The Minnesota Vikings proceed to make use of the commerce market to bolster weaknesses on their roster. On Tuesday they traded for Jacksonville Jaguars veteran left deal with Cam Robinson.

The Vikings despatched a conditional fifth-round decide in 2026 that may turn out to be a fourth primarily based on enjoying time and so they obtain again a conditional seventh from the Jags. ESPN’s Discipline Yates studies that it’s possible the Jaguars might be maintaining a few of Robinson’s remaining camp owed cash to make the deal work.

The Vikings took a serious hit to the offense on Thursday when star deal with Christian Darrisaw was misplaced to a knee harm. Buying Robinson permits them to drop one other skilled participant into the place reasonably than shaking up the offensive line.

Robinson, a second-round decide in 2017, has performed 5,665 snaps at left deal with in his profession and during the last 4 seasons he has ranked nineteenth, twenty ninth, sixteenth and thirty third (at present) in go blocking by PFF grade. He has given up 15 pressures (thirty third), together with 4 sacks this season.

That doesn’t imply it’s been a clean experience for Robinson. Since 2020, he has not performed a whole season resulting from both accidents, benchings or a PED suspension that stored him out for the primary 4 video games of 2023. He has additionally struggled as a run blocker, having graded under common in each season of his profession. Final 12 months he scored a 51.0 grade, which ranked ninth worst amongst gamers with not less than 500 snaps and he has by no means scored above 57.3 in a full season.

So is it a very good commerce for the Vikings?

It’s arduous to determine what possibility would have been higher. Robinson isn’t excellent and there may be clearly a purpose that the Jaguars are shifting on reasonably than attempting to signal him to an extension after this 12 months however he’s a vastly more sensible choice than sliding Blake Brandel to left deal with or enjoying David Quessenberry the remainder of the way in which or throwing sixth-round rookie Walter Rouse to the wolves.

Brandel gave up seven sacks in 181 go blocking snaps at left deal with as a fill-in participant in 2022. He’s additionally been a high quality beginning left guard, so they’d be making a sacrifice on the inside by shifting him. Quessenberry has been sturdy in his swing deal with function however he hasn’t performed greater than 120 snaps at left deal with since 2020. Asking him to play 10 video games in a row plus presumably playoff video games can be an enormous ask. Rouse confirmed potential in coaching camp and preseason however he wants growth and expertise. He might be in line to begin at LT in 2025 if Darrisaw isn’t able to return by Week 1.

The Vikings did effectively to make the most of the low price of doing enterprise at this 12 months’s commerce deadline. On Tuesday, the Panthers traded receiver Diontae Johnson to the Ravens for a late-round decide swap when Carolina was reportedly in search of a third-round decide in return. Getting Robinson for under a 2026 fifth comes as a shock contemplating the positional worth.

Buying and selling for Robinson doesn’t faucet into the Vikings’ already-limited future draft capital in a major manner and offers them an opportunity to proceed working their offense equally to when Darrisaw was at left deal with. Definitely Robinson will want extra assist than an All-Professional caliber participant like Darrisaw however the different choices would have required considerably of an overhaul of Kevin O’Connell’s passing sport.

This transfer additionally permits the Vikings to decide about whether or not to begin veteran Dalton Risner at proper guard. Had Brandel moved to left deal with, they wouldn’t have had another alternative aside from beginning Risner at left guard. Now Risner might exchange Ed Ingram, who’s the second lowest graded guard in go safety by PFF and ranks final (out of 59) in go blocking effectivity. Risner allowed zero sacks final season in 11 begins and ranked twentieth in go blocking grade.

Quarterback Sam Darnold has not gotten rid of the ball shortly this season and desires an actual left deal with on his facet. He has the second longest common snap-to-throw quantity (3.14 seconds) within the NFL, solely behind the 49ers’ Brock Purdy. He’s the seventh most pressured QB, per PFF. Any severe downgrade by way of go safety might have resulted in a rise in turnovers and presumably put Darnold’s well being in danger.

Whereas this isn’t an “all-in” kind of transfer with large draft capital concerned, it does recommend that the Vikings nonetheless see their 5-2 begin as an indication of being one of many higher groups within the NFC. By level differential, they’re third within the convention and the following three video games in opposition to Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Tennessee supply a possibility to maintain the sturdy begin to their season rolling. These golf equipment have a mixed 7-16 document. Robinson’s addition ought to maintain them on the right track, reasonably than permitting the left deal with place to probably unravel an offense that has been adequate to make them a contending staff.