St. Louis Rams: Greg Robinson Better Than a Hall of Famer?

The St. Louis Rams’ offensive line situation is to say the least, not where many would like it to be. As it stands right now the Rams would be starting not one, not two, but three new faces on the offensive line. That doesn’t even consider the inexperience of Greg Robinson and the injury history of Rodger Saffold.

Therefore when any news comes out that one Rams offensive lineman is being compared to a hall of famer, it brings excitement and hope to what seems like a hopeless situation.

St. Louis Rams offensive line coach Paul Boudreau thinks that second year tackle, Greg Robinson, has more talent than Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Roaf. Here’s what Boudreau had to say:

"“Now I coached Willie Roaf when Willie was a rookie. Willie’s in the Hall of Fame. And I can tell you from a coach who coached Willie and now coaches Greg Robinson: Greg Robinson as a rookie has more talent and is a better player than Willie. Willie had a great coach at Louisiana Tech, and Willie was ahead of the curve because of the techniques he was taught, just like how we talk about preferring the Wisconsin, Iowa, Stanford and Notre Dame guys. They have one up on the guys from the spread. I’m not going to tell a spread coach he can’t do it anymore. What I’m saying to the NFL is: ‘Give me a chance to change this spread guy to an NFL guy. Don’t restrict me.’ Back in the day, we could take the wing-T guys and convert them because we had the time. Just give me a chance to coach my guys and don’t tell me I can only have them for four hours.”"

Boudreau has been in the NFL for many years. From 1987 to 1993, Boudreau was with the New Orleans Saints, the team that drafted Roaf. Boudreau’s final season with the Saints was Roaf’s first in the NFL after New Orleans selected the tackle out of Louisiana Tech with the eighth pick in the 1993 NFL Draft.

Roaf went on to earn 11 Pro Bowl selections and was part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2012.

This is good news considering Robinson’s disastrous rookie season. Robinson had grades of -5 or worse on three different occasions in 2014 and once accumulated a -8.5 grade, the sixth worst performance of any tackle last season. He also had 10 penalties of the Rams’ season total of 25.

This would be the second hall of famer that Robinson has been compared to as Mike Mayock compared Robinson to Orlando Pace after the Rams drafted him second overall last season. He has been said to be able to pave the way in the run game and be a franchise left tackle.

The problem is, he has yet to show it. Auburn’s offense scheme didn’t prepare Robinson for what’s required of him in the NFL, therefore the prospect was very raw coming out.

Robinson is a prospect with a lot of potential, but that’s all it is. If it’s a time for Robinson to step up and be the player that the Rams thought they got when the drafted, 2015 would be the year to do it.

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