Rams won't have long-term success until they solidify O-Line

  • To unlock all of features of Rams On Demand please take a brief moment to register. Registering is not only quick and easy, it also allows you access to additional features such as live chat, private messaging, and a host of other apps exclusive to Rams On Demand.

den-the-coach

Fifty-four Forty or Fight
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Messages
22,425
Name
Dennis
Rams won't have long-term success until they solidify offensive line

upload_2017-7-17_12-48-1.png

Jared Goff was sacked 25 times over a six-game stretch during his rookie season. Robert Hanashiro/USA TODAY Sports

Alden Gonzalez

ESPN recently put together power rankings based on how each NFL team is positioned for these next three years.Insider The Los Angeles Rams finished 28th. That is, um, not good. It's not good because, well, 28th is bad. It's really not good because of what these next three years represent for this franchise. Thanks to heavy rainfall in a city that never experiences heavy rainfall, these next three years now constitute the buildup to the Rams -- and Chargers -- moving into their vast, opulent, $2.6 billion stadium in Inglewood, California.

The Rams -- 13 years removed from their last playoff appearance, 14 years removed from their last winning season -- want to become legitimate contenders as quickly as possible. Really, though, they want to ensure they are a playoff-caliber team by the time they move into that new stadium. ESPN's Louis Riddick, Mike Sando and Field Yates don't think they will be. At least not as currently constructed. They graded each team's roster, quarterback, draft, coaches and front office, and put it all together to come up with a final score. The result: 27 of the 31 other teams are in better position from 2017 to '19.

The Rams can't have that. They can't have a disinterested fan base in the nation's second-largest media market, and they can't play second fiddle to the Chargers in a stadium they themselves are funding. This week -- the last full week before training camp -- we're going to take a look at the five things that need to happen in order for the Rams to be a lot better than the 28th-best team at the conclusion of this three-year stretch.

No. 5: Solidify the offensive line.

This offseason, the Rams signed Andrew Whitworth, a 35-year-old left tackle, to a $36 million contract over three years. And they added John Sullivan, a soon-to-be-32-year-old who started one game over the last two years, to serve as their new center.

Telling.

The Rams drafted seven offensive linemen from 2014 to 2015, but not one of them has lived up to his potential so far. Greg Robinson, taken second overall in the hope that he would lock down left tackle for at least a half-decade, was traded for a sixth-round pick last month. Rob Havenstein, a second-round pick in 2015, is moving from right tackle to right guard after a down year. Jamon Brown, taken one round after Havenstein, is being tried out at right tackle in what appears to be a desperation move. The others -- Andrew Donnal, Cody Wichmann, Demetrius Rhaney and Mitchell Van Dyk -- are either gone or on the bench.

Pro Football Focus, an analytics-based site that studies every player on every play, ranked the Rams' offensive line 28th in 2015 and 27th in 2016, two seasons in which the offense finished last in the NFL in yards. Behind that offensive line last year, Todd Gurley averaged 3.2 yards per carry for an entire season and Jared Goff was sacked 25 times over a six-game stretch. Enter new offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, who replaces 30-year NFL veteran Paul Boudreau. Kromer spent the last two years coaching the Bills' offensive line, a unit that enabled Buffalo to lead the league in rushing in back-to-back years. He is intrigued by the Rams' group because it is still very young.

Kromer needs to get the most out of what he has, but the front office must locate the next wave of offensive linemen.

Whitworth is still really, really good, but he is now too old to be considered a long-term solution. Sullivan was a solid player before back issues took their toll, but it's hard to consider him anything more than a stopgap at this point. The Rams likely still need to identify a long-term solution at center, either in-house -- Austin Blythe, recently claimed off waivers, could be one -- or elsewhere. At some point, they also need to draft their left tackle of the future and actually hit on him.

