Jacksonville Jaguars: The battle at left tackle

Can Will Richardson come to Jacksonville Jaguars training camp and unseat Cam Robinson and the team’s starter at left tackle?

The biggest battle during training camp for the Jacksonville Jaguars may be the one at left tackle.

Is the position Cam Robinson’s to lose or is the situation for Will Richardson to steal? Judging by the decision of the coaching staff to move Richardson from the right side of the offensive line back over to the left side, you can make the argument both are possible.

It was head coach Doug Marrone who spoke with the media a couple of weeks ago, announcing that Richardson, who had played at right guard this past season, will move back to the left side to compete with Robinson, who may have come back too soon last year from an ACL injury he suffered in 2018.

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The offense of line has been and continual discussion this off-season, where many of the media members in town, including myself, believe more should have been done to provide depth across the front five and for the team to bring in one or two veterans to solidify the interior line.

It’s a battle everyone will keep an eye on in training camp as the winner will have the honor of protecting quarterback Gardner Minshew’s blindside.

"“The one thing about Will is he’s shown progress, and shown the ability to play and shown consistency when we kept him in one position,” Marrone said during a meeting with the media via Zoom. “so I want to be real cognizant of what we do with him because I think if we stick in one position, he has the ability to grow and get better. …“And he has the traits to be a starter somewhere on that line, but we’ve got to put him in a spot, and we will put him at left tackle right now.”"

For the former second-round pick out of Alabama in 2017, it’s a chance to prove he can be the team’s left tackle for years to come. But a lackluster performance might not get him to his second contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars organization.

As Richardson emerged from the abyss in 2019, where he showed he can play a steady level at right guard in place of A.J. Cann, it’s another chance to show how good he can be at multiple positions on the offensive line. And, it also gives Marrone another versatile player he can use in case of injury or lack of performance.

Robinson was settling in at the left tackle position in his rookie season, while the coaching staff was eagerly anticipating what could happen in Year 2 of his development. The knee injury early in the season wiped that out and his performance during the 2019 campaign wasn’t as steady as many had hoped for.

Richardson is being asked to come in a provide competition at a crucial spot on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster. The former fourth-round pick out of N.C. State in 2018 missed his rookie season due to injury then had a solid camp in 2019 before sharing time at right guard with Cann.

"“Richardson’s move from guard was made easier by the Jaguars’ selection of Ben Bartch in the fourth round of the NFL Draft on April 25,” writes  Mark Inabinett.“An offensive tackle at NCAA Division III St. John’s, Bartch likely will get his first shot in the NFL behind McCann.”"