I want to raise a question about the Rams future at LOT...

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Rams43

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We have Big Whit under contract through ‘19, of course, and he had a helluva ‘17 season although I thought he might have tapered off a little bit toward the end of it.

Rams don’t pick until #23 this year and I suspect that they might be picking even later in the future.

We all know that historically teams have found it difficult to find quality starting LOT’s after the 1st and certainly after the 2nd rounds.

This is considered a weak LOT class, so a quality player is unlikely to be there at #23.

It’s just a question of when, not if, that the Rams must have Whit’s replacement on board.

Some of the above are facts and some are opinions, although pretty widely held opinions.

What to do?

Question for discussion: Since Kromer is considered an extremely capable OL coach, is it not possible that he could leapfrog the league averages and still find and develop a LOT that could become Whit’s eventual replacement in our 3rd round or maybe even later?

Or via a FA that other coaches currently lightly regard? Like Sully at C last year? Or Woods at WR last year? A hidden gems kinda thing?

Or, heck, maybe even an adequate player already on our 63? A player that only Kromer sees the potential?

Maybe use the shotgun approach with our many 6th rounders?

Just putting this out there for discussion, but I will say this. Kromer deserves a TON of credit for correctly assessing our OL situation last year and advocating not drafting any OL players, offloading Barnes and GRob, and adding the likes of Whit and Sully. He literally turned chicken”stuff” into chicken salad in one offseason. I sure wouldn’t bet against him addressing our LOT situation, that’s for sure. Coaching matters,

What do y’all think?
 

Dieter the Brock

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Today is the day Kromer rose from the dead
Being crucified on a broken lawn chair.....
Oh wait....wrong Holiday
Yes GIVE Kromer what he needs to preach the word
That means bodies on the offensive line
All praise Rams Football 2018
 

BonifayRam

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Here's a future look into the more probable 2019 UFA Left Tackles. Snead might get a second chance to sign Jake Mathews or Taylor Lewan after he went with GRob & passed on those two back in 2014.

Jake Matthews LT Falcons
Ereck Flowers LT Giants
Taylor Lewan LT Titans
Cameron Erving LT Chiefs
Cedric Ogbuehi LT Bengals
DJ Humphries LT Cardinals
Donovan Smith LT Buccaneers
LaAdrian Waddle LT Patriots
Ty Sambrailo LT Falcons
Josh Wells LT Jaguars
Tyreek Burwell LT Colts
Kendall Lamm LT Texans
Corey Robinson LT Lions

LT's has a special skills & talent requirements from the RT's, LG's, RG's & OC's. Most of that comes from the magic genes @ birth. Coaching up third day draft selections is a very TALL order for even Kromer.
 

Merlin

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Their options....

1. Reach for a guy who might be able to develop into their LT at 23 or after a trade down.

2. Go get their guy next year's draft.
 

fearsomefour

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I would say draft two a year this year and next.
Could be a second round pick to a sixth round pick. Would start with trying to trade down from 23 this year unless there is a guy they feel is a binaries starter at 23 in a position if need.
 

Mackeyser

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Not sure, but we may have him on the roster.

Like the really tall guy 6’9”. Can’t remember his name.
 

RamsFanCK

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Hmmm...Draft one mid round this year who could be a diamond in the ruff, if he isn't then you got FA and next years draft to figure it out. Though I'm hoping we can get a solid rookie or hidden talent FA cause a high price LT next offseason sound harsh considering all those we need/want to resign (Joyner, looking to extend Gurley, AD, Havenstein, Kayvon, and Jamon Brown all top my list)

Knowing that Havenstein and Brown are on the last year of their contracts makes me hope we get it done before too long and Whit can hang on for 2 more years.
 

Loyal

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I asked this question a couple of months ago in a thread, and said then (and believe now), We will wait one year too long to get Whitt's replacement. Maybe McVay will shock the cr@p out of me and we will go LT high in the draft, but it seems we are going after wow players this offseason. Peters (wow), Talib (wow), Suh (wow), and maybe OBJ (wow, wow). If we get OBJ, there probably won't be a #23 pick to use, so we have to fill LB, edge rushers, and depth OLinemen with 3rd day players, mostly. We will be much better next year, so high 20's next year will make it hard to get one then? *smh....Looks like we are headed for a cliff in about 3 years (hope not)
 

RamsFanCK

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I asked this question a couple of months ago in a thread, and said then (and believe now), We will wait one year too long to get Whitt's replacement. Maybe McVay will shock the cr@p out of me and we will go LT high in the draft, but it seems we are going after wow players this offseason. Peters (wow), Talib (wow), Suh (wow), and maybe OBJ (wow, wow). If we get OBJ, there probably won't be a #23 pick to use, so we have to fill LB, edge rushers, and depth OLinemen with 3rd day players, mostly. We will be much better next year, so high 20's next year will make it hard to get one then? *smh....Looks like we are headed for a cliff in about 3 years (hope not)

Yeah, this cliff thing, it's been on my mind since I finished the first season of my madden Franchise.
 

pmil66

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Wanted to Rams to draft Jake Matthews over GRob. Production over Potential. Oh well.

