Jaguars Training Camp 2019: Waiting for Cam Robinson to return

The Jaguars hope to see their big left tackle on the field sooner rather than later.

The Jaguars aren’t going to know how good their offensive line is going to be until the coaching staff sees left tackle Cam Robinson on the field and in pads.

The team’s third-year player is still dealing with the effects of an ACL injury he suffered in the second game of the 2018 season against the New England used four left tackles last year and other fill-ins as depth on the offensive line became a real issue due to injuries. Robinson is expected back on the field at some time during training camp, but there is no timetable set by head coach Doug Marrone or the medical staff.

The Jaguars are waiting for his return, but do not want to push him quicker than he is ready to get back on the field. Marrone knows there will be an adjustment period for Robinson when he returns to action.

"“I think each player it’s a little bit tougher. My background, my experience—I think when you have a veteran player, from a technique standpoint, when he first comes back from being off for a long period of time, you’re going to see it’s going to take him a while to really hone in on the technique."

"“It’ll be, for lack of a better term, he’ll be very loose in his technique, and you kind of have to tighten it up and that takes some time,” Marrone said on Saturday prior to the team’s third training camp practice."

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Robinson, a second-round pick out of Alabama in 2017, is being counted on to protect Nick Foles from opposing pass rushers and help open holes for an improved running game. The Jaguars finished 19th in the NFL last season with 107.7 yards a contest, a major drop from only two seasons ago.

The Jaguars brought back four of their five starters from Week 1 of the 2018 season, except Jermey Parnell who was released for salary reasons. Marrone hopes once Robinson gets back on the field, the more reps he takes, the more consistent he will become with the line schemes implemented by offensive line coach George Warhop.

"“I think the player knows that he has a lot of work to do, and the coach, when you miss a lot of time it’s going to take more time,” Marrone added. And the younger you are, I believe, it’s going to take you a longer period of time. So, I don’t think you know until that player goes out there, of where you are with them, but that’s—I guess that’s the anxiety. You don’t really know where they’re at until they come back there from a standpoint of technique and playing condition.”"

Robinson will also be counted on to help with the cohesion of a group that gave up 53 sacks in 2018. That is a number that doubled from 2017 when the offensive line surrendered just 24 sacks all season.

Also, having a healthy offensive line two seasons ago was one of the reasons the team led the NFL in rushing with more than 141 yards per contest.