Cam Robinson – Syndication Server

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Minnesota Vikings: Key matchups

The Jacksonville Jaguars enter Week 10 coming off another tough loss on the road to the Philadelphia Eagles and will look to pull off an upset home victory against the 6-2 Minnesota Vikings.

Like last week, the Jaguars will be without some key players, including franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has been nursing a left shoulder injury this week. Losing Lawrence will be a hard blow for a team that has been relatively competitive largely because of his play in recent weeks.

However, there is a path to success that Jacksonville can follow. The Vikings do not have many weaknesses, but there are some areas the Jaguars can take advantage of to pave the road to an upset.

Jaguars Wire breaks down the key matchups that could be vital in ensuring win No. 3 for the Jaguars against the Vikings.

Jacksonville’s run game vs. Minnesota’s run defense

The Vikings own the NFL’s No. 2 rushing defense this season in yards allowed and have allowed the fewest rushing expected points added (EPA) this season. The Jaguars have found success on the ground this season and with Lawrence out, they will have to lean on their new star tailback Tank Bigsby.

A productive day from Bigbsy might be Jacksonville’s biggest key to victory this weekend. He is a tough runner to bring down, forcing a missed tackle on nearly 38 percent of his rushes, according to Next Gen Stats.

That’s good enough for the third-highest rate in football. Minnesota has struggled to tackle in space this season at the fifth-highest rate.

Bigsby has the skill set to handle a hefty workload on a moment’s notice. His downhill rushing ability and shiftiness in space make him a handful to bring down.

To add pressure for Minnesota, Bigsby can be a home run-hitting running back with his second-level explosiveness and quickness in the open field. It won’t be an easy go-around but this is strength vs. strength in this weekend’s matchup.

Jacksonville DE Josh Hines-Allen vs. Minnesota LT Cam Robinson

This matchup could be personal for both players. It was only a few weeks ago that Robinson was manning Lawrence’s blindside.

But after Vikings star left tackle Christian Darrisaw went down with a season-ending injury, they acquired Robinson and a conditional 2026 seventh-round draft choice in exchange for a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick.

The former Jaguar had an up-and-down career in North Florida. Robinson was playing steady football in pass protection with just a 7.1 percent pressure rate before he was traded. But he struggled against Indianapolis in his Vikings debut and is now tasked with slowing down Josh Hines-Allen for the first time as an opponent.

Jacksonville’s cornerstone pass rusher is tied with teammate Travon Walker for the most pressures on the team with 34. He’s as good as they come coming off the edge and is likely to spend most of his snaps lining up at right defensive end for his one-on-one matchup with Robinson.

Hines-Allen versus Robinson in the trenches is a key individual matchup that fans should have a keen eye on, one that could be a deciding factor in this weekend’s game.

Jacksonville QB Mac Jones vs. Minnesota pass defense

Losing a talent like Lawrence for just one or any number of games is a blow for the Jaguars. He’s the franchise quarterback and has played sound football for most of the season.

But now, it’s time for former Pro Bowler and once-surmised New England franchise signal-caller Mac Jones to make his starting debut with his hometown team.

Jones never proved to be the prolific quarterback from the incredible 2020 Alabama national championship roster in the NFL. More of a game-manager, a heavy dose of the run game and play-action should allow Jones to be fairly smooth sailing if things go according to plan.

However, the Jaguars might miss the vertical element that has been a staple of their offense with Jones under-center this weekend.

Jones will face a defense that is second in the NFL in blitz rate and has used split-safety coverage the most of any team this season. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has them playing some sound football and will pose a challenge for Jones this weekend.

Yet, there is a path where Jones performs well enough to put Jacksonville in a spot to pull off the upset. If he protects the ball and finds answers against pressure while giving receivers like Brian Thomas Jr. and Parker Washington chances for run-after-catch plays, the Jaguars will be one step closer to victory.

Dan Graziano offers high praise for Vikings trade of Cam Robinson

The NFL Trade Deadline was very busy for most teams, the Vikings included, but one move did more than the rest.

The NFL Trade Deadline was very busy for most teams, the Vikings included, but one move did more than the rest. Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has always been a proactive roster builder but this year he was forced into the role more than before.

The Vikings had lost their starting tackle, Christian Darrisaw, and wasted no time finding a fill-in tackle by trading for Cam Robinson.

Most outlets praised the move, but ESPN’s Dan Graziano is taking it a step further, saying it was the “most important addition over the past month.”

