The Jets Trade with Jaguars Is a Measuring Stick for Vikings

The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) traded managing back James Robinson to the New York Jets (5-2) on Monday for a conditional 6th Spherical draft select in 2023.

The Jets misplaced blossoming-star halfback Breece Hall in Week 7 to a torn ACL, and Robert Saleh’s staff is not messing all-around to stay applicable in the AFC’s playoff chase.

And in a backhanded way, the trade applies to the Minnesota Vikings. Of course, Minnesota is mainly unaffected by the trade — apart from presumably facing James Robinson when the Vikings engage in the Jets in December — but the trade capital for Robinson is noteworthy.

A 6th-Round decide on was the asking cost for Robinson. The draft collection can come to be a 5th-Rounder if Robinson rushes for 600 yards this season, which is likely to happen as the 24-calendar year-outdated by now has 340 yards. All through the spring and summer time, since the Vikings experienced ample depth at jogging back, followers dreamed that RB Alexander Mattison could be traded elsewhere for a 3rd-Round choose or so.

That was by no means heading to transpire, nor everything close to it.

Spitballing a 3rd-Rounder for Mattison — or anything in the ballpark of that sort of draft cash — was simply Madden-ish brainstorming. The concept was not reasonable. Robinson joining the Jets for a in all probability 5th-Rounder locations Mattison’s pricetag in the similar theoretical zone — and maybe decreased.

The Vikings are not likely to trade Mattison now as rookie jogging again Ty Chandler is on injured reserve and RB1 Dalvin Prepare dinner commonly misses a handful of online games. Mattison is the RB1 contingency plan for Cook’s eventual 1- to 3-activity absence. For Prepare dinner, it is clockwork that he’ll skip time.

Nevertheless, for Vikings enthusiasts, the Robinson trade is a lesson. Speculating Mattison’s departure from the crew for a mid-round select was a fully serious best-situation circumstance. If new normal supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah even explored working Mattison at all, the trade payment was likely akin to Jaguars “haul” for Robinson.

And that’s probably why Mattison is nonetheless on the crew as an RB2 — he’s more precious to the franchise than a 6th-Round draft choice. The Robinson offer vivified the actuality of operating backs’ worth.

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the College of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his each day YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates again to 1996. Shown guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doorways (the band).