Robinson impresses in left tackle debut

The man who had the best vantage point in the Browns’ 37-21 loss to the Chiefs on Nov. 4 had an emphatic answer to the direct question: “What are the positives you take from this game?”

“Greg Robinson starting at left tackle and playing well,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said without hesitating.

Robinson started against the Chiefs because rookie Desmond Harrison was inactive with an undisclosed illness.

It was Robinson’s first action in a Browns uniform other than in field-goal protection.

“After watching the film, I felt like I played well,” Robinson said. “It felt good to just get out there with the boys, taking it to the game field rather than just practicing.

“It was encouraging, and I’m really happy that (Mayfield) spoke well about me. There are a few things I need to work on, just keep getting better each day of practice and see where it leads from there.”

Offensive line coach Bob Wylie wasn’t quite as enthusiastic as Mayfield about Robinson’s performance.

“(Robinson) did some things good and some things bad,” Wylie said during a chance meeting in a hallway at Browns’ headquarters in Berea.

Wylie is the same coach who during training camp said moving left guard Joel Bitonio to left tackle would be “Plan Z” to solve the left tackle problem. Fired head coach Hue Jackson overruled Wylie, but when the regular season began with a home game against the Steelers, Bitonio was back at guard and Harrison, whose only previous start was in the fourth preseason game, was the starting left tackle.

Robinson was taken by the Rams with the second overall pick of the 2014 draft. Browns interim head coach Gregg Williams was the Rams’ defensive coordinator at the time.

Robinson played three years with the Rams and was traded to the Lions on June 15, 2017, for a sixthround pick – poor return for the second pick of the draft. He played in six games with the Lions last season and was waived with an ankle injury.

The Browns signed Robinson to a one-year contract June 19 after their offseason program and minicamp ended. His first practice with the Browns would be the first practice of training camp.

Harrison, an undrafted rookie, was slowed in training camp with a toe injury. Robinson missed time because of a concussion. Harrison had the advantage of being with the Browns throughout the spring practices and minicamp and won the starting job.

Now, it would seem, the competition is on again. Williams in his Nov. 5 news conference had no medical update on Harrison, but he praised Robinson for playing well against the Chiefs.

“I’ve known him since the day he came into the league,” Williams said. “I’ve seen him have his battles, ups and downs.

“He played well. It was good to see. You’re supposed to perform the way he performed. Those are the discussions (whether to start Robinson or Harrison against Atlanta on Nov. 11) that the offensive staff will have. I’ll be a part of that once they go through it.”

Robinson, 6-foot-5, 330 pounds, didn’t want to give himself a grade after watching film of his performance against the Chiefs. He is hoping his relationship with Williams might be his ticket to keeping the starting job.

Robinson, 28, admitted he hasn’t lived up to his status of being picked second in the draft, but he believes there is still time to salvage his career.

“Who knows how it can turn out?” Robinson said “I have no excuses whatsoever, but my work ethic is never going to change. All I can do is show up. I’ve dealt with a few injuries and those types of things, but nothing’s really holding me back except myself.”

The coaches believe they hit the jackpot with Harrison. He might be the left tackle of the future even if Robinson does start against the Falcons and beyond, but with the entire coaching staff likely to be wiped out at the end of the season, it is impossible to know how the next coaching staff will assess Harrison. The only constant would be General Manager John Dorsey, who signed Harrison within a week after Harrison went undrafted in April.