Graziano wrote, “Robinson is certainly not Darrisaw, but given how difficult it is to find starting-caliber offensive linemen at any time of the season, you have to admire the Vikings for getting out there and trying to plug a hole they absolutely had to plug.”

Robinson looked okay in his first game with the Vikings as they played the Colts in Week 9. With more than just one day of practice under his belt now, the offensive line as a whole is expected to look more in sync as they play his former team on Sunday.

NFL trade deadline: Recapping Jaguars’ in-season moves

The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, with a flurry of activity across the league before the clock struck 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

The Jaguars did not take part in Tuesday’s action, though. They got their moves out of the way in recent weeks.

Find a recap of Jacksonville’s 2024 in-season trades below.

OT Cam Robinson to the Minnesota Vikings

Sep 23, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Cam Robinson (74) enters the field before a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Jacksonville sent former starting left tackle Cam Robinson to Minnesota about a week before the trade deadline on Oct. 30. The Jaguars also sent the Vikings a conditional 2026 seventh-round NFL draft pick, which can be voided if Robinson does not meet undisclosed playing time requirements.

The Jaguars received a conditional 2026 fifth-round draft pick from the Vikings for Robinson. It can become a fourth-round pick based on Robinson’s playing time.

Robinson started 91 games for the Jaguars from his 2017 second-round selection by the club until one week before he was dealt to the Vikings. He was benched in favor of fourth-year Jacksonville offensive tackle Walker Little.

Robinson started at left tackle for Minnesota five days after his trade was made official, against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. He received a game ball from Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell for his performance.

DL Roy Robertson-Harris to the Seattle Seahawks

Oct 13, 2024; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris (95) during an NFL International Series game against the Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Jaguars shipped defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris to the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 14, amid their two-week trip to London for Weeks 6-7. Jacksonville got a 2026 sixth-round draft pick in return for Robertson-Harris.

It marked the NFL’s first trade during the 2024 regular season.

Robertson-Harris signed with Jacksonville as a free agent in 2021 and recorded 123 total tackles with 17 for loss, 11.5 sacks and seven pass breakups in 54 games, including 49 starts, with the Jaguars.

In three games with the Seahawks, Robertson-Harris has logged 10 total tackles with one for loss and one defended pass.

Vikings announce Christian Darrisaw has undergone surgery on his injured knee

On Monday, the team had good news regarding Christian Darrisaw’s prognosis.

The Minnesota Vikings lost star offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw for the year to a torn ACL and MCL in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams.

On Monday, the team made an announcement about his knee, with some good news regarding his prognosis.

“Christian Darrisaw underwent successful surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament today at Twin Cities Orthopedics in Eagan, Minn. The procedure was led by Vikings Head Team Physician Dr. Chris Larson. The team will continue to provide updates, as appropriate, during Darrisaw’s recovery process.”

The team expects Darrisaw to be ready for the start of the 2025 season. In the meantime, the Vikings acquired Cam Robinson to serve as his replacement. Robinson was an established left tackle with the Jaguars and played this past week against the Colts.

Is Cam Robinson playing today? Update for Vikings OT

TEAMA POSITION PLAYER NAME (ex Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa) is dealing with a [BLANK] injury. Here are the latest updates.

Last week, the Vikings lost starting offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw to an ACL and MCL tear that ended his 2024 season. For a Vikings team that saw its offense as the key piece to its success, this was seen as a major loss for the team as a whole.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah addressed the need by going out and acquiring Jaguars starting left tackle Cam Robinson in a trade. He gave up minimal draft capital and less money than he was owed to be able to rent the tackle for the remainder of 2024 before he hits free agency next Spring.

The former Jaguars arrived in Minnesota this week and practiced with the team Thursday, leaving some questions about his status for Sunday.

Cam Robinson update

Despite only practicing once with the Vikings this week following the trade for him, Robinson will play against the Colts on Sunday night. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the news on Sunday morning.

The Vikings’ starting offensive line is expected to be Cam Robinson, Blake Brandel, Garrett Bradbury, Ed Ingram, and Brian O’Neill.

Vikings offensive tackle depth chart

While Cam Robinson is starting for the Vikings, David Quessenberry is expected to back him up. Rookie Walter Rouse is also expected to be available if he is needed.

