Robinson

Rams can’t wait any more for Greg Robinson to take next step

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/29711/rams-cant-wait-any-more-for-greg-robinson-to-take-next-step

OXNARD, Calif. — Los Angeles Rams left tackle Greg Robinson is well aware of the importance of his third NFL season.

As the former No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, Robinson has yet to live up to the lofty expectations that go with that status. After accumulating more holding penalties than any player in the league and struggling in pass protection for much of the 2015 season, Robinson has left outside observers unafraid to use the “B” — as in bust — word when describing him.

But as Robinson goes through the team’s organized team activities, he isn’t allowing the chatter about his early career struggles to bother him. That’s because he has too many other things to worry about, like opening holes for prized running back Todd Gurley and keeping No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff upright in the pocket.

“I really won’t allow myself to put any pressure on myself before I need to,” Robinson said. “So it is a big role, I think the most important thing is just between now and September when we have to play is just prepare myself as best as possible and eliminate all the things I struggle with and try my best to provide the best protection possible for him.”

A strong argument could be made that for the Rams to improve offensively in 2016, there’s no more important player than Robinson. Sure, Goff is taking over the most important position and Gurley is the focal point of the system, but Robinson is vital in giving both of them an opportunity to maximize their success.

It’s a notion that isn’t lost on Robinson and has been apparent to the coaching staff.

“The entire offensive line has doubled in size here in the weight room,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “They’re all bigger and stronger and quicker, so that’s a good thing. Greg is throwing around a lot more weight. He has a much better feel for what we’re doing. He’s sitting at the front of the classroom. He wants to prove something, and that’s a good thing for him.”

Another good thing for Robinson is that he’s back to full strength after toe surgery. Its lingering effects slowed him considerably last offseason and into the regular season. Having a full offseason to work out puts Robinson ahead of where he was a year ago at this time, though that offseason work has brought on some mixed results.

On one hand, Robinson was able to use a chunk of that time focusing on refining his technique and fundamentals. He spent six weeks training with former NFL offensive lineman LeCharles Bentley in Arizona.

“It’s not super-aggressive workouts, it’s just mainly technical work,” Robinson said. “He does a great job of it. Just in that small period of time where I was in Arizona, I felt like I made a lot of progress.”

Assuming that technical work aligns with what Rams offensive line coach Paul Boudreau has been working to teach Robinson, it should help him avoid some of the issues that threw him off balance and led to penalties in his first two seasons. Robinson drew 16 flags in 2015, with 13 of those infractions accepted for a whopping 114 yards. In two seasons in the league, Robinson has been flagged for 24 accepted penalties for 209 yards.

But Robinson and the Rams believe that he made substantial progress over the final quarter of the season. He was penalty-free in the final two games, and his pass protection improved as the Rams yielded just three sacks total in the final five games.

“I feel like throughout the year there was ups and downs but the last four games, I feel like I made really big strides and it [still] wasn’t my best and this year I really just want to focus on picking up where I left off,” Robinson said. “Mentally and physically, I was working a lot smoother and just creating a lot of room on the back end. Just focusing on my technique work and just going and listening to Coach Bou, it really helped me out.”

While Robinson spent most of his offseason focusing on fundamentals, he didn’t exactly come back in top shape. He played last season between 316 and 321 pounds and though he wouldn’t tip his hand on where he’s at now, he did acknowledge that he has some work to do to get back into the 315- to 318-pound range by the start of the regular season in September.

“I came in a little heavy,” Robinson said. “Right now, I’m just monitoring what exactly I put into my body. But as long as I feel good at my weight then I can prove to them that I’m capable of moving at whichever weight I’m in. I don’t think it’s a problem because I won’t allow myself to get sloppy.”