Cleveland Browns right guard versus Washington
One of the things to keep an eye on when the Cleveland Browns take on the Washington Redskins in the first preseason game on Thursday is how they distribute the reps at right guard. My hope is that the starters don't play at all in this one, but if they do, Kush, who has been taking reps with them the past several days may not play long, leaving the bulk of the reps to Austin Corbett with that second group.
Kush seems to be the baseline for the Browns and they want Corbett to show he can consistently be better before putting him in there, but they do have a vested interest in his success given the draft capital they put into him in the same way they hope Greedy Williams can eventually take the corner job from Terrance Mitchell.
The question with Corbett is how much of his inability to take a firm grasp of the starting job is due to discomfort switching from the left side versus how much is due to not being where they him to be in terms of physicality or technique.
Ultimately, pass protection is likely the area that decides who will win the job this year as they are likely to err on the side of protecting their franchise quarterback, even if means taking a small hit in run blocking.
If Corbett finds himself as a backup this year, it would be disappointing. The Browns used the 33rd pick of the 2018 NFL Draft on him and there would a number of other offensive line options they could have taken with that pick as well as other positions.
The Browns really need Kush or Corbett come through for them and be able to stabilize the right guard spot replacing Kevin Zeitler. If they can't, a massive step back could have negative consequences on Mayfield and the offense as a whole in 2019.
