3 Observations on the Jaguars' OL After Cam Robinson's Suspension
The Jacksonville Jaguars finally have their answer on Cam Robinson's suspension, with the NFL officially passing down a four-game suspension to the seventh-year left tackle due to violations of the league's performance-enhancing substance policy.
With Robinson now set to miss the first four games of the season, what does it mean for the Jaguars and their new-look offensive line?
The Jaguars have very few pass-rushers to fear during Robinson's absence
While it obviously isn't ideal for the Jaguars to be missing their experienced and high-paid left tackle for any period of time, the first month of the season is at least a period where the Jaguars won't be playing many established edge rushers. The Jaguars play the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, and Atlanta Falcons in that span, with the best pass-rushers on the docket being talented but unproved rookie Will Anderson Jr. and Chiefs' pass-rushers George Karlaftis and Charles Omenihu.
Meanwhile, the Colts have the relatively average trio of Kwity Paye, Dayo Odeyingbo and Samson Ebukam, while the Falcons will be relying on veterans like Bud Dupree and Calais Campbell. The Jaguars face much better pass-rushers later on in the season, so this is at least a lighter slate of pass-rushers for the Jaguars' offensive line to prepare for.
Walker Little should be trusted at LT, but what will the OL look like when Robinson returns?
Walker Little has only started eight games since he was drafted No. 42 overall in 2021, in large part because Robinson has been one of the Jaguars' most respected and highest-paid players during that time. No matter how much Little progressed or how well he performed in the instances Robinson went down with injury, such as the final five games of the 2022 season, it was always obvious that Robinson's contract meant he would remain the starting tackle as long as he was healthy.
Little should be trusted to man the helm for the Jaguars during the first month of the season; he played increasingly well down the stretch of the 2022 season despite limited snaps during the first 30 games of his career. And while he battled Jawaan Taylor at right tackle in last year's camp, his most comfortable spot has always been left tackle. For the first time in his career, he will start Week 1 at the spot he is best at.
"Well, we know the type of player Cam is. Obviously, this is a major injury for him, so coming back off the injury. But we know who he is. We know what Walker Little is. We've seen him play at a high level," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said at the end of the offseason.
As for when Robinson returns, it again becomes a question of what the starting lineup will look like when Robinson returns. The Jaguars will have Robinson during training camp and preseason, but the Jaguars still have to figure out how much they want to emphasize the lineup with him included at tackle when they also have to develop their starting offensive line for the first month of the season.
Reading the tea leaves after the offseason, it appears likely that Robinson will return to his left tackle spot following his suspension. Not only does the fact that Robinson is strictly a left tackle in the Jaguars' eyes play into this, but so does the sheer fact that it seems unlikely the Jaguars will willingly not play one of their highest-paid players.
That begs the question of what the Jaguars will do with the rest of the line. The locks are that Luke Fortner will play center and Brandon Scherff will play right guard. Anton Harrison, the No. 27 overall pick, is also slotted into right tackle even after Robinson's return because Little is a player the Jaguars' staff believes is more comfortable on the left side.
This opens up the possibility of Little potentially playing left guard and competing with other options like Ben Bartch and Tyler Shatley. Bartch is coming off a season-ending knee injury while Shatley is one of the team's longest-tenured players and has earned a lot of praise for his play in Bartch's place.
Jaguars offensive line coach Phil Rauscher has said the Jaguars believe Little can play left guard thanks to his size and explosiveness. If the Jaguars want their best five on the field, then Little at guard may be the most sensible option. As things stand today, there are more questions about the guard position once Robinson returns than there are about the tackle position.
Jaguars ended up getting off relatively easy, though one potential wrinkle remains
All in all, the Jaguars got off much easier than most people expected. It seemed as if Robinson was primed to receive a six-game suspension. with CBS Sports' Pete Prisco, a long-time reporter with deep Jaguars ties, even predicting on The Frangie Show on 1010XL that Robinson was looking at a six-game suspension.
There is a fair question about how the Jaguars approach Robinson's return. While Robinson missing just four games is a light suspension all things considered, the Jaguars will be playing their London double-header in Weeks 4 and 5. With Robinson away from the team during the first week of their London trip, it could be a big ask for Robinson to come step back into the lineup while the Jaguars are in the middle of the NFL's first-ever two-week London trip. So while it is a four-game suspension, don't be surprised if it ends up a five-game absence.
