Analysis: Previewing the interior offensive line position battles

[ROD-BOT]

Analysis: Previewing the interior offensive line position battles

TheRams.com wraps up its position battle preview series examining the competition along the interior of the offensive line.

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Analysis: Previewing the interior offensive line position battles

Heading into this year's NFL draft, the perception outside Rams headquarters was that the offensive line should be addressed. They did, but not until the seventh round.

Surprising as it probably was to many pundits whose projections had Los Angeles taking a different direction, that approach seemed to indicate L.A. was comfortable sticking with last year's group to further their development.

That approach has also created strong competition – specifically at center and both guard spots.

Here is a look at the candidates for those spots on Los Angeles' current roster, listed in alphabetical order:

Brian Allen

Experience: Two seasons

Notes: Allen was the Rams' starting center for the first nine games until a Week 10 knee injury at Pittsburgh cost him the rest of the 2019 season. After overcoming that setback and a COVID-19 infection earlier this offseason, he is now healthy, has not had any lingering effects of the virus and is practicing without any restrictions. Including his rookie season in 2018, Allen has played in 16 career games.

Tremayne Anchrum Jr.

Experience: Rookie

Notes: Though he started at tackle for Clemson, he spent the Tigers' bowl practices getting reps at guard – where he's projected to play as a Ram.

Austin Blythe

Experience: Four seasons (three with the Rams)

Notes: Blythe began the 2019 season as L.A.'s starting right guard, then moved to left after Joe Noteboom's season-ending knee injury in Week 6, then center after Brian Allen's season-ending knee injury in Week 10. Blythe has missed only one regular season game since joining the Rams in 2017.

Cohl Cabral

Experience: Rookie

Notes: An undrafted free agent signee out of Arizona State, Cabral showcased durability during his college career by starting 38-straight games from his sophomore year onward.

Austin Corbett

Experience: Two seasons (One with the Rams)

Notes: The No. 33 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Corbett started each of the final seven games of the Rams' 2019 season at left guard after Blythe shifted to center.
Jamil Demby

Experience: One season

Notes: Demby appeared in five of L.A.'s first six games in 2019, then was inactive for the remainder of the season. When Blythe sprained his ankle during the Rams' Week 3 game against the Saints, Demby replaced him at right guard.

David Edwards

Experience: One season

Notes: Edwards started at left guard in Weeks 7 and 8 last season, then moved to right guard. He appeared in all 16 games as a rookie, starting in 10 of them.

Bobby Evans

Experience: One season

Notes: Evans handled the Rams' starting right tackle job in place of an injured Rob Havenstein after Havenstein suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 10 at Pittsburgh. While Evans is listed as a tackle, Rams general manager Les Snead after the 2019 season said that he's also capable of playing guard.

Jeremiah Kolone

Experience: One season

Notes: A 2019 undrafted free agent signee, Kolone spent his rookie season on the team's practice squad.
Joe Noteboom

Experience: Two seasons

Notes: Noteboom started at left guard last season until suffering a season-ending knee injury against the 49ers in Week 6. Including those six contests he played in prior to the setback, he has played in 22 career games entering his third season.

Coleman

Experience: One season

Notes: Signed to the active roster prior to the start of the 2019 regular season, Shelton appeared in 11 games in his first season in Los Angeles, mainly getting special teams snaps. He returned for his second after being tendered as one of the team's two exclusive rights free agents.

 

[BonifayRam]

The 2020 Interior OL prospects are far better than @ anytime since the Snead/McVay/Kromer/Dickerson era.

As most all know I am convinced that the 2 starting OG's from the later half of the 2019 season (Edwards/Corbett) will be our best starters in 2020. In addition, I tend to think the initial top three 2019 early OG's (Blythe/ Noteboom/ Demby) will not be involved in these two posts this season.

Rams lost their top reserve OG Chandler Brewer due to COVID-19. Kromer really needs one of his OC prospects to take a big step up not only at OC but @ both OG posts. I am not sure he has one capable of being a long term starter @ OG if there were injuries. We have seen many sport writers including Noteboom being involved with OG competition but IMO zero chance of that. I see Noteboom being groomed to be the starting LT in 2021. Taking up most all the mantle of TC & preseason @ the LT post.

Kromer has 2 real OG reserve prospects in Jeremiah Kolone & drafted rookie Tremayne Anchrum. I just do not see Jamil Demby being a bona fide NFL OL'er. I believe that Anchrum will win out the top reserve OG position.

The starting OC post sure appears to be Blythe's to lose. Rams have 3 additional OC's here to push Blythe. *First top competition is Allen, who has very few fans here @ ROD but I would not write him off like many have. *2nd is Shelton dressed for 10 games as our top OC reserve. Shelton is in his first Ram TC currently & his 3rd NFL training camp, so he has an opportunity to showcase what he has built up & learned since he entered the NFL in 2018 as a UDFA. This is his 4th NFL team. *3rd is new UDFA Cohl Cabral this 6-5/305 former starting LT is a very interesting prospect.

