For a second straight year, the Jaguars and Vikings have a deal in place involving an offensive lineman at the trade deadline. Cam Robinson is set to replace Christian Darrisaw.
The Vikings will act swiftly, with NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reporting they are acquiring the longtime Jaguars left tackle in exchange for unspecified draft compensation. This comes a year after the Jags acquired Ezra Cleveland from the Vikings. Here are the terms of the trade:
Vikings receive:
- Robinson
- Conditional 2026 seventh-round pick
Jaguars receive:
- Conditional 2026 fifth-round pick
The 2026 fifth can upgrade to a fourth based on playing time, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. The conditional seventh the Vikings are receiving can be removed from the trade based on playing time as well, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter adds.
This will wrap an eight-season run for Robinson in Jacksonville. The former second-round pick, however, is in a contract year and is not a candidate to be franchise-tagged. Like Kirk Cousins, Robinson was a two-time tag recipient and is on track for free agency. This trade sets up Robinson as a clear rental, with Darrisaw expected to reclaim his blindside post in 2025. In the short term, though, the 5-2 Vikings will prepare to have Robinson protecting Sam Darnold‘s blind side.
It is not exactly common for a starting left tackle to be available at the deadline, and Doug Pederson had thrown cold water on more seller’s trades — following the Jags’ agreement to send Roy Robertson-Harris to the Seahawks — taking place. But the Jags have dropped to 2-6 and lost Christian Kirk for the season during their most recent defeat. Jacksonville also has some LT insurance in Walker Little, who is also in a contract year.
Tuesday’s agreement certainly signals the Vikings believe they have a contending team, despite their back-to-back losses, as they just extended Darrisaw at a top-market rate. Darrisaw signed a four-year, $104M deal to stay in Minnesota long-term, but he will not reenter the Vikes’ on-field equation until next season. The fourth-year blocker went down with an unspecified knee injury — one that will require season-ending surgery. The Vikings losing their top O-lineman already played a role in one loss, and the team will take advantage of Darrisaw’s injury occurring before the trade deadline.
Robinson, 29, had been the Jags’ LT starter since his rookie season. He is attached to a three-year, $52.75M extension — agreed to during his second offseason on the franchise tag. No restructures have taken place on this contract, keeping Robinson’s 2024 base salary at $16.25M. While roughly $9M remains on that deal, the Jaguars are probably picking up some of the eighth-year blocker’s tab. The Vikings entered Tuesday with $9.5M in cap space.
Robinson has made 91 career starts, including seven of the Jags’ eight games this season. Pro Football Focus has the Alabama alum rated 32nd among tackles this season; Darrisaw stood 10th before his injury. While Robinson does not have a Pro Bowl on his resume and is not regarded quite on Darrisaw’s level, he had done enough to be tagged twice and earn an upper-crust extension. Though, Darrisaw’s payday helped drop Robinson down that position list. Robinson entered this season as the NFL’s 10th-highest-paid LT.
The Jags have now separated from both Robinson and four-year RT starter Jawaan Taylor in two years. Jacksonville opted to tag Evan Engram over Taylor in 2023, letting him walk toward a mammoth Chiefs deal — one that has not panned out. The Jags drafted Anton Harrison in the 2023 first round and have been playing him at right tackle. It will be interesting to see how the sudden sellers proceed at this position moving forward, as Urban Meyer-era draftee Little is playing out his second-round contract. But Little, who has 18 career starts (most of them replacing an injured or suspended Robinson), will have a chance to boost his free agency value during this season’s second half.
Robinson missed a chunk of the Jags’ run to the 2022 divisional round, having suffered a meniscus tear and received a four-game PED suspension last summer. Robinson also suffered another knee injury, one that led him to IR, last season. The recent injuries bring risk for the Vikings, but as quality LTs are not exactly flooding the trade market, Minnesota will roll the dice on Robinson staying healthy.
It cost the Jags only a sixth-round pick to acquire Cleveland, as they resided as buyers at the 2023 deadline. Jacksonville then re-signed Cleveland before the legal tampering period. Robinson will be on track to hit the market for the first time. He will need to excel in a new scheme to solidify his place as one of the 2025 FA market’s top options.
