Jaguars’ Cam Robinson Continues to Feel Comfortable in 2020: ‘Health-Wise, It’s Like Night and Day’
This time last year, Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson was still working his way back to the field. He was less than a year removed from a 2018 ACL injury that ended his second season, and the road ahead of him would be a tough one.
Now, Robinson is able to finally display his talents while he is at 100%. A year after appearing in 14 games and two years after playing in just three games, Robinson said there is a considerable difference in his health now than last season.
“Health-wise, it’s like night and day. Last year, I was just trying to get on the field. Even at this point, I don’t even think I was cleared yet at this point last year," Robinson said Tuesday during a video press conference.
"When I did get cleared, I ended up having another injury. For me, it’s like night and day, finally being able to be healthy. I am looking forward to it.”
Robinson was the team's second-round pick (No. 34 overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft, with the hope being that he would develop into a franchise left tackle. Robinson's rookie season saw him start 15 regular season games and three playoff games at the blind side spot, with Robinson's physicality and run blocking helping set a tone for one of the league's best running games that season.
Robinson's second year was unfortunately lost far too soon, however. After starting the first two games of the season, Robinson sustained a season-ending ACL injury in Week 3. Then in 2019, Robinson missed the first two games of the year with a knee injury, not returning to the field until the Jaguars' Week 3 win vs. the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football.
But while Robinson got back on the field within the first few games of the 2019 season, it took far longer than that for Robinson to really feel like himself. He had to adjust to playing post-injury, and it took him until nearly the end of the season to find a good comfort level.
"The point last season where it started to feel back to normal was the last four weeks of the season. That’s when I felt like it was getting back to normal," Robinson said.
"Everything other than that, it was working to get on the field. Working to stay healthy to stay on the field. Towards the last quarter of the season last year, the last four or five games, is when I started to feel like myself again.”
Robinson having a healthy offseason was key for him because instead of strictly working to get himself back onto the football field, he was instead able to hone in on his craft. The fourth-year lineman is entering a contract year with the Jaguars, so it could be fair to say there has been no other offseason Robinson needed to be healthy for more than this one.
“I was in Dallas with my trainer, Duke Mayweather, and I was out there the whole time. The same thing I do every year. Last year was more so me trying to get healthy, it was training but I was trying to get back on the field," Robinson said. "This year, going into the offseason, being healthy, to where I can train and get stronger and work on football. That is going to be very beneficial.”
Robinson will be competing with third-year lineman Will Richardson for the left tackle spot, but it is hard to not consider Robinson the early favorite considering his experience and pedigree. But if there was any year in which he would be equipped to fight tooth and nail for a starting job, than it just might be this training camp -- a camp in which Robinson no longer has to worry about his health and can instead, finally, just play.
