Cam Robinson

Bills Believed Cowboys Were Eyeing Dalton Kincaid; Jags Feared Losing Anton Harrison

May 11th, 2023 at 10:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bills made a concerted effort to leapfrog the Cowboys for tight end Dalton Kincaid. Shortly after the Steelers made a move up due to a belief the Jets would draft tackle Broderick Jones, the Bills discussed trade-ups with multiple teams with Kincaid in mind.

Although the Cowboys are not certain to have been targeting Kincaid, Albert Breer of SI.com notes GM Brandon Beane viewed it as likely. After attempting to trade into the Giants’ No. 25 overall spot, the Bills contacted the Jaguars, who traded back with New York and into that position. The Jags gave the Bills the draft real estate, but they wanted some assurances before doing so.

Once Beane called Jaguars GM Trent Baalke, the AFC South exec asked who the Bills were targeting. With Beane not confirming Kincaid was the endpoint in a layered process, Breer adds Baalke asked his Bills counterpart if this trade was for an offensive or defensive player and if it was for a big or small player. As Kincaid is a tight end by trade, Beane replied, “Medium,” before admitting Kincaid would be Buffalo’s pick.

Had the Jaguars balked at the trade, which sent them Nos. 27 and 130, Breer adds the Bills had trade parameters worked out with three teams. The move, should the Jags declined the Bills’ trade offer and the Cowboys taken Kincaid at 26, would have been to slide out of the first round. The Titans were one of the teams that worked out a trade with the Bills, who would have dropped down to No. 41 in that scenario. That trade-up for Tennessee — presumably for Will Levis, whose contract would have carried a fifth-year option if chosen at No. 27 — would have been costlier than the one it eventually made for the Kentucky prospect. The Titans gave the Cardinals Nos. 41 and 72 this year and a 2024 third to climb to 33 for Levis a day later.

After two trade-down moves, the Jaguars chose Anton Harrison at 27. Jacksonville was prepared to take Harrison at 24 and took a chance Dallas would pass on him at 26, and ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler adds the Jags see Jawaan Taylor-like traits in Harrison. This points to Harrison, once Cam Robinson returns from his PED suspension, lining up at right tackle. Taylor, the Jags’ four-year right-side starter, defected to the Chiefs in free agency. Harrison, whom the Raiders liked in the event they accepted a Cardinals trade-down offer, played almost exclusively at left tackle during his Oklahoma tenure. He started 23 games on the left side and just one at RT.

The Jags, however, still do not know how long Robinson’s suspension will last. They still have Walker Little, a 2021 second-round pick who replaced Robinson following his late-season meniscus tear, in place as insurance. Dallas ended up taking Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith and was considering Syracuse offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron. The team chose a tight end, Michigan’s Luke Schoonmaker, with its second-round pick.

Buffalo will pair Kincaid with Dawson Knox, who signed a long-term extension just before last season. Kincaid, who rated as Scouts Inc.’s top 2023 tight end after he caught 70 passes for 890 yards and eight touchdowns last season, is expected to spent frequent time in the slot. The Bills saw Jamison Crowder suffer a fractured ankle last season and released Isaiah McKenzie after he struggled with drops. Cole Beasley, lured out of retirement during the season, is no longer under contract.

“If Dalton was not there, we would have traded back,” Beane said, via ESPN.com’s Alaina Getzenberg. “… We just really liked him and just felt he would be a great fit in our offense. He is a tight end, but he is a receiving tight end. We think he’ll pair well with Dawson and give us another target in the middle of the field. So, yeah, when him and Dawson are in the game, you’re in ’12’ [personnel], but it’s quasi like ’11’ anyway. He’s not your standard ‘Y’ tight end. He’s going to be flexed out a lot more than necessarily you would do with Dawson.”

Jaguars LT Cam Robinson Facing PED Ban

April 27th, 2023 at 8:29am CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars finished last season without their starting left tackle. They will need to start the 2023 slate in the same position. Cam Robinson is facing a performance-enhancing drug suspension, according to SI.com’s John Shipley.

It is not yet known how many games Robinson will miss as a result of this ban. The CBA calls for varying punishments for certain types of PEDs, or for tampering with a drug sample; the Jags will be without Robinson for a minimum of two games.

