing new.

The 2021 second-round pick spent the majority of his first two seasons as a backup for offensive tackles Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor. The departure of Taylor in free agency opened up a place for Little to start at right tackle, but the Jaguars quickly filled that hole with 2023 first-round pick Anton Harrison.

With Ben Bartch and Tyler Shatley struggling at left guard early in the year, Little stepped into the role when Robinson returned from a four-game suspension. That lasted just 11 snaps before a knee injury sidelined Little and pushed Shatley back into the starting lineup.

Little should be healthy enough to return to the field after the bye week (he didn’t play in Week 8, despite being active), but there may not be a spot left for him to fill. And the wildest part is that Little may be the team’s best offensive lineman!

In five games and 179 pass blocking snaps this season, Little was credited with allowing only one sack. His 76.0 grade on Pro Football Focus so far this season is second best on the Jaguars offense behind only quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s 84.9.

Having too many good offensive linemen and not enough starting spots is a great problem to have, but Little’s inability to secure a consistent role is a peculiar byproduct.

Is Little the future starting left tackle with the Jaguars able to recoup $17.75 million in cap space by cutting Robinson after the season? It looked that way before the 2023 season started and could still be the case, but it no longer seems like a slam dunk move with Robinson playing some of the best football of his career.

Will Cleveland leave as a free agent and free up Little to take back starting left guard duties for good? Or would it make more sense to cut ties with Brandon Scherff and move Little to right guard?

Eventually, it feels prudent to get Little permanently involved in the Jaguars offense. The team’s Tuesday trade for Cleveland probably kicked that can down the road, though.

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5 veteran offensive tackles the Browns could pursue on the trade market

It is slim pickings, but there are some potential offensive tackle upgrades out there.

The season is not lost for the Cleveland Browns. While the past two weeks have been a rough roller coaster ride to sit through with the looming injury to the shoulder of quarterback Deshaun Watson, they still have eight of their last 12 games against AFC opponents, including three against their division rivals. If they want to shove another chip into the middle of the table to make a run, however, the Browns need to take a deep look at upgrading their left tackle situation as Jedrick Wills has failed to take a step in year four.

According to The OBR’s Brad Stainbrook, this is a move the Browns are already expected to look into as well. The problem? There are not a plethora of good offensive tackles just hanging out on the market. The Browns will likely have to pursue a current starting veteran on another team, and that will cost them valuable assets to do.

Sifting through who could be on their shortlist was a task as well, as the list is already short. Regardless, here are five names pulled that fit the bill from a financial and logical perspective if the Browns are looking to go out and find an upgrade to their current left tackle in Wills.

All financial figures were pulled from Over the Cap

Doug Pederson encouraged by Cam Robinson’s Week 5 performance

Doug Pederson liked what he saw from Cam Robinson in his first game back from suspension.

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Cam Robinson made his return to the lineup in Week 5 after serving a four-game suspension to begin the year. And while it wasn’t a perfect performance from Robinson, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson liked what he saw from the veteran.

“I thought he did well,” Pederson said Wednesday. “Obviously, a really good pass rush that we went up against last week. He was in a really good frame of mind, he prepared well and had a good week of preparation last week. I thought, overall coming back, he did a nice job and he’ll be better this week just understanding the game speed again. He did well.”

Robinson, 28, was credited with allowing only one pressure in the Jaguars’ 25-20 win against the Buffalo Bills. Unfortunately for Jacksonville, it was a consequential one. Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa beat Robinson around the edge in the final minute of the second quarter to force a fumble from Trevor Lawrence that erased a scoring chance and ended the first half.

Pro Football Focus gave Robinson a middle-of-the-road 58.9 grade in his return game with a 76.5 grade as a pass blocker and a 49.1 grade as a run blocker.

In an interview with Brent Martineau of Action Sports Jax, Robinson said after the game that he had “some rust” and there’s “stuff to clean up.”

Robinson may be playing for his job in the remainder of the 2023 season. The Jaguars could save $17.75 million in salary cap space by moving on from Robinson in the offseason, which could be a tempting move with Walker Little emerging as a reliable — and significantly cheaper — option to take over at left tackle.

For now, the Jaguars are hoping Robinson can help shore up an offensive line that ranks 30th in run blocking and 32nd in pass blocking win rates, via ESPN.

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‘He’s that guy.’ Jaguars players rave about Trevor Lawrence after Week 5 win

Trevor Lawrence’s teammates were blown away by his performance Sunday.

Several Jacksonville Jaguars players had strong performances in the team’s 25-20 upset win against the Buffalo Bills, including Travis Etienne Jr., Calvin Ridley, and Rayshawn Jenkins. But it was Trevor Lawrence’s day that had teammates raving in the locker room.

“He’s that guy. He’s that guy,” Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson said of Lawrence in an interview with Brent Martineau of Action Sports Jax. “I’m thankful for him. As tough as they come. As good as they come. As good of a person as could be. Great guy.”

“He played his ass off,” Jaguars tight end Evan Engram told Martineau. “Some of the throws he made today were incredible. The way he ran around, the way he took some hits. His body was kind of bothering him there towards the end and he’s in there fighting. What a performance for him in there today. That’s our leader. He’s still growing, dude just turned 24 which blows my mind.”

