looking forward to the 2024 OL

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June 13, 2024 at 7:20 pm #151188

zn
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From 2024 NFL Offensive Line Rankings: https://ftnfantasy.com/nfl/offensive-line-rankings

4. Los Angeles Rams
Alaric Jackson, Jonah Jackson, Steve Avila, Kevin Dotson, Rob Havenstein

The Rams were one of the more surprising offensive line units in 2023, turning a largely inexperienced offensive line into one of the NFL’s most dominant units. The Rams transitioned to a gap-blocking run scheme that rolled through opposing defenses while providing strong protection (11 sacks surrendered) in the passing attack.

The Rams will return four of their five starters, including right guard Kevin Dotson. The Rams traded for Dotson during training camp after three uneven years with the Steelers. He rewarded the team with an 85.2 PFF grade, including an 88.8 run-blocking grade. Rookie second-round pick Steve Avila also posted a solid first season as the left guard, allowing just 32 pressures on a team-leading 685 pass-blocking snaps.

Los Angeles will re-shuffle its offensive line in 2024 after letting starting center Coleman Shelton walk in free agency. The team will kick Avila over to center and fill his position with former Lions guard Jonah Jackson. Jackson has struggled with injuries the last two seasons but is a solid veteran piece who will help stabilize the interior.

The Rams don’t have a ton of depth on the offensive line, but they do return former starting left tackle Joe Noteboom to serve as their swing tackle. Noteboom was expected to be the starter at left tackle in 2023 but lost his job to Alaric Jackson. He has starting experience and has played over 2,000 career snaps for the Rams, including 573 snaps between left tackle, right tackle and right guard in 2023.

June 13, 2024 at 7:21 pm #151189
zn
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from Offensive Line Rankings and Tiers – End of Season: https://www.playerprofiler.com/article/offensive-line-rankings-and-tiers-end-of-nfl-season-review-2024-offensive-line-outlook/
Tier 2: Great, just not Elite
1. Los Angeles Rams
Alaric Jackson, Steve Avila, Coleman Shelton, Kevin Dotson, Rob Havenstein

The Rams were arguably my biggest miss coming into the season. The unit had very little NFL experience but has been one of the best units in the NFL. This has helped Matthew Stafford enjoy a resurgence while putting Kyren Williams on the map in the backfield. The right side of the offensive line has been especially impressive with the combination of Kevin Dotson and Rob Havenstein combining to allow just five sacks and 42 pressures on 465 pass-blocking snaps. Dotson especially has been a revelation after coming over from the Steelers. He ranks as PFF’s No. 2 overall guard in 2023.
June 13, 2024 at 7:21 pm #151190

zn
Moderator

69RamFan

I say we have a top five OL.

In 2023, they changed their OL scheme from zone to power blocking, which it helped out the whole OL. So, you give credit to Wendell and McVay for making the change.

At the start of the season, AJ beat out NB for the starting LT, which put NB as the RG, then into 6th OL man role. I used to use Football Outsiders for OL stats, but it’s no longer available. Now I just view the tapes and I have my own type of judgements compared to these other football sites. I just reviewed the vids for the first 13 games in the condensed mode on the offensive side of the ball. By my count, AJ only gave up 1 sack, 1 QB hit, 11 pressures in those 13 games.

Out of those 11 pressures, eight passes were completed, to include those throws were 3TD, 1 incomplete, 1 a coverage sack, 1 INT, in 13 games. Those eight pressure that had a completed pass, I could say it doesn’t count as a pressure, IMO. To me, it’s like a running type QB who has escape from the pocket, the NFL doesn’t count that as a pressure unless he gets sacked.

But I’ll just put it as a pressure, and it’s still some great stats.

The RAMs RB average 28 carries in 17 games. The RAMs RB average over 8 runs to the left side between and outside of the LT/LG. Only 1 game running to AJ side that he gave up 1 TFL for 1 yd lost out of those first 13 games. Based on those numbers, I consider him being in the second or third tier from the top 5 LT. I would rate him anywhere between 6 to 15, strictly based off the numbers I calculated playing in the RAMs scheme, IMO.

We actually had two outstanding Guards that played off each other’s tackles. I felt last year, our weakest link on the OL was C/Shelton, he was serviceable, especially in the zone blocking scheme, but when it came to pass protection, against powerhouse DT/NT, he struggled. That’s where the most sacks came from, up the middle. I feel that 2024 is going to be even better with Avila playing center. Hopefully AJ & JJ can have the same continuity that AJ had with Avila, in picking up switches, I think they will with JJ’s experience, so we shouldn’t see any downgrade on that.

What else helps the OL is Stafford, he has a great feel for the pocket and pressure, and has a quick release when needed. McVay, Stafford, Williams, Kupp, Nacua, Higbee, and the OL, all play for each other. This team is about WE and NOT ME.

June 14, 2024 at 11:33 am #151199

zn
Moderator

Praise for Ryan Wendell.

It’s early but I am already considering comparing Wendell to Hudson Houck in terms of great Rams OL coaches. And the Rams have not lacked for good ones–Houck, Hanifan, Boudreau, Kromer. Houck was elite and the other 3 were all very good, in Hanifan’s case legendary good.

Wendell played center with the Patz under the great OL coach Dante Scarnecchia from 2008-2015 and then worked as an assistant OL coach in Buffalo with Aaron Kromer in 2022. So he has the pedigree. More importantly it already looks like it’s not just pedigree with him, he has the chops too.

Avila is likely a step up at center. It’s really a good thing that his transition to NFL center is being handled by Wendell–a former starting center and guard for the Patz who played in the playoffs under Scarnecchia for a few years and was voted a team captain in 2015 (though he missed that season w/ injuries). That last sentence was a bit long winded but you get the point.

Will the Rams lose Wendell to the Great NFL Coaching Raids of Rams Staff? Well they could but odds are against it. As a rule, OL coaches don’t get “raided.” Unless a team won’t pay the guy (which happened in 1991 with the great Hudson Houck, who the Rams just let walk after his contract ran out…he ended up being the coach who put together the great Dallas OLs in the 90s. Houck coached the Rams OL from 1983-91, and in that span had 5 different Rams OL go to a combined 21 Pro Bowls [Slater, Doug Smith, Hill, Harrah, & Newberry]).

As we know, to get raided you have to be promoted, and as a rule, OL coaches don’t end up being hired as either offensive coordinators or head coaches. So generally speaking, if you want to keep your OL coach around you just keep paying him. For example Scarnecchia coached the Patz OL from 1999 to 2019. Now and then an OL coach becomes a head coach, but it’s very rare (the 3 that come to mind are Chuck Knox, Jim Hanifan, and Bill Calahan, though I am likely forgetting 1 or 2 others). OL coaches are so specialized, I think it’s a case where the people who do the hiring don’t see their skills as translating “up.”

June 14, 2024 at 4:21 pm #151202

Zooey
Participant

Yeah, we’re all pretty excited by the prospect of watching a dominant OL this season. It’s part of the reason I’m bullish on the Rams. A big part of it.

And I really don’t understand the writer at The Athletic who published this today:

June 14, 2024 at 5:22 pm #151204

zn
Moderator

Zooey wrote:

And I really don’t understand the writer at The Athletic who published this today:

Agree. That’s something Rams fans are used to. Superficial accounts that are not really based on knowing the team.

One of my favorites from the old days was from before the season in 99, when some writers said “Faulk can’t run up the middle.”
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