(I don't like posting paywalled articles but this topic is too important)
By Jourdan Rodrigue 3h ago
4
The Los Angeles Rams’ rookies and quarterbacks report to training camp on July 25, and the veteran players arrive shortly afterward. In the weeks leading up to the return of football — and a “normal” preseason, we’re taking a position-by-position look at the team, so we can tide you over with football tidbits until we get there. Previously, we talked about quarterbacks. Today, we’re talking about the Rams’ offensive line.
If the Rams’ offseason bet on quarterback Matthew Stafford gets all the flash and headlines, the one they made on their offensive line entering 2021 might quietly be just as important. With one position change — moving former right guard Austin Corbett to center — they have created two questions, in Corbett and in Bobby Evans, who is slated to take over Corbett’s old spot.
They also have a new offensive line coach in Kevin Carberry, who previously held the same role at Stanford. Head coach Sean McVay has been blending more power concepts with his trademark outside zone scheme for the past couple of years, and in part that has meant shifting the physical prototype of his interior offensive linemen to be a little more stout, and have a little bit more downhill strength, as opposed to the lighter-framed and perhaps quicker guys previously in the position. Between that — seeing his role lose its long-term sustainability — and a low offer from the Rams last spring, former starter Austin Blythe actually took an even lower offer from Kansas City in free agency, setting up the position shift before a training camp competition could have potentially happened.
The Rams clearly had decided to go all-in on their offensive line bet with Corbett in the early spring because despite a lauded 2021 draft class of interior offensive linemen, they didn’t draft one. While Corbett, who was a really solid right guard, could be the answer at center despite never playing a snap at the position in a Rams jersey, the simple fact is that we just don’t know whether this move will work or not — and without a draft pick developing in-house, there’s not a huge range of viable options as a contingency plan.
Additions: (wind whistles through the trees)
In all seriousness, the Rams did add a couple of undrafted free agents, tackle Alaric Jackson and guard/center Jordan Meredith, as well as International Pathways Program player Max Pircher, who is learning the tackle position. These players aren’t likely to make an impact in their rookie season, however, since they’re in need of some development.
Subtractions: Austin Blythe (center)
Projected starters (not reflective of a 53-man cutdown): Andrew Whitworth (LT), David Edwards (LG), Austin Corbett (C), Bobby Evans (RG), Rob Havenstein (RT)
One neat detail, and probably a pretty important one, was that all of the offensive linemen — yes, even the grizzled veterans — were present through the voluntary portions of the spring workouts. This was a good head start that the Rams didn’t have last season (granted, they weren’t featuring new names at two positions) because they will need to build as much continuity as possible and develop an innate sense for how Stafford operates and communicates behind them.
Projected backups (in order, and not reflective of a 53-man cutdown): Joe Noteboom (LT), Chandler Brewer (LG), Brian Allen (C)/Coleman Shelton (C), Jamil Demby (RG)/Allen (RG), Tremayne Anchrum (RT)
I’m not a total downer — I do think that the Rams’ starting offensive line, on paper, has a ton of potential. But the big concern is a lack of trusted depth at a couple of positions, and particularly at center — where Allen spent the entirety of last season rehabilitating a serious leg injury (plus is more in the mold of the centers McVay and the Rams previously slated for the role, versus their new schematic direction), and Shelton has no meaningful experience.
When I advocated for the Rams to draft a center, that player certainly was unlikely to start in his first season (it’s a hard job!) — but could have been good depth, and an heir to the position should the Corbett experiment not work out.
2021 outlook: If this offensive line can stay healthy, there is a lot of upside here because of the general continuity between players (outside of the position change). But it all predicates on the invaluable reps Corbett gets with Stafford in training camp, when the Rams are actually practicing against guys in pads (and Aaron Donald arrives on the scene). The spotlight won’t just be on them in pass protection, either — the Rams’ offensive line was consistently solid in its run-blocking last season, and will welcome back second-year running back Cam Akers into the lead role.
Long-term outlook: Whitworth will turn 40 during the 2021 season, which is simply … remarkable. Even after the knee injury that sidelined him for eight games last season, there’s no reason to think that Whitworth’s excellent play will slip. But it bears repeating that he has an “out” in his contract after this season and has recently remarked on former Rams defensive end Chris Long’s “Green Light” podcast that this season could be his last (the caveat being that he’s felt that way for the past seven years or so, but kept playing).
“I was like, if I get through this, I want to try to play until 40,” Whitworth said while discussing a 2013 knee injury with Long. “And that was just like — I didn’t think that was realistic or that it’d ever happen. But I was like, I want to try to do that.
“So this year, to me, it feels like this is it. This is like, I’ve put everything into trying to play this season and play at the level I want to. I feel like this will probably be the end, but I mean, all my closest friends would tell you that I’ve said that for about seven straight years. So I don’t know how believable that is, but it feels like it is.”
The Rams could entrust Noteboom with taking over once the AW era begins (“After Whitworth”), but they face a bit of a complication there, too — he’s in the last year of his contract. If he’s slated for that role in the future, he and his agent have all of the leverage — and good left tackles are hard to draft with no first-round picks, or to find in free agency, as the Rams have known very well since the year they, well, signed Whitworth.