One benefit the Rams will have with developing another LT, is that Whit sure looks like the type of player willing to work with younger players. He had a reputation of that in the past, even players who were being groomed for his spot. Also Rams can give lots of practice reps to a young LT, as Whit does not have a practice schedule as others do.
 

Corbin

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Their options....

1. Reach for a guy who might be able to develop into their LT at 23 or after a trade down.

2. Go get their guy next year's draft.
Starting to favor trading down with the Browns or someone similar and picking up another 2nd and drafting a LT there. Even if Landry is there. Might be more value at it and have him sit and learn from Whit. If we can have him good to go in 2020 for 10+ years that will be worth it. Then pick up best BPA with other 2nd.
 

So Ram

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We have Big Whit under contract through ‘19, of course, and he had a helluva ‘17 season although I thought he might have tapered off a little bit toward the end of it.

Rams don’t pick until #23 this year and I suspect that they might be picking even later in the future.

We all know that historically teams have found it difficult to find quality starting LOT’s after the 1st and certainly after the 2nd rounds.

This is considered a weak LOT class, so a quality player is unlikely to be there at #23.

It’s just a question of when, not if, that the Rams must have Whit’s replacement on board.

Some of the above are facts and some are opinions, although pretty widely held opinions.

What to do?

Question for discussion: Since Kromer is considered an extremely capable OL coach, is it not possible that he could leapfrog the league averages and still find and develop a LOT that could become Whit’s eventual replacement in our 3rd round or maybe even later?

Or via a FA that other coaches currently lightly regard? Like Sully at C last year? Or Woods at WR last year? A hidden gems kinda thing?

Or, heck, maybe even an adequate player already on our 63? A player that only Kromer sees the potential?

Maybe use the shotgun approach with our many 6th rounders?

Just putting this out there for discussion, but I will say this. Kromer deserves a TON of credit for correctly assessing our OL situation last year and advocating not drafting any OL players, offloading Barnes and GRob, and adding the likes of Whit and Sully. He literally turned chicken”stuff” into chicken salad in one offseason. I sure wouldn’t bet against him addressing our LOT situation, that’s for sure. Coaching matters,

What do y’all think?

To me it was Kroner getting rid of Andrew Donnell & finding Austin Blythe who came in & never was a noticeable weakness.
 

Adi

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Draft a guy in mid rounds this year, wait for another free agent veteran next season...a lot safer to buy veterans than it is to draft first round linemen
 

Malibu

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Tough spot I vote for drafting 2 lower in the draft. If we can get to the supSuperb with this talent we will be a FA destination for the top FAs next year. After reviewing the current top 5 outside of Brown I do not like any for different reasons. Brown not in the first though.
 

nighttrain

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Good chance our future starting LT is currently playing on another NFL team.
train
 
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BonifayRam

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Good chance our future starting LT is currently playing on another NFL team.
train
Snead by now should have learned something about finding good fits in his OL. Snead used some serious Ram team assets to acquire a starting LT with the number 2 overall draft selection. That amounts to 2600 draft value points that never paid any dividends on the field. Snead also should remember he used four of his 2015 draft selections on OL'ers only two have paid any dividends at this point. So he went 50% in that event.

Snead's THREE best starting OL'ers in 2017 season, have been secured by signing them in Free agency. These three were well seasoned starters in their past when he signed them. So he is 100% on securing starting OL'ers in FA'cy. Not a bad record in OL FA'cy. Now when Snead reflects on his pass working history in this area.... think Snead will recall his record finding OL starters using the draft? or think maybe I will find a healthy veteran UFA starters by other means?

A brief history of Snead's team drafting abilities in securing good OL'ers since 2012 here with the Rams is not a bright record but may be close to the norm in overall NFL. Snead has drafted NINE OL'ers only two have had any success starting .Boudreau might have had something to do with that too. Havenstein & Browns were 2nd day draft choices. Rams only have one of them in this upcoming draft. Maybe our third #87 selection is being tuned for a swing OT?

Most here in this forum have voiced they have great faith in our new OL coach Kromer that he will be able to change the poor Rams recent past in finding good starting OL'ers on the third day of the draft.:notsure:
 
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Elmgrovegnome

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If the take a Left Tackle to groom to start and he doesn’t start until Whitworth’s contract is up, then they will only have two years of control once he starts and if the guy is any good, they will be in a bidding war for his talents.
 

RamsFanCK

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If the take a Left Tackle to groom to start and he doesn’t start until Whitworth’s contract is up, then they will only have two years of control once he starts and if the guy is any good, they will be in a bidding war for his talents.

That's something I haven't thought about. What's your ideal plan in all of this?
 

Elmgrovegnome

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That's something I haven't thought about. What's your ideal plan in all of this?

Draft a left tackle in 2019 or 2020.

They may draft a right tackle or right guard this year if they expect Brown and Havenstein to cost too much in free agency next winter. Or maybe if they don’t like one of them that much. Thy did try to swap the two of them last summer. So there is something that they felt wasn’t optimal.