The "Robinson watch" thread… starting with Dallas

Column Rams are counting on young left tackle Greg Robinson to serve, and protect, Jared Goff

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-robinson-hernandez-20160816-snap-story.html

On his third play from scrimmage as a professional quarterback, Jared Goff dropped back and . . .

BOOM!

He was driven into the ground.

That welcome-to-the-NFL moment Saturday against the Dallas Cowboys produced not only an interception, but also a critical reminder for the Rams.

If they can’t protect Goff, it won’t matter how talented he is.

This brings us to left tackle Greg Robinson, who will attempt to spare the No. 1 overall draft pick the pinata-like beatings that have traumatized and ruined countless other promising quarterbacks in this league.

Goff’s development will be directly linked to Robinson’s.

The second overall selection in the 2014 draft, the 6-foot-5, 330-pound Robinson was underwhelming in his first two seasons. He was the NFL’s most-penalized offensive lineman last year.

“It’s a big year for me and I have to approach it that way,” he said.

Robinson, 23, will be anchoring a young offensive line that also includes second-year guards Cody Wichmann and Jamon Brown. Robinson acknowledged that he feels burdened by the prospect of protecting Goff’s blind side, but thinks he was prepared for this by his hardscrabble background, which included two years in Houston after Hurricane Katrina ravaged his home state of Louisiana.

“It only made me stronger,” Robinson said.

Robinson was 12 when Katrina brushed by Thibodaux, a small town that was once known as the site of the New Orleans Saints’ training camp. In the wake of the storm, Robinson moved to Houston with his mother and six siblings.

“There was nothing we could really do about it,” Robinson said. “A lot of things were going wrong. There were a lot of times we really didn’t have hope. We just had to come together.”

Robinson said he battled homesickness.

“I just couldn’t really keep up with that city, being from a small town,” he said.

He eventually moved back to Louisiana to live with his grandmother.

In high school, he developed into one of the top offensive line prospects in the country. He went to Auburn.

Robinson was about to be dealt another setback. His father, Greg Blackledge, died in 2012.

“He was a diabetic all his life,” Robinson said.

Blackledge was absent for most of Robinson’s childhood. That changed when Robinson was a teenager. He described his father as a major spiritual influence in his life.

“Growing up in a black community, there’s not really much there,” Robinson said. “A lot of people are thankful just to have a father in their lives, even though he came into my life later. I just appreciated him so much because I was a young kid and needed that guidance.”

Robinson now has a tattoo of Blackledge’s face on his right shoulder. He recalled how his father spoke to him about the importance of taking care of his mother and siblings.

“We really didn’t have much and I always wanted to give back and help that out,” he said.

Robinson was in a position to do that shortly after he was drafted by the Rams. While he flourished as a provider to his loved ones, on-field success was slow to come.

“The speed of the game, it’s a lot different,” Robinson said. “There’s so much more complexity to it.”

When he was at Auburn, the Tigers used relatively simple zone-blocking schemes.

Robinson’s relative inexperience lengthened the learning curve. He played only two seasons of college football, declaring for the draft after his redshirt sophomore year. One Rams official pointed out that Robinson would have been a senior last year had he remained in school.

Robinson spent the off-season training with former NFL lineman LeCharles Bentley and said he returned to camp this year no longer feeling like a kid.

“Room for mistakes is out the window,” he said. “It’s time to really put the pads down and grind for real.”

Coach Jeff Fisher praised Robinson for his performance in the exhibition opener last week.

“He played hard, he finished blocks,” Fisher said. “His hands were good, his feet were consistent, his weight was down. This may have been the best preseason game that Greg’s played to date, which would imply that Greg’s getting better and had a great off-season.”

The Rams are hoping he did. Robinson’s future might not be the only one at stake.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com

off the net from max

Me, note: max noticed some Jason Smith comparisons in GR discussions and so pulled up some old Boylhart to smash that stuff down

***

Drew Boylhart

Jason Smith OT Baylor

STRENGTHS
Jason has good size and quickness as well as those long arms that you like to have in your offensive linemen. He does a good job when he latches onto his man in finishing his blocks. He looks to be mentally tough and has very good mental and physical stamina. Jason is a player who plays with excellent passion and drive. All in all, Jason has some very good developmental talents to be a solid offensive lineman for the next level.

