As a GRob supporter on draft day, I don't mind telling you that this piece was a fun read for me. Lol.
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www.ocregister.com]
Bonsignore: Rams offensive lineman Greg Robinson is finally living up to his hype
Aug. 23, 2016 Updated 10:42 p.m.
After three weeks of training camp and two preseason games in which he's graded out as well as anyone on the roster, Rams offensive tackle Greg Robinson, left, is reaping the rewards of the urgency he approached camp with and the comfort level he now has in his surroundings.
By VINCENT BONSIGNORE / STAFF COLUMNIST
IRVINE – The wrong way to explain the struggles of Greg Robinson over his first two years with the Rams was that he just didn’t care.
Or that he cashed in a bonus check befitting the second overall pick in the 2014 draft and throttled down to kick-back mode.
It might have seemed that way judging by his play on the field. The run blocking he was renowned for at Auburn didn’t consistently carry over to the NFL. The pass-blocking that scouts vowed would improve in a new system and under better coaching never fully materialized.
And his performance reflected a player drafted much lower than second overall and a motor operating in second gear rather than full throttle.
The complaints and criticisms and assessments are valid, and Robinson would be the first to admit.
“I was acknowledged for a lot of big things I did in college, and I know I got off to not such a great start coming into the league,” Robinson said.
But it would be a mistake to assume it was a personality and professional issue.
Looking back, Robinson leaped head-first into an NFL game moving faster than he’d ever seen while opening a playbook as vast an anything he could imagine. Everything from the level of play to the elevated study demands were beyond what he’d ever experienced.
Things were moving just a little too fast, and in retrospect responsibility was thrust on him a bit too soon. In an effort to just keep up, Robinson played rushed, hasty and unsettled rather than in tune, on time and with confidence.
It didn’t help he was never quite healthy, which meant devoting almost as much focus on pain and recovery as he did his craft and on-field responsibilities.
But he kept his mouth shut.
Bad enough he wasn’t living up to the hype as the second pick overall.
Making excuses would have just compounded the problem.
He just went about his business the last seven months determined to change the narrative.
And he arrived at Rams training camp healthy, in shape and more settled in with the playbook and his responsibilities then he’s ever been since leaving Auburn.
His body now cooperating and his mind finally catching up to the incredible physical gifts, Robinson has been able to shift into full throttle in a way that’s allowed the game to slow down and his performance to elevate to it’s highest point yet.
He approached this training camp understanding he was at a crossroads.
Or, as he put it: “The biggest year of my career. It’s the one where I really have to focus and minimize my mistakes. It has to be the best year, and I don’t want to put pressure on myself because it’s really too early to put pressure on myself, but it’s a big year for me.”
Three weeks later, and two preseason games in which he’s graded out as well as anyone on the roster, Robinson is reaping the rewards of the urgency he approached camp with and the comfort level he now has in his surroundings.
“He came in urgent but he wasn’t frantic,” said Rams right tackle Roger Saffold, who will eventually slide back to guard to play alongside Robinson “He’s not trying to do too much, which is good. He’s being patient, which is good. He’s trying more and more to be a student of the game, which is great.”
All of which is showing up on the field, as Robinson and the Rams offensive line have enjoyed a bit of a resurgence so far protecting Case Keenum and blowing open holes for Todd Gurley, Bennie Cunningham and Malcolm Brown.
The big guy at left tackle has played a big role. In fact, after the Cowboys game Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Robinson graded out as well as he ever has since arriving in the NFL.
“He was decisive – everybody has a mental error in a game, he may have one. He played hard, he finished blocks, his hands were good, his feet were good, he was consistent, his weight was down. He played well,” said Fisher. “As a matter of fact, that was one of the things that came out of our personnel meeting last night – that this may have been the best preseason game that Greg has played to date, which would imply that Greg’s getting better and he’s had a great offseason.”
That’s a breath of fresh air for Robinson, who has dealt with an incredible amount of scrutiny and criticism the past two years. To finally see it all coming together is pleasing.
“From last year, it’s been a 360 turn,” Robinson said.
That comes with experience and maturation, of course. Draft status notwithstanding Robinson was thrust into the most important position along the offensive line probably sooner than he should have. And it’s difficult enough just settling in at left tackle as a young player, try doing it against the best pass rushers in the world on a week-to-week basis.
No surprise, then, his head was swimming and his play suffered.
But by throwing himself into the playbook this past offseason and continually working at his craft, he’s arrived almost a new man.
Call it a rebirth or a new beginning, but Robinson is finally laying the ground work for a career the Rams were counting on upon drafting him.
His teammates notice the change.
“Right now, his biggest thing is continuing to grip down the offense as much as he can to make the game unfold as slow as it can for him,” Saffold said. “It think it’s almost surprising him, how much it’s slowed down already.”
It helps that he’s healthy.
Robinson spent most of last year dealing with a nagging foot injury, and it clearly affected his preparation, his play and the amount of attention he paid to his actual job.
“Dealing with injuries is so tough, just to be in the game fully,” Robinson said. “You don’t know if you’re going to hurt it a little more, if you’re not 100 percent.
Still, Robinson believes more maturity would have benefited him in terms of mentally setting the pain aside to focus better on the job at hand.
“It really wasn’t as tough as I made it. I was dealing with a little pain and some guys can push through that but my injury was so critical and had so much to do with my position I just wasn’t able to physically do what the position demanded,” Robinson said. “I pushed through it but game in and game out I wasn’t always there mentally.
The foot issue seems to be a thing of that past.
And now confident in his game, the playbook and his body, Robinson has taken his game to another level. And if he can solidify left tackle, the narrative about a Rams offensive line that’s struggled for years might finally change.
