The Jacksonville Jaguars will be using the franchise tag for the second consecutive year. And for the second consecutive time, they also will be using it on left tackle Cam Robinson.
The @Jaguars have placed the franchise tag on OL Cam Robinson, the team announced today.
— JaguarsPR (@JaguarsPR) March 8, 2022
With hours remaining before the tag deadline, the Jags decided to keep Robinson from hitting the open market, and if they choose, they can now work out a long-term deal with the veteran. However, if a long-term deal isn’t agreed to, or the tag isn’t rescinded, Robinson will be playing on a one-year deal for about $16.5 million. That’s a 20% raise from his 2020 salary under the tag when he played for $13.7 million.
It was clear coming into the offseason that the Jags needed to prioritize the offensive line for the sake of quarterback Trevor Lawrence after he was under a lot of pressure last season. However, Robinson was the least of their problems, and in the process of starting in 13 games, he registered a pass-blocking grade of 76.6, according to Pro Football Focus.
Overall, though, Robinson’s grade on PFF was a 67.4, leaving some fans to desire an upgrade. Additionally, rookie Walker Little played well in his place, leaving many thinking that he could be the left tackle of the future.
If Robinson is willing to play on the franchise tag, though, it appears the Jags could view him and Little as the bookends. That would remove one of the weak links from the line in Jawaan Taylor, who has been the team’s right tackle the past two years.
Robinson, if he decides to play on the tag, gives Lawrence a player with 61 regular season starts on the blindside. He also gives the Jags the luxury of having one less need heading into free agency and the draft and opens up the opportunity for the Jags to bolster their pass-rush with the No. 1 overall pick.
Offensively, this is a move that allows the Jags to focus on other areas where they can help Lawrence like the interior offensive line and adding skill weapons. Only time will tell how they go about it, though, but this decision has opened up the opportunity for many different approaches.
