What should Jacksonville Jaguars do with pending FA Cam Robinson?
The Jacksonville Jaguars need to make some choices this offseason. Although they probably have Trevor Lawrence’s draft card ready, they need to decide how they’re going to use all their other picks in 2021’s selection meeting. Also, they have to figure out how they’re going to spend their cap space and what positions to prioritize in free agency. On the other, hand, it shouldn’t be difficult to choose which of their own pending free agents they will re-sign.
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently wrote about every NFL teams’ toughest contract decisions in 2021 and left tackle Cam Robinson was his pick for the Jaguars and says that the 2017 second-round pick might be Jacksonville’s most prominent in-house free agent this offseason.
Davenport points out that Robinson didn’t perform well last season, but he’s just entering his prime. He goes on to cite Gus Logue of Jaguar Report, who believes the left tackle could theoretically benefit from spending another year under offensive line coach George Warhop’s tutelage. Logue then argues that ‘it’s fair to question whether the Jaguars would be settling at a position that has a massive role protecting the future face of the franchise’.
This should be an easy decision for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Although Robinson could indeed improve in 2021, it’s rare for a left tackle to make that kind of leap in the fifth year of his career. Garett Bolles went from one of the worst left tackles in the NFL to one of the best last season. However, that kind of exponential improvement is an outlier.
Moreover, Robinson may be inclined to ask for market value when discussing his contract and if the Jaguars are going to invest in a left tackle in free agency, they might as well sign Trent Williams or straight-up trade for Orlando Brown, whose representatives have begun exploring trade possibilities, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
On the other hand, if the Jaguars aren’t interested in signing a left tackle in the open market, they use their second first-round pick, the 25th overall, on a prospect such as Sam Cosmi or Liam Eichenberg.
Next. NFL must let Jaguars host Hard Knocks in 2021. dark
As Davenport pointed out, good left tackles are hard to find, but you will miss all the chances you don’t take and the prospect of upgrading the left tackle position should compel the Jaguars to let Robinson walk in free agency and add a top-tier left tackle in free agency or a prospect with upside in the draft.