The Detroit Lions are in need of help at the left tackle position following an injury to starter Taylor Decker. The Los Angeles Rams new coaching staff has clearly been unimpressed with Greg Robinson so far in minicamp during his attempted switch to the right tackle position. Now, the two sides have come together to make a trade, sending Robinson to Detroit in return for a 2018 sixth round pick.
The Lions messy left tackle situation
Last week starting Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker suffered a shoulder injury during a minicamp practice. On Monday, Decker has surgery on his shoulder and it was announced that he would be out indefinitely.
Then the extent of the 2016 first round pick's injury was revealed to be a torn labrum, which will keep him out anywhere from four to six months. This left the Lions with Cornelius Lucas, Corey Robinson and Joe Dahl competing for the now vacant left tackle spot.
The team first signed veteran tackle Tony Hils, who is entering his tenth season in the NFL. The Lions are Hils eleventh team in that time. He has played in 13 games in his career, only starting one. Then they signed Cyrus Kouandjio and traded for Greg Robinson. Kouandjio was a second round pick in 2014 by the Buffalo Bills, having played in 25 games and starting 13 of them. Robinson has been a disappointment with the Rams, having struggled mightily to become an even decent left tackle.
He was benched twice last season and has committed a league-leading 31 penalties over the last two seasons.
What this trade means for the Rams
By trading Greg Robinson the Los Angeles Rams now open up a little more than $3.3 million in cap space that could be used to help extended key defensive players like Aaron Donald or Alec Ogletree.
As of now Jamon Brown, who has spent his first two years in the NFL at guard, is the team's starting right tackle. He passed Robinson at the top of the depth chart during the offseason, as the Rams new coaches were not impressed and frustrated with him from a mental standpoint.
For Rams fans, this is yet another example of the team's generally awful drafting over the last decade-and-a-half and continues to leave the team searching for stability on their offensive line.
The addition of veteran Andrew Whitworth will help, but at 35 he is not a long term answer. This leaves that Rams with only two players they drafted from the blockbuster Robert Griffin III trade in 2012, Ogletree and starting defensive tackle Michael Brockers.