It's a dicey proposition. Thirteen left tackles were taken in the first round from 2012 to '16. Those 13 have combined for two Pro Bowl invites, one each for Matt Kalil and Taylor Lewan. The proliferation of spread offenses in today's NFL has made it very difficult to evaluate collegiate offensive line play, almost to the point where it may no longer be worth it to take a gamble on a spot as difficult to master as left tackle. The Rams learned that lesson with Robinson in 2014. Soon, they'll take another chance and hope to do a lot better.

The success of Gurley and Goff -- and thus, the long-term stability of their franchise -- depends on it.



[www.espn.com]
 

LesBaker

Mr. Savant
Joined
Aug 23, 2012
Messages
17,460
Name
Les
Why do people keep saying the stadium will cost 2.6BIL.........it's the entire office park, retail complex and hotel alond with the stadium that is 2.6BIL.

Isn't that correct?
 

shaunpinney

Hall of Fame
Joined
Sep 20, 2012
Messages
4,805
Why do people keep saying the stadium will cost 2.6BIL.........it's the entire office park, retail complex and hotel alond with the stadium that is 2.6BIL.

Isn't that correct?
Yes, I believe you are correct, I am under the impression it's a $2.6Bn DEVELOPMENT
 

shaunpinney

Hall of Fame
Joined
Sep 20, 2012
Messages
4,805
Lets see what the O-line can get done this year before we write them off. We all know it was an area that needed improvement last year - BUT the year before they were all starting to gel...
 

Merlin

Enjoying the ride
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
May 8, 2014
Messages
37,046
Really, though, they want to ensure they are a playoff-caliber team by the time they move into that new stadium. ESPN's Louis Riddick, Mike Sando and Field Yates don't think they will be.

Big surprise there. "Hey everyone! I'm a media expert! I foresee all the teams that won last year being the teams that will be winning in 2019!!!"

:jerkoff:
 

OldSchool

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
ROD Credit | 2022 TOP Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2013
Messages
38,390
Why do people keep saying the stadium will cost 2.6BIL.........it's the entire office park, retail complex and hotel alond with the stadium that is 2.6BIL.

Isn't that correct?
That's correct, it's just a number people like to grab and run with. Last number I saw for just the stadium was $1.8B but as with all stadiums that is likely to go up. In fact I'm sure it has with the bribes I mean fixes to get FAA approval.
 

Loyal

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jul 27, 2010
Messages
29,457
I always resist any claims that the Ram's oline sucks. Probably it's an instinctive response to national media types looking at the 28th ranking and branding all of the members of it, as an unqualified dumpster fire. They can kiss my @ss, because that's lazy journalism for those that do it.

I think it's fair to question the right side of the line, however. Whitworth and Sullivan, with Saffold sandwiched between them, is a block of veteran experience. Saffold has rarely had two decent-good players on his left and right, and has played on a virtual island wherever on the line he played, which I think contributed to his injury history. So now we have Havenstein playing at Guard, which he has rarely (if ever) played before, and Brown who has some college experience at RT and none as a pro, AND has had a injury history in his young career....Alden Gonzales calls this a desperation move, which I slightly disagree with. Sure, McVay is testing his options at various positions which is smart, I think. He really has little loyalty outside of his main stars about who will start at certain positions. He wants to win, period. So there will be no pride issue if he feels that Havenstein is the better RT after all and Brown is better suited at Guard. I think it's interesting that McVay and Kromer looked at all of the tape of Greg Robinson, along with the limited time on the practice field with them, and thought Brown was the player with more upside. What an absolute fail by FisherSnead!

Unless we have a rash of injuries, which is always possible, this line will be considered a strength this year in my opinion.
 

Rams43

Hall of Fame
Joined
Jun 20, 2014
Messages
4,130
It's a GIGO kinda thing...

When the pundits rank teams before camp, I mean.

They tend to be biased toward what they saw LAST year. Even when big changes (improvements) have been made.

Take this OL piece, for example.

Consider the differences vs last year...

