CLEVELAND -- When Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Austin Corbett transitioned from reserve tackle to starting left guard, he did so knowing that the players on the other side of the line of scrimmage were much bigger and more physical that what he had seen in college.
As such, Corbett played a more aggressive style at the onset of the transition, but he has begun to learn the nuances of being an interior lineman, including the importance of patience.
“First handful of reps at guard, it was just kind of like, ‘Everything was so much faster,’ and now, it’s gotten to the point where it’s not as fast as I once thought it was,” Corbett said.
“I still have time. I still have the patience. I think kind of coming from tackle has helped me understand that patience, so it’s just a matter of, ‘You’ve got to set back, be able to get your read on it, your hands have to be a lot quicker and you can’t give up any ground at the same time.’”
In the Browns’ first preseason game, which came against a stout defensive front in the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on August 9, Corbett was not only battling an opponent, but also, his own instincts to initiate contact at the snap of the ball.
However, against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 of the preseason, Corbett focused his efforts on being patient, while at the same time, opening up gaps for the running backs to gain 164 yards on 32 carries after totaling just 50 yards on 33 attempts at the Giants.
“I was just out there trying to play and make sure that I was doing everything I can to not get beat, ‘You know, Okay, this guy is 350, I’ve got to get after him’ and you really don’t,” Corbett said.
“You still gotta have that patience, and if you get too aggressive, everyone is just too good. They are going to swim over, swipe you, whatever it is and you’re going to get beat, and so, I just kind of settled down in that second game. You gotta be aggressive, but you can’t be over aggressive.
“It’s a lot more physical on the inside, for sure. I remember against the Giants, that was my first time going up against 350-plus. That’s just a lot of man, so it’s different in that sense and I like that. I like getting on guys and Joel’s kind of said the opposite, he’s like, ‘These guys are smaller out here,’ so it’s kind of been interesting to see how we are both thinking of it.”
Although Corbett is just three weeks into the transition to left guard, he is confident that should the opportunity present itself, he will be ready to take the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday, September 9.
“It’s just been a daily progress where I have to try to pick one or two things a day to work on and just carry it over every day,” Corbett said. “Playing these two games, and now, coming up with this third preseason game, we’re going to have the opportunity to get a lot of reps with the first group, and that will be good just to play with them in that real live situation and do so in an extended way.”
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