Jacksonville has used Robinson as its Week 1 blindside starter since his rookie season in 2017. Robinson missed the conclusion to the 2018 and 2022 seasons due to injury, but the Alabama product — now the Jags’ longest-tenured offensive lineman — has taken his place on the left side for the past six seasons. In total, Robinson has started all 75 games he has played since entering the league as a second-round pick.

Although the Jags navigated a Robinson absence in their final five games last season, they still employed Jawaan Taylor at that point. The 2019 second-round pick did not miss a game during his four-year Jags run. The Chiefs signed Taylor on Day 1 of the legal tampering period last month. Robinson’s suspension now complicates matters. Walker Little, a 2021 second-round pick who filled in for Robinson to close last season, will likely be asked to begin the season as a starter.

Little (six career starts) stood to factor into the Jags’ equation regardless of Robinson’s suspension, but the team has also been connected to starting its draft with an O-line investment. Jacksonville holds the No. 24 pick Thursday night. The team brought back Josh Wells in free agency, but the former Jags backup-turned-Buccaneers swingman is recovering from a torn patellar tendon. Robinson was expected to be healthy after suffering a meniscus tear; he will have additional time to complete his recovery now.

Robinson, 27, is tied to the three-year, $52.75MM extension he signed in 2022. The Jags franchise-tagged the former Crimson Tide standout for a second time last year, leading to the lucrative re-up. While Robinson’s 2023 base salary ($16MM) is guaranteed, this suspension threatens to void the remaining guarantees on the deal. The contract runs through the 2024 season.

OL Rumors: Taylor, Jags, 49ers, Cardinals

April 21st, 2023 at 2:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Chiefs‘ previous left tackle blueprint centered around giving up significant assets to move a right tackle to the left side. Andy Reid has confirmed the team’s plans to complete a similar project. After a March report indicated the Chiefs were planning to move Jawaan Taylor to left tackle to replace Orlando Brown Jr., the 11th-year Chiefs HC said the ex-Jaguars blocker will indeed begin his Kansas City run as Patrick Mahomes‘ blindside protector.

“Even though he was on the right side I think he can transfer over to the left side. He’s really a good athlete and I think he’s excited about that,” Reid said (h/t Chiefs Wire’s Charles Goldman) of Taylor. “Now, that doesn’t mean he can’t play the right side. If we got another left tackle, he could play the right side. He gives you flexibility. He could probably jump in at guard. He’s smart. He could probably play center.”

Taylor signed a monster contract — four years, $80MM, with $60MM guaranteed by March 2024 — to join the Super Bowl champions. If the four-year Jaguars right tackle starter stayed at that position, he would be the NFL’s second-highest-paid right-sider. Taylor primarily played right tackle at Florida as well. The Chiefs following through with their Taylor position switch gives them a need at Andrew Wylie‘s former spot; Kansas City’s 2022 right tackle is now in Washington.

Here is the latest O-line news from around the league:

Taylor’s former team has its top tackle coming off a season-ending injury. The Jaguars faced the Chiefs in January without left tackle Cam Robinson, who suffered a meniscus tear in December. As expected, the Jags have Robinson on track to be ready by training camp, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. Robinson will be readying for his seventh season as the Jags’ primary right tackle.
Rather than move Taylor to left tackle last year, the Jags plugged in 2021 second-rounder Walker Little to replace Robinson. While Little would be poised to start opposite Robinson, seeing as he picked up some starts after losing a training camp battle to Taylor last year, Adam Caplan of ProFootballNetwork.com pegs the Jags as being most likely to pick an O-lineman or cornerback in Round 1. Caplan mocks Tennessee tackle Darnell Wright to Jacksonville.
Colton McKivitz is the not only the clubhouse leader to replace Mike McGlinchey as the 49ers‘ starting right tackle, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes the team views the career backup as having a chance to provide a pass-blocking upgrade (subscription required). McGlinchey steadily received more praise for his run-blocking chops compared to his pass-pro work, though McKivitz has made five career starts. Then again, the 49ers got by with three interior O-linemen — Aaron Banks, Jake Brendel, Spencer Burford — that brought little experience to the mix. Second-year blocker Jaylon Moore should not be considered out of the mix, per Barrows, who ranks right tackle as the 49ers’ top position of need. But the recently re-signed McKivitz is the favorite. McGlinchey signed a five-year deal with the Broncos during the legal tampering period’s early hours.
While Jonathan Gannon did not seem to view center as a must-augment position, via ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss (on Twitter), the Cardinals seem likely to add an outside snapper after releasing Rodney Hudson. Arizona will add a center to the mix, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes. Billy Price started 11 games for the Cardinals last season; the ex-first-rounder-turned-journeyman is no longer on the roster. The Cardinals do feature some continuity up front; they re-signed Will Hernandez and have starters D.J. Humphries, Kelvin Beachum and Josh Jones back ahead of OC Drew Petzing‘s first season at the helm.

