The long-awaited suspension for offensive tackle Cam Robinson was finally made official Thursday when the NFL announced a four-game ban for the Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle.
It was a relatively light punishment as first-time offenders in the past have often received six-game bans. Still, it’ll keep the seventh-year tackle out for nearly a quarter of the Jaguars’ regular season games in 2023.
“While we certainly respect the NFL’s ruling and are disappointed with this development, we will support Cam as he works his way through the suspension,” the Jaguars said in a statement. “We are confident that Cam and our team will rise above this challenge as we collectively move forward.”
But what will moving forward look like for the team? There’s a few options ahead of the Jaguars when Robinson is eligible to make his return for a Week 5 game against the Buffalo Bills:
1. Robinson takes over at left tackle
It seems most — including even the Jaguars — expect Robinson to play left tackle when his suspension ends. That’s not particularly surprising given his six years of experience.
If Robinson does return to the starting lineup after his suspension ends, the question is what the Jaguars will do with Walker Little.
The 2021 second-round pick is the presumed to be the Week 1 starter at left tackle in Robinson’s absence. If the latter is back to protect Trevor Lawrence’s blindside, Jacksonville could send Little back to the bench or it could kick him inside to take over left guard duties.
2. Walker Little holds down the left tackle job
The Jaguars didn’t use a top 50 pick on Little to have him be a career backup. With Robinson and Jawaan Taylor holding down tackle duties for the last two seasons, Little has started just six career games when injuries created opportunities.
After the departure of Taylor in free agency, it seemed Little would finally get a crack at a full-time starting spot. But the Jaguars drafted Anton Harrison in the first round this April and the right tackle job appears to belong to the rookie.
So that leaves Little with a four-game audition to show he’s the man to be the long-term protector of Lawrence. It’s not unreasonable to believe strong play from Little would be enough to keep Robinson on the sideline.
3. Robinson gets traded
Whether he returns to the starting lineup in 2023 or not, it appears more likely than not that Robinson’s days with the Jaguars are numbered.
The team has a young, cost-controlled duo of starting caliber tackles in Little and Harrison, while Robinson is due to count about $40 million against Jacksonville’s salary cap in the next two years.
The Jaguars can recoup $17.75 million in space for the 2024 season by cutting ties with Robinson next offseason, but they’re mostly stuck with his $17.4 million hit this year. Unless … they can strike a deal before the Oct. 31 trade deadline.
Trading away Robinson would net Jacksonville a little over $13.5 million in space for the 2023 season.
It’s also hard to imagine the Jaguars having much trouble finding a trade partner interested in acquiring a 28-year-old tackle with 75 career starts under his belt.
This seems to be the least likely scenario as Jacksonville coaches sound pretty thrilled to have three tackles they trust, and the Jaguars have expressed emphatic support of the tackle. But huge savings and draft capital could be tough to turn down if Little and Harrison prove to be a reliable pair.
