Cleveland Browns continue to shuffle their first-team left tackle

During the Cleveland Browns’ Monday practice, the coaches decided to move around the starting offensive linemen, including at left tackle.

Just when it seemed like the Cleveland Browns figured out their replacement for Joe Thomas at left tackle, the team decided to make another change at the position.

When the Browns moved Joel Bitonio from left guard to left tackle, the expectation was that it would be the final change the team made at left tackle.

Bitonio had not practiced at the position until he was officially moved there on August 1st. The thought was he was going to need as many reps as possible to get used to playing the position since the last time he played the spot was almost five years ago.

But as the Browns prepare to take on the Buffalo Bills on Friday in their second preseason game of the year, the team moved Bitonio back to left guard and moved Greg Robinson up to be the first-team left tackle.

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Bitonio would later move back to left tackle during another drill, but it seems like the Browns are experimenting with the idea to move Robinson into the starting lineup.

The move may have been fueled by Robinson having a strong game against the Giants last Thursday night. Robinson was the second-team left tackle, and was the bright spot for an offensive line that struggled mightily in their first preseason game.

Robinson had a solid start to camp and it seemed like he was on his way up to replacing Shon Coleman as the starting left tackle. But after he suffered a concussion in the first few days of camp, he missed a lot of practice time.

But since his return, it seems that he has continued to play well enough to make the coaches confident that he can play well with the first-team.

There is also the possibility that the Browns coaching staff was disappointed with Austin Corbett’s work at left guard against the Giants. Corbett played a large portion of the game, playing with the first-team and second-team offenses. Unlike Robinson, he did not have a strong day.

It seems that the Browns playing Robinson with the first-team on Monday was just an experiment. But if Robinson continues to play well, it may be their plan for the season. Especially considering Bitonio was not keen on moving to tackle in first place. It is definitely a situation to watch heading into Friday’s game.