Lawrence threw just one touchdown pass in the win, but racked up a season-best 315 passing yards and made several incredible throws.

“He’s more than ready for those big moments,” Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley said in a postgame press conference. “We trust Trevor no matter what. He’s going to make the right read. He’s going to do the right thing at the right time. Closer to the end of the game, you saw that he made some good plays, some great throws and good checks and put us in a position to win.”

Through the first five games of the season, Lawrence hasn’t been putting up prolific numbers. His five touchdown passes are 17th most in the NFL and Lawrence is also outside the top 10 in passing yards.

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Cam Robinson appears set to start after ‘good week’ of practice

The Jaguars haven’t made it official, but Doug Pederson is comfortable with Cam Robinson at left tackle and Walker Little at left guard.

The Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t made it official, but head coach Doug Pederson sounds comfortable with the idea of Cam Robinson starting at left tackle in his first game back from a four-game suspension. The move would also push Walker Little, who started in Robinson’s place, to left guard.

“Cam has done a nice job, we get through tomorrow and see where he’s at mentally,” Pederson said Friday. “Physically, he had a good week. Walker had a good week in there at left guard.”

Pederson was then asked if Robinson and Little both in the starting lineup was the tentative plan against the Buffalo Bills.

“For this week, yeah,” Pederson said. “We’ll just see and go back and look at the tape today, Cam had a good week. We will get through tomorrow and make sure that we’re all on board and comfortable with making that move.”

Robinson, who turns 28 on Monday, has started 75 games for the Jaguars and is set to begin his seventh season with the team. Earlier this week, Pederson told reporters that the team is optimistic that the return of the stalwart lineman will provide a boost for the Jaguars’ underperforming short-yardage run game.

Jacksonville is also hopeful that Little, who offensive coordinator Press Taylor called “a security blanket,” can shore up left guard. Ben Bartch and Tyler Shatley have both spent time at the position this season, but underwhelmed in the role.

“It gives you a little bit more comfort knowing what we’ve seen as a staff, obviously you guys don’t get a chance to watch that part of it,” Pederson said Friday. “We do feel comfortable with where Cam is and maybe not so much Cam but Walker.

“Walker kicking down a whole new position for him at this point. He’s been our swing tackle a year ago, he was our starting left tackle for the first four games. We’ll see after tomorrow where he is there.”

Through the first four weeks, Little has allowed one sack and four hurries to earn a top 10 pass-block efficiency score from PFF among offensive tackles.

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Press Taylor: Walker Little is ‘security blanket’ for Jaguars coaches

Walker Little’s versatility to play multiple positions makes life easier for Jaguars coaches.

The Jacksonville Jaguars got Cam Robinson back from a suspension this week and now have their left tackle ready to give the team a much-needed boost up front.

Just one problem: what should the Jaguars do with Walker Little, the replacement left tackle who has been arguably the team’s best offensive lineman through the first four weeks? While the team hasn’t made it official, the plan appears to be a move from left tackle to left guard for Little.

“He’s a security blanket just within the staff, of knowing he can align in multiple spots,” Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said Thursday. “Being able to play left tackle and right tackle is not as easy as people think. Now, you are right hand dominant on the right side and left hand on the left side. That’s a little harder than I think people would realize.

“Being able to move inside where there’s less space and everything is constricted, everything happens faster. A guy that can handle that and do that at a high level is really invaluable for us.”

Little, 24, has been credited with allowing one sack and four hurries over 167 pass blocking snaps in his four starts at left tackle. The five pressures allowed by Little are the fewest for a Jaguars starting lineman and his 67.5 run blocking grade on PFF is also the best of the group.

The Jaguars started Ben Bartch at left guard in the first three weeks of the season, but benched him in Week 4 in favor of Tyler Shatley. In his first start of 2023, Shatley was one of the Jaguars’ lowest graded offensive players.

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Zay Jones, Dawuane Smoot return to practice field Wednesday

The Jaguars had a few familiar faces making their return to the practice field Wednesday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars hit the practice fields in London on Wednesday ahead of a Week 5 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

Offensive tackle Cam Robinson, outside linebacker Dawuane Smoot, and wide receiver Zay Jones all returned to practice from suspension, PUP list, and a knee injury, respectively.

Jones has been out of action since suffering a knee injury against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2. The Jaguars were also without wide receiver and return specialist Jamal Agnew in Week 4 due to a quad injury. With rookie Parker Washington suffering a knee injury that’s expected to keep him out for some time, Jacksonville would be in a tricky spot if Agnew isn’t ready Sunday.

“Both guys are day-to-day,” Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said of Jones and Agnew earlier Wednesday. “We’ll get them out there today in practice, move them around, see where they’re at physically. Along the same lines, Cam Robinson will be out there today and Smoot will be out there today. Antonio Johnson will be out there today.

“All these guys we will see out there this week and see where they’re at going into this game.”

For the Bills, five players were out of action, although three were given a veteran rest day.

All eyes will be on pass rusher Von Miller, who began the year on the PUP list. The Bills opened the 21-day window for Miller to return to action, but haven’t said whether or not the veteran edge rusher will be ready to play Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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