Vikings offensive line tumbles in latest PFF power rankings

In the wake of a Christian Darrisaw injury and trade for Cam Robinson, the Minnesota Vikings offensive line tumbled in PFF’s power rankings.

Most media outlets these days put out power rankings after each week, evaluating how each team fared in the previous week’s matchup, and how they compare to their peers. It’s an easy way to churn out content, and a great conversation starter.

The folks at PFF; however, go a little further with power rankings than most. Not only do their weekly overall team rankings have more data than most other outlets to give you a better concept of why teams are moving up or down, but they also churn out power rankings for individual units on each team, giving a more granular look at the weekly picture.

One of those unit power rankings that PFF puts out is ranking each team’s offensive line each week. This week, the results aren’t kind to the Minnesota Vikings — and understandably so. Losing Christian Darrisaw– playing at a Pro Bowl level before the injury- is a huge blow to the team, and it makes sense that the Vikings would tumble as a result.

And tumble they did! The team’s offensive line fell six spots in this week’s rankings from PFF. That puts the Vikings in the bottom third of the league at #22, down from their #16 spot last week. That ranking may change next week, as Christian Darrisaw’s replacement, Cam Robinson, gets acclimated to the team and gets inserted into the starting lineup. For this week, however, PFF is projecting David Quessenberry getting the start in Darrisaw’s absence.

As the Vikings try to recover from their two-game skid, the offensive line is going to play a big part in just how well the team performs from here on out. Where quarterback Sam Darnold once could feel confident his blindside was protected, now there’s a lot of uncertainty — which is not good for a quarterback who has struggled the past two weeks, and has a pretty lengthy history of struggling when the pressure is on.

If there is a bright side, it’s that despite the tumble in offensive line rankings, and in spite of the two-game slide, the Vikings are still in the top 10 of PFF’s overall power rankings.

Jaguars to pay $7 million of Cam Robinson’s remaining contract in trade deal

The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the hook for $7 million of Cam Robinson’s remaining contract after their trade with the Minnesota Vikings.

Earlier this week, the Minnesota Vikings addressed a glaring need on the team by filling the void left by injured left tackle Christian Darrisaw. Darrisaw was lost for the season with a torn ACL and MCL suffered at the end of the first half of last week’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Vikings’ solution to their sudden need for an offensive lineman was to reach out the the Jacksonville Jaguars and pull off a trade for their left tackle Cam Robinson. Robinson had spent the past seven and a half seasons in Jacksonville after the team took him in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Despite sticking around in Jacksonville for over seven years, it hasn’t been a smooth ride for the tackle, and he’s looking to get a fresh start with the Vikings. In order to facilitate that new start, it was revealed on Wednesday that the Jaguars will be paying $7 million of the nearly $10 million remaining on Robinson’s contract, according to ESPN NFL analyst Field Yates.

That means the Vikings will only be on the hook for a base salary of $2 million and a bonus of nearly $59,000 for each game Robinson is active for the Vikings for the remainder of the season. While Robinson may not be active on Sunday as he gets acclimated to his new team and the new system, he’ll likely be active for the remainder of the season—as long as he stays healthy and produces.

The Vikings have other options along the offensive line, and head coach Kevin O’Connell has hammered home the idea of putting together the “five best offensive linemen”, so if Robinson doesn’t pan out, it wouldn’t be a shock to see O’Connell shake things up. Current left guard Blake Brandel has experience at tackle, and guard Dalton Risner is expected back, which could lead to Brandel shifting outside if Robinson can’t go or struggles.

Regardless of how well the trade winds up working out for Robinson and the Vikings, only giving up a Day 3 pick in 2026 and getting the Jaguars to pay the majority of Robinson’s remaining salary is worth taking a chance in light of Darrisaw’s injury.

NFL analyst wants to see Vikings trade for Raiders defensive tackle

Despite a two-game skid, the Vikings are still NFC contenders. One NFL analyst believes they should make a move to improve their defense.

Despite the recent two-game skid and some pessimism on the team that has crept in during the past two weeks, the Minnesota Vikings are still very much in the thick of the NFC playoff picture. Despite slipping to third in their own division, Minnesota is still one of the top teams in the conference by record and would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.

That makes them very much a contender, despite what their recent play might suggest. One of the biggest issues with the Vikings recently has been, surprisingly, the play of their defense. The defensive line and linebackers have not been able to create pressure like they were at the beginning of the season, and it’s putting strain on an already haphazard defensive backs unit.

