NFL execs’ biggest worry for the 2019 Los Angeles Rams? The offensive line.

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Riverumbbq

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The Athletic’s Mike Sando talked to NFC execs to look at every team’s biggest structural concern. For the Rams, it’s the big boys up front.

By 3k@3k_ Sep 4, 2019, 12:37pm CDT

(l to r) Los Angeles Rams C John Sullivan, RT Rob Havenstein and LT Andrew Whitworth take the field prior to a game against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5, Oct. 8, 2017.


(l to r) Los Angeles Rams C John Sullivan, RT Rob Havenstein and LT Andrew Whitworth take the field prior to a game against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5, Oct. 8, 2017. Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

The Athletic’s Mike Sando has a great piece up today on the concern for each NFL team as highlighted by NFC executives that he’s talked to.
Some of them are pretty obvious.
For the Cleveland Browns, it’s that the offseason hype and the rebarbative personalities (hello, Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham, Jr.) might be too much for Freddie Kitchens in his first year as head coach. For the San Francisco 49ers? Health especially with QB Healthy Reportedlycoming back. The New England Patriots? Well...it has to end eventually. Not sure when or how...but it has to.

For our Los Angeles Rams though, the concern is that the offensive line might regress with two new starters and LT Andrew Whitworth hitting 38-years old after Week 14 this season:
The worry: The offensive line and Todd Gurley aren’t quite as good, leading to regression on offense.
“Every offense gets exposed to some degree when playing from behind, but it’s exaggerated with that offense, because they are so reliant on play-action and their tackles don’t have quick feet. We saw it in the Super Bowl. Now, you lose Rodger Saffold, a top-10 guard. You wonder if Andrew Whitworth finally hits the wall at 37. Gurley has the knee. I do think (Darrell) Henderson could be one of the steals of the draft who could have an Alvin Kamara-type year, which would obviously be big.”

It’s obviously a fair concern, and the Rams aren’t without a few. But there’s plenty of reason for optimism here too. Last year’s line was one of the best in the league and the best Rams line in memory winning the 2018 Built Ford Tough Offensive Line of the Year award. While there are two new starters, bringing three members back from the award-winning line is hardly a rebuild. And there’s reason to afford Offensive Line Coach/Run Game Coordinator/Co-Offensive Coordinator Aaron Kromer a benefit of the doubt given the job he’s done developing this line over the last two years.

Five reasons to be confident and five reasons to be concerned for the 2019 Rams

RG Austin Blythe went from being a the roster fringe on the Indianapolis Colts in 2016 to a reserve role on the Rams in 2017 to a starting gig in 2018. To get that kind of development from a seventh-round pick who didn’t even spend his rookie season with you is a pretty strong bullet for Kromer. Having had a whole year to train up new starting LG Joseph Noteboom and C Brian Allen is at least a leg up on the transition.
If anything, this just reaffirms the strength of the position the Rams are in going into the season. The concern might be an obvious one, but it might be much, much easier to rectify and/or work around than other teams’ pressing concerns.

 
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Merlin

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My biggest concern is the run defense. Will this defense lock it down consistently all season? That's going to be important for producing 3rd and long situations and helping our pass rushers tee off, as well as our stacked secondary.

IMO if they stop the run this year they're going to be a highly ranked defense in scoring. Which in turn will mean they run the table with this offense.
 

nighttrain

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My biggest concern is the run defense. Will this defense lock it down consistently all season? That's going to be important for producing 3rd and long situations and helping our pass rushers tee off, as well as our stacked secondary.

IMO if they stop the run this year they're going to be a highly ranked defense in scoring. Which in turn will mean they run the table with this offense.
Greg"efffing" Gaines to the rescue....
train
 

yrba1

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I'm cautiously optimistic with Brian Allen starting at center and Blythe at guard. Hoping we'll be utilizing more 2TE sets if the line gets leaky.
 

TexasRam

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Biggest Concern for Rams in 2019 is offensive line.

Fact checking...

Fact check result: True.
 

Riverumbbq

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  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
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Greg"efffing" Gaines to the rescue....
train

My confidence would be higher if I were sure that Gaines was the starting NT, but I get the feeling they are going with SJD early with Gaines rotating in at intervals. jmo.
 

OldSchool

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Other teams are starting rookies and that's ok but two 2nd year players are a major cause for concern after getting a year of practice and coaching in. Meh not worried about it, then again I don't worry about things that's too much of a pessimist trait, we'll be fine though there may be some bumps on the road.
 

LARAMSinFeb.

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TG's going to put an end to my worries with his first big rip. That's when I'll realize our line can do this and I can enjoy the season.
 

BonifayRam

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My biggest concern is the run defense. Will this defense lock it down consistently all season? That's going to be important for producing 3rd and long situations and helping our pass rushers tee off, as well as our stacked secondary.

IMO if they stop the run this year they're going to be a highly ranked defense in scoring. Which in turn will mean they run the table with this offense.
2019 Wade D would appear to have undergone some major refurbishing since we last seen them play in February of this year. A total of 16 new Ram defenders have been added & new positions.

Five (5) different defensive players will be lining up to start in new positions.
NT- SJ-D replaced Suh
ER- Matthews replaced Ebukam
MLB- Hager replaced Littleton
"Mo"LB- Littleton replaced Mark Barron
FS- Weddle replaced Lamarcus Joyner

In addition, Wade has Eleven (11) new defenders in new relief positions.

Res. NT- Gregg Gaines replaced Ethan Westbrooks
Res. DE- Morgan Fox replaced JF-M
Res. 3rd ER- Ebukam replaced John Longacre
Res. MoLB- Howard replaced Ramik wilson
Res. MLB- Reeder replaced Micah Kiser
Res. 4th ER- Okoronkwo replaced Justin Lawler
Res. 5th ER N. Patrick replaced T. Young
5th CB- D. Williams replaced Sam Shields
6th CB- D. Long replaced Dom Hatfield
Res. Saf. T. Rapp replaced Blake Countess
5th Saf. N. Scott

Like you said the big concern is how well NT's SJ-D & Gaines will play in place of veterans Suh & Westbrooks. Mo LB'er Littleton should be a big improvement over Barron but MLB'ers Hager & Rapp who replaced Littleton & Christian duo is questionable. The outside front of this defense should be a improvement in setting the outer edge & run containment.
 

RamBall

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The fact that the Rams starting OL missed 0 games due to injury over the past 2 seasons is what makes the OL the #1 concern to me.
 

rdlkgliders

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I agree that the O.L is the biggest concern. I am however optimistic. If they remain healthy they should be in a good place by week 4 at the latest
 

BonifayRam

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Its no secret OL has to be the biggest concern with the middle run defense being second.

These are my concerns with the OL.

#1). You think our 2019 upcoming opponents saw enough film on how easy it was to constantly blow up our RG Blythe & in doing that the damage it caused to our offense in the SB? What has Blythe/ Kromer/ Dickerson done to ensure that what occurred in the SB in February does not happen each & every Sunday?

#2). How much has the near 38 yr old Andrew Whitworth degraded since the SB game?

#3). There are no questions about Noteboom's playing ability @ OT in the NFL. But Noteboom is not starting in a OT position. He has always been a OT not a OG. This will be his first time being a starting OG.
 
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LesBaker

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This is why THigbee got paid.

He's a really good blocker and this O doesn't need him leaving the LOS right away each play he is in on..........but if he is staying in there are still 4 players out on routes or a solid run game.

Just look at him as a supplemental player on the OL, and in the passing game.