McVay
LaFleur
Kromer
Whitworth
Sullivan
Healthy Hav at RG
Brown at RT

The only danged thing that stayed the same was Saffold at LG! Let that sink in for just a moment. Five clear upgrades via coaching and FA, plus flipping Hav and Brown.

And yet, the expectations of the "experts" is apparently more of the same underachievement of the previous 2 seasons?

Boggles the mind, don't it?

I'll say it again. Many "experts" are underestimating the '17 Rams. Don't know if other teams are. Probably not, since they can see and appreciate the fundamental improvements everywhere. But the pundits are gonna be surprised, obviously.
 

HeiseNBerg

Pro Bowler
Joined
Jun 23, 2010
Messages
1,301
ESPN recently put together power rankings based on how each NFL team is positioned for these next three years.Insider The Los Angeles Rams finished 28th. That is, um, not good.

That is also, um, manufacturing prophecy out of history.

It would be just as scientifically valid if these experts had based their next 3-year predictions on, "We threw some darts and based on how they landed, the Rams are still going to suck."
 

den-the-coach

Fifty-four Forty or Fight
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Messages
22,425
Name
Dennis
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10
Isn't that correct?

Les, yes it encapsulates many different variables including a Hall of Fame West and a huge theater, however, Stadium cover it, moving forward just add complex to the end of the communication.
 

LesBaker

Mr. Savant
Joined
Aug 23, 2012
Messages
17,460
Name
Les
Les, yes it encapsulates many different variables including a Hall of Fame West and a huge theater, however, Stadium cover it, moving forward just add complex to the end of the communication.

The complex is really big, this is an aggressive real estate development plan. Something like a million SQF of retail and office. That's a lot.

The HOF west idea is effing dumb. Mecca is Mecca, you can't have an alternative but hey the NFL wants as much money as they can get.
 

-X-

Medium-sized Lebowski
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Messages
35,576
Name
The Dude
Why do all of the all-time great QBs always have the best lines?

Is it the line that makes the QB, or vice-versa?
THAT is the age-old question right there.
 

-X-

Medium-sized Lebowski
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Messages
35,576
Name
The Dude
Takes both at the same time, doesn't happen very often
train
Well, if you take 3 great QBs (Marino, Manning, Brady), that's a cumulative 42 years of great O-lines.
The odds of them both being great at the same time are astronomical.
 

Dxmissile

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jul 25, 2014
Messages
4,526
Les, yes it encapsulates many different variables including a Hall of Fame West and a huge theater, however, Stadium cover it, moving forward just add complex to the end of the communication.

No that's just the price tag for the stadium. The work is being done only for the stadium at the moment. They still have to get tenants and everything else in order to complete the vision for those in stl think of it as ballpark village you got to build the stadium first then everything else after so the price tag is strictly on the stadium and Stan is going to lease everything else and play landlord
 

nighttrain

Legend
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
9,216
Well, if you take 3 great QBs (Marino, Manning, Brady), that's a cumulative 42 years of great O-lines.
The odds of them both being great at the same time are astronomical.
in the HISTORY OF THE NFL, three times not so much
train
 

-X-

Medium-sized Lebowski
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Messages
35,576
Name
The Dude
in the HISTORY OF THE NFL, three times not so much
train
3 QBs, yes, but it's also over 40 seasons of QB + O-line being great at the same time.
I can't see that happening. The odds of it happening are incredibly high.
 

WestCoastRam

Legend
Joined
Nov 17, 2014
Messages
5,365
Regardless of this year's oline... I have to think we'll be drafting a tackle high next year. Whitworth is aging and Brown may only be a stop-gap.
 

nighttrain

Legend
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
9,216
3 QBs, yes, but it's also over 40 seasons of QB + O-line being great at the same time.
I can't see that happening. The odds of it happening are incredibly high.
paint me with a clown face, that's not 40 seasons in the SB
train