Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › the new OL thread (5/6)
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May 5, 2026 at 11:59 pm #163868
znModeratorBrain Baldinger | The Real Reason the Rams’ O-Line Always Works
Erin Coscarelli is joined by NFL analyst Brian Baldinger and Super Bowl champion offensive tackle Rob Havenstein for a deep dive into what makes the Rams’ offensive line tick. Baldy and Rob chat about the under appreciated difficulty of switching sides on the line. Baldinger credits the Rams’ consistent success not to draft capital but to exceptional communication and chemistry — noting the unit effectively played 12-personnel concepts out of 11-personnel by using receivers like Cooper Kupp as blockers. The episode closes with thoughts on newly drafted quarterback Ty Simpson, with Baldinger and Havenstein both urging him to shadow Matthew Stafford in everything — calling it the perfect quarterback apprenticeship.
00:00 – Rob Havenstein’s post-retirement physical recovery.
01:03 – Introduction of Brian “Baldi” Baldinger and his “Baldi Breakdowns.”
02:50 – Analyzing the Rams’ signature Super Bowl-winning drive.
04:32 – The importance of a great start and “getting off on the ball.”
05:20 – Why the Rams find success with mid-round O-line picks.
07:44 – Coach Aaron Kromer’s philosophy: Coaching to a player’s specific body type.
08:50 – Andrew Whitworth’s “Perfect Rep Friday” and the value of walkthroughs.
11:04 – The “Chopsticks” effect: Why switching sides (Left to Right tackle) is so difficult.
16:30 – How the Rams use wide receivers like Cooper Kupp to help the offensive line.
19:56 – The difference between protecting a pocket passer (Stafford) vs. a mobile QB.
23:30 – Preparing for the future: How Ty Simpson can learn from Stafford.
27:42 – The evolution of the Rams’ “Trend Setting” use of multiple tight ends.May 6, 2026 at 10:07 am #163871
wvParticipantIn the Baldy/Hav vid. I give Erin Coscarelli a lot of credit. She shut-up and let them talk to each other. Dont see that much among the celebrity-interviewer crowd.
Sometimes Erin is a bit too cheerleady-smarmy for my taste but she does have talent.
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vMay 6, 2026 at 10:21 am #163872wvParticipantThe Hav quote. Quoting the unknown defensive lineman from 2018: “I’m not sure which one of you guys is good, but you all play well together”
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vMay 6, 2026 at 11:12 am #163873znModerator…this film breakdown of a play against the Houston Texans [is] outstanding. He explains the logic behind aggressively kicking out and going to get Will Anderson Jr., rather than dropping back and waiting for him to attack.
Knowing he had Kevin Dotson to the inside, Havenstein tried to funnel Anderson that way. It was something he and Dotson talked about before the snap.
“I know I have K-Dot’s eyes right away and I’ll let K-Dot know that, too. Like, as we’re going to the huddle, be like, ‘Hey, if I get a good look here, I’m jumping and I need your eyes.’ ‘All right, cool. Got you.’”
Havenstein said he tried to use his help as much as he could, knowing how good some of today’s edge rushers are.
“Try to use my help as much as possible because some of these guys out there on the edge definitely warrant where you’re going to need some help,” he added.
The full video, which is nearly an hour long, can be seen below.
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What NFL Tackles See That You Don’t | Tape Talk: Rob Havenstein
Former Los Angeles Rams team captain Rob Havenstein joins Film Watchers to provide expert insights into offensive line play. The discussion examines specific pass protection techniques, maneuvering against various defensive fronts, and the strategic communication required between teammates to successfully manage stunts, blitzes, and complex pass sets throughout a game.
We split this educational film breakdown into 3 parts:
Part 1: How to Pass Set in Different Situations and Against Different Looks
Part 2: The Technique and Mental Game of Pass Protection
Part 3: Run Blocking Overview
May 12, 2026 at 3:31 pm #163932znModeratorRams Wire@TheRamsWire
ESPN’s Mike Clay ranked the Rams’ offensive line as a top-5 unit in the NFL, with no clear weak links up front.…
Current 2026 NFL Offensive Line projected starters: pic.twitter.com/oGq7k4anGY
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) May 12, 2026
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…the Rams’ O-line looks like one of the best in football entering 2026 – at least on paper. ESPN’s Mike Clay graded every projected starting offensive line in the league and he ranked the Rams’ group fifth overall. There are no major weaknesses, either.
Here’s the rating for every player up front in L.A.
