Jacksonville Jaguars get it right by trading for Ezra Cleveland: 3 observations
• They acquired Ezra Cleveland from the Vikings for 4th-round pick
• Here are 3 observations regarding the move
1. There could be a logjam at left tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars
Cam Robinson serving a four-game suspension for violations to the league's performance-enhancing drug policy to start the season, so the Jags plugged in Walker Little at left tackle. Although Little did a commendable job, Robinson got his job back once he returned. Still, the coaching staff wanted to keep the former in the lineup, so they moved him to left guard in Week 5. Unfortunately, he suffered an MCL in his lone start and has missed the last three games.
Little returned to practice after Week 7 and he'll have enough time to heal while Jacksonville enjoys their BYE. If he doesn't have any setbacks, he could suit up when the Jags welcome the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10. The issue is that Cam Robinson seems to be entrenched on the edge and Ezra Cleveland might start at left guard, so Little would then be the swing tackle. Rookie Anton Harrison has also made progress on the right side, so it's also hard to see the coaching staff benching him in favor of Little.
While it's great to have depth at offensive tackle, it doesn't make sense to keep Little on the sidelines. He fared well when he lined up during his four-game stint at left tackle. He also thrived last year when he replaced Robinson after suffering a meniscus injury. Even when the former Stanford Cardinal competed with Jawaan Taylor for the right tackle job, he took things to the wire.
Cam Robinson's suspension wiped out the guarantees in the three-year contract worth $54 million in 2022. Moving on from him next offseason could free up around $17.5 million in cap space, so the Jags could feel tempted to release him (or trade him) and insert Walker Little at left tackle. But in the meantime? What will Jacksonville do? They didn't just wake up and feel like trading for Ezra Cleveland. They surely have a plan in place and it will be interesting to see how things unfold in the upcoming weeks.
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