BEREA — Cam Robinson finds himself in a relatively new locker room for the second time in 2025.
The first time was when he signed with the Houston Texans as a free agent in the offseason. Now, it’s after the Texans traded him to the Browns after just four games.
The first time was hardly a surprise, considering he signed the deal. The trade to a new team so soon after signing?
“It wasn’t surprising at all,” Robinson said Oct. 8
Robinson’s Houston tenure was surprisingly short for a player who arrived with the amount of experience the ninth-year pro and former second-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars had accumulated. He started one game, played two games on special teams and was inactive for his final one with the Texans.
The Browns traded for Robinson Sept. 29, sending a 2027 sixth-round pick and getting the tackle and a 2027 seventh-round pick in return. The move was made to try to provide another veteran tackle after Dawand Jones went on the injured reserve after a Week 3 knee injury and while right tackle Jack Conklin was dealing with an elbow injury.
“I’m just appreciative,” Robinson said. “Appreciative of them giving me an opportunity to come in and play.”
Robinson had essentially been a starting-level play through the 2024 season. He started all 91 games over 7½ years with the Jaguars, as well as all 10 to end the 2024 season after being traded to the Minnesota Vikings.
The trade happened with enough time for Robinson to make it to Cleveland in time for the Browns’ Week 5 trip to London for what resulted in a loss to the Vikings. That extra travel overseas was hardly the adversity for Robinson as it may have been for others.
“I don’t think it was as bad as people think it was,” Robinson said. “I’ve been to London a lot, but I was in Jacksonville, so I’ve been to London countless times. Yeah, so it wasn’t as bad as everyone thought it was. I mean, obviously it was a lot, but I can manage it.”
Robinson, though, played just seven plays on offense, all in the third series. KT Leveston played the rest of the plays at the position.
Asked if the plan all along was to play just the third series, Robinson said, “Yeah, I prefer to just keep it to myself.” After the game, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said, “We’ll get him up to speed.”
There remains no clarity yet on how the Browns will handle their left tackle position when they travel to face the Pittsburgh Steelers Oct. 12. Leveston has started the last two games, allowing a combined seven total pressures, including a sack, two hits and four hurries.
Robinson, according to Pro Football Focus, didn’t allow a pressure in five pass-blocking snaps against the Vikings. He was called for a false start and had an illegal formation penalty declined by Minnesota.
Stefanski’s only comment about the left tackle position going into the Pittsburgh came the day after the Vikings game, when he said, “Yeah, we’ll work through all those types of things the next couple days.”
Multiple Browns offensive linemen, as well as Stefanski, said they were unconcerned about Robinson’s adjustment into the Browns’ system in the time leading into his Cleveland debut. They cited his years in the league and exposure to multiple schemes, whether it was from different coaching staffs in Jacksonville to stops with the Vikings or Texans.
Robinson made a mid-season adjustment when he was traded after seven games in 2024 to Minnesota. He started immediately after the trade.
“Yeah, I mean, football is football,” Robinson said. “That’s what I always tell people. Football is football. It’s just the language. You just got to learn the language. Different places use different language, and that’s pretty much how it is. But, I mean, it’s football. It’s only so much you can do, honestly.”
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