Since their stunning 5-0 start, it’s been a tough three weeks for Minnesota Vikings.

They are coming off back-to-back losses – their Week 8 setback also to the Los Angeles Rams costing Christian Darrisawone of the NFL’s premier left tackles to a season-ending knee injury. But vices do not take this loss lying down.

On Tuesday night, Minnesota agreed to a trade with Jacksonville Jaguars for veteran tackle Cam Robinson, the teams traded conditional Day 3 picks in 2026. On ESPNThe Jags could pick up a fourth rounder depending on Robinson’s playing time.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the trade, which materialized exactly one week before the Nov. 5 trade deadline, by evaluating it for both clubs.

CAM ROBINSON COMMERCIAL GRADE

Jacksonville Jaguars: B+

The Jags wouldn’t characterize it as such, but it’s a bit of a corner throw in the towel from a 2-6 team that also saw all three of its receivers hurt Sunday. It provides an opportunity to see more from Walker Little, a 2021 second-round pick, and/or try 2023 Anton Harrison on the left side to see if he’s more comfortable as QB Trevor Lawrence’s blindside guard. Robinson, who was franchised twice by Jacksonville before getting a moderate extension, is scheduled to become a free agent in 2025, so the prospect of potentially landing a fourth-rounder for a half-season rental is a Pretty good ROI for the Jacksonville office. .

Minnesota Vikings: A-

They’re sending a strong signal to their locker room that this season — once perceived as a transition year from QB Kirk Cousins ​​to journeyman San Darnold to first-rounder JJ McCarthy — is a priority. Cousins ​​is in Atlanta and McCarthy is on injured reserve, but Darnold has resurrected his career with the help of a strong supporting cast on offense and a relentless defense, playing to his full potential under coordinator Brian Flores. In Robinson, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah gives coach Kevin O’Connell and a seventh-ranked scoring offense a solid replacement for Darrisaw, but gives up a mid-round pick just two years from now while taking on the balance of salary Robinson’s $16.3 million base before. he’s back on the market in 2025. (The Vikes signed Darrisaw to a four-year, $104 million extension earlier this year.)

A second-round pick, 34th overall, out of Alabama in 2017, Robinson started 91 games for Jacksonville over seven seasons. He’s not as good a blocker as Darrisaw, but given how Darnold came under fire late in the loss to the Rams, bringing in Robinson seems like a wisely measured decision rather than hoping that a backup career as David Quessenberry was up to the mark. Overall, quite a win-win for a franchise that is decidedly focused on the present, with the team very much in the hunt for the NFC North crown — but also now with the luxury of competing for a playoff spot while ensuring that very little of future was mortgaged. .

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cam Robinson trade classes: Vikings or Jaguars earn tackle deal?