Jaguars Franchise Tag Cam Robinson
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
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.
Bengals, Jets, Jaguars Expected To Pursue Ryan Jensen; Bucs Want To Retain C
It will cost the Buccaneers to keep Ryan Jensen. Despite this being the veteran center’s second go-round at free agency, he is expected to have a robust market.
The Bengals, Jets and Jaguars are among the teams expected to have interest in Jensen once he hits the market, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. Meanwhile, the Bucs want to do “everything possible” to keep their four-year center, Wilson adds. This follows a report that indicated Tampa Bay wanted to retain Jensen and Alex Cappa, with Ali Marpet‘s surprise retirement putting pressure on the Bucs to hang onto their other top interior O-linemen.
With the franchise tag formula grouping all offensive linemen together, the tag is not a realistic option for the Bucs, who also have plenty of other starters headed for free agency. The O-line tag is expected to approach $17MM; the NFL’s highest-paid center (Frank Ragnow) earns $13.5MM annually. The demand for Jensen could give the center position a new top salary. That would be quite the development for the ex-Raven, who signed a center-record deal (four years, $42MM) when he was last a free agent in 2018.
Jensen, 31 in May, has not missed a game over the past five seasons. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod this past year. Jacksonville, Cincinnati and New York each are among the top five in terms of cap space. Tampa Bay is barely $2MM over the cap, residing near the bottom of the league in terms of offseason resources.
The Bengals obviously have needs across their O-line, and they appear to be committed to improving the center position. They are also expected to pursue Ravens center Bradley Bozeman, who looms as a cheaper alternative to Jensen. The Jets signed Connor McGovern just two years ago in free agency, giving him a three-year, $27MM deal. His contract is up after the 2022 season. Jacksonville has Brandon Linder under contract, but the longtime Jaguars blocker has run into rampant injury trouble. The Jags could save $9.5MM by cutting Linder.
Jaguars Add Ryan Paganetti To Coaching Staff
- Ryan Paganetti is joining Doug Pederson in Jacksonville. The Jaguars are hiring him under the title of director of coaching analytics, per ESPN’s Seth Walder (Twitter link). Paganetti had worked with Pederson before, serving on the Eagles’ staff from 2017-2020. Most recently, he had been an assistant linebackers coach, while also having ‘game management’ a part of his title.
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Jaguars’ Pederson Wants DJ Chark Back
The Jaguars figure to be big players in free agency, with lots of cap space to work with and plenty of room for improvement on offense. One piece of the unit that new head coach Doug Pederson would like to keep in Jacksonville, however, is receiver DJ Chark. 
In an appearance on 1010 XL, Pederson noted that injuries played a large role in the team’s struggles last year. With a rookie quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, along with a lost season for fellow first-rounder Travis Etienne, the Jags certainly could’ve used a productive campaign from Chark. Instead, he suffered a fractured ankle in Week 4, an injury that ended his season. The 25-year-old posted 154 receiving yards, and the Jaguars finished last in the league in scoring.
“You think about James Robinson, you think about Travis Etienne, you think about even, you know, hopefully we get DJ Chark back” Pederson said. “I mean, you think about some of these younger receivers that we do have and there is some skill and ability there that we are excited as a staff to get going with”.
While Pederson added that the offense “is not there yet”, and that new pieces will be brought in, his remarks demonstrate a willingness to bring the former second round pick back. Chark’s best season came in 2019, where he made 73 catches for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns en route to the Pro Bowl. That helped lead to momentum regarding a potential extension early in the 2021 campaign, but the ankle injury – one of several in his career – surely complicates the matter.
Without a new deal in the next few weeks, Chark will hit the open market. If he does land elsewhere, Jacksonville will still have Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault and Jamal Agnew under contract through next year.
Jaguars’ EVP Search On Hold
The Jaguars were thought to be making multiple additions to their front office personnel, including an executive vice president. However, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that that search has been put on hold. 
It came out in February that owner Shad Khan was conducting a search for a new EVP as part of a general strategy to add more “brainpower” to the organization. Many thought that former Vikings GM Rick Spielman was the favorite for the job, as he had already interviewed for an unnamed position which would outrank current Jaguars GM Trent Baalke.
Instead, Rapoport notes, internal meetings with new head coach Doug Pederson have been going well, to the point where maintaining the status quo at the top of the organization has becomes Khan’s preference. Specifically, Khan “doesn’t want to impede significant progress with a new voice”. It was noted that the team was planning on moving towards a more “collaborative approach”, and turning its attention to long-term building rather than quick-fix solutions with an experienced voice in Pederson.
