Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › Rams still tweaking right side of offensive line?
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August 6, 2017 at 10:39 pm #71998
znModeratorRich Hammond @Rich_Hammond
Basically just a walk-thru practice for Rams today. Many veterans didn’t participate. One item of note: J. Brown at RG, Havenstein at RT
McVay said he wanted to get a look at that OL mix, indicated he might use it in Wednesday’s joint practice against Chargers
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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0686000357737762890-4The Rams mixed up the right side of their offensive line during today’s light practice, with Jamon Brown at right guard and Rob Havenstein at right tackle. Sean McVay said they’re “just trying to figure out the right combination in terms of how we want to do things.” They’ll play out of those spots on Monday, too, and potentially during Wednesday’s joint practice with the Chargers.
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Rams still tweaking right side of offensive line
Alden Gonzalez
IRVINE, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams, less than a week away from their first preseason game, are experimenting with the makeup of their offensive line. Rob Havenstein has spent almost the entire offseason transitioning to right guard, with Jamon Brown seemingly locking down the job as the starting right tackle near the end of the offseason program. But Havenstein and Brown switched positions during a light practice from UC Irvine on Sunday, each of them returning to the spots they played most frequently in the NFL.
Rams coach Sean McVay said he and the coaches have been talking about toying with a switch for the past week or so and wanted to wait until after Saturday’s joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers to implement it.
They’ll test it out for another day or two, with no promises thereafter.
“We’re just trying to figure out the right combination in terms of how we want to do things,” McVay said. “I think we feel really good about what Jamon and Rob have done in that right side, but with Rob’s history playing tackle and Jamon’s history playing guard, [we] also want to have contingency plans in place if one of them were to go down.”
Brown, listed at 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds, played both tackle positions at Louisville, but was used mostly as a guard by former coach Jeff Fisher in his first two years in the NFL. Havenstein, 6-foot-8 and 328 pounds, was a right tackle at Wisconsin and in his first two years in the NFL, performing a lot better as a rookie than he did as a second-year player.
Havenstein’s move to guard was initially made at least in part to accommodate Greg Robinson, who was moving from left tackle to right tackle after the acquisition of Andrew Whitworth. Robinson was ultimately dealt to the Lions for a 2018 sixth-round pick, but Havenstein remained at right guard and Brown continued to get first-team snaps at right tackle — until Sunday.
“We’re just continuing to find whatever that best mix is for our five guys up front,” McVay said. “Really, with the exception of left guard Rodger Saffold, center John Sullivan and Whitworth, the left tackle, all those guys are kind of moving around as we continue to find the best way to get those five coordinating up front.”
August 6, 2017 at 10:41 pm #72000znModeratorRams may make changes to offensive line
By Rich Hammond,
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20170806/rams-may-make-changes-to-offensive-line
IRVINE >> For most of the offseason, the Rams believed they had discovered the correct mix on their offensive line. Now, with less than five weeks until the regular-season opener, they want to verify.
In a brief, breezy practice Sunday afternoon at UC Irvine, the Rams switched up their line and flipped Jamon Brown, who went to right guard, and Rob Havenstein, who went to right tackle. Coach Sean McVay indicated the Rams would explore that new look at practices throughout this week.
“Just like we always do, we’re really just trying to figure out the best combination, in terms of how we want to do things,” Coach Sean McVay said after practice. “I think we feel really good about what Jamon and Rob have done on that right side, but with Rob’s history playing tackle and Jamon’s history playing guard, we also want to have contingency plans in place, if one of them were to go down.”
It’s not really a new look. Brown and Havenstein have played the bulk of their respective NFL careers at guard and tackle, respectively, and in one of the Rams’ most productive offensive games last season, at Detroit, they started next to each other in those roles.
It is, however, a departure from the Rams’ offseason program, when things appeared to be settled.
The first domino fell in March, when the Rams signed veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth. That sent oft-maligned Greg Robinson to right tackle, which sent Havenstein to right guard.
Then, after the Rams demoted (and later traded) Robinson, they moved Brown, a former part-time starter at guard, to right tackle. It was a curious choice, given that Havenstein had thrived at right tackle as a rookie in 2015, but the Rams seemed pleased with the development of both players at new positions.
There’s a chance that this only is a short-term experiment, but given that the Rams open their preseason schedule Saturday against Dallas at the Coliseum, it’s an interesting time to experiment. The Rams practice Monday, have an off day Tuesday, then scrimmage against the Chargers on Wednesday.
“This was something we had talked about as a staff last week,” McVay said. “We just didn’t want to make that move before the practice (against the Chargers on Saturday), but I think we’ll get an opportunity over the next couple days to explore those guys playing guard and tackle, and see how they do when we practice against the Chargers on Wednesday.
“So I think it will give us an opportunity, as we’re moving closer to the season, to find that best mix.”
The Rams certainly need some continuity and stability before their Sept. 10 season opener against Indianapolis. The middle and left side of the line seem settled, with Whitworth, left guard Rodger Saffold and center John Sullivan,
McVay said Sunday’s change had nothing to do with Saturday’s scrimmage, in which the Chargers’ defensive front had some success. In fact, most of that damage was done by Chargers defensive end Melvin Ingram, who lined up against the left side of the Rams’ line.
“They have a lot of good rushers,” McVay said of the Chargers. “The biggest thing is, now that we’ve seen a few things they do, we’re ready to adjust if they give us the same thing (on Wednesday). I think it was a great opportunity to test some of our guys up front, with the way that they attacked us, and it was great to go up against a different defense and discuss some things.”
August 7, 2017 at 2:41 am #72017
AgamemnonParticipantI just feel better with Havenstein being the RT.
AgamemnonAugust 7, 2017 at 9:11 pm #72050
InvaderRamModeratorwell i feel that if brown was really taking off at the new position, mcvay wouldn’t feel the need to try different combinations. i still want to see who starts this saturday and where.
August 7, 2017 at 11:27 pm #72063
HerzogParticipantwell i feel that if brown was really taking off at the new position, mcvay wouldn’t feel the need to try different combinations. i still want to see who starts this saturday and where.
Yeah I was thinking the same thing. Maybe they got too cute…. and now realize they should keep the guard at guard and the tackle at tackle.
August 8, 2017 at 12:15 am #72066znModeratorRICH HAMMOND
MOVING DAY
As expected, Rob Havenstein practiced as the first-team right tackle and Jamon Brown worked at right guard, as the linemen flipped the positions they practiced at during the first week of camp.
Both players are back at their natural positions, but McVay said he hasn’t yet decided how the right side of the line will look in Saturday’s preseason opener against Dallas.
“I can’t wait to go back and look at this (practice) tape,” McVay said, “because we did do a lot of blitz work and things where you can evaluate them and our protection calls and the communication up front, and you can also see what they’re doing in the run game.”
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