Jags LT Cam Robinson Out For Season

December 24th, 2022 at 2:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 24: Removing doubt about Robinson’s availability later this season, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that he will undergo surgery to repair the torn meniscus. As a result, he will go on IR and begin the three- to four-month recovery process. That timeline should allow him to be at full health in time for the beginning of the 2023 campaign.

DECEMBER 19: The Jaguars continued their push for a playoff spot during yesterday’s comeback win over the Cowboys, but their offensive line will be shorthanded moving forward. When speaking to the media on Monday, head coach Doug Pederson said that left tackle Cam Robinson has a meniscus injury and will “probably” miss the remainder of the season (video link).

Robinson’s ACL is intact, Pederson added, after he was injured during yesterday’s game. Still, the news is substantial for Jacksonville, given his importance to their offensive front. Robinson had once again been a full-time starter on the blindside this season, as he has since being drafted by the Jaguars in 2017. Pederson praised his level of play this year, which has yielded a PFF grade of 67.2, the second-highest of his career.

The Alabama product has never been considered a top-tier left tackle, but the Jaguars placed the franchise tag on him for the second time this offseason. That would have locked him into a one-year salary of $16.6MM, but it became clear not long after that decision was made that a multi-year deal was in the works. In April, the 27-year-old signed a three-year, $54MM extension.

That move represented one of many made over the course of the spring aimed at upgrading the Jaguars’ offense, including big-ticket free agent deals handed out to guard Brandon Scherff and wideout Christian Kirk. They have helped the team rank 10th in both passing and rushing yards per game, and seventh in total offense. That, in turn, has allowed the Jaguars to win three of their last four games and, at 6-8, move to within one game of the Titans for the AFC South lead.

With Robinson sidelined for, presumably, the remainder of the regular season at a minimum, Walker Little is expected to take over at left tackle. The 2021 second-rounder has operated as a swing tackle this season, seeing only 51 offensive snaps to date. That would allow Jawaan Taylor to remain in place at right tackle, as the team tries to overcome Robinson’s loss in the closing stages of the campaign.

Jaguars, Cam Robinson Agree To Extension

April 27th, 2022 at 9:32am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars have reached agreement on an extension with tackle Cam Robinson (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Robinson will receive a three-year deal worth $54MM, according to RapSheet (on Twitter).

The 26-year-old was franchise tagged for the second straight year, guaranteeing that he would be in Jacksonville for at least the 2022 campaign. That tag bought the Jaguars some time, allowing them to negotiate a long-term arrangement up until the middle of the summer. Instead of waiting things out, they’ve pounced just before draft day.

Robinson has started all 61 games across his five years in Jacksonville, though he hasn’t performed as a top-tier tackle. Last year, his 67.4 PFF grade in 2021 placed him No. 48 out of 83 qualifying tackles. Still, the Jags went ahead with the $16.6MM tag, which would have slotted him eighth in terms of left tackle salaries. Now, they’ve followed it up with a whopping $18MM/year extension.

The Jaguars have already invested heavily in their offensive line, adding All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff to the interior. Now, they can apply their draft ammo elsewhere — starting with the No. 1 overall pick, where they could select Aidan Hutchinson or Travon Walker. Of course, they’ve long been expected to target one of those elite edge rushers, but North Carolina State offensive lineman Ikem Ekwonu was also said to be on their radar.

Jaguars Nearing Extension With Cam Robinson?

April 25th, 2022 at 10:04am CST by Adam La Rose

As the draft draws closer, many continue to believe the Jaguars will use the No. 1 pick on an edge rusher. While there are a pair of offensive line prospects who could also be in consideration, the presence of left tackle Cam Robinson could turn their attention away from the likes of Evan Neal or Ikem Ekwonu.

Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline reports that “the Jags are close to signing [Robinson] to a long-term extension”. The 26-year-old was franchise tagged for the second time last month, guaranteeing that he would be in Jacksonville for at least the 2022 campaign. He has started all 61 games he has played in across five seasons in Duval County.

His level of play during that span, however, left many believing the tag would be a short-term move to buy time for a replacement. His 67.4 PFF grade in 2021 ranked 48th out of 83 qualifying tackles, far lower than where his compensation ranks at the position. The $16.6MM value of the tag would put him in a tie for eighth in terms of left tackle salaries, if he were to remain unsigned beyond 2022.

Pauline further states that “an announcement could come soon” regarding a new deal for Robinson. If that were to happen, it would give the team more certainty along an offensive line which has added All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff this offseason. It would also increase the chances of either Aidan Hutchinson or Travon Walker hearing their name called first on Thursday even further.

Jags’ Cam Robinson Signs Franchise Tender

April 13th, 2022 at 4:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Cam Robinson is back in the fold for the Jaguars. The team kicked off its first offseason program under Doug Pederson this week, and Robinson is on track to participate in team activities moving forward.

Despite the Jags having tagged their left tackle in back-to-back years, this situation is hardly contentious. Robinson became a somewhat surprising tag recipient in 2021 and is now attached to a fully guaranteed $16.7MM salary. The next three months will be pivotal for the former second-round pick’s future in Jacksonville.

The Jags have until July 15 to work out an extension with Robinson, who has a new O-line mate that navigated a similar situation. Although Brandon Scherff is a much higher-regarded blocker than Robinson, the latter plays a premium position. Scherff made it to free agency after being tagged twice, failing to reach an extension agreement in Washington this year and heading to Jacksonville. A third Robinson tag would check in at 144% of his 2022 salary, an untenable figure for the Jags. While Robinson’s status (zero Pro Bowls in five seasons) might not make a Jags extension unrealistic in 2023, the best bet for the Alabama alum to stay would be a deal by the July deadline.

Drafted during Tom Coughlin‘s run atop the front office, Robinson has now been tagged by two different regimes — Urban Meyer‘s brief operation and the Pederson-Trent Baalke setup. The sixth-year blocker is still just 26 and has made it back from a 2018 ACL tear to be a steady presence in Jacksonville’s lineup over the past three years.

The Jaguars’ second Robinson tag has led to understandable speculation they will not use the No. 1 overall pick on a tackle. They were previously linked to NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu, but Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is now the odds-on favorite to be the pick.

Jaguars Franchise Tag Cam Robinson

March 8th, 2022 at 1:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars will retain offensive lineman Cam Robinson via the franchise tag, per a club announcement. The move comes just before the 4pm ET/3pm CT deadline and gives Jacksonville until the middle of the summer to hash out a long-term pact.

This marks Robinson’s second-straight tag, but the offensive line tag is even higher than the would-be 20% raise. He’ll earn $16.662MM in 2022 — up from $13.75MM in 2021.

Robinson is entering his third year with the Jaguars and he’ll be playing for his third head coach in Doug Pederson. At first glance, the deal may seem like a clear overpay — Robinson was in the middle of the pack for starters at the tackle position, per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. Still, quality young LTs are hard to come by and the Jaguars didn’t have a better replacement at the ready.

Robinson, 26, has made 61 starts for the Jags since being drafted in 2017. His presence will solidify the line in front of Trevor Lawrence and, perhaps more importantly, give the Jaguars more flexibility with the No. 1 overall pick. They’re no longer obligated to take a tackle, though Alabama star Evan Neal would be a tremendous opposite-side partner for Robinson.

Ikem Ekwonu of North Carolina State is another potential candidate for the Jags at No. 1, though Michigan edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson might make more sense than any of the big-name OLs.

Jaguars Looking At OL Ekwonu With Top Pick

March 6th, 2022 at 4:13pm CST by Ely Allen

We wrote a bit in January about NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu potentially being the best offensive lineman in the draft. Well, he certainly thinks so, as he told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine Thursday that he’d “definitely deserve” to be drafted No. 1 overall, according to Darryl Slater of NJ.com.

He’s not totally off base in his thinking. ESPN’s Mel Kiper mocked Ekwonu to Jacksonville in his latest mock draft just before the Combine. According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, many at the Combine, including ESPN’s Todd McShay, expected Ekwonu to blow up in Indianapolis.