NEEDS TO IMPROVE
Jason is the worst run blocking offensive lineman that I have ever seen being considered as a top ten pick. Does anyone but me watch film at all? As far as pass coverage is concerned, on every third and long, he was covered up with a TE off the line. Jason has a chance to be a good zone blocking offensive lineman because he moves his feet well, but that’s as far as I will go. He has talent; however, his LTI is at least three to four years away from competing at the next level. I like the kid, but not as a first rounder.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 3
This is ridiculous! Just because a kid plays LT in college and has some athletic talent does not mean he should automatically be considered a top ten talent in the draft! Jason has good developmental talent to be a LG for the next level but he has a very long way to go. He does some of the strangest things on a football field that I have ever seen. Against Wake Forest, he was on the ground more than the man who fixes the invisible fence for your yard. I watched Jason pull one time and he did a good job until he went to block his man. He never put his arms out in front, dove over the man he was supposed to block and landed right on his head. On another play, he tried to block the man in front of him straight on, so he dropped his head, lunged and landed on his face mask! His techniques in both the running game and passing game are very raw. He does have talent and passion and I can see, with some patience and in the right scheme, that he could be a hell of a left guard, but believe me that is down the road. Good kid or not, if you rate a player as a top ten pick in a draft then he has to be ready to start for your team. Jason is not close to that and people that tell him otherwise are just setting this kid up to fail.

***

Greg Robinson OT Auburn

STRENGTHS
Greg is a remarkable athlete. He has the size, strength, foot quickness and lateral agility to be a Pro Bowl offensive lineman in the NFL. He is a dominating and intimidating run blocker, due large in part to his mental strength and lateral agility. He plays until he hears the whistle and shows leadership skills through his play on the field. Greg has those long arms that keep players away from his body and, when he engages his opponent while run blocking or pass blocking, he continues to move his feet until the play is over. Greg is built like a sequoia tree with a strong tapered body and roots solid on the ground. He is a hard kid to move; defensive ends and tackles tired quickly against him in just about every game I saw on film. In the 4th quarter, Greg just keeps on banging away on every down and when he does make a mistake, he doesn’t make it again. He is smart and will quickly pick up the techniques that will make him a Pro Bowl offensive lineman and a future franchise Left Tackle. I call him Greg (Sequoia) Robinson.

CONCERNS
Anyone that watches this team knows that pass blocking is not as much of a priority as run blocking. However, that being said, Greg is behind in learning the pass blocking techniques that he will need at the next level. Nevertheless Greg is a fast learner and because of his natural athletic ability he will learn fast. Right now he is what I call an attack pass blocker. He likes to get his hands on his opponent right away and then stone him at the line of scrimmage. That might change at the next level, but I think it’s in Greg’s DNA to attack and most likely he will continue to block aggressively when pass blocking or run blocking. So I suggest you let him and be creative in how to use his talents.

BOTTOM LINE
If you’re a team that doesn’t need a quarterback in the top ten of the draft, I suggest you think hard before you pass on drafting Greg. It will be a big mistake. His mental strength and athletic talent is far beyond most of the offensive linemen that usually come out in a draft. He has Pro Bowl talent and left tackle franchise talent that does need to be groomed, but that’s why you have position coaches. I would draft him and put him at left tackle right away and live with his mistakes as he learns because Greg will not get better sitting on the sidelines or playing another position on the offensive line that does not impact the team as much as the left tackle position. The draft is about potential as much as it’s about getting players who can help you right away. Greg may need some time to learn more effective pass blocking techniques, but given that time, I know he will not disappoint you. Just teach him the techniques and let him mature into that franchise Left Tackle.
Drew Boylhart
JAN/2014

off the net from Speed_Kills

GR played the entire 1st half ….handled 51 of the Chiefs and started to frustrate him as the half went on. Had a huge block on one of Cunnighams longer runs

Grob has looked so lost in the past his play the last two weeks has been very encouraging

Rams offensive lineman Greg Robinson is finally living up to his hype

Vincent Bonsignore

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/robinson-726812-game-rams.html

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.

