Rams Signing OL Alaric Jackson
- Thread starter NCRamGuy
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Memento
Your (Somewhat) Friendly Neighborhood Authoress.
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- Jemma
We'll see. I think Jackson is only a guard at the next level. He doesn't have the movement skills to play tackle, and he's certainly not a center.
Granted, I'm not going to bitch about an offensive lineman in this class, and he could very well prove my post wrong, but I wouldn't expect too much.
Granted, I'm not going to bitch about an offensive lineman in this class, and he could very well prove my post wrong, but I wouldn't expect too much.
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- River
At least good depth. I think he has a better chance than many to make our Practice Squad this season and work his way up to the 53 next year.
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We did!
ramsondemand.com
UDFA signings
Now that the Rams are done with their 2021 Draft can anyone tell me when the NFL Teams can start signing the Undrafted Players? And, What players should the Rams pursue? I am guessing that Les Snead has a list and is ready to start making offers!!!
ramsondemand.com
As a Husker fan it pains me to say this, but anyone that played that much for the Hawkeyes lately is probably pretty stinking good.
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Versatile OL Alaric Jackson is the undrafted rookie to watch for Rams
The Rams prioritized Alaric Jackson after the draft and he's an undrafted rookie to watch this summer.
Versatile OL Alaric Jackson is the undrafted rookie to watch for Rams
Only a few days removed from the end of the 2021 NFL draft, everyone’s been talking about the Los Angeles Rams’ draft class – and rightfully so. There’s a lot to digest, especially after they came away with zero offensive linemen and four skill position players.But fans shouldn’t be overlooking who the team signed after the draft, specifically a player the Rams clearly prioritized as an undrafted rookie. Iowa offensive tackle Alaric Jackson is the UDFA to watch in Los Angeles this summer, and the Rams aren’t hiding how highly they think of him.
Les Snead said immediately after the draft that the Rams already had a handshake agreement with Jackson to sign with them, which became official a little while later.
“This isn’t official yet, but I know we got a handshake agreement with a kid from Iowa, Alaric Jackson, who’s a very talented kid and because of the Big Ten, didn’t have as good a year, a little bit probably similar to David Edwards types, where he didn’t have as good a year as the year before and he fell out of the draft,” Snead said. “He was a kid that was down at the Senior Bowl, but he’s definitely got to make a team and contribute talent, so we’ll see if we can officialize that and go to work.”
The Rams clearly didn’t want to let Jackson get away, either. According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, they gave him a $20,000 signing bonus, which is a fairly large number for an undrafted free agent.
When discussing the Rams’ offensive line situation and not drafting a single big man up front, Sean McVay mentioned Jackson as being someone who will add competition to the group they already have.
“I think we feel really good about the depth, but there are some spots when you look at offensive linemen, guys that we feel really good about in place, but then being able to add in Alaric Jackson, like Les mentioned, those are the things that we’re looking to try to create the most competitive roster to really solidify our football team in all three phases,” he said.
So who is Jackson? He was a four-year starter at left tackle for the Iowa Hawkeyes, starting all 42 games he played since 2017. He redshirted his freshman year in 2016, but the year after that, he became a cog on the offensive line and immediately earned Freshman All-American honors and was a Big Ten All-Freshman.
In 2018, he was a second-team All-Big Ten selection. The following year, third-team All-Big Ten. And finally, he was named first-team All-Big Ten in 2020, playing arguably his best football as a senior.
He’s not exclusively a left tackle, either. In an interview with Justin Melo of The Draft Network, Jackson said he played right tackle and guard at the Senior Bowl, where the Rams were in attendance. He’s open to playing all four positions except for center, doing whatever he can to make it in the NFL.
“I actually went down to the Senior Bowl and played right tackle and guard,” he said. “My whole mindset was to prove that I’m versatile. I didn’t want anybody to pigeonhole me into just one position. I wanted to keep my options open. I’m staying open-minded throughout this process.
“I don’t mind playing either tackle or guard position. I think I can play all four positions. I just don’t see myself as a center. I’m open to whatever. I’m not worried about being that marquee left tackle or whatever. I can play anywhere. I wanna be a versatile guy. If somebody goes down, you can move me to one of those positions.”
There are few teams in the NFL that appreciate and covet offensive line versatility more than the Rams do. That was a big part of Aaron Kromer’s evaluation when he was the Rams’ offensive line coach, and that should continue in L.A. despite him no longer being on the staff.
