Trade! Vikings Bolster Offensive Line
Since he was hired in 2022, Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been more active than anyone on the trade market, especially with the trade deadline approaching; he seems to be on the phone all day. After pulling off the deals to acquire T.J. Hockenson and Joshua Dobbs in the last two years, he has done it again.
Trade! Vikings Bolster Offensive Line
The trade deadline is roughly one week away, but the Vikings need a replacement for Christian Darrisaw, the injured star left tackle, as soon as possible. On Tuesday, the news broke of Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson finding his way to the Twin Cities.
Ian Rapoport tweeted: “Trade: The Vikings are adding a new left tackle, completing a trade with the Jaguars to acquire LT Cam Robinson in exchange for draft pick compensation, per me and @TomPelissero. An answer with Christian Darrisaw out for the season.”
Robinson, a 2017 second-rounder, has played (and started) all 91 career games with the Jaguars and has never spent a second with another team. The Vikings will be his second stop in the league.
Tom Pelissero later added the compensation news: “Compensation update: The Vikings get Cam Robinson and a conditional 2026 7th (that can go away based on playtime) and Jaguars get a conditional 2026 5th that can become a 4th based on playtime.”
The Vikings keep their minimal draft capital from 2025 in the building. The conditions are currently unknown. Helpful for the Vikings is that Robinson is in the final year of his contract, and this way, the Jaguars get more in return than betting on a compensatory pick that might never arrive.
In addition to that, the trade compensation took a hit (from Jacksonville’s side) because he is still due for a significant salary cap hit of $9.14 million this season.
From a quality perspective, Robinson is a starting-caliber player, perhaps the best available option to fix Minnesota’s woes on Sam Darnold’s blindside. Of course, he can’t fully replace Darrisaw, but he is a solid starter with plenty of experience.
Robinson is a superior pass protector than a run blocker, which could keep the passing attack going. However, he surely is a big downgrade in the running game, but most NFL players are compared to Darrisaw.
The offensive lineman suffered a concussion earlier in the season but cleared concussion protocol last week. Still, the Jaguars held him out of their matchup against the Green Bay Packers, perhaps knowing that he would be sent to another franchise.
Continuity and scheme familiarity are always important for offensive linemen, but Robinson should be expected to suit up and start against his former divisional rival, the Indianapolis Colts, on Sunday. The difference in quality between him and other options like Blake Brandel and David Quessenberry is simply too meaningful to ignore.
The Vikings get their new left tackle for the next nine games in an attempt to make a playoff push.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt