Our OL looks good on paper but...

[rams24/7]

Does anyone else want to have insurance for Saffold and Long? IMO having Rodger be our swing OT doesn't make much sense due to his injury problems. My opinion may be unpopular, but I think a great scenario to filling out the line is adding Matthews/Robinson AND Yankey/Jackson.

Yankey/Jackson start at RG and Matthews/Robinson backup LT and LG. Barksdale becomes our swing tackle. So projected lineup goes (if healthy)

LT Long
LG Saffold
C Wells
RG Yankey/Jackson
RT Matthews/Robinson

As much as I like our three elder statesmen on the OL what are the odds that they all make it through 16 games?

Thoughts?

 

[Alan]

Doesn't look good on paper to me. Though your projected starters look good except for Wells.

 

[rams24/7]

I mean on paper we presume that they are healthy. A healthy Long, Wells, Saffold is a good combo

 

[Tron]

Why are we moving Saffold to LG? Didn't he play RG for us most of last year?

 

[Rams and Gators]

I'd still draft a LT, after that I'd wait until the 4th.

 

[jjab360]

I don't see us sitting Barksdale, he's underrated around here. Spending a second round pick on a 6th O-lineman is unlikely, imo, there's plenty of mid-lower tier FAs and lower round draft picks that can fill that role.

 

[wrstdude]

Does anyone have a PFF grade on Barksdale? I'm not sold on their stats, but I would mind seeing what they thought of him.

 

[rams24/7]

I don't see us sitting Barksdale, he's underrated around here. Spending a second round pick on a 6th O-lineman is unlikely, imo, there's plenty of mid-lower tier FAs and lower round draft picks that can fill that role.

I love Barks too. He was very solid at RT last year and has come a long way from when we added him. I'm just throwing a scenario out there because we know injuries have marred Rodger's and Jake's last 3 seasons. I guess if I had to choose between either Matthews/Robinson or Yankey/Jackson, I'd take the former. Matthews/Jackson give you a player who would immediately start at RG and backup LT. They would be Long's replacement in 2015

 

[Alan]

rams24/7 forgetting LOG:
I mean on paper we presume that they are healthy. A healthy Long, Wells, Saffold is a good combo

We have no LOG (Saffold is gonna play ROG). What looks good about that?

 

[nighttrain]

Does anyone else want to have insurance for Saffold and Long? IMO having Rodger be our swing OT doesn't make much sense due to his injury problems. My opinion may be unpopular, but I think a great scenario to filling out the line is adding Matthews/Robinson AND Yankey/Jackson.

Yankey/Jackson start at RG and Matthews/Robinson backup LT and LG. Barksdale becomes our swing tackle. So projected lineup goes (if healthy)

LT Long
LG Saffold
C Wells
RG Yankey/Jackson
RT Matthews/Robinson

As much as I like our three elder statesmen on the OL what are the odds that they all make it through 16 games?

Thoughts?

robins
HMMM, Barnes is probably going to be our center til Wells gets back, and Barksdale will start at RT, Matthews/Robinson with one pick, another guard latet, and even later a development tackle, biggest problem I see is Long has a good chance of not being ready, so who starts at LT? I have faith =in Fish/Snead to figure this out, probably Matthews id we are able to draft him
so
LT Matthews til Long back
LG Saffold
C Barnes til Wells ready
RG Barrett Jones
LT Barksdale to start season
this all changes according to who gets healthy faastest
train

 

[Sum1]

Barksdale played some pretty good ball at LT 2 years ago when he filled in.

I definitely think another tackle is a good idea, but now that Saffold is here I don't feel the need to make sure you have one in the first round...though I'd be OK with it.

I'd like to see the Rams continue to add versatile guys.

 

[Alan]

Why do so many posters project Saffold at a position he's never played before? He's a ROG guys unless he makes a change.

 

[Sum1]

Why do so many posters project Saffold at a position he's never played before? He's a ROG guys unless he makes a change.

He has played LT...and RG...he ought to be able to play LG just fine.

And the projection is coming from tweet Howard Balzer sent out last night that the Rams are planning on him playing LG.

Which, if you think about it...why did he play RG last season? Because that is where there was an opening. Obviously letting Williams walk they weren't to content with the position. Connecting the dots...this makes sense.

 

[Flipper_336]

So:

First team
Long
Saffold
Wells
Jones
Barksdale

Second team:
Person
Washington
Barnes
?
?

Either we draft depth (or starters) or we get screwed when Long/Saffold/Wells gets injured.

 

[MerlinJones]

I thought that Saffold's agent said that he wanted to play right guard before FA started, but I could be wrong.

I may be the only who who thinks this, but I'd almost rather the Rams target a center like Weston Richburg or Marcus Martin in rounds 3-4 and draft guard depth a bit later. I don't know that Wells has much left, Barnes was ok, and who knows what Jones is going to be. Bringing in a quality young center makes sense (to me at least).

 

[rams24/7]

He has played LT...and RG...he ought to be able to play LG just fine.

And the projection is coming from tweet Howard Balzer sent out last night that the Rams are planning on him playing LG.

Which, if you think about it...why did he play RG last season? Because that is where there was an opening. Obviously letting Williams walk they weren't to content with the position. Connecting the dots...this makes sense.

Plus he's easily our most athletic OL and a great puller. All characteristics of a great LG

 

[Alan]

Sum1BTRthnU projecting a projection:
He has played LT...and RG...he ought to be able to play LG just fine.

And the projection is coming from tweet Howard Balzer sent out last night that the Rams are planning on him playing LG.

Two things Sum.

I didn't see that tweet and I question the validity of it. Not that he sent it but I think his info is wrong. maybe even a typo.

We had a thread here some time back where the experts (RODites of course) explained to us all that changing from one side to another wasn't a piece of cake and that some never could make the switch successfully. Until he plays at least one game at LOG I'm not buying it.

Why would we do that anyway? Both Guard positions are wide open. Keeping him at ROG means no adjustment for him and if you're thinking about Jones then why isn't your "He has played LT...and RG...he ought to be able to play LG just fine good for Jones too? Plus Jones has actually played LOG in college I believe. This just makes no sense to me.

 

[Boffo97]

Our OL looks good on paper but... unfortunately they play on grass.

*rimshot*

Anyway, I would still like to see a starting guard drafted (still don't think it should be Robinson/Matthews unless one falls to #13 or we trade up from there but that's just me.) and of course we need to bring in some good depth. But with Saffold back, the idea of drafting Robinson/Matthews AND Yankey/Su'a-Filo is a bit silly. One of them or Barksdale would be sitting and that shouldn't be.

Being a good GM is all about choices. Sure, you could throw all your resources at one unit to hopefully make it excellent, but the rest of the units on the team would suffer for that. (And before anyone goes there again, no, we have not thrown many resources at #1 WR. Only 1 2nd round pick.)

 

[MerlinJones]

If it's a choice between Robinson/Matthews or Yankey/Su'a-Filo I'm taking the future franchise LT who will play a year or two at guard every time.

 

[Zaphod]

Does anyone else want to have insurance for Saffold and Long? IMO having Rodger be our swing OT doesn't make much sense due to his injury problems. My opinion may be unpopular, but I think a great scenario to filling out the line is adding Matthews/Robinson AND Yankey/Jackson.

Yankey/Jackson start at RG and Matthews/Robinson backup LT and LG. Barksdale becomes our swing tackle. So projected lineup goes (if healthy)

LT Long
LG Saffold
C Wells
RG Yankey/Jackson
RT Matthews/Robinson

As much as I like our three elder statesmen on the OL what are the odds that they all make it through 16 games?

Thoughts?

I agree with everything you stated.

We would go from good to great in terms of both pass protection and run blocking. Our entire offense would get better.

In that scenario, I think our defense may actually be good enough to seriously compete with everyone in our division, assuming we stay with a solid run game strategically.