The Cleveland Browns have a newfound job opening at right guard. Kevin Zeitler will soon be a New York Giant, traded for Olivier Vernon once the NFL flips the calendar next week. Zeitler was an above-average starter and leaves a sizeable hole in front of Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb.
Could 2018 second-round pick Austin Corbett be the man to fill it?
Corbett was a man without a position as a rookie. A collegiate left tackle at Nevada, the Browns quickly bailed on experimenting with Corbett taking over for Joe Thomas at that spot. Any potential move inside was blocked by one of the NFL’s best interior lines in Zeitler, center J.C. Tretter and left guard Joel Bitonio.
Now Corbett has a clear path to the starting lineup. Changing from the left to the right and from tackle to guard is not a simple task, but this could be exactly what Browns GM John Dorsey envisioned in agreeing to deal Zeitler away for pass rush help.
There is real risk in simply handing over the job to Corbett. It makes sense for Dorsey and the Browns to bring in legitimate competition for Corbett. However, if the second-year man fails to win the job, it’s probably time for Dorsey (and myself, a big advocate of drafting Corbett) to admit he swung and missed with Corbett.
