Cam Robinson knew the whole time he wanted to stay with Jaguars

Left tackle Cam Robinson was set to become a free agent this offseason but the Jacksonville Jaguars identified him as a franchise cornerstone and made an aggressive effort to keep him. First, they applied the franchise on him for the second time in a row and they later gave him a three-year deal worth $54 million. The Jags made the deal official Monday and Robinson reflected on what it means to him. The left tackle told the local media he’s thrilled for his family and described it as a “blessing” and “surreal”.

"So I’m just excited for my family… It’s hard for me to even put it into words, it’s a blessing. This is the things you’ve been working towards since you were a kid playing in little league or whenever you start playing the game, so it’s kind of surreal but it’s definitely an awesome moment for myself and my family."

Later in the sitdown, Robinson said he knew the whole time he wanted to stay in Jacksonville long-term.

"I kind of knew the whole time this was the place I wanted to be long-term if they would have me. So it was just kind of a thing, ‘let’s get to my agent and have him get with the team and let’s just get it worked out. And it took a little while, but ultimately, I kind of figured we would get it done."

Although Robinson was inconsistent early in his career and missed a good chunk of the 2018 season with a torn ACL, he improved significantly last season, allowing just one sack and posting a Pro Football Focus grade of 79.9, a career-best. The fact that the Jags made such a heavy investment in the Alabama product goes on to show they expect him to play at the same level or even better. Here’s the whole exchange if you want to take a look at it.

The Jaguars had options at left tackle but settled on Cam Robinson.

The Jaguars could have easily let Cam Robinson walk away in free agency and plug Walker Little at left tackle. After all, he displayed flashes in the last two games of the 2021 season, giving up just one total pressure and no sacks. Another alternative was to take Alabama’s Evan Neal or North Carolina State’s Ikem Ekwonu with the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Lastly, the front office could have pursued Pro Bowl left tackle Terron Armstead but refrained from doing so.

However, the Jags threw most of the options out of the window when they tagged Robinson and once the deal was reported, their chances of adding another left tackle became slim to none. Moreover, it allowed them to turn their attention to the No. 1 pick in the draft, which they use on Georgia defensive lineman Travon Walker.

Robinson gives the Jaguars stability at left tackle for the next three years and Trevor Lawrence won’t have to worry about who’s watching his blindside.