LT Alaric Jackson: 7.9
LG Steve Avila: 5.5
C Coleman Shelton: 6.8
RG Kevin Dotson: 7.4
RT Warren McClendon Jr.: 5.7Based on Clay’s analysis, Jackson is the best lineman for the Rams, with Dotson close behind. Avila and McClendon are considered the weakest, but even their grades are above-average.
The O-lines ranked ahead of the Rams in order from 1-4 are the Broncos, Eagles, Bears and Bills. All four teams in the NFC West have offensive lines ranked 15th or better, with the 49ers coming in at No. 7, the Seahawks at No. 10 and the Cardinals 15th overall.
Health is the most important thing with this group. The Rams have decent depth on the offensive line but they’re lacking a reliable swing tackle, so it’s crucial that Jackson and McClendon stay available.
Beaux Limmer and Justin Dedich are solid options on the interior, and Keagen Trost can play any guard or tackle spot. The potential is there for Los Angeles to finish with one of the best lines in football again this season.
May 30, 2026 at 12:54 pm #164173znModeratorAccording to Pro Football Focus, Kevin Dotson was at his best when the pressure was on. PFF ranked Dotson as one of their 10 highest-graded players in the fourth quarter and overtime from 2025. Dotson graded out at 90.5 in the fourth quarter and overtime, the seventh-highest grade of any player.
Dotson finished last season as PFF’s third-highest-graded guard overall, driven largely by his dominance late in games. He allowed just two pressures in the fourth quarter and overtime all season, and neither resulted in Matthew Stafford taking a hit.
He was even more dominant in the run game. Dotson’s PFF run-blocking grade improved from 84.5 through the first three quarters to 90.8 in the fourth quarter and overtime. Only Lions tackle Penei Sewell graded higher as a run blocker in late-game situations.
Dotson’s ability to move defenders off the ball was a major reason the Rams led the NFL in fourth-quarter rushing yards before contact.
June 5, 2026 at 2:53 pm #164367znModeratorBrandon Thorn@BrandonThornNFL
The more OL I study, the more convinced I am that coaching/scheme/environment are the biggest hidden variables in how individual players and full units are perceived.Environment sets the floor. Talent determines the ceiling.
A better ecosystem can stop exposing a player and start maximizing what he already does well. Talent still matters, but OL play is uniquely dependent on whether the conditions around the player are raising the floor or cracking it.
June 5, 2026 at 4:40 pm #164368wvParticipantBrandon Thorn@BrandonThornNFL
The more OL I study, the more convinced I am that coaching/scheme/environment are the biggest hidden variables…Well, if the QB is part of the ‘environment’ then sure. Cause having an old wily talented hall-of-fame veteran is a great help to an OLine. I remember thinking that back when Brady was winning in Tampa Bay. Its just a ridiculous advantage. No matter how talented Caleb is Drake May etc, it aint the same as having someone who has seen it all and can process fast.
Granted, there’s a limit. We’ve seen Stafford bulgerized in the post-super-year.
I remember back when the Rams had fucking-super-talented monster OLines. In the 70’s and the 80’s. And they never won it all.
But in 2000 and 2022 when they did win it all, it seemed like they had one great Linemen and the rest were just ‘solid’. Dunno.
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vJune 5, 2026 at 5:09 pm #164369znModeratorI remember back when the Rams had fucking-super-talented monster OLines. In the 70’s and the 80’s. And they never won it all.
But in 2000 and 2022 when they did win it all, it seemed like they had one great Linemen and the rest were just ‘solid’. Dunno.
It’s unit cohesion too. That’s something that can be coached up, and it’s also something you can lose with multiple injuries.
The GSOT had Pace and Timmerman. Miller went on to play well with the Titans. Gruttadauria/McCollum and Nutten were solid.
I know everyone knows all this but I’m just getting it down in black n white.
I don’t think anyone argues an OL alone wins it for you. You had better have a top qb or a solid qb and an elite defense. But a mediocre and/or injury ravaged OL can derail either one of those 2 options (top qb or a solid qb and an elite defense). We know, we’ve seen it.
A good qb can help an OL be effective, but that’s a mutual synergy. It works the other way too.
A good OL coach can help shape that synergy, by getting the OL to play with awareness, cohesion, and good communication. Which is exactly what this OL is praised for doing. There’s a quotation in here somewhere, I think in one of the endless recent Haverstein vids, where he says an opposing defender told him during the game, I don’t know which of you is good but you guys play well together. Coaching develops that.
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June 15, 2026 at 12:14 pm #164472znModeratorThe Rams have major O-line questions to answer, and not just about Alaric Jackson
Nate Atkins
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams have spent this offseason loading up on defensive talent and balancing out a roster that was as loaded as they come on offense. They have one goal in mind, and it’s the Super Bowl that SoFi Stadium will host next February.
