Jacksonville Jaguars’ decision to tag Cam Robinson not universally popular

One of the most important decisions the Jacksonville Jaguars made this offseason was placing the franchise tag on left tackle Cam Robinson. While keeping the Alabama product for one more season has its pros and cons, the move has generated mostly positive reviews. However, someone believes it may not have been their best options.

Anthony Treash of Pro Football Focus believes that slapping Robinson with the franchise was one of the most puzzling moves of the offseason. He says that even though the Jaguars had the chance to trade for Baltimore Ravens Orlando Brown Jr. or take a prospect early in the draft, they opted to keep Robinson, who has been inconsistent throughout his four-year NFL career.

Treash then brought up Robinson’s less-than-ideal production as a pro and pointed out that his 56.2 Pro Football Focus grade ranks dead last among qualifying left tackles in the NFL. Treash is right the Jags had options at left tackle and at this point of their respective careers, Brown is a better player than Robinson. Also, taking a young left tackle prospect in the draft would’ve been cheaper than the $13.6 million the tag costs.

There’s a reason why the Jacksonville Jaguars kept Cam Robinson.

The negatives are clear but the Jaguars aren’t self-sabotaging. They were aware of Brown’s talent and have surely performed due diligence on this left tackle class. However, they believe the 2017 second-round pick can trend up in 2021. Robinson himself recently said that the Jags have high expectations of him because they know his potential and his ceiling.

Also, there’s the fact Robinson is just locked up for one year. The Jaguars’ brass said they would like to sign him to a long-term contract but it hasn’t happened yet. They could wait and see how he performs in 2021. If he plays at a high level, they wouldn’t probably mind giving him a raise. On the other hand, if he doesn’t improve, Jacksonville can move on from him without any long-term repercussions.

Placing the franchise tag on Robinson wasn’t a perfect decision. Nevertheless, it’s not a dreadful one and could end up paying off for the Jaguars.