the draft & free agency: OL

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  • March 5, 2021 at 11:34 am #128202
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    March 13, 2021 at 2:35 pm #128342
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    merlin

    Looking at the Center FA market it’s an interesting group…

    You have Linsley at the top. He’s the belle of the ball. In his own category as a plug-in starter who will upgrade most OL.

    Then you have a has-been in Mack. His physicality has decayed from his glory days. Not the same guy but yes he would upgrade us. Thing is how long is he going to be able to sustain where he’s at now. Lot of risk in signing him even though IMO he is the best option for the Rams. Also and btw he talked up Shanny and SF needs a center so I expect him to go to SF.

    Then you get into the OK centers. These guys are potentially middle of the pack types (which as we know with OL is a group dynamic so it can be hard to project). Reiter and Andrews fall into this group. You want to be careful how much you pay these guys. Good chance the Rams pull from this group simply because they might struggle to compete with Linsley and Mack wants to sniff Shanny’s underwear (yes I’m not a fan of people talking up the 9ers lol). Both these guys are vets who are sub-30 as well, right there in that late 20s range. And of the two the WCO connect makes Reiter more likely than Andrews.

    After those guys are the “average upside” guys who are a bit younger. These are JAGs pretty much who might develop into solid starters at some point. Karras, Martin, Pocic. Probably Skura too in this group. These guys will look a lot like Blythe when you insert them into the lineup, barring them having very good OGs on either side to protect them. Potential liabilities is the way I see them. If you are thinking about one of these guys you do get potential for them to arrive while under contract but you might just say why not keep Blythe around to cover for whatever rook we draft.

    And strategically IMO at least there are differences in these guys wrt the draft. If they sign Linsley for example there will be no pick. If they sign Reiter or Andrews there will probably be no pick. But after those guys if you sign any of the rest of them you should be drafting your future signal caller even if it’s a long term project like Dalman.

    March 27, 2021 at 2:34 am #128678
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    Rams All Under-25 team: David Edwards

    https://www.si.com/nfl/rams/news/la-rams-25-and-under-david-edwards

    In this series we take a look at 14 players for the Los Angeles Rams 25 years old or younger and who could be considered foundational or impact players.

    Player: OL David Edwards

    Age: 24

    The skinny: Selected in the fifth round of the 2019 draft by the Rams out of Wisconsin, Edwards replaced Joe Noteboom in the starting lineup at left guard in Week 2 against Philadelphia after a calf injury to the TCU product and never gave up the starting job. Edwards drew rave reviews from head coach Sean McVay and then offensive line coach Aaron Kromer for his sturdy play up front. Edwards started 14 games, playing a total of 977 offensive snaps during the regular season and another 25 in postseason play.

    Reason for optimism: At 6-6 and 310 pounds, Edwards can play both guard and tackle. A former high school quarterback who transitioned from tight end to offensive line in college, Edwards was solid in pass protection and run blocking last season. According to Pro Football Focus, Edwards ranked No. 17 out of 80 guards evaluated last season, allowing three sacks. “He’s got a great demeanor about himself,” McVay said about Edwards. “This guy understands football. I think it really came natural to him. You could see he’s been trained the right way, going back to his college days. And the versatility I think has been really impressive. He got a lot of experience playing on the right and the left side last year (in 2019). When we brought him in, he was playing all over the place, but I think he’s really settled in. I think left guard is his most natural spot.”

    Reason for concern: Edwards suffered an ankle injury in the NFC Wild Card game against the Seattle Seahawks and did not play the following week against the Green Bay Packers. Bobby Evans started at left guard in his place. So, how Edwards heals up and returns to the field during the offseason will be something to watch. Also, the Rams have a new offensive line coach in Kevin Carberry. And he could see Edwards differently in how he fits up front with the rest of the offensive line group. But Edwards proved he can play winning football in the NFL, and he still has two years left on his rookie deal.

    And of course, we can’t forget this scene for Hard Knocks last year.

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