Cam Robinson compensation, next trade target, 2022 draft picks

With the NFL trade deadline looming, the Minnesota Vikings made a big move late Tuesday night by acquiring offensive tackle Cam Robinson from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The move made perfect sense for Minnesota, as Christian Darrisaw tore the MCL and ACL ligaments in his left knee during the Vikings’ Week 8 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last Thursday, ending what seemed like a season of Pro Bowl caliber. .

This marks the third straight season in which the Vikings made a Week 9 trade to offset a Week 8 injury.

In 2022, they made a deal with the Detroit Lions to acquire TJ Hockenson after Irv Smith Jr. suffered an ankle injury against the Arizona Cardinals. And of course, last year, after Kirk Cousins ​​tore his Achilles tendon against the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota made a trade with those same Cardinals to acquire Joshua Dobbs.

Many thought Robinson would be too expensive for the Vikings. But as Minnesota general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah reportedly cleared things up with Jacksonville, the move is essentially a bargain.

According to ESPN NFL insider Field Yates, in order to get the Robinson deal done, the Vikings got the Jaguars to pay more than $7 million of his remaining base salary for the 2024 season.

With the 2017 second-round pick set to make just over $9 million the rest of the way, the Vikings are only on the hook for about $2 million of his base salary and just under $59,000 for each game he plays. So if Robinson appears in Minnesota’s final ten games, he will receive a roster bonus of approximately $588,000, bringing his cap hit with the Vikings to just under $2.6 million.

Again, that’s an absolute steal for a player of his caliber. While not as highly rated by Pro Football Focus as Darrisaw, who ranked 10th among offensive tackles at 81.4, Robinson ranks 31st with a solid 69.4.

Strong play here from Kwesi.

While Robinson fills the void at offensive tackle, CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan suggests the Vikings should also make a move at defensive tackle, specifically someone who defensive coordinator Brian Flores knows well, namely Adam Butler of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Butler was drafted out of Vanderbilt in 2017 and signed as a free agent with the New England Patriots, with whom Flores was essentially the defensive coordinator without ever officially holding the title.

After four seasons in Foxborough, Butler signed with the Miami Dolphins. Flores, of course, was the head coach at Miami at the time. So this is a man he knows.

After recording a career-high 5.0 sacks a season ago in his first year with the Raiders, Butler has yet to record one this season, but he has collected 32 tackles, a pair of QB hits and a pass defended.

He’s not the strongest option out there, but it could be worth considering, especially considering he, like Robinson, is on an expiring contract. Plus, Butler’s cap hit was only $1.9 million this season, and the Vikings clearly wouldn’t be in trouble for that.

It’s no secret that the Vikings’ 2022 draft class, Adofo-Mensah’s first, has been a complete failure from an overall standpoint.

Only three of the 10 players taken that year have played meaningful roles for Minnesota, namely guard Ed Ingram (Round 2), cornerback Akayleb Evans (Round 4) and running back Ty Chandler (Round 5). But even of those three, Ingram is the only full-time starter this season.

And another three are no longer even with the team, including their first-round selection, safety Lewis Cine, who was released after last season and is currently on the Buffalo Bills practice squad. The other two are cornerback Andrew Booth (Round 2) and defensive tackle Esezi Otomewo (Round 5).

According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, that number could soon be four, as he believes the Vikings may want to unload a third-rounder from that infamous ’22 draft class.

“Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah II, a former third-rounder who has had no impact in Brian Flores’ defense, is also a trade candidate,” Fowler wrote.

He is certainly right when he says that Asamoah fails to impress. After making 17 tackles and forcing a fumble as a rookie, he made just seven tackles in 2023 and just one in 2024. And that was an assist against the Houston Texans in Week 3. There may not be much value here, but if the Vikings can even get a sixth- or seventh-round pick in return, which should be considered a win.