When the Minnesota Vikings lost Christian Darrisaw just before halftime against the Los Angeles Rams things looked disastrous. You never want to lose an All-Pro left tackle. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah quickly addressed the position to soften the blow. Former Jacksonville Jaguars tackle Cam Robinson has been in the building for just a matter of days, but he’s going to draw the start.
Cam Robinson takes over for Minnesota
The Minnesota Vikings acquired Cam Robinson in a trade on Tuesday. He wasn’t in the building until Wednesday, and didn’t appear on the practice field until Thursday. For a veteran with 91 career starts though, the runway to be ready clearly shouldn’t be long. On Sunday Night Football against the Indianapolis Colts, Robinson makes his Minnesota debut.
Despite practicing with Minnesota for the first time Thursday, left tackle Cam Robinson is expected to make his Vikings debut tonight vs. the Colts.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 3, 2024
When Darrisaw went down against the Rams it was David Quessenberry that took over. He filled in physically, but the fit wasn’t a good one. Minnesota could have opted to shift Blake Brandel back to the tackle spot, but that would have been a downgrade to their left guard position. Now they have another quality lineman in the fold, and there’s opportunity for ripple effects to impact the line.
Robinson’s performance on Sunday should be viewed through a understanding lens. Of course he shouldn’t be starting if it’s expected to go disastrously, but there’s also the possibility that small miscues can be overlooked.
Expect Vikings to see other line shuffles
Kevin O’Connell inserting a new left tackle means that Brandel stays at his guard spot. Dalton Risner will be active for the first time this season and that’s bad news for Ed Ingram. The right guard has been nothing short of a disaster this year, and Risner may be coming for his starting role.
The #Vikings have activated G Dalton Risner from IR. He will enter #INDvsMIN with no game designation.
DL Taki Taimani has been plaed on IR and DL Jalen Redmond has been elevated to the active roster for tomorrow's game. pic.twitter.com/Hca783KAD5
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 2, 2024
It remains to be seen when O’Connell will opt to pull the plug on Ingram, but that could happen from the jump. Risner certainly has his deficiencies, namely in run blocking, but he is an upgrade overall. The Minnesota offensive line will need to gel quickly as they could be looking at 40% of the group being turned over before a primetime game.
Between T.J. Hockenson being back, and the Colts turning to Joe Flacco, there are plenty of narratives coming into the big contest. If Minnesota is going to stop the losing streak, a strong performance up front is where it begins.
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