Jacksonville Jaguars free agency 2021 winners and losers

Jaguars free agency winner: Running back James Robinson

Although the Jaguars played competitive football at times in 2020, they struggled to keep up with opposing teams more often than not and had a hard time putting points on the scoreboard. While the lack of consistency at the quarterback position played a role in the Jags’ inability to move the ball downfield, their offensive line didn’t help matters, especially offensive tackles Cam Robinson and Jawaan Taylor.

It didn’t matter though, as rookie James Robinson, one of the Jaguars’ few bright spots last season, quickly established himself as one of the best running backs in the NFL. Even though opposing defenses knew the Illinois State product would get the ball, he still managed to average 4.5 yards per carry and tally 1,070 yards and seven trips to the endzone on 240 carries. Moreover, he finished the 2020 season with 1,414 scrimmage yards, the most by an undrafted rookie in NFL history.

On the other hand, Robinson missed the last two games of the season and Jaguars’ running game took a hit. Even though Urban Meyer wants to build the running back room around the sophomore, he also knew they needed to manage their workload, so they signed Carlos Hyde to a two-year contract.

Although Hyde isn’t an All-Pro, the Jaguars’ running game won’t see a drop in production in case Robinson needs to catch his breath or even miss a few games. Also, Robinson should be able to stay fresh, which would likely increase his production.