Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › who’s at center
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August 29, 2024 at 6:32 pm #151992
znModeratorJourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigueRams have gotten a long look at Jonah Jackson at center in his return to action. Sean McVay says they’re leaning toward Jackson at C and Steve Avila at LG to try to get the best combo on the field that they can for the opener..I have been asking about this behind the scenes since Houston, FWIW. Credentialed media cannot report position changes etc until addressed on the record. But I think this *possible* one merits a context thread…give me a sec..OK. So. Multiple things are true. – Rams have been talking to Jackson about his comfort level at C since he started ramping up to return. – This is in part because they are either depleted or coming right off injuries at LT and RT, and Jackson himself (shoulder). They worked,with Avila all spring on learning C – with a healthy line – and then began mixing in other players at C and LG combos when they got more clarity on other timelines. I have previously reported this (Limmer C, a day or so of Thomas at G/Steve C). – This has nothing to do with how.Steve was doing at C. They way they see it, they have two G/Cs right now in case of injuries after horror show of ‘22 season. Steve may well still be their C eventually. – BUT. They are missing starting LT. And not only is Steve a stellar LG who can help that side, a huge part.of Rams offense both in run game and screen game works best when that LG can move in space – watch Steve last year and how well he moves. There’s some protection naturally embedded here on the left side in that regard. Not about demoting “back” to LG – but getting best inside.combo with the tackles in big time question. – No, I’d totally agree, it’s really not ideal to be still messing w combos this late. But neither are injuries, and that is their reality right now. And this is not “Thursday before opener” move. Has been happening – just had to get.more context + coach on record in order to report. Not everything is clear at once in this sport. – We’ll see how it goes! McVay likes Jackson’s confidence there so far. Game reps will tell. – Steve compared it to me like Madden, increasing overall grade vs moving players w.high grades only to drop overall for sake of one player position increase (I take his word for it – I don’t play haha).August 29, 2024 at 6:46 pm #151993znModeratorRams Bros.@RamsBrothersJonah Jackson has played every interior offensive line position at a high level throughout his collegiate and professional career. Avila dominated last year at LG and played the most snaps out of any player on the Rams’ roster. They’ll. Be. Fine.August 29, 2024 at 9:03 pm #151994
InvaderRamModeratorfrom what rodrigue is saying it seems like more about confidence in his ability to play lg than anything to do with a lack of confidence in his ability to play c.
August 29, 2024 at 9:17 pm #151995InvaderRamModeratormaybe this is an indication of how much they value limmer? so if jackson gets injured again much easier to plug limmer right in as opposed to switching avila back to lg and then plugging limmer in at center?
August 29, 2024 at 9:36 pm #151996znModeratorfrom what rodrigue is saying it seems like more about confidence in his ability to play lg than anything to do with a lack of confidence in his ability to play c.
I don’t know if it even has anything to do with Avila, other than this. They need their left guard to run a lot, and Avila is healthy while Jackson is coming off of injuries. Maybe that’s it? (?)
September 2, 2024 at 6:43 pm #152040znModeratorBlaine Grisak @bgrisakTSTfind it interesting that the Rams opted to move Steve Avila back to left guard after signing Jonah Jackson and wonder if that is long-term. Prior to Creed Humphrey’s extension, Jackson’s $17M/yr. would have reset the center market.September 4, 2024 at 10:27 pm #152065znModeratorJourdan Rodrigue, from:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5738891/2024/09/04/los-angeles-rams-observations-preview-week-1/?source=emp_shared_articleOffensive line concerns
The position the Rams put so much money into this spring is in question out of the gate because of injuries and left tackle Alaric Jackson’s suspension. With more help needed on the left side in the interim, coaches moved Steve Avila back to left guard early last week and installed Jonah Jackson at center (where Avila had been working since the spring). I started asking into this topic with sources in Houston at joint practices, when I spotted rookie center Beaux Limmer also getting a shot with the first-team. There’s no complaint about Avila’s play at center. No, this is all about figuring out how best to help vulnerable positions (left and right tackle) with Alaric Jackson and possibly Rob Havenstein out and which combinations work best in that regard. Jonah Jackson wasn’t back from a shoulder injury when Limmer repped in, which is why the Rams couldn’t test him at center until last week. But this has been in discussion since the two tackles respectively hurt their ankles (and reiterated when the Rams received news of the suspension). Jackson told me on Monday that he’s been trying to get back to playing center, which he calls a “natural” position for him, for a little while now and hopes to seize this as an opportunity.
My suspicion, too, is that Avila’s return to left guard is in part motivated by how much of the screen game he activates — he is truly gifted in that phase — combined with the fact that keeping that element in the playbook also helps counter pressure. Is it ideal to be shuffling this much so close to the season opener in Detroit? No. But injuries and absences aren’t, either, and my read of all of this is that the Rams are trying to make the best of an already tough situation.
Havenstein was able to take part in at least some of the individual drills Monday, but head coach Sean McVay wasn’t sure at that time whether he can play Sunday night and said they would use every day they have to determine that.
Speaking of which …
One under-the-radar offensive line story from camp? Logan Bruss, the oft-injured and embattled former third-round draft pick, finally seems to have put things together. One of my favorite moments of camp was after the first preseason game, when I caught Bruss smiling and dancing to practice music as the offensive line stretched and warmed up. I don’t think I’d seen Bruss smile at practice in his first two years in Los Angeles. His growing confidence is apparent, and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur took notice, too.
“He just hasn’t stopped. When it looked like it maybe was not going to work out for him, and he knows that, he just kept pushing through and those are the really cool ones right there, where you’re not sure. The player’s not sure,” said LaFleur. “Which you never want as a coach to see a player have to go through that. For him to just keep battling last year behind the scenes (and) on the practice squad, doing it in the scout team fashion then to be able to get his opportunities.”
Bruss has backed up Kevin Dotson at right guard.
September 4, 2024 at 10:42 pm #152068znModeratorLook at this paragraph.
Classic Rodrigue.
My suspicion, too, is that Avila’s return to left guard is in part motivated by how much of the screen game he activates — he is truly gifted in that phase — combined with the fact that keeping that element in the playbook also helps counter pressure. Is it ideal to be shuffling this much so close to the season opener in Detroit? No. But injuries and absences aren’t, either, and my read of all of this is that the Rams are trying to make the best of an already tough situation.
That’s a pretty nuanced take. But it’s also crystal clear, and reading it just feels like you’re just chatting with her over lunch. Meanwhile it’s also perceptive and lucid, and entirely based on being a good football observer.
She’s both too good for us 😎 AND what we as fans have always deserved.
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