The five starters will be Whit & Hav @ OT, Edwards & Corbett @ OG & Blythe @ OC. #6-reserve being Noteboom, #7-Evans, #8-Allen, #9-Anchrum & #10-Shelton.

 

[Ram65]

I believe that Anchrum will win out the top reserve OG position.

The five starters will be Whit & Hav @ OT, Edwards & Corbett @ OG & Blythe @ OC. #6-reserve being Noteboom, #7-Evans, #8-Allen, #9-Anchrum & #10-Shelton.

I'm not that high on Anchrum. I think goes to the PS. The rest look right on.

 

[Rams43]

The 2020 Interior OL prospects are far better than @ anytime since the Snead/McVay/Kromer/Dickerson era.

As most all know I am convinced that the 2 starting OG's from the later half of the 2019 season (Edwards/Corbett) will be our best starters in 2020. In addition, I tend to think the initial top three 2019 early OG's (Blythe/ Noteboom/ Demby) will not be involved in these two posts this season.

Rams lost their top reserve OG Chandler Brewer due to COVID-19. Kromer really needs one of his OC prospects to take a big step up not only at OC but @ both OG posts. I am not sure he has one capable of being a long term starter @ OG if there were injuries. We have seen many sport writers including Noteboom being involved with OG competition but IMO zero chance of that. I see Noteboom being groomed to be the starting LT in 2021. Taking up most all the mantle of TC & preseason @ the LT post.

Kromer has 2 real OG reserve prospects in Jeremiah Kolone & drafted rookie Tremayne Anchrum. I just do not see Jamil Demby being a bona fide NFL OL'er. I believe that Anchrum will win out the top reserve OG position.

The starting OC post sure appears to be Blythe's to lose. Rams have 3 additional OC's here to push Blythe. *First top competition is Allen, who has very few fans here @ ROD but I would not write him off like many have. *2nd is Shelton dressed for 10 games as our top OC reserve. Shelton is in his first Ram TC currently & his 3rd NFL training camp, so he has an opportunity to showcase what he has built up & learned since he entered the NFL in 2018 as a UDFA. This is his 4th NFL team. *3rd is new UDFA Cohl Cabral this 6-5/305 former starting LT is a very interesting prospect.

The five starters will be Whit & Hav @ OT, Edwards & Corbett @ OG & Blythe @ OC. #6-reserve being Noteboom, #7-Evans, #8-Allen, #9-Anchrum & #10-Shelton.

Your take makes a TON of sense to me, Bonifay. As usual...

Kromer May have found a winning combo of starters here for ‘20. I see potential for at least an average OL with those 5 projected starters. Maybe a bit better than average, tbh.

After this season he will probably know what to do at C and LOT, not to mention RT for ‘21. With that knowledge he and the Rams can act accordingly.

 

[BonifayRam]

I'm not that high on Anchrum. I think goes to the PS. The rest look right on.

If Anchrum is not the swing reserve OG then who do you think will be "That Guy" if Corbett or Edwards were to be injured?

Now that Noteboom appears @ this point in time to be moving past his injury & taking up practices ....... Bobby Evans should be getting some serious work @ both the RT (behind Hav) & RG (behind Edwards) posts. Evans left side 2019 pre-season performances were deplorable in comparison to his right side snaps. Evans might do okay @ RG after what we saw from him in his 7 starts @ RT (481 snaps) last season but LG remains a big question. You & I need to pay special attention to this in what few pre-season gms we get a chance to watch & then hope we get a chance to see Evans get OG snaps with this offense.

Naturally what will happen with Evans later this season all depends on Hav's performance

Good Saturday Afternoon Rams43
.......After this season he will probably know what to do at C and LOT, not to mention RT for ‘21. With that knowledge he and the Rams can act accordingly.

Yes...... Kromer is sure to have listed the goal high with McVay this off season .....of finding a future starting center from what he has now excluding the UFA Blythe. That means developing/grooming one of the three reserve centers Allen/ Shelton or Cabral this season.

The LT post might still be duo of Noteboom & Whitworth even next season 2021, so I am not too concerned but a 2021 draft selection on the 2nd day for an LT is sure to be very high on the list of needs.

IMO the Rams have the RT post fully covered for the next few seasons.....with Havenstein/ Evans/ Edwards & Tremayne Anchrum as an emergency RT signed for the next 3 seasons.

 

[hotanez]

Having a starting interior line of Corbett, Blythe and Edwards looks very weak in the run game and probably below average in pass protection I really like Edwards as a starter but Blythe needs to play better and stay healthy, but he's very smart. Corbett is below average in my eyes, he sucks in the run game. Hope Blythe and Corbett prove me wrong.

