Left tackle Greg Robinson is expected to start his fourth straight game for the Browns on Sunday. (Associated Press)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Greg Robinson might be the happiest guy in the Browns locker room. He is heading for his fourth straight start on Sunday. Coaches are saying nice things about him. He is making offseason plans with Baker Mayfield.

"Even Baker invited me to come work out with him," Robinson said with a chuckle. "We'll see."

All this is a big deal, because it wasn't so long ago that Robinson's NFL career seemed to be circling the drain.

You remember Barkevious Mingo and Justin Gilbert and Johnny Manziel and Danny Shelton and Cameron Erving and Corey Coleman? All those first-round draft picks stamped with a bust label and sent on their way out of town?

That was Robinson in Los Angeles two years ago.

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Greg Robinson works on technique during an offensive line drill at practice in Berea. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

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The Rams made the big Auburn lineman the No. 2 overall pick in 2014. They liked Robinson as their left tackle so much that they waited and used their other first-round pick (No. 13) on Aaron Donald.

But Robinson struggled to get on track, shuffling between guard and tackle and time on the bench. In 2016, he started 14 games and gave up seven sacks. Out of patience and tired of seeing quarterback Jared Goff on the ground, the Rams traded Robinson to the Lions last year for a sixth-round pick.

In Detroit, ankle and shoulder injuries landed him on IR, and he was waived before the season ended.

"Things didn't go the way I planned the last two places I was at," Robinson said.

Until four weeks ago you had to question if things were going as planned with the Browns. Robinson lost the preseason competition to undrafted rookie Desmond Harrison, then, aside from a few special teams snaps each week, he barely got off the bench. He had exactly two offensive snaps through the first eight weeks.

Robinson, who claims he doesn't get discouraged because "I live my life every day to the fullest," did during the first eight weeks what he does now. Work hard. Stay focused. Grind.

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Greg Robinson looks to block against the Chiefs earlier this season. (Associated Press)

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Then Harrison came down with an undisclosed illness prior to the Chiefs game. Robinson has had the starting job ever since.

Is Robinson the left tackle of the future? Good question. The Browns seem happy for now. Mayfield has singled out his play. Gregg Williams has praised him.

"Greg has performed very well," offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens said Wednesday. "He has stayed hooked up as far as his knowledge and stuff and learning and continuing to work. We feel comfortable with Greg right now at left tackle. He is playing at a pretty high level. He probably had his best game to date (against the Bengals). He certainly is going to need it this week."

Pro Football Focus isn't sold. Robinson is ranked 59th among tackles by their metrics (41st in pass blocking and 68th in run blocking). That's not much better than his last season with the Rams (62nd pass, 78th run).

But Mayfield hasn't been sacked -- and has taken one hit -- in the last two weeks. Robinson is a big part of the group keeping him clean.

Is Robinson playing his best football as a pro? He'll let others decide that.

"I feel like I have always been up and down, but I am really comfortable now and I have had time to deal with the things I have had to deal with my body," Robinson said. "I feel like it only it only makes it better playing with a good offensive line and guys around you that you can trust, and you have confidence in that and it takes you a long way.

"I have always had confidence in my ability. I feel like at times I was given the short end of the (stick), but all I can do is show up each day continue to get better and work my butt off."

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Browns wide receiver Breshad Perriman catches a pass during practice in Berea. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

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Breshad Perriman can relate. He, too, is dipping into his bag of chances.

He was the 26th overall pick in 2015, taken by the Ravens but has dealt with multiple injuries. When he did get on the field, he had trouble catching the ball, and was PFF's worst-graded receiver in 2017. The Ravens released him in September. He spent five days with the Redskins before being waived, then claimed by the Browns a day before they played the Chargers.

Perriman said he doesn't know why the Ravens gave up on him. "I guess it was just time to go," he said. "I have no idea."

He has six catches in five games here, along with a memorable 7-yard run against the Chiefs. But he's clearly the fourth receiver behind Jarvis Landry, Antonio Callaway and Rashard Higgins.

Still, Perriman is on a team fueled by first-round draft picks (see: Mayfield, Baker; Garrett, Myles; Ward, Denzel). He wants to prove he can be fuel, too.

"I always feel like I have something to prove, no matter how good I am doing or how bad things have been for me," Perriman said. "To answer your question, yes. I have an extra chip on my shoulder and really am just ready to go to work."

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Breshad Perriman catches a pass during practice in Berea. (Joshua Gunter cleveland.com)

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The Browns have tried to recycle another team's first-round miss before, as when they signed guard Jonathan Cooper to address injuries in 2016. The Cardinals picked Cooper seventh overall in the 2013, but injuries plagued his three years in Arizona. He lasted five games with the Browns.

Robinson has already been here longer than that. He isn't sure what the future holds (he's on a one-year deal), but it's clear he'd prefer to not seek a fourth chance.

He knows how hard it was to get the third.

"(Starting is) what I've been working for. I didn't really like sitting on the bench, but that's the situation I was dealing with," Robinson said. "I just take advantage of each opportunity, because any day this could be over."

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