By Jourdan Rodrigue 3h ago
The Los Angeles Rams’ rookies and quarterbacks report to training camp on July 25, and the veteran players arrive shortly afterward. In the weeks leading up to the return of football — and a “normal” preseason, we’re taking a position-by-position look at the team, so we can tide you over with football tidbits until we get there. Previously, we talked about quarterbacks. Today, we’re talking about the Rams’ offensive line.
If the Rams’ offseason bet on quarterback Matthew Stafford gets all the flash and headlines, the one they made on their offensive line entering 2021 might quietly be just as important. With one position change — moving former right guard Austin Corbett to center — they have created two questions, in Corbett and in Bobby Evans, who is slated to take over Corbett’s old spot.
They also have a new offensive line coach in Kevin Carberry, who previously held the same role at Stanford. Head coach Sean McVay has been blending more power concepts with his trademark outside zone scheme for the past couple of years, and in part that has meant shifting the physical prototype of his interior offensive linemen to be a little more stout, and have a little bit more downhill strength, as opposed to the lighter-framed and perhaps quicker guys previously in the position. Between that — seeing his role lose its long-term sustainability — and a low offer from the Rams last spring, former starter Austin Blythe actually took an even lower offer from Kansas City in free agency, setting up the position shift before a training camp competition could have potentially happened.
The Rams clearly had decided to go all-in on their offensive line bet with Corbett in the early spring because despite a lauded 2021 draft class of interior offensive linemen, they didn’t draft one. While Corbett, who was a really solid right guard, could be the answer at center despite never playing a snap at the position in a Rams jersey, the simple fact is that we just don’t know whether this move will work or not — and without a draft pick developing in-house, there’s not a huge range of viable options as a contingency plan.
Additions: (wind whistles through the trees)
In all seriousness, the Rams did add a couple of undrafted free agents, tackle Alaric Jackson and guard/center Jordan Meredith, as well as International Pathways Program player Max Pircher, who is learning the tackle position. These players aren’t likely to make an impact in their rookie season, however, since they’re in need of some development.
Subtractions: Austin Blythe (center)
Projected starters (not reflective of a 53-man cutdown): Andrew Whitworth (LT), David Edwards (LG), Austin Corbett (C), Bobby Evans (RG), Rob Havenstein (RT)
One neat detail, and probably a pretty important one, was that all of the offensive linemen — yes, even the grizzled veterans — were present through the voluntary portions of the spring workouts. This was a good head start that the Rams didn’t have last season (granted, they weren’t featuring new names at two positions) because they will need to build as much continuity as possible and develop an innate sense for how Stafford operates and communicates behind them.
Projected backups (in order, and not reflective of a 53-man cutdown): Joe Noteboom (LT), Chandler Brewer (LG), Brian Allen (C)/Coleman Shelton (C), Jamil Demby (RG)/Allen (RG), Tremayne Anchrum (RT)
I’m not a total downer — I do think that the Rams’ starting offensive line, on paper, has a ton of potential. But the big concern is a lack of trusted depth at a couple of positions, and particularly at center — where Allen spent the entirety of last season rehabilitating a serious leg injury (plus is more in the mold of the centers McVay and the Rams previously slated for the role, versus their new schematic direction), and Shelton has no meaningful experience.
When I advocated for the Rams to draft a center, that player certainly was unlikely to start in his first season (it’s a hard job!) — but could have been good depth, and an heir to the position should the Corbett experiment not work out.
2021 outlook: If this offensive line can stay healthy, there is a lot of upside here because of the general continuity between players (outside of the position change). But it all predicates on the invaluable reps Corbett gets with Stafford in training camp, when the Rams are actually practicing against guys in pads (and Aaron Donald arrives on the scene). The spotlight won’t just be on them in pass protection, either — the Rams’ offensive line was consistently solid in its run-blocking last season, and will welcome back second-year running back Cam Akers into the lead role.
Long-term outlook: Whitworth will turn 40 during the 2021 season, which is simply … remarkable. Even after the knee injury that sidelined him for eight games last season, there’s no reason to think that Whitworth’s excellent play will slip. But it bears repeating that he has an “out” in his contract after this season and has recently remarked on former Rams defensive end Chris Long’s “Green Light” podcast that this season could be his last (the caveat being that he’s felt that way for the past seven years or so, but kept playing).
“I was like, if I get through this, I want to try to play until 40,” Whitworth said while discussing a 2013 knee injury with Long. “And that was just like — I didn’t think that was realistic or that it’d ever happen. But I was like, I want to try to do that.
“So this year, to me, it feels like this is it. This is like, I’ve put everything into trying to play this season and play at the level I want to. I feel like this will probably be the end, but I mean, all my closest friends would tell you that I’ve said that for about seven straight years. So I don’t know how believable that is, but it feels like it is.”
The Rams could entrust Noteboom with taking over once the AW era begins (“After Whitworth”), but they face a bit of a complication there, too — he’s in the last year of his contract. If he’s slated for that role in the future, he and his agent have all of the leverage — and good left tackles are hard to draft with no first-round picks, or to find in free agency, as the Rams have known very well since the year they, well, signed Whitworth.