Jackson has the size and length to play pretty much any position he wants. He’s 6-foot-5 and 321 pounds with 33 7/8-inch arms and a massive wingspan of 82 3/8 inches. He didn’t test all that well at his pro day, but Jackson has the movement skills to hold up at either guard or tackle in the Rams’ zone scheme.
He’s nowhere near a lock to make the 53-man roster, but of the 10 undrafted rookies the Rams signed, he certainly has the best chance. Dane Brugler of The Athletic had him 221st on his big board with a sixth-round grade. Luke Easterling of Draft Wire ranked him 287th with a seventh-round grade. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com gave him a sixth-round grade, too.
Jackson should’ve been drafted. It’s a surprise that he wasn’t. His two one-game suspensions in 2017 and 2018 for violating team rules shouldn’t have been enough to push him out of the draft, nor should have his poor pro day testing.
Don’t be surprised if he makes the Rams or at the very least spends a year learning on the practice squad before competing for a spot in 2022.
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When ? Like I ask everyone that says the O”Line stinks.Who do The Rams cut? Les Snead said 8 players.
I think Jackson gets cut & put on the Practice squad.He might struggle early,but maybe in 2022 he finds his way on the squad.
—People say I hope J.Demby does well,because it means The Rams are doing good.I say be careful what you ask for. I see him making on another team.
ottoman89
Busch Light slammin, hog farmin, Iowa boy.
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- Josh Otto
I don't necessarily mean this year he'll take a spot. But perhaps the year after.
dang
Legend
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Correction 2021 brings in...
FarNorth
Hall of Fame
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Great! How about he starts at center in September?
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A.Jackson is the type of player The Rams attract.He is going to get a lot of game time in the preseason.
Last season The Rams brought in 3 DT/DE type players who were on the practice squad.Those guys would have had a lot of game tape,but Covid didn’t allow it.
I liked the roster change last season.It seems fair to expand rosters past 53. A question if The NFL keep the expanded roster? I like the way it helps young players get NFL experience. NCAA & waiting until your 3 years past HS SUCKS for some players.The NFL gets a FREE minor league system.
My point is solid NFL teams can develop players & that will give those teams & players an advantage year in & year out for doing things right & the process.Mcvay is about mentoring young men.
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Yeah- I’m about the players who need time & a place to develop.The D-league is a good thing.The NBA had the continental league I believe it was called & players could go straight into the NBA.
Kobe then Lebron.Those were players that made it & had good schooling.I know Kobe had a scholarship to Duke.Bean had him in Italy growing up.I think players were coming out to early & scouts were getting to kids to early. I like the rule of 1 year out of college.The D-league is good.
I can continue to get into it,but I’ll stay Lakers franchise as examples.
Lonzo’s(Ball) messed his kids up a little? He had a chance at a solid Shoe contract.Those shoes he had Lonzo wear messed his league & ankles up.Then his mid son gets kick off the team for stealing in China.Trump of all people got involved because of it.Just not a good look & his youngest goes to Europe & bails out of HS.That is just an example of scouts(parents)getting involved of a kids future without being a adult to make personal decisions.
Andrew Bynum is an example of if it is good or not to go straight into the NBA.Kareem was taking time out of his life for this kid.He was put into a situation for success.Phil Jackson has a Zen about him.Hard to say what his career would have been like with a year of college(d-league).He might have gone #1 in the following years draft.Sometimes the pressure is more as well.
I have always like to follow the development of players. I’m an EMO-Psyco type.
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- Bo Bowen
Probably the main reason the Rams didn’t pull the trigger on another OL. They wanted a speed merchant and a LB so bad that they felt they had to take them early and early for the Rams is the late 2nd and 3rd rounds. By that time, they obviously thought Jackson had as much chance at the roster as those still available.
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- Scott
Agree. We get caught up in rounds a player is taken in like a 5th is a much better prospect than a 7th, when in reality players ranked between 175 and 300 may not be much different at all. Maybe certain cases there talented guys that get downgraded for off the field issues or medicals, but Jackson carried 4th & 5th round grades if you went by some of "the experts". Just shows that there are guys that could be a late 5th or undrafted abd it just comes down to scheme fits or if a coach really likes a player etc.. that differentiates him from a player with similar skill set/ ability.
Same likey holds true between players ranked 25-45 and maybe players 50-80... There will be platues and they won't be cleany differentiated by round numbers.
The deeper in the draft you go the bigger those groupings get.