There’s already been a bit of talk connecting Ekwonu to the Jaguars. General manager Trent Baalke has a tendency to prefer explosive linemen and Ekwonu demonstrated his explosiveness in field drills including an impressive sub-5.00 second 40-yard dash. Baalke and new head coach Doug Pederson will be looking to put together a group at offensive line that can protect former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence and create holes for running backs James Robinson and Travis Etienne.

Jawaan Taylor is expected to compete with Walker Little for the right tackle job. Captain Brandon Linder should return to form at center after MCL and ankle injuries forced him to miss a large part of the 2021 NFL season. Andrew Norwell is expected to hit the free agent market and Cam Robinson could join him if the team decides not to utilize their franchise tag on Robinson for the second straight year. Veteran sixth-man Tyler Shatley was recently re-signed and Ben Bartch could help out at guard. So the versatility of Ekwonu could line him up as the perfect choice for Jacksonville’s current situation, where lots of question marks surround the depth chart. Even so, the Jaguars could also fall in love with Evan Neal, who is largely seen as the top pure tackle in the draft.

Still, the redshirt sophomore out of Raleigh is a young, talented prospect with the ability to dominate at tackle or guard. Even if he slips past Jacksonville at No. 1 overall, don’t expect him to be available after both New York teams get a chance to draft. Ekwonu will aim to be only the third Wolfpack offensive lineman in history to be picked in the first round, the highest-drafted Wolfpack prospect since Bradley Chubb in 2018, and, above that, the first top overall pick out of NC State since Mario Williams in 2006.

Will Jags’ Tag Cam Robinson Again?

February 19th, 2022 at 8:24pm CST by Ely Allen

Almost five years ago, the Jaguars drafted Alabama offensive tackle Cam Robinson. Seen by many as a potential first rounder, Robinson fell to the Jaguars’ second-round pick with some red flags from a previous arrest and some injury issues that held him out of the Combine and parts of his Pro Day.

Robinson immediately earned the starting left tackle position as a rookie and started 15 games in 2017. After suffering a torn ACL in Week 2 of the 2018 NFL season, Robinson missed the rest of his sophomore year in the league.

Once his rookie contract expired at the end of the 2020 season, it was rumored the Jaguars were going to allow Robinson to test the free agent market. Robinson was certainly not considered a top 5 offensive tackle, so tagging him and paying him the average salary of the top 5 players at his position seemed like a fairly large stretch. But with a lack of options to replace the young tackle and the price tag of what few options were available, the Jaguars bit the bullet and paid Robinson.

Now, a year later, Jacksonville is faced with a similar issue: Do they tag Robinson for a second straight year or trust the options available to them this year?

Tagging Robinson is a simple option. On the upside, it secures three sure starters for the 2022 season on the offensive line, they know exactly what it will cost them, and, while he wasn’t quite a top 5 offensive tackle, Robinson played the best football of his career this past season. The downside is that, when you tag a player two years in a row, you don’t pay the average of the top 5 players of the position in Year 2, you pay 120% of the previous year’s salary. With Robinson’s salary last year paying him $13.75MM, a 20% raise would net him $16.5MM in 2022.

If the Jaguars decide to let Robinson walk, they’re not bereft of options. Internally, they did draft Walker Little in the second round last year and saw him start three games in limited time this season. If they think Little can play up to or near the level of play of Robinson, he would be a much cheaper option. The Jaguars also hold the number one pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Many mock drafts have seen fellow Alabama-alum Evan Neal mocked as the top draft pick, but few see Neal as a true homerun pick at the top of the draft.

There’s lots of work to be done on the Jaguars’ offensive line, and new offensive line coach Phil Rauscher will likely have a say in the game plan. Jawaan Taylor has started every game since being drafted in 2019 and is expected to start at right tackle. Veteran and captain Brandon Linder should return to form after MCL and ankle injuries forced him to miss a large part of the 2021 season. Tagging Robinson would secure another tackle position and leave the guards as the only questions. With Andrew Norwell expected to hit the free agent market, Ben Bartch could fill one of the open guard positions, but the other would be open to either an unproven back up or a rookie.

Regardless of where it comes from, Robinson’s next paycheck is expected to be a large one. If the Jaguars decide not to tag or extend him, a team hungry for offensive line help is sure to take a flier and pay out for the 26-year-old tackle.

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