Jaguars Franchise Tag Cam Robinson: 5 Observations on What It Means, How Draft Is Impacted
The Jacksonville Jaguars made a hugely impactful move on Tuesday afternoon, placing the franchise tag on left tackle Cam Robinson and keeping him under contract for one more year.
The Jaguars were not expected by many to tag Robinson for several reasons, including the drafting of Walker Little at No. 45 overall last April and the team's ownership of the No. 1 overall pick in a tackle-heavy draft. Instead, though, the Jaguars opted to run the course with Robinson yet again, one year after placing the franchise tag on him the first time.
So, what does the move to tag Robinson mean for the Jaguars moving forward and how could it impact the No. 1 overall pick and the rest of the offseason? We break it down below.
Aidan Hutchinson is the clear favorite for No. 1 overall
There was already plenty of buzz around Aidan Hutchinson as the favorite for No. 1 overall following his elite showing at the NFL Scouting Combine last week. Hutchinson was expected to put up monster numbers and did just that. As a result, he has seemed like the obvious selection for the Jaguars in the event they don't go for an offensive lineman; now, the Jaguars don't have to pick a tackle, leaving them with Hutchinson staring them directly in the face.
There are other potential options, such as Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton, Oregon edge defender Kayvon Thibodeaux and Georgia edge defender Travon Walker. I personally think Baalke is more likely to attack the pass-rush than adding a safety, especially based on his past draft history and his comments at the combine. If I had to guess how the Jaguars would rank the edge rushers just based on Baalke's past moves and general mindset as a pass-rusher, I would guess the order goes Hutchinson, Walker and then Thibodeaux. Hutchinson simply checks all of the boxes and seems like a Baalke-type player. With the Jaguars now having Cam Robinson under contract for more than $16 million, it is tough to see the Jaguars going in any other direction.
Walker Little, start learning right tackle
The Jaguars wouldn't franchise tag Robinson if they had any intentions of him playing right tackle; he is being paid like a top tackle because he will be the team's left tackle in 2022. As a result, that means the next question is who the Jaguars will slot into the right tackle role for Week 1 and beyond. And as of today, the obvious answer seems to be Walker Little.
The Jaguars have a lot more tape of Jawaan Taylor (48 career starts at right tackle) than Little (three career starts at left tackle), and Taylor obviously has years and years of experience on the right side dating back to his college days. Little, by contrast, has more potential upside thanks to the flashes he showed in 2021 and has actual ties to Baalke after Baalke and his staff picked him at No. 45 last year. The Jaguars will likely have Little and Taylor duke it out at right tackle, but it makes the most sense in the short- and long-term for Little to win the role.
Jaguars should be expected to throw money at interior offensive line
With Robinson now set to remain under contract for 2022, the Jaguars seem to have the tackle positions figured out for the short-term future. The question now is what the Jaguars will do at the left and right guard spots, each of which currently has a starter set to hit free agency in Andrew Norwell and A.J. Cann. And with the Jaguars clearly no longer in the Terron Armstead race, it makes more sense for the Jaguars to attack the guard position in free agency.
Brandon Scherff is the big name to watch. Jaguars offensive line coach Phil Rauscher coached Washington's offensive line and Scherff from 2018-19, giving Scherff 19 games of starting experience with Rauscher as one of his primary coaches. He hasn't played a full season since 2016 but his play when healthy has still been some of the best in the league. Laken Tomlinson is another name who makes sense from a scheme fit and money point of view.
Trent Baalke has made Cam Robinson a part of his legacy
Whatever happens throughout the rest of Trent Baalke's tenure as general manager, Cam Robinson is set to be a major part of his legacy. Once he signs the franchise tag tender, Robinson will have officially made close to $30 million over the last two seasons. If anyone expected that would be the case after the year Robinson had in 2020, they would be kidding themselves. It is unprecedented, but it has happened because Baalke has clearly tabbed Robinson as a building block for the future.
What does it say about Baalke and the Jaguars that Robinson has been the player Baalke has placed two important franchise tags on? We will have to see if Robinson improves at all or if he has plateaued, but there is a real chance the Jaguars look back on this move with regret, whether it be over not moving Little to the starting left tackle role sooner or over not drafting a stud tackle with the No. 1 pick this season. But for now, Robinson is the one of the most important players in all of Jacksonville, something Baalke has made clear.
Jaguars should now be expected to enter into talks about a multiple-year extension for Robinson
With the Jaguars now preventing Robinson from hitting free agency for the second offseason in a row, the most logical route would be for the Jaguars to attempt to sign Robinson to a multiple-year deal. The tag now gives the Jaguars time to engage in contract talks with Robinson without him hitting free agency later this month, timing it so that the Jaguars have a fail-safe way to retain Robinson.
It seems odd to do this since the Jaguars other three tackle options this offseason (Armstead, Little or a rookie) could have provided a better ceiling and floor than Robinson, but this is the path the Jaguars have taken. Baalke seems to be high on Robinson and could view him as a way to set a precedent to keep drafted talent in Jacksonville. If the Jaguars were to enter this offseason with the idea of Robinson on another one-year deal and nothing else, that would seem short-sighted. As a result, don't be surprised if we see Robinson strike a deal sometime before this summer; it just makes sense from a team-building perspective if you are already investing in Robinson.