GRob watch vs the Broncos

http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2016/8/29/12691006/grob-watch-vs-the-broncos

So, GRob has started the preseason pretty strong. He has shown improved footwork, hands and body position against the Cowboys and Chiefs but the Broncos represented a step up in quality.

Looking at the play by play, it is clear that the Bronco’s were a big step up as this game did not go all GRob’s way.

NB: the Broncos lined up entirely in their 3-4 base.

1st Drive.

1st & 10. Pass

Matches up one-on-one with the OLB (Shane Ray). GRob lines up in a two point stance. GRob is up off the snap and although his feet are not that fluid he gets squared up with Ray. Body position and hand position is good. The ball is out fast and Ray goes nowhere.

2nd & 9. Run

Doubles the DE inside with Wichmann. Get a good shove on but play is dead behind them as Barnes failed to move the NT and allowed the NT to make the stop.

3rd & 4. Pass

Ray bull rushes. GRob gives up a few steps as Ray has gotten under him. GRob manages to reset and get control with about 4 yards to spare.

NB: Keenum is sacked. Saffold is beaten by a hand swipe from Miller and Wichmann is beaten by a spin move from the DE. The Bronco’s pass rush is for real.

2nd drive.

1st & 10. Run

Doubles the DE with Wichmann. Initially they shove the DE inside but Wichmann allows the DE to slide of his right hand side. GRob has continued to try and drive and ends up the wrong side as the DE slips Wichmann, which allows the ILB to come behind GRob and make the stop with the DE.

2nd & 10. Pass

GRob is out quick and slides to block Ray. Hands are not into position quickly and this allows Ray to get both hands in to GRob’s chest and Ray makes a few yards. GRob is still in it though and takes a small jump and pulls Ray off balance slightly and slows him further by trying to push him down. The pass was out safely but Ray ended up a little close to Keenum for comfort.

1st & 10. Run

Doubles the DE with Wichmann. GRob is fast off the snap and drives the DE on to his left leg & momentarily looks like the DE will go down but the DE gets his base back and keeps his feet under him. He is no impact on the play though.

2nd & 5. screen

Broncos show blitz with the ILB and send five. Initially looks like GRob has two men to block and allows the DE to go past unopposed. GRob does match up with Ray though and does a good job in blocking.

1st & 10. Run

Rams use zone blocking scheme. GRob is out aggressively from the snap and chases the OLB (Shaquil Barrett) 15 yards left away from the play.

2nd & 9. Pass

Broncos show blitz with ILB. Send four. GRob is matched up with the OLB (Barrett) but Barrett drops in to coverage. GRob turns inside and delivers a big right shoulder into the DE that knocks the DE flat on to his back.

NB: Something went badly wrong with the protection call and/or communication on the right side. Kendricks and Harkey lined up outside Saffold with Cunningham on that side too. Saffold came inside; Kendricks went downfield; Harkey and Cunninham step up to support the interior. The end result was an unopposed run to the QB for Von Miller. I’d guess at Harkey being at fault.

3rd & 9. Pass

Lines up with the OLB, who was out quick but GRob was too and meets him. GRob gets two open hands on the OLBs shoulders and is in control. Cunningham then comes past and a gives a big chip block that knocks the OLB around 360 degrees. GRob has it covered though and pushes the turning OLB into the dirt as he spins. Nice job.

3rd drive.

1st & 10. Run

GRob initially takes a big (and rather clumsy looking) right step to cover the inside rush and gets set with a wide and strong base. Ray doesn’t want to know. GRob looks to come inside but Cunningham is already past.

2nd & 3. Pass

One on one with the DE. The DE takes a chip from Kendricks which slows his rush. GRob takes five steps mirroring the DE before contact. GRob is in perfect position and gives a two handed shove as the pass comes out. Simple and easy here.

1st & 10. Run

Rams go to zone blocking again. GRob is up and moving left, and with just his right hand he forces the DE to go that way too. Moved the DE about 6 yards with just one arm there.

NB: This zone blocking is not really working against the Bronco’s 3-4. The line is getting lateral movement but the ILBs are not engaged and are just coming up and thumping the RB in which ever gap appears. Fortunately the RB shows good strength to make some yards.

