where does the Rams OL stand right now

Robinson, Reynolds blending on the left side

Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/robinson-reynolds-blending-on-the-left-side/article_65b001e3-debf-5458-8f8f-e5b5d60429e7.html

Greg Robinson has yet to play a full season’s worth of left tackle in the NFL, but he has already had four different linemates at left guard.

Chronologically, he has gone from Davin Joseph, to Rodger Saffold, to Jamon Brown, and now Garrett Reynolds on his immediate right. On a unit where chemistry, communication, and trust is of the utmost importance, Robinson has been doing a blocker’s version of speed-dating since he made his first start at left tackle last Nov. 2 at San Francisco.

And at first, Robinson thought it might be an adjustment with Reynolds at left guard.

“Because our playing style is a lot different,” Robinson said.

How so?

“He admits it,” Robinson explained. “He says, ‘Greg, you’re a lot more athletic than me.’ I can just move a little faster than him.”

Reynolds doesn’t dispute the point.

“I tell him that all the time,” Reynolds said. “He’s got more athletic ability in his leg than I do in my body. But that is completely fine with me. I’m just there. I tell him he’s the athletic guy, I just try to get in the way.”

They are miles apart in terms of pedigree. Robinson was the No. 2 overall pick out of Auburn in the 2014 draft. Reynolds was a third-day guy, taken by Atlanta in the fifth round in 2009.

One reason why the Rams selected Robinson instead of other highly-touted offensive tackle prospects in the ’14 draft such as Jake Matthews of Texas A&M or Taylor Leewan of Michigan was that athleticism. They felt he had a higher ceiling than the other prospects.

So now here he is in his second NFL season, paired with Reynolds — an odd couple if you will on the left side of the line.

“We balance each other out I guess you could say,” Reynolds said, smiling. “But it’s been good working over there. And it’s exciting to see where we’ll go.”

Having just turned 23 (two weeks ago), Robinson is still learning his craft in the NFL.

“I feel like I haven’t really reached full potential, but I’m still building,” Robinson said. “Run-blocking’s really just all effort, I feel. Pass-blocking’s more technique, just taking the proper steps that the coaches stress.

“Like our hand placement on run-blocking, because when we’re playing guys that two-gap it’s kind of hard to really get a feel because you don’t know which direction they’re going.”

After Saffold’s season-ending shoulder injury against Green Bay, the Rams switched Brown to right guard from left, and brought Reynolds off the bench to play left. The reason?

In large part, to help make Robinson better faster. Coach Jeff Fisher summed up the reason for putting a veteran on Robinson’s side in two words.

“The communication,” Fisher said. “Greg’s a long ways away from things out there at left tackle, so it’s good to have Garrett in there communicating with him.”

There is no substitute for experience, and because Reynolds has been in the league for seven years — although not usually as a starter — he can help with line calls, checks, and just overall recognition.

“I believe (experience) is the biggest resource that he has,” Robinson said. “I feel like it can only help me just by him being beside me. I can learn from him, and learn how to break things down.”

Robinson said when he gets ready for a play, “I have to wait for things to line up” and then go through a sequence of things in his head. More often than not, Robinson said Reynolds knows what to expect before it even happens.

“It’s pretty impressive,” Robinson said.

“I’ve seen these looks and situations more than he has,” Reynolds said. “That’s where I can kind of help out. It might be a look, like, ‘Oh yeah, this happened to me a couple years ago.’ You’ve been in the situation in the heat of the moment and in the speed of the game.”

But Reynolds says there have been times in their two games together where he’s had what he calls a “frozen moment” and Robinson has bailed him out.

“So that’s where we do a good job of just communicating together and working together,” Reynolds said. “I think we’re improving play by play, just getting more comfortable with each other.”

Obviously, the emergence of Todd Gurley at running back has made every blocker on offense look better. He’s that kind of back. But Robinson has made strides as a run blocker as the season has progressed. His athleticism helps him get those second-level blocks that turn short gains into bigger ones.

Against Cleveland, for example, he had a couple of kick-out blocks that helped pave the way for runs of 10 yards-plus by Gurley.

His pass-blocking remains a work in progress, with Robinson occasionally committing too early when it comes to engaging the pass-rusher and getting off-balance.

“Greg’s been a little inconsistent at times, that’s the nature of that position,” Fisher said. “Left tackle’s a hard position to play. I think Garrett’s been a good influence on him.

“Garrett’s playing well, he’s playing solid. He’s finishing plays. Getting down field. Doing all those kind of things.”

Pulling from his left guard position to the right, Reynolds threw one of the key blocks on Gurley’s 71-yard touchdown run against San Francisco.

“I saw him zip by, blinked my eyes, and he was 30 yards down field,” Reynolds said. “So he just takes off.”

The vast majority of Reynolds’ playing time in the NFL has been on the right side — either right guard or right tackle — so he’s still getting used to playing on the other side in terms of footwork and balance.

“It’s something where you keep getting used to it,” Reynolds said.

Just like playing next to Robinson.

PFF

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2015/11/06/pro-top-10-rookie-of-the-year-candidates-entering-week-9/

Rob Havenstein, RT, St. Louis Rams: Havenstein is the most consistent of all the offensive tackles from the 2015 class.