Trent Baalke Describes Why the Jaguars Franchise Tagged Cam Robinson

Fifth-year left tackle Cam Robinson has been franchise tagged and will now carry a heavy cap hit going into 2021, a move Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke chalked up to their faith in his development.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made their first major decision of the 2021 offseason earlier this week, placing the franchise tag on veteran left tackle Cam Robinson on Tuesday. 

Listening to Jacksonville's decision-makers since then. such as head coach Urban Meyer and then general manager Trent Baalke, it is clear this was a move to signal security for the position, as well as faith in Robinson's future. 

"Cam’s a good, young football player, 26 years old that’s developing and has done a good job," Baalke explained to local media when asked about utilizing the franchise tag on a player many didn't expect to be tagged. 

"He knows where he stands with this organization. We have a lot of respect for him and where he can get to as a player."

Robinson is indeed young and has flashed throughout his career, so there is certainly reason for the Jaguars to convince themselves they aren't just chasing upside here. Meyer retaining offensive line coach George Warhop, who has been Robinson's position coach for the last two seasons, was another pivotal domino in the Jaguars' journey to retaining Robinson for 2021.

Robinson, whose franchise tag number will be $13.754 million, is currently to be the eighth highest-paid left tackle in the NFL. This will likely change once free agency begins on March 17, but it is still a firm commitment to Robinson and his development. 

Robinson's past production may not indicate a contract worth north of $13 million, but as Baalke explained it (and as Meyer said the day before), the Jaguars were working against a weak left tackle market. They had a serviceable, young starter in-house, and thus decided to stick with him.

"It’s hard to find left tackles in the National Football League. They don’t make many body types that big, that athletic, with that type of length," Baalke said. "So, he’s a young man that we’re excited about working with and he knows exactly what he needs to do as we move forward and we’re looking forward to working with him.”

This is the same sentiment Meyer explained on Tuesday, with the first-year head coach noting that Robinson's upside and the left tackle market both factored into the Jaguars' first major decision of 2021.

"Coach Warhop feels very strong about his future and the development. We realize he has a great future. His ceiling is very high. I’ve studied him very much. I’ve spent some time with him," Meyer said. 

"We feel that the way this free agency is moving is that the left tackle position, as always but even more now this year from hearing from the guys who have been in the NFL, this a tough year for that left tackle position. We feel like with what’s just out there and with coaching, culture, and development, Cam [Robinson] has a lot of talent.”

Robinson was selected No. 34 overall in the second round in 2017, the second draft pick of the Tom Coughlin front office era. He started 18 games for the Jaguars at left tackle as a rookie (three postseason), helping the Jaguars have one of the NFL's most efficient offenses.

Robinson played just two games in 2018 due to a season-ending ACL injury, but he recovered in time to play in Week 3 in the following season. Since then, Robinson has started 30-of-30 games at left tackle.