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It’s very interesting how the OL is playing out this year. The main thing that strikes me right now is depth. Jackson, a rookie UDFA, played well against a top DL (Vikes are 8th in pressure percentage defensively). What an interesting revelation that is. That means that including Whitworth they are 3 deep at LOT. Now Jackson has not been tested by starting several games in a row, but still–it’s a good start.
Noteboom has played well this year. That’s obviously good news, though he is a free agent after the season.
Allen mostly played well this year, which is a nice turnaround from 2019, but then when he went out Shelton came in and may have even played better that Allen (I think he did, though that’s not a knock on Allen).
I still have doubts about Evans, though he has not been the glaring liability I was afraid he was before the season.Anchrum has always been promising and nothing has happened to qualify that, though he has not had any playing time so we don’t really know yet.
So in addition to the 5 starters, they have Noteboom, possibly Jackson, possibly Anchrum, and certainly Shelton. If that holds up that makes them as deep as I can ever remember them being. The qualifier is that both Allen and Shelton are FAs in 2022. EDITED CORRECTION: Ag looked it up and Shelton is an RFA next year, not a UFA.
It is true that we have seen games where dominant DLs compromist the Rams OL. They may have fixed that, and a lot of it has to do with featuring Michel at RB. What a find he is. He’s like an upgraded Malcolm Brown. Michel is one of the best low round trades this bunch has ever made. I always liked him but watching him close every game just magnifies that. I think that the run game got something going by featuring Michel’s strengths as a back.
The concerns about the OL from before the season have diminished some. Mostly that had to do with 2022 and having so many free agents, plus Whitworth probably retiring. The FAs are Noteboom, Allen, and Corbett. That’s a lot. But if Jackson, Shelton, and Anchrum hold up, then they are in a much better position than I think we could have anticipated. I would like to see them sign Noteboom to replace AW, and keep developing Jackson, which would mean their tackle depth in 2022 would be pretty doggone good. But they will also have to sign a center (I would prefer Shelton). EDIT: and since Shelton is an RFA, he’s cheaper and easier to keep.
The OL will still be expensive in 2022 because they have so many FAs coming up, but still, it’s a better situation than I was worrying about before the season.
Add the fact that their 2 centers and 2 guards cost them a 4th and 2 5ths (Shelton was a UDFA).
How much of this is the new OL coach? Well obviously Carberry is a good OL coach. But no one will get me to downplay Kromer. And think about how many of these players are Kromer acquisitions–Noteboom, Edwards, Allen, Corbett, Shelton, and Anchrum. That’s pretty good. That’s the exact opposite of guys like Hannifan and Boudreau, who were terrible at acquiring young linemen (Boudreau was always much better at turning around younger vets cut by other teams than he was at picking linemen in the draft). So Kromer still has his legacy. It may be that Carberry was good at coaching up this unit, but he is doing it with players Kromer found.
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…The qualifier is that both Allen and Shelton are FAs in 2022.
According to Spotrac Shelton is a RFA next year.
AgamemnonThe OL play has been good overall, and though I said in advance it looked to me like it would be solid, they were better (overall) that I had predicted.
2022 is still an issue but nowhere near as challenging an issue as we were saying over the summer.
Those were my feelings too, pretty much in lock step with yours.
Agamemnon
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