But that doesn’t mean the moves haven’t come without risk.
A closer look shows that risk is concentrated in one area of the team. It’s one of the most critical to two different quarterback timelines.
The Rams have four starting offensive linemen entering contract years. They have just one signed through 2027, and that player, left tackle Alaric Jackson, is now facing the possibility of a second suspension under the league’s personal-conduct policy.
It’s easy to look at the blockbuster trades for two-time All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, in addition to spending the No. 13 pick on a quarterback of the future in Ty Simpson, and see costs the Rams can stomach. After all, McDuffie and Garrett are under contract for four more years each, and the Rams are Super Bowl favorites even after spending their highest draft pick in a decade on a stashed quarterback. The picks they sent out could very well be late selections, too.
But all big moves hold an element of opportunity cost. And as time has gone by, the opportunity cost keeps showing up on the offensive line.
LT Alaric Jackson
As the Rams entered an offseason with four starting linemen approaching contract years, they could at least take solace in the most critical of those five spots looking like a franchise cornerstone. Jackson doesn’t turn 28 until July and has 51 career starts and two years remaining under contract. He isn’t a Pro Bowler, but he made the front office feel like it had the blindside protector for Matthew Stafford’s back issue in place for at least two seasons and likely the remainder of Stafford’s career.
But Jackson was arrested last week on suspicion of domestic violence. He has been released on a $50,000 bond. He faces a felony charge punishable by one to four years in jail or prison.
According to a TMZ report, a 38-year-old woman alleged in a temporary restraining order that Jackson left her with bruises, scratches and cuts after grabbing a cell phone she was recording him with. The woman claimed she told Jackson she was pregnant, to which he responded, “I don’t give a f—,” according to the TMZ report.
In 2024, Jackson was suspended for two games under the NFL’s personal-conduct policy for an undisclosed incident. Last fall, a woman filed a lawsuit against Jackson alleging he recorded sexual acts with her on his phone without her consent, lied about deleting the video and used the video to taunt her. The lawsuit stated that the woman reported the incident to the NFL.
The legal process could take time to resolve last week’s felony charge against Jackson, but the NFL’s personal-conduct policy works on a different timeline, independent of the criminal case.
“In cases in which a player is not charged with a crime, or is charged but not convicted, he may still be found to have violated the Policy if the credible evidence establishes that he engaged in prohibited conduct,” the policy reads.
The policy also states that “players with a prior history of misconduct, including misconduct occurring prior to their association with the NFL, will be subject to enhanced and/or expedited discipline, including banishment from the league with an opportunity to reapply.”
If the league finds that Jackson violated the policy with this incident, it could punish him as a repeat offender. The personal-conduct policy also cites violence against a pregnant woman as an aggravating factor when considering the severity of punishment.
The Rams now have to consider whether they have a backup they trust if Jackson is suspended for a string of games. Last year, he missed one game with an injury, and DJ Humphries stepped in and struggled mightily, as the Rams lost to the Atlanta Falcons while pressure forced Stafford into a rare three-interception game.
Los Angeles re-signed David Quessenberry to be its swing tackle, but the Rams did not go to him last season when Jackson or right tackle Rob Havenstein missed time. Quessenberry has started 30 games in his nine-year career, but the most recent came in 2023, and he will turn 36 in August.
The Rams drafted just one offensive lineman this year, despite having four starters entering contract years. That was third-round Missouri product Keagen Trost, who spent his multi-school college career mostly at right tackle. The Rams view Trost as a utility man this season with capabilities at tackle, guard and center. But asking him to start multiple games this early on Stafford’s blind side could be a risk.
Los Angeles will also need to evaluate Jackson in a future context. He will turn 30 before a new contract could kick in for the 2028 season, and he has now been accused in two incidents related to domestic violence. Coach Sean McVay has said that treatment of women is one of the core non-negotiables in his team culture.
The Rams could consider a pivot. The free-agent market has one strong left tackle option available in Taylor Decker, who served as Stafford’s blindside protector on the Detroit Lions from 2016 to 2020. A 2024 Pro Bowler and 2016 first-round pick, Decker requested his release to avoid a pay cut from the Lions, and he is likely looking to sign with a contender now that he’s turning 33 in August.
Given that Decker chose to leave the only NFL home he knows to avoid a pay cut, it’s hard to imagine him signing up to be just a fill-in on a fill-in’s salary. If the Rams are interested, they might have to choose between Decker and Jackson rather than trying to have both. Releasing Jackson would save only $1.95 million of his $25.4 million cap hit for 2026, with $23.4 million in dead money in 2026 and $5 million of dead money into 2027, according to Over the Cap.
