The Jacksonville Jaguars are getting busy ahead of the 2024 NFL trade deadline. After sending defensive end Roy Robertson-Harrison to the Seattle Seahawks in early October, they've now dealt left tackle Cam Robinson to the Minnesota Vikings.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media broke the news that Jacksonville is trading Robinson to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for future draft picks. Not long after the original report, Tom Pelissero added that the Jaguars got a conditional selection in 2026 that can become a fifth or a fourth if certain conditions are met. They also had to give up a seventh to facilitate the trade.
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. https://t.co/eqnIl2029Q
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 29, 2024
Robinson has been the starter at left tackle in Jacksonville since he was drafted in 2017. However, he was a healthy scratch for Week 8 despite the fact that he was cleared to play. That was a sign he could be traded, and that ultimately was the outcome.
Robinson made 91 starts for the Jags and became a leader on the offensive line. He got the franchise tag in 2021. He got it again in 2022 but reached a three-year agreement with the front office. But as important as the former Alabama product was, his future came into question when he was suspended for four games to start the 2023 season for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.
The suspension voided the guarantees in his contract, and he became the subject of trade fodder because the Jaguars could move on from him and free up $17 million in cap space for 2024.
Because the Louisiana native was traded midseason, the Vikings are on the hook for the remainder of his salary for 2024. He's slated to become a free agent next, year. Not expecting him to come back, the Jaguars chose to get a draft pick now instead of letting him walk in 2025 in exchange for nothing.
The Vikings were in need of a left tackle after standout Christian Derrisaw suffered a season-ending injury. With Robinson out of the picture, Walker Little is the next man up for the Jaguars for what's left of the year.
What should the Jaguars expect from Walker Little after trading Cam Robinson?
With Cam Robinson out of the picture, the Jacksonville Jaguars are giving fourth-year tackle Walker Little a chance to show what he's got.
Like Robinson, Little is slated to become a free agent in 2025, so the next nine games will be a tryout to prove he deserves to remain in Jacksonville. A second-round pick in 2021, the former Stanford Cardinal was projected to be a top-10 draft pick before tearing his ACL in 2019. He then opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That contributed to his slight slide to No. 45, where the Jags chose him.
A talented offensive tackle, Little wasn't able to seize a starting job until now. Back in 2022, he competed with Jawaan Taylor for the starting job on the right side. He lost and became the team's swing tackle. Earlier this year, the Texas native competed with Robinson for the left tackle job but lost once again. This is his chance to showcase his talent.
In the end, nobody should bat an eye about the fact that the Jags traded Cam Robinson. If anything, they took too long. Either way, they're getting a pick that will help them revamp the roster next year while Walker Little will get a chance to put enough tape ahead of free agency. Don't be surprised if more trades come before the deadline.