In a follow-up tweet, Rapoport adds that other front office hires could still be forthcoming. Most notably, an assistant GM is still being sought out; if that ends up being the highest-ranking member of the organization brought in, Baalke would maintain his position of only reporting to Khan himself. For now, it seems as though the Jaguars will enter the offseason maintaining essentially the same structure that they finished the regular season with.
Raiders, Jaguars To Pursue Davante Adams If WR Hits Free Agency
The Packers are preparing to use the franchise tag on Davante Adams, but that won’t stop other teams from expressing interest in the star receiver. According to Tony Pauline of ProFootballNetwork.com, if Adams doesn’t get tagged and hits the open market, the Raiders and Jaguars will be among the teams that will pursue the free agent. Pauline also mentions the Broncos as a suitor, backing a previous report, and he lists the Chargers as a “team to watch.”
[RELATED: Packers Preparing To Put Franchise Tag On Davante Adams]
Derek Carr played with Adams at Fresno State, and the two have publicly talked about a potential reunion for some time. The Raiders are armed with about $40MM in cap space, and Josh McDaniels and co. would surely like a top-end receiver to pair with receiver Hunter Renfrow and tight end Darren Waller. DeSean Jackson provided a bit of a spark after joining the organization, but there’s no guarantee he sticks around. The team also lost a key future piece in Henry Ruggs, so it wouldn’t be shocking if the Raiders add to their receiving corps.
The Jaguars have an awe-inspiring $70MM to play with, and the organization has been interested in pairing Trevor Lawrence with an elite receiver. Adams is used to winning, so it remains to be seen (in the hypothetical where he hits the open market) if he’d pursue a lucrative contract with a lesser team. Of course, Adams could also be a key piece in helping Jacksonville return to the postseason.
The Chargers are an interesting suitor considering their current receiver situation. Keenan Allen is set to earn $19MM in 2022, while breakout star Mike Williams is hitting free agency. While Allen’s spot in Los Angeles seems secure, the team could end up punting on the up-and-coming Williams and pivot to an elite option like Adams.
Green Bay has not used its tag since 2010 (Ryan Pickett) but is prepared to cuff its All-Pro wide receiver. Hopes for an Adams extension continue to be on hold. The sides have not discussed an extension since the Packers’ season ended last month.
Jaguars Re-Sign OL Tyler Shatley
Tyler Shatley will be sticking around Jacksonville. The Jaguars have re-signed the offensive lineman, reports NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).
It’s a two-year deal that can be worth up to $6.8MM, per Pelissero. The deal includes $2.35MM in guaranteed money.
Shatley’s versatility on the offensive line has made him a mainstay in Jacksonville. After going undrafted out of Clemson in 2014, the lineman caught on with the Jaguars, and he’s been with the team ever since.
The 30-year-0ld has seen time in 111 games (33 starts) during his eight years with the organization. That includes a 2021 campaign where he started eight of his 17 games, with the majority of his playing time coming at center. Considering his experience and ability to play multiple positions, the Jaguars made it a clear priority to re-sign the veteran. Now, he’ll be locked in through the 2023 campaign.
Will Jags’ Tag Cam Robinson Again?
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.
Doug Pederson To Call Jaguars' Plays
Although the Jaguars had offensive-oriented coaches in place as head coach in Doug Marrone and Urban Meyer, neither operated as the team’s primary play-caller. That pattern will change with Doug Pederson. The former Eagles HC will call the Jaguars’ offensive plays, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This is not surprising, with the former Super Bowl-winning coach having been Philadelphia’s play-caller during his five seasons at the helm. Pederson also helped establish his HC case by calling plays at points with the Chiefs. Pederson’s primary task will be relaunching Trevor Lawrence‘s career after the prized quarterback prospect struggled under Meyer and Darrell Bevell. OC Press Taylor has not called plays previously, but passing-game coordinator Jim Bob Cooter has. They will be Pederson’s right-hand men on his Lawrence reboot effort.
- One of the Marrone-era holdovers Meyer kept on his lone Jaguars staff, Joe Danna is now on board as the Texans’ safeties coach, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Danna spent five seasons in Jacksonville and was with the Jets and Falcons as well, serving as DBs coach with both teams.