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The Rams have an important (albeit under the radar) decision to make for their OL two-deep this summer: Continue with more veteran depth, or take a chance on promising newcomers/developing young players? https://t.co/IoNnKZM0uj
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) July 13, 2022
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Rams position preview: Big shoes to fill along offensive line, developing depth
The Los Angeles Rams report to training camp at the end of July. In the weeks leading up to the return of football, we’re taking a position-by-position look at the team, so we can tide you over with football tidbits until we get there. Previously, we talked about quarterbacks. Today, we’re talking about the Rams’ offensive line.
Although the Rams sensibly worked through the earliest days of free agency this spring to solidify their offensive line — extending left tackle Joe Noteboom and center Brian Allen — it became clear that however they braced themselves for the inevitable retirement of stalwart left tackle Andrew Whitworth, the reverberations of him doing so would be felt long after he made his decision.
Minus Whitworth, Noteboom will step into the role he was drafted for in 2018 — but which was delayed as Whitworth, well, simply kept going. Whitworth, who head coach Sean McVay says has an “open invitation” to the team’s facilities (he’s already been to a couple of spring practices), was a major chunk of the backbone of the Rams’ culture — a culture that contains others who are ready to lead (such as right tackle Rob Havenstein), but that which will also have to develop in new ways.
Taking over for Whitworth is perhaps an unenviable task for Noteboom — and at one of football’s most unenviable positions — but it’s clear that Noteboom has put a great deal of consideration into his preparations to do so. Even last summer, Havenstein pulled me aside before a practice and told me that the group was really proud of how Noteboom had transformed his body, working long hours in Whitworth’s own garage weight room (nicknamed “The Dojo”). At that time, Noteboom was filling a quiet depth role. This summer, he must be ready for much more.
Additions: Logan Bruss, AJ Arcuri
Subtractions: Whitworth, Austin Corbett
From left: AJ Arcuri, Rob Havenstein and Logan Bruss (Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today)
Whitworth isn’t the only offensive lineman whose presence the Rams will miss: Corbett, their former cheerful (and massive) right guard, signed with the Panthers in free agency and will become a core presence on that embattled line. The Rams knew they’d have to part ways with Corbett if they also were going to invest in Noteboom (among other large-scale contract considerations this spring), and he’ll net them an eventual compensatory pick. Meanwhile, Bruss will compete with Coleman Shelton and Tremayne Anchrum to take over at the position.
Depth chart: Noteboom, David Edwards, Allen, Bruss, Havenstein. AJ Jackson (left tackle, guard), Anchrum (guard/tackle), Shelton (center/guard), Arcuri (tackle).
I have Bruss, the Rams’ third-round pick this spring, slotted into the right guard position because head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead made it very clear that they expect Bruss to contribute immediately, however, Shelton or Anchrum could absolutely also play the position. This particular projected two-deep offers the Rams position flexibility, but also gives up-and-coming players a chance to compete and really develop with valuable reps.
There are other more veteran players — Chandler Brewer and Bobby Evans, for example — who will still compete for a spot on the two-deep. But this summer, the team has to make a decision whether it should keep the older players in continued depth roles, or pave the way for younger players to get a larger share of the reps. Expanded practice squad rules (including for veteran players) will also help the Rams manage this situation. They can also keep Max Pircher on the practice squad without costing a spot, as a part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program.
Arcuri, despite his seventh-rounder status, might be a player to watch over the next couple of years. His frame is massive — in fact, he reminds me quite a bit of Havenstein — but his development will be key.
2022 outlook: There’s a lot of promise in this group, albeit large shoes to fill at left tackle and right guard minus Whitworth and Corbett. But in 2021, the Rams’ offensive line faced uncertainty at center and still posted one of their best seasons as a group in the McVay era. Under blossoming assistant coach Kevin Carberry, this group can be very good for a long time … provided they stay healthy. Noteboom and Allen have both dealt with serious injuries in past years.
Long-term outlook: The Rams hope they’ve found their next franchise left tackle in Noteboom, but the development of their youngest linemen can’t be overlooked, either. Anchrum and Shelton appear ready to take on more prominent roles while Jackson, Arcuri and Bruss could mature into important players in the future.
from The NFL’s top 12 interior defensive linemen: https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/nfl-best-defensive-tackles-aaron-donald-jeffery-simmons-cameron-heyward/
1. Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
<p id=”caption-attachment-174027″ class=”wp-caption-text”>With 43 seconds left in Super Bowl LVI, the Rams had a 23-20 lead, but the Bengals had the ball at the Los Angeles 49-yard line. Someone needed to make a play to wrap up the second Super Bowl win in franchise history, and head coach Sean McVay had a pretty good idea who that someone needed to be.This doesn’t confirm any predictive abilities on McVay’s part; when you have Aaron Donald on your defense, making plays is part of the program all the time. And as usual, the NFL’s best defensive player lived up to the reputation. No IDL had more sacks than Donald’s 19, nobody had more quarterback hits than his 15, nobody had more quarterback hurries than his 75 (Chris Jones ranked second with 57), and the fact that Donald also led the league among IDLs with 58 stops tells you all you need to know about the occasional and ridiculous canard that he can’t stop the run. Aaron Donald can do whatever he wants; it’s his world, and the rest of the NFL is just paying homage.
We could pick from all kinds of plays indicating just how dominant Donald is, but there are few better reps than this sack against the Cardinals in Week 14. Donald is lined up angled outside right guard Max Garcia. At the snap, Donald pushes Garcia into quarterback Kyler Murray, who tries to bail out of the damage, but simply falls down and braces for the inevitable.
If you want to know how well Donald plays the run, you can ask Elijah Mitchell of the 49ers, who had to deal with Donald jumping three gaps on a stunt to create a one-yard loss in Week 18.
Donald made some nebulous noise about retirement after he won his first ring, but the Rams wisely put an end to that with a three-year, $95 million contract re-do that makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the history of professional football.
Because we are not quarterbacks, running backs, or offensive linemen, we can say that we’re very happy to see more of Aaron Donald over the next few years. It’s not exaggeration or cliché to say that we won’t see his like again for a very long time.
from
Every NFL team’s most underrated player heading into 2022
Los Angeles Rams: C Brian Allen
<p id=”caption-attachment-90900″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports</p>At this point last year, Allen appeared destined for another year as a backup. But thanks to a strong showing in training camp, he regained his starting role. And last season, he played the best football of his career, even being selected as a Pro Bowl alternate. Yet, he’s still the Rams’ most underrated player on a team filled with stars. His chemistry with Matthew Stafford and work in pass protection made a huge difference for the Rams, and he was well-deserving of the extension he signed this offseason. The Rams should feel good about the center position for years to come with Allen operating in the middle. – Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire
