Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › Rams Looking for OL Improvement
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March 3, 2017 at 5:56 pm #65790znModerator
Rams Looking for OL Improvement, Consistency
Myles Simmons
INDIANAPOLIS — Friday morning, offensive lineman for the NFL’s incoming rookie class did their best to impress decision makers from around the league with their on-field drills. From the 40 time to the shuttle run, there’s plenty of data coming out of these days for those evaluating prospects.
For the Rams, the five men up front will likely be a point of discussion throughout the offseason — and for good reason. Without much continuity due to both injuries and performance, Los Angeles could not find any consistency on its offensive line, and the unit struggled both as individuals and as a whole.
“The ’15 season was better than the ’16 season in the run game and the pass game,” general manager Les Snead said Thursday regarding the offensive line’s performance. “You take that ’15 season — a lot of those guys are the same guys. In terms of sack-to-pass-play [ratio], we ranked in the top five, which is good. But this year, we ranked in the bottom 30. Same group, same QB for the most part, same running back.”
The Rams drafted Rob Havenstein, Jamon Brown, Cody Wichmann, and Andrew Donnal in 2015, all of whom have contributed in the last two seasons. Rodger Saffold, Greg Robinson, and Tim Barnes have also started the majority of games from 2015-2016.
“When it’s that drastic a change from ’15 to ’16, you’ve now got to figure out why,” Snead continued. “Was it the individual? Is it more than that? Do we need to add anybody? Do we need to subtract? So it’s going to be a big offseason in terms of subtracting, adding, and trying to figure out if we can get those guys back.”
While the players may have been the same, the inconsistent lineup aided in to the group’s troubles. L.A. started seven offensive line combinations in 2016, including six different groups of five in the last seven games. Between Robinson’s deactivation in Week 16 and Havenstein’s injury in Week 17, Saffold started at left guard, left tackle, and right tackle in the Rams’ last three matchups.
“I meet Rodger Saffold for the first time, I’m like, ‘Good gosh, I can’t even find you on the tape the last handful of games,’ he’s moving all over the place,” head coach Sean McVay relayed on Thursday.
That’s part of why McVay is keeping in mind most members of the Rams’ offensive line are young, and therefore likely still have room to grow. But that evolution will have to start with a more consistent starting five.
“Being able to have a center and a guard, or a tackle and a guard play together for weeks at a time where they are able to develop a rapport like a receiver and a quarterback is something that can’t be undervalued or under-appreciated,” McVay said.
There is still much work to be done to determine 2017’s initial lineup — work that may continue through much of the offseason program, if not into training camp. It may start with a position change for Robinson, who has been the club’s primary left tackle since midway through the 2014 season.
According to Snead, the Rams are currently evaluating where Robinson best fits going forward.
“Whether he’s left tackle, left or right guard, right tackle — all of those things are probably on the table,” Snead said. “Everything except center. He’s definitely not going to be a center next year.
“I don’t know if we ever sat down with Greg and said, ‘Yay or nay, are you for this or not?’” Snead continued regarding changing positions. “There’s different body types that play those positions, and there’s not many people with Greg’s body type on the planet, and those guys usually fit at tackle. You’d love for it to start there and then go from inside.”
Snead also addressed Havenstein, saying the right tackle played through being banged up most of the season after missing almost all of training camp. That may have been a factor for why after a successful rookie year, Havenstein had a tough sophomore campaign.
“That’s just Rob. He’s going to play, he’s not coming out of the lineup, even when he easily could have,” Snead said. “But also on that, I think he’ll tell you, too, injuries are one thing, but when there was a slump, you can’t just say, ‘All right, next year, I’m 100 percent, I’m going to be better.’ You have to go back to the drawing board and figure out, from a technical standpoint, what that is.”
Leading the improvement process will be new offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, as he’ll do his best to take what Los Angeles already has and get the most out of those players. While the Rams may be taking stock of possible additions — not just through the draft, but also in free agency — most of the members of the offensive line have a chance to contribute in 2017 and beyond.
“I do know this: We’re definitely inclined to try to figure out who in house is going to be one of our best five,” Snead said. “And not just best five, but No. 6, No. 7, because that means something on game day. But we’re also talking about, ‘Hey, what’s the advantage of adding someone in free agency, even the draft, to help that unit out?’
“It’s a puzzle that we’re trying to figure out now,” Snead added. “But there’s definitely going to be some guys in house that are in our lineup next year.”
March 4, 2017 at 6:32 pm #65868znModeratorRams Leaning OL in Round 2, WR in Round 3
Charlie Campbell.
http://walterfootball.com/nfldraftrumormill
In many recent years, the Rams were a power player in the NFL Draft, as they had a boat load of picks from their 2012 trade with the Redskins. Last year, the Rams went the opposite direction, giving up a huge haul to move from 15th to first overall in order to select quarterback Jared Goff. The 2016 season was ugly as Goff played horribly behind a weak offensive line and a receiving corps that lacked talent. Los Angeles changed out its coaching staff, but the roster weaknesses remain. Los Angeles is without its first-round pick, and one of its third-round choices went to the Titans, so the Rams are lacking resources to improve. In speaking with sources with the Rams, upgrading the offensive line and wide receivers are the goals for the offseason and 2017 NFL Draft.