One NFL analyst, CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan, believes the solution to the Vikings’ recent woes may come at the trade deadline. The Vikings have already been active on the trade market, trading for familiar running back Cam Akers and then filling the hole left by an injured Christian Darrisaw with former Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson, but they may not be done.

Sullivan suggests the Vikings contact the Las Vegas Raiders about defensive tackle Adam Butler. Butler is familiar with defensive coordinator Brian Flores and the defense he likes to run from his time with the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins.

Despite not getting to the quarterback yet this season, Butler has one of the overall best seasons of his career in 2024 with the Raiders. Bringing Butler into the fold for the Vikings could give the team a great rotation of defensive tackles, keeping everyone fresher for longer and hopefully increasing their production.

Butler is currently on a one-year deal with the Raiders for only $1.8 million and would likely not command a high price. The price may be a bit higher than what the Vikings gave up for Robinson, but they should still be able to make a deal without touching their limited 2025 NFL Draft capital.

Jaguars bring RB back to practice squad

The Jaguars brought running back Jake Funk back to their practice squad on Wednesday after releasing him from the unit on Tuesday, Jacksonville announced.

Funk was let go in a trio of roster moves Jacksonville completed Tuesday afternoon, alongside offensive lineman Blake Hance being signed to the Jaguars’ active roster and wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. joining the practice squad.

The transactions were soon followed by Jacksonville trading former starting left tackle Cam Robinson and a conditional 2026 seventh-round NFL draft pick to the Minnesota Vikings for a conditional 2024 fifth-round pick.

Funk originally signed to Jacksonville’s practice squad on Oct. 1 and was elevated to the active roster for Week 7 against the New England Patriots and Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers. He did not appear in either game.

A seventh-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, Funk has also played for New Orleans, Indianapolis, Miami, Baltimore and Detroit. He has rushed four times for 15 yards, caught one pass for 12 yards and returned four kickoffs for 22 yards on average in 20 career appearances.

Vikings’ trade for Cam Robinson could be exactly what all sides need

In trading for now former Jacksonville Jaguars LT Cam Robinson, each side of the trade could be getting exactly what they need going forward

The Minnesota Vikings surprised many by pulling off a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars to address their sudden need for a left tackle. The deal has the Vikings trading away a 2026 fifth-round pick that can escalate to a fourth, depending on playing time.

In exchange, the Vikings get somewhat of a reclamation project in left tackle Cam Robinson, along with a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick – one that can go away depending on playing time.

The trade is a rare example of the kind of low-risk, high-reward deal that, if the season continues to go well for the Vikings, could wind up being great for every party involved. For the Jaguars’ part, they get a disgruntled player off their hands and get a day-three pick in 2026 in exchange – but will likely have to pay some of Robinson’s $10 million remaining salary to do so.

As for the Vikings, they get some immediate help at a sudden position of need. With starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw tearing his ACL and MCL in the Thursday night loss to the Rams, the Vikings suddenly had a huge hole to fill at a vital position.

Robinson hasn’t been great during his eight-year career with the Jaguars, but he has been serviceable – when he’s been in the lineup. That caveat has been the biggest rub on Robinson the past few years. Robinson hasn’t played a full season – whether it be due to injury, suspension, or benching – since 2020 and only once in his career.

Robinson’s benching last week with the Jaguars continued that trend into this season. That benching was—most likely—the final straw in the relationship between the teams and the impetus for this trade from the Jaguars’ end.

For Robinson, he gets a chance to rehab his image in the league’s eye for his next stop. In all likelihood, Robinson is little more than a rental for the Vikings for the remainder of the season, not a long-term option for the team.

Robinson is in the last year of the deal he signed with the Jaguars, and while Darrisaw won’t return this season, there’s little reason to believe he won’t be back to at or near his usual form for next season.

What Robinson gets is a chance to audition for 30 other teams – as he’s unlikely to return to the Jaguars in free agency – on a team that has exceeded expectations this season despite the two-game losing streak.

Robinson gets to be a lynchpin on an offensive line that protects one of the league’s leading passers in Sam Darnold, a good running back in Aaron Jones, and has weapons like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and soon the return of tight end T.J. Hockenson.

If Robinson can hold up on the offensive line, and the Vikings can make the playoffs with Robinson as their left tackle, he could see a lucrative free agency in his future. There are a number of concerns hovering around Robinson, but a good close to the season on a good team could erase many of them.