2nd & 6. Run

Lines up with Ray. Ray feints a bull rush and then goes inside. GRob appears well set for the bull rush but struggles to react to the inside move. GRob keeps at it and pushes Ray’s outside shoulder which slows Ray, but GRob ends up the wrong side. The pass was out quick which stopped Ray having an effect on the play, but that was definitely a win for Ray.

1st & 10. Pass (zone read)

GRob is off the snap noticeably quickly and drives inside at the DE. GRob’s hands appear a little high on the DE but he manhandles the DE for about four yards.

1st & 10. Run

Doubles the DE inside with Wichmann. Between them they blast the DE off the line and rough him up. They let the guy go after moving him 8 yards downfield.

NB: Saffold got beaten with hands by the DE who dropped the RB. That was bad.

2nd & 9. Pass

One on one with the OLB (Ray) who comes from a wide starting spot. Ray goes for pure speed aroudn the outside and GRob never gets close enough to properly block. GRob ends up chasing Ray with two hands on his inside shoulder. The pass comes out quickly and GRob just (JUST!) did enough to send Ray high.

NB; From the side line camera, it looks like GRob had a little move control in sending Ray high, and that Keenum was safer than first appears. Was still uncomfortably close though.

3rd & 7. Pass

Ray comes from that wide starting position again and builds up a head of steam again. GRob has gotten out better this time and gets hands on Ray, but allows Ray to get two straight arms into his chest. GRob removes Ray’s left arm and then forces Ray high. Ray keeps his legs driving and he is getting around the outside but GRob is slowing him. The ball comes out just as Ray manages to scrape Kennum’s butt with a stretching right arm.

4th Drive.

1st & 10. Run

Zone blocking again. GRob comes inside and moves the DE a yard or so. Has high hands on the DEs shoulders, and a left slips off the DEs shoulder into his jaw and rocks the DEs head back. Wichmann’s butt seals off the DE for the rest of the play.

2nd & 8. Pass (scramble)

Ray rushes but GRob meets him with good hands and a low base. Looks like GRob has him stopped dead but Cunningham comes past and chip blocks Ray, knocking him free insider. GRob has it covered though and as Ray is off balance is throws Ray flat on to his back. Hard. Replay shows that GRob may have used a judo foot sweep/trip; not clear if it was deliberate though.

1st & 10. Run

Initially goes at the DE with Wichmann, but after initial shove GRob slides off looking for the ILB. Brown is dropped before GRob can engage.

2nd & 6. Pass

Lines up with Ray and looks to be in a good position, with feet and hands well placed. Ray then pulls a right arm swim move and is past GRob in the blink of an eye. Wichmann was doubling the DE with Barnes and was alert enough to put out a left arm and get a handful of Ray’s midriff, allowing Keenum an extra moment to get the pass out.

3rd & 6. Pass

Ray is lined up really wide again. Ray is up quick but Kendricks chips him as Kendricks is on his way to the flats, slowing Ray before he can fully get going. As Ray recovers GRob is on him and delivers a decent two handed hit. Decent footwork from GRob and the pass is out.

Although the first team offense remained on the field, GRob went in to the concussion protocol so did not come back out with Goff on the next drive.

However good Ray was though GRob did not give up any sacks or penalty yards; managing to not give up any penalties on plays where he had to recover against Ray was quite an achievement. He is also still and earth mover in the run game.

What is clear is that GRob does not look as good up against speed rushers. Although he looks better (and he does) he is not the finished article yet, and looks like he will need to be helped out by calling for plays that have quick passes. He also still looks susceptible to that inside rush. That has to improve. He also need to prevent rushers getting their hands in to him by getting to the punch first.

The protections could have helped him a little more. When a rusher as quick as Shane Ray is lined up some 6 to 8 yards outside and is clearly rushing, anyone is going to need help. Why it took until the 3rd time Ray was lined up a long way outside of GRob for them to realize he needed to be chipped before getting up to full speed is a bit of a mystery to me. A standing start against an on-coming 250lb speed rusher is going to be hard for any left tackle to deal with (yet Grob still managed it, I guess).

Overall, I had hoped for better. Nevertheless, I am going to call this a positive outing. Yeah, he didn’t have it all his own way but that was never going to happen as Denver’s D is too good to allow that (and Shane Ray looked good).