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Rob Havenstein knew something was up when he got the call, but the news could have been worse
By VINCENT BONSIGNORE
Rob Havenstein knew something was up when he got called into the Rams hierarchy offices shortly after the conclusion of last season and the hiring of new head coach Sean McVay.
After concluding his second year as the Rams starting right tackle, the young lineman from Wisconsin had starter clout and a positive film foundation going for him. But with a new coach and a new vision and only a pair of seasons playing on one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, Havenstein was taking nothing for granted upon getting the call to come meet with the new staff.
And he braced for whatever the news might be.
Turns out McVay and his staff wanted to move Havenstein from right tackle to right guard. It was a dramatic change – from a position standpoint – but it also resulted in a sigh of relief from Havenstein.
After all, sliding over a few feet to his left is a whole lot different than packing his belongings and moving to Green Bay or Jacksonville or the waiver wire,
“They wanted to me to move to guard rather than going somewhere else,” a relieved Havenstein remembered. “I was like, anywhere I can play anywhere I can help I’m for it. Me not having played guard before doesn’t matter. I’m taking the same approach.”
And as he gets acclimated to his new position, he understands it’s in the same world he’s used to.
“I’m still playing offensive line. I’m not playing the X Receiver position or anything,” he pointed out, laughing. “It’s just a little bit different, but as they approached me I was very receptive. If that’s how they felt I could help the team, I’m 100 percent in.”
Nevertheless, there are subtle differences in the two positions. And misconceptions can result to the uneducated eye.Like, say, what might look as the guard position being more attack oriented and the tackle spot more reactionary.
Aggression, Havenstein says, is constant in both positions even if it might not look like it on film.
It’s all in the assignment. And it’s a fine line.
‘“Whether we want to go out and get on guys or we got slide help or something like that, or a double team or we’re kinda on our own, it’s just going to be where we can control our aggression,” he said. “Where we can be aggressive and know we have help and go after guys, or we can still be aggressive but we can’t over do it where we get beat right away and we’re kind of (screwed). So, tackle (to) guard, things are just going to happen faster. It might look more aggressive because, let’s say me and (Jamon Brown) are going against someone, I’m going to get on him way faster than JB is on (someone like) Robert Quinn running up field as fast as he can, which is pretty darn fast. So it’s gonna happen for me a lot faster then it might look – like I’m being more aggressive – but the actual (way we’re being taught) it’s about when we can control it and when we have help.”
[www.ocregister.com]
By VINCENT BONSIGNORE
Rob Havenstein knew something was up when he got called into the Rams hierarchy offices shortly after the conclusion of last season and the hiring of new head coach Sean McVay.
After concluding his second year as the Rams starting right tackle, the young lineman from Wisconsin had starter clout and a positive film foundation going for him. But with a new coach and a new vision and only a pair of seasons playing on one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, Havenstein was taking nothing for granted upon getting the call to come meet with the new staff.
And he braced for whatever the news might be.
Turns out McVay and his staff wanted to move Havenstein from right tackle to right guard. It was a dramatic change – from a position standpoint – but it also resulted in a sigh of relief from Havenstein.
After all, sliding over a few feet to his left is a whole lot different than packing his belongings and moving to Green Bay or Jacksonville or the waiver wire,
“They wanted to me to move to guard rather than going somewhere else,” a relieved Havenstein remembered. “I was like, anywhere I can play anywhere I can help I’m for it. Me not having played guard before doesn’t matter. I’m taking the same approach.”
And as he gets acclimated to his new position, he understands it’s in the same world he’s used to.
“I’m still playing offensive line. I’m not playing the X Receiver position or anything,” he pointed out, laughing. “It’s just a little bit different, but as they approached me I was very receptive. If that’s how they felt I could help the team, I’m 100 percent in.”
Nevertheless, there are subtle differences in the two positions. And misconceptions can result to the uneducated eye.Like, say, what might look as the guard position being more attack oriented and the tackle spot more reactionary.
Aggression, Havenstein says, is constant in both positions even if it might not look like it on film.
It’s all in the assignment. And it’s a fine line.
‘“Whether we want to go out and get on guys or we got slide help or something like that, or a double team or we’re kinda on our own, it’s just going to be where we can control our aggression,” he said. “Where we can be aggressive and know we have help and go after guys, or we can still be aggressive but we can’t over do it where we get beat right away and we’re kind of (screwed). So, tackle (to) guard, things are just going to happen faster. It might look more aggressive because, let’s say me and (Jamon Brown) are going against someone, I’m going to get on him way faster than JB is on (someone like) Robert Quinn running up field as fast as he can, which is pretty darn fast. So it’s gonna happen for me a lot faster then it might look – like I’m being more aggressive – but the actual (way we’re being taught) it’s about when we can control it and when we have help.”
[www.ocregister.com]
