Browns Named Ideal Fit for Vikings Free Agent

Dustin Baker |

Feb 5, 2025

Minnesota Vikings left tackle Cam Robinson was probably a half-season rental for the purple team in 2024, and he might head back to the AFC and join the Cleveland Browns.

Browns Named Ideal Fit for Vikings Free Agent

That’s the latest and greatest theory from CBS Sports, an outfit that named ideal fits for each big-name free agent in March.

For Robinson, Cleveland received the nomination.

Jordan Dajani explained, “The Browns need a new running back and wide receiver (and quarterback), but we can’t forget about the offensive line either. Most imagine Cleveland will allow Jed Wills Jr. to walk, and it’s unknown if Dawand Jones is the long-term answer on the left side.”

Robinson joined the Vikings’ roster at last year’s trade deadline after incumbent left tackle Christian Darrisaw was lost for the season due to a torn ACL.

“Robinson could be an option for the Browns if Minnesota allows him to leave, but price matters with the Browns’ cap situation being one of the worst in the league,” Dajani added.

Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Cam Robinson (74), left, holds up a signed jersey of Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Anton Harrison (77), and vice versa, after the game of an NFL football matchup Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 at Everbank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Vikings defeated the Jaguars 12-7. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Why would Robinson leave the Twin Cities? Minnesota is set at OT with Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill for the long haul, so it seems unlikely for Robinson to return with the Vikings on a fat contract. Robinson played decently as a Darrisaw replacement, encountering some up-and-down moments, including penalties, but generally filled in admirably.

Robinson can likely earn a contract worth $15-$20 million per year, and the Vikings obviously don’t have that lying around for a backup offensive tackle. Without Robinson, Minnesota will return to Darrisaw and O’Neill as its OT starters, with Walter Rouse and free agent David Quessenberry likely returning in 2025.

Here’s Robinson’s Pro Football Focus resume to date:

2024: 64.7
2023: 65.4
2022: 67.2
2021: 67.4
2020: 61.7
2019: 54.8
2018: 63.4
2017: 52.4

At the time of the trade for Robinson, Minnesota considered itself a Super Bowl contender, and while some Vikings fans decried the deal as too short-term, Robinson did help lock down quarterback Sam Darnold’s blindside for half a season.

Cleveland Browns backup quarterback Jameis Winston, right, welcomes quarterback Deshaun Watson (4), wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) and wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) off the field during the first half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. © Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK.

If it’s not the Browns, as predicted by CBS Sports, Robinson should have a decent free-agent market, as productive left tackles aren’t easy to find.

Pro Football Network ranked the Browns’ offensive line the 20th-best in the league in 2024. The Vikings checked in at No. 10.

One That Got Away — Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports.

PFF recently predicted that Robinson could be a fit for the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason.

Robinson will turn 30 next fall.

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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.