CLEVELAND, Ohio — Help is on the way for the Browns at their beleaguered offensive tackle spot.
On Monday, they acquired Texans left tackle Cam Robinson, 29, in a trade with Texans for a swap of late-round picks in 2027. The Browns shipped a sixth-rounder to Houston and got back a seventh.
A second-round pick of the Jaguars in 2017 out of Alabama, Robinson has played most of his career at left tackle. After 7 1/2 years in Jacksonville, he was traded to the Vikings midway through last season, and started 11 games for them in place of the injured Christian Darrisaw. He then signed a one-year free agent deal with the Texans this offseason worth $12 million.
With Robinson getting most of that money in the form of an $8.75 million signing bonus, the Browns are only responsible for the remainder of his $1.55 million base salary, which works out to about $1.1 million for the final 13 games. They’ll also pick up his per game bonuses of $73,500 – a huge bargain if he nails down a starting job.
Robinson (6-6, 335) will likely replace Dawand Jones (season-ending knee surgery) at left tackle, perhaps as soon as Sunday’s game in London vs. the Vikings. Right tackle Jack Conklin has also missed the past three games with an elbow injury.
Robinson, who was inactive for the Texans’ 26-0 victory over the Titans on Sunday while the two teams worked on the trade, appeared in the Texans’ first three games with one start at left tackle against the Rams. He earned a respectable 66.3 grade for his performance in that game.
Overall, he’s started 102 of his 104 career games, mostly at left tackle. Known more for his pass-blocking, Robinson will help shore up the Browns’ protection problems. On Sunday, 12th-year pro Cornelius Lucas, starting at right tackle in place of Conklin, struggled against premier edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who sacked Joe Flacco twice and stripped him once. The fumble led to the Lions final touchdown in their 34-10 victory over the Browns.
Second-year pro KT Leveston started at left tackle in place of Jones, who was slated to nail down the position this year with 2020 No. 10 overall pick Jedrick Wills being permitted to walk in free agency. Wills is still dealing with a lingering knee injury that has kept him out of football this season. Leveston is a road-grader in run-blocking, but needs some work in pass-blocking.
In Jacksonville, Robinson quickly established himself as the Jaguars’ starter at left tackle, bringing size, length, and toughness to the front line. While injuries have occasionally hampered his consistency, he developed into one of the team’s most reliable blockers, protecting franchise quarterbacks and anchoring the run game. The Jaguars showed their faith in Robinson by placing the franchise tag on him in 2021 and later signing him to a multi-year contract extension, apparently signaling his importance to the team’s long-term plans.
But now he joins his third team in a year, in hopes of holding it down at left tackle.
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