Interior offensive line
The Rams have two guards primed to push the top of the free-agent market. Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson were catalysts for the Rams’ zone-blocking schemes in the run game and also held a firm pocket for Stafford to operate in without having to scramble last season. The drop-off from both was noticeable when they missed six combined games last season.
Teams don’t often pay market value to extend two guards at the same time. Those that do often either feature run-heavy schemes or have starting quarterbacks on rookie contracts. If Stafford were to retire after this season, that could be the Rams’ situation. But it’s impossible to project right now with Stafford set to make between $55 and $60 million next season and the possibility that he plays even longer. Spotrac.com estimates that Avila and Dotson will each command more than $13 million per season on their next deals.
Los Angeles has a solid backup in Justin Dedich, who has nine starts in two seasons and could be an option to replace either guard in a cost-saving move. Losing both would be a challenge for an offense that wants to remain strong in the run game as Stafford ages, and for whenever Simpson needs to step in.
And then there’s Coleman Shelton. The Rams missed his play at center enough in 2024 that they brought him back after a one-year stint with the Chicago Bears. He has become a rock at center, with three consecutive seasons of 17 starts, and he’s built strong chemistry with Stafford in handling protection changes and audibles on the fly to bring McVay’s scheme to life.
Shelton has 66 career starts and will turn 31 next month. The Rams have this spot fairly insulated right now, with Avila’s ability to slide over in case of an injury. Teams often feel comfortable drafting and starting a young center if they have the guard spots solidified, so looking to next year’s draft could be sensible if Dotson or Avila is retained.
RT Warren McClendon Jr.
McClendon enjoyed a breakout season almost out of nowhere last year, and now he looks like one of the bigger wild cards in the Rams’ future planning. He entered last season as a backup but needed to step in early when Havenstein suffered an ankle injury that later sent him to injured reserve. McClendon thrived enough to take the job and start 13 games between the regular season and postseason. He was a star in pass protection, allowing just two sacks with seven blown blocks on 383 pass-blocking snaps, according to Sports Info Solutions. The Rams insulated him well in the run game between the elite play of Dotson at right guard and the use of three-tight-end sets.
Now, the 2023 fifth-round pick is just one more strong and durable season away from cashing in on a major payday. That’s reality for proven tackles who hit the open market in this passing league, where more than 20 tackles are making at least $20 million per season.
If the Rams have questions about Jackson’s short- and long-term status, they might need McClendon even more. But if he wants to maximize his earning potential, he needs to play out this season to reap the rewards of the open market, even if it means re-signing. That’s the path safety Kam Curl took last year with Los Angeles, allowing him to sign by far the biggest deal of his career.
Why the present and the future weigh so much
The Rams’ offensive line was a collective unsung hero last season. For all the accolades that made headlines with Stafford winning his first MVP trophy, Puka Nacua leading the NFL in receptions and Davante Adams leading in receiving touchdowns, the glue that turned dreams into reality for the NFL’s No. 1 scoring offense was the five men blocking up front.
They helped pave the way for Kyren Williams and Blake Corum to combine for 1,998 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 4.95 yards per carry. They allowed Stafford to manage a degenerative back issue that held him out of most of training camp and play all 20 games with a sack rate of 3.71 percent, his lowest in a season since 2013. They sold the run and the pass well enough to let Stafford thrive on play-action in three-tight-end sets that saw four different tight ends score three times each.
As loaded as the Rams’ roster is on paper, it’s easy to see a kryptonite, too: If the offensive line isn’t available enough, and Stafford takes more hits and suffers an injury, Los Angeles would be down to playing either Simpson or Stetson Bennett at quarterback in a highly complex offense with championship expectations.
But the real concern for this group, and the contract situations at hand, is about the future. Garrett and McDuffie carry combined cap hits of $57.4 million in 2028 and $73.2 million in 2029. It’s possible the Rams could re-sign players like Dotson and Coleman on shorter-term deals, but it could be challenging to offer competitive four-year contracts. Los Angeles is also down first- and third-round picks in 2027, a second-round pick in 2028 and a third-round pick in 2029 to replenish the cupboards, though it could receive some compensatory picks to help soften the blow.
The biggest question at hand for this group, beyond Jackson’s availability this season, is: What it will look like whenever the time comes for Simpson to step in? That version of Simpson will still likely be incredibly raw in experience. If he sits this season and starts in 2027, he’ll have started one football season in five years. It’s the kind of circumstance that begs for a run game to insulate him and an offensive line that can protect him and also set its own protections and checks to limit all that an inexperienced young quarterback has to manage.
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