Bears should steer clear of LT Cam Robinson |
It is not a mystery that the Chicago Bears need help at the offensive line. The left tackle position is the most important one on the line, and Cam Robinson has excelled there for eight years. He will become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in March, making him a possible contender for the Bears.
Robinson was drafted second overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2017. He has been a starter for them since his rookie year and is considered one of the better left tackles in the league despite never being named to the Pro Bowl or selected as an All-Pro. After more than seven years with Jacksonville, the Jaguars elected to trade him to the Minnesota Vikings during the 2024 season. Given Robinson’s Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades last year, it is unsurprising that they wanted to move on from their long-time left tackle. Pass blocking has always been Robinson’s strength. In 2023, his pass-blocking grade was 78.8, a career-high and one of the highest in the league that year. This past season, his pass-blocking grade dropped to 70.4, which is still above average. However, what should be more concerning for the Bears is that his run-blocking grade was 59.9, which is not much better than Chicago’s left tackle, Larry Borom, last season. That is also significantly worse than left tackle Braxton Jones's previous year in his 12 games with the Bears last season. Sacks were also a problem for Robinson last season, as he gave up seven sacks. The last thing Chicago needs is another offensive lineman who gives up a lot of sacks. Quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times last season, and the Bears need an offensive lineman who will not give up a lot of sacks. Robinson also faced penalties at inopportune times last year. He was called for 13 penalties, more than most tackles in the NFL last season. Given Chicago’s problems with penalties in the previous season, they do not need a player with penalty issues. Robinson also has two other factors working against him - his age and injury history. Robinson will be one month shy of turning 30 when the season starts. Thus, it does not seem he has many years left in the league. His age also means he commands a higher salary than a rookie would, mainly because he has started in over 100 games. According to Spotrac, given his age, performance metrics, and the contracts of other players around his age, Robinson would be expected to receive a three-year contract worth $14 million a year. Perhaps his age would not be as concerning if it were not for his injury history. In 2018, he tore his left ACL. In 2023, he suffered another injury to his left knee; in 2022, Robinson injured his right knee. Though he did not miss a single game in 2024, his history of knee injuries is still concerning, especially considering that the offensive linemen missed so much time last season. Chicago may need to revamp their offensive line, but pursuing Cam Robinson this offseason is not the way to go about it. The Bears need players who will improve their offensive line. While Robinson has ample experience and has been good in previous years, between his performance last season and his injury history, he is not worth the $14 million a year to sign him.
