The Minnesota Vikings' trade for Cam Robinson is looking even better after the former Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle left in free agency.
After Christian Darrisaw went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 8, the Vikings traded a conditional 2026 fourth-round pick for Robinson and a conditional 2026 seventh-rounder.
Robinson started the final 10 games of the season in Darrisaw's place, salvaging the Vikings' season after a 6-2 start that turned into a 14-3 finish that ended with a first-round exit in the playoffs.
It was a worthwhile move for Minnesota alone, but the decision to trade for Robinson looks even more brilliant following his signing with the Houston Texans.
Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz reported that Robinson agreed to terms on a one-year, $14.5 million deal with the Texans on Thursday, March 19.
As peak free agency is coming to a close, Robinson's departure tipped the 2026 compensatory pick formula in the Vikings' favor even further.
Minnesota is expected to receive a third-rounder in exchange for Sam Darnold and a fourth- or fifth-rounder depending on how much playing time Daniel Jones sees with the Indianapolis Colts.
Robinson became the fifth qualifying free agent to leave the Vikings in free agency, canceling out the signing of Colts Pro Bowl center Ryan Kelly.
So long as the Vikings do not sign another qualifying free agent at this stage of the offseason, they essentially rented a starting left tackle for 10 games and will get to recoup that draft capital spent.
Under general manger Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the organization has taken a more measured approach to their moves with the compensatory pick formula in mind -- and it's paying dividends.
The Vikings' 14-win season was seen as premature, given their unproven defense and Darnold's reputation. But after exceeding expectations, Minnesota is positioned to contend for the full duration of J.J. McCarthy's rookie deal.
Accumulating more draft capital will only help the team backload the roster with talent and maintain its competitiveness for the next several seasons.
Darrisaw is hopeful to be 100% healthy by the beginning of next season. If he's not, the Vikings signed veteran swing tackle Justin Skule to fill in temporarily.
