Robinson’s run with Jags in doubt
With the Jaguars not applying the franchise or transition tags on wide receiver Allen Robinson, he is free to negotiate with other teams starting Monday and then on March 14 hit the open market, where he is likely to be the top pass catcher.
JACKSONVILLE — Sometimes in the NFL, business gets in the way of winning, and that’s why the Jaguars may be reluctantly severing ties with receiver Allen Robinson.
Until a couple weeks ago, as Tuesday’s deadline for teams to franchise-tag players was fast approaching, it didn’t seem possible the Jaguars would allow their best receiver — even one recovering from a torn ACL — to hit the free-agent market.
Now it appears the two sides have reached an impasse on a potential longterm extension. And it might not be resolved during the seven days remaining to reach a deal before NFL free agency starts.
That means the Jaguars are likely on the verge of doing something they’ve never done in their history: choosing to not re-sign a Pro Bowl player they drafted.
It goes against one of the fundamental principles that general manager Dave Caldwell and front-office czar Tom Coughlin have established for building a winning organization. Both have stressed the importance of rewarding their own players. But in this unusual scenario, the Jaguars appear prepared to let ARob walk and instead go into the NFL Draft with a pretty thin receiving corps for quarterback Blake Bortles.
Robinson is a negotiating conundrum with no easy answer. While the receiver and agent Roosevelt Barnes were likely comfortable playing for a franchise tag of $16 million, the Jaguars had no intention of him playing at that salarycap number coming off an injury.
Had he delivered another Pro Bowl season after his 2015 breakout year, then maybe the Jaguars swallow that price tag. But after Robinson’s numbers fell from 80 catches, 1,400 yards and 14 TDs to 73, 883 and 5, respectively, in 2016, and then the injury in last year’s season opener, the only reasonable solution would be some kind of contract compromise.
The two sides have been unable to find a happy medium, so the scenario few envisioned of A-Rob becoming a free agent is closer to reality. The 24-year-old playmaker has lots of upside, but the injury makes it a calculated risk if the money Robinson wants is significantly above what the team wants to pay a receiver still in rehab mode.
You can’t blame the Jaguars for being cautious, not with monster contracts likely to negotiate for Jalen Ramsey, Yannick Ngakoue and Myles Jack over the next two years, plus another payday for Dante Fowler if his production happens to soar. Then there’s the unknown of whether freeagent nickel back Aaron Colvin can be talked into staying in Jacksonville.
As much as it makes sense to keep A-Rob, especially with him likely commanding the biggest contract in a lukewarm freeagent market, there has to be a salary ceiling for the Jaguars. A team that figures to be an AFC contender over the next couple of years won’t be able to keep everybody in the fold. Good players will have to be cut or allowed to test free agency.
For Robinson, he has earned the right to see how much the Washington Redskins, San Francisco 49ers or some other receiverneedy team might be willing to offer. Who knows, this could be the only NFL lottery ticket he ever gets to cash.
No doubt, the Jaguars would be gambling by letting a valuable weapon for Bortles walk away that they might not adequately replace in 2018.
And if Robinson becomes a perennial Pro Bowler for somebody else, you can bet a disgruntled fan base won’t let Coughlin and Caldwell forget it.
Just remember, if the divorce happens, this is nothing personal toward Robinson.
It’s just the price of doing business in the NFL.