 

[BonifayRam]

It would be great if Bobby Evans was able to become a solid versatile RG/LG/RT for this 2020 Ram OL.

Bobby Evans looks to prove that the LA Rams made a good choice in not drafting more competition

LA needs some better play at multiple offensive line positions, can Evans prove he’s worthy of a starting role?

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*Evans is at his best mauling in the run game and could end up inside, but his length (343⁄4-inch arms) mitigates his lack of elite athleticism and gives him a chance to stay at tackle.

*ran a 5.2 in the 40-yard dash, and did 22 reps on the bench. Evans was listed among the guards, his projected NFL position, and he was tied for fourth-fastest in the 40, but his reps were towards the bottom of those who did the bench, and he didn’t participate in any other drills. He is roughly the same height, weight, and speed of Zack Martin, but also plenty of players who aren’t great.

*What Evans did gain perhaps was a little bit of that length he desired: 34.75” arms. That may give him an edge necessary to maybe compete at right tackle at the next level

*a solid, pulling run blocker

*Les Snead was most excited about his versatility when he selected Evans. “We still needed depth, so that’s where we added Evans tonight. And he’s the guy who’s played right and left tackle for Oklahoma, and as you know, Aaron Kromer – he’s going to slide him in at left guard and right guard, too. So, there’s some versatility there

*Evans was a) considered a project who needed time to develop and instead started seven ‘OK’ games and b) has probably always been more of an NFL guard than a tackle.

*Kromer, McVay, and Snead had hope at the time of Evans’ selection for him to be a potential starting left or right guard anyway.

 

[Ram65]

If Anchrum is not the swing reserve OG then who do you think will be "That Guy" if Corbett or Edwards were to be injured?

Now that Noteboom appears @ this point in time to be moving past his injury & taking up practices ....... Bobby Evans should be getting some serious work @ both the RT (behind Hav) & RG (behind Edwards) posts. Evans left side 2019 pre-season performances were deplorable in comparison to his right side snaps. Evans might do okay @ RG after what we saw from him in his 7 starts @ RT (481 snaps) last season but LG remains a big question. You & I need to pay special attention to this in what few pre-season gms we get a chance to watch & then hope we get a chance to see Evans get OG snaps with this offense.

Naturally what will happen with Evans later this season all depends on Hav's performance

Evans gets the RT backup and maybe RG as well. Edwards could go back over to LG if Corbett gets hurt. If Edwards goes out they could move Blythe over to RG and have Allen back at OC. That will depend on how they see Evans at RG vs. moving Blythe over to RG with Allen back at OC. Noteboom gets the LT backup and maybe LG. Shelton is an OC but maybe he can play OG. He has some good size and is good in the run game.

 

[So Ram]

Los Angeles Rams 90-Man Roster Preview: Guard Jeremiah Kolone

The Los Angeles Rams have one of the most competitive rosters in recent memory this season. That makes roster spots extremely difficult to come by. This is espe

www.downtownrams.com

Well - this report is wrong. Maybe by years of service,but J. Kolone has been on The Rams roster for 2 seasons already with Allen,Noteboom, & Demby. He put in some work at Center .after last seasons OTA’s

 

[BonifayRam]

Evans gets the RT backup and maybe RG as well. Edwards could go back over to LG if Corbett gets hurt. If Edwards goes out they could move Blythe over to RG and have Allen back at OC. That will depend on how they see Evans at RG vs. moving Blythe over to RG with Allen back at OC. Noteboom gets the LT backup and maybe LG. Shelton is an OC but maybe he can play OG. He has some good size and is good in the run game.

OL Bobby Evans could really seal himself a long term deal here with the Rams if he can demonstrate the good ability to be the Rams Reserve Swing OG this season along with the preferred RT back up to Hav in addition to being the emergency back @ LT. This permits Noteboom to dedicate himself primarily to the all important LT post with Whitworth.

I would not confine the 6-4/299 OL'er Coleman Shelton to the center post alone. Shelton is the only OL'er in Washington Huskies history to start multiple games at every position along their OL! His last 2 seasons for the Huskies he was the starting left-handed center. He played every game for four straight seasons playing an impressive 50 games as a Husky.

However, Shelton now in his 3rd TC & soon preseason must show that his previous lack of strength & lacking the power to latch and control the action is now in his distant past. If he has not put in the time in the weight room, then he stands a very good chance not to make the master roster. I say this based on Shelton's new 2020 competition from a tough stronger Brian Allen 6-1/305 & Jeremiah Kolone 6-3/316 plus new additions of much stronger & powerful OL'ers in swing OG/RT Tremayne Anchrum 6-2/315& interior OG/OC Cohl Cabral 6-5/305.