Jacksonville Jaguars EVP Tom Coughlin speaks on the status of Allen Robinson
By Billy Long
The attention of the Jacksonville Jaguars as free agency approaches continues to be centered around wide receiver Allen Robinson.
When the deadline arrived and the Jacksonville Jaguars decided not to use the franchise tag on Allen Robinson, skepticism that the receiver would return to the team for next season arose quickly.
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Robinson is considered a top target in the free agent market, and certainly a hot prospect for teams that are in need of a big-play wideout. The 24-year old will have no problems finding a new deal from someone when the league year begins.
But has the bridge between Robinson and the Jaguars been burned, or is the opportunity for the two to reach a contract agreement still within reach?
Executive VP of football operations Tom Coughlin doesn’t speak publicly about team affairs very often, but at an annual fundraiser event in Jacksonville, the crew at ‘Action Sports Jax’ discussed the ongoing Robinson situation with Coughlin:
We haven't heard from Tom Coughlin since last August if I recall correctly. @DanHicken catches up with the @Jaguars EVP on Blake Bortles extension and the looming free agency of Allen Robinson @ActionSportsJax @ActionNewsJax #Jaguars #NFL #FreeAgency pic.twitter.com/DKlXzMd8JY
— Brent Martineau (@BrentASJax) March 9, 2018
Coughlin’s response to if the door was closed between the two parties was very interesting. To state that the team is “battling”, but “it takes two to tango” suggests the Jaguars could be trying to get a new deal done, but cannot find common ground with Robinson’s side.
In theory, Robinson’s agent knows the demand for his client in free agency, and has a price on the table that is not in the range that Jacksonville is willing to pay.
Whatever the issue, at the very least it does appear that the two sides are trying to negotiate a deal. Hopefully middle ground can and will get found, as Allen Robinson would be a major returning piece on a Jaguars offense that missed the receiver dearly last season.