Between the offensive line and wide receivers, it sounds like the line is the priority in the second round. The Rams selected left tackle Greg Robinson with the second-overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, and Robinson has been a massive disappointment. He is approaching bust category and could be moved to guard or right tackle if the Rams are able to land an upgrade at left tackle. Utah tackle Garett Bolles could be an option if he slips to the second round. Western Kentucky guard Forrest Lamp is another blocker who could land in Los Angeles. The offensive line prospects are less talented than the wide receivers – check out our 2017 NFL Draft Offensive Tackle Rankings – and the Rams could land a quality wide receiver in the third round.
The Rams put a ton of resources into Goff, so the organization hierarchy of Les Snead and Kevin Demoff needs Goff to show significant improvement in 2016. Giving him better blocking and more receiving talent could improve the chances of Goff making a big jump in year two.
March 4, 2017 at 6:44 pm #65869sanbaggerParticipantI don’t get the thought of moving GRob to possibly RT…what do they do with Hav then? Move him inside? Personally I think GRob would be better than Hav at Guard and Hav would be better than GRob at RT.
If they do go O-line, and I;m gonna include TE because they are on the line too, I like Elfein, Engram, and Lamp…probably in that order.
As always this is subject to change.
March 4, 2017 at 6:54 pm #65870znModeratorI don’t get the thought of moving GRob to possibly RT…what do they do with Hav then? Move him inside? Personally I think GRob would be better than Hav at Guard and Hav would be better than GRob at RT.
If they do go O-line, and I;m gonna include TE because they are on the line too, I like Elfein, Engram, and Lamp…probably in that order.
As always this is subject to change.
Yeah that view in that article is a little “outsider superficial.”
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March 4, 2017 at 7:00 pm #65871InvaderRamModeratori agree. hav should stay at right tackle. if grob makes any move, it should be inside.
- This reply was modified 7 years, 9 months ago by InvaderRam.
March 5, 2017 at 2:35 am #65893znModeratorCOVERAGE OF BOTH RAMS & CHARGERS
NFL teams must plan for ‘dearth’ of offensive line prospects
Jack Wang
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20170303/nfl-teams-must-plan-for-dearth-of-offensive-line-prospects
INDIANAPOLIS >> Antonio Garcia was greeted by a table full of playing cards.
The former Troy offensive tackle was about to talk to an NFL team, but this one had prepared something for him. After he glanced down, the cards were flipped over. A memory test — he was told to recite the numbers.
“They said I got the highest score in two days,” Garcia said, “so I’m pretty proud of that.”
Anything that helps. Garcia is one of nearly four dozen offensive linemen at this week’s NFL Scouting Combine, a group that — as a whole — isn’t highly regarded. Earlier this week, NFL Network analyst said that offensive tackle “is one of the few groups that isn’t really strong this year.” Seahawks general manager John Schneider described it as “a dearth at the position.”
Even offensive tackle Roderick Johnson, who earned All-American honors in his junior year at Florida State, said the perceived weakness of his position group was “a little factor” in his decision to leave early.
This presents a tricky scenario for teams who could use an upgrade to their offensive lines — such as the two in Los Angeles.
The Rams allowed Jared Goff to take 26 sacks in just seven appearances, including seven in his last game. The Chargers could elect to replace either left tackle King Dunlap — an aging lineman who was arrested two weeks ago — or guard D.J. Fluker, who is due more than $8 million in 2017. (On Thursday, head coach Anthony Lynn spoke positively about Dunlap, and said he did not want to “make any judgments on him” before his legal proceedings are resolved.)
Neither is in ideal position to select premier talents up front. The Rams don’t have any picks among the top 36 selections, and only hold two in the top 111. The Chargers will draft No. 7 overall — which is likely too high to take an offensive lineman this year.
Trying to pick out talent in the middle to late rounds might also be challenging, with supply and demand inflating the value of even lesser-known names. Garcia may have played in the Sun Belt Conference, but that makes him exactly the type of player who could more dramatically improve his stock at the combine and at his own pro day. In Indianapolis, he recorded a 31-inch vertical, second-best among offensive linemen — and 2.5 inches more than running back Leonard Fournette.
“In a normal year, he’d probably be a third-round pick at best,” Mayock said of Garcia. “He’s a really gifted, athletic kid. But this year he’s going to be bumped up into the second round, and who knows from there?”
Even some of the top prospects have question marks. Cam Robinson, who started at left tackle at Alabama and won the Outland Trophy, could be asked to switch to right tackle or guard as a pro. Mayock’s top two offensive tackle prospects are Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk and Utah’s Garett Bolles — both of whom only started one year of major college football.
“I think that’s a positive thing for me, because that’s just less wear and tear on my body,” said Bolles, a 24-year-old who began his football career at Snow College “I’ve never been cut open, I’ve never had a surgery, I’ve never had a major injury.
“You’ve got to knock on wood because football is rough game. But I’m here to compete.”
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