Center is the need

[Soul Surfer]

And that scares the hell out of me Soul. McSnead expect a huge learning curve from them.

I've always thought this was a good way to put together an offensive line and is similar to how the Patriots have been very successful and consistent on their O Line.

They get guys in the third and fourth round and develop them out in their system for one or two years and then basically they're plug-and-play.

The biggest difference is that our guys already have some starts under their belt now.

 

[Merlin]

I've always thought this was a good way to put together an offensive line and is similar to how the Patriots have been very successful and consistent on their O Line.

They get guys in the third and fourth round and develop them out in their system for one or two years and then basically they're plug-and-play.

The biggest difference is that our guys already have some starts under their belt now.

Difference for me is the Patriots have been doing it for a long time. The Rams tried it last year and missed the playoffs.

Will it work this season? I fuckin hope so lol.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Allen outplayed both Sullivan and Blythe last year.

c'mon man, surely you can't believe that. all he did was get pushed back into the rb or qb and he also got noteboom injured when he whiffed on a block again and in a panic pushed the dt into boom's exposed leg, causing an acl tear.

.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Why isn’t RB considered The Need?

It’s not a hard case to make that RB is a bigger need than C, tbh.

prophetic words.

.

 

[CanadianFan]

Cabral could be the surprise next camp.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I tried to tell you guys that there's enough prospects already signed to the OL.
And that's what they're running with.

I sense a recurring theme here. I told you so rings loud and clear with you, but dont be so quick to think your right. They haven't even played a game yet. You were right that the Rams didn't draft an Olineman early, but that could also be luck in the way the draft fell.

Your claims that this line will be good are still unproven. And as long as Blythe is the Center, then Center is a big need. He's going to need a lot of help from both guards. I hope they are up to it.


I'll ask you this now, just to qualify what your definition of good or better is. Where would the Rams Oline have to rank for you to call it a success and what is your prediction of their offensive line ranking by seasons end?

 

[Soul Surfer]

I sense a recurring theme here. I told you so rings loud and clear with you, but dont be so quick to think your right. They haven't even played a game yet. You were right that the Rams didn't draft an Olineman early, but that could also be luck in the way the draft fell.

Your claims that this line will be good are still unproven. And as long as Blythe is the Center, then Center is a big need. He's going to need a lot of help from both guards. I hope they are up to it.


I'll ask you this now, just to qualify what your definition of good or better is. Where would the Rams Oline have to rank for you to call it a success and what is your prediction of their offensive line ranking by seasons end?

Come on man.
You are allowed to bring your own bell every now and again.
And since you one of my favorite Rams Brothers.

I want you to ring your bell twice!

 

[Soul Surfer]

Seriously though it's not about me.
I can only go with what I saw from my own eyes in the second half of the season.
I saw rookies and guys that were cast offs start to build up cohesiveness.
Were they perfect? No.
Did they have every play down correctly? No.
But when they do.
And that might even be next year.

I see some emerging talent in Corbett Evans Edwards and Blythe.
And if any of those guys can developed out into a left tackle?

We're gold.

However, I am starting to look at this season as a *anomaly season* similar to a strike year.

 

[leoram]

You got me here. I admit being completely baffled by this draft. Others called it well and I never saw it coming. Frankly, I’m still in shock. Perhaps someday this draft will make sense to me. Right now...I just can’t get there.

 

[Soul Surfer]

I admit being completely baffled by this draft.
Perhaps someday this draft will make sense to me. Right now...I just can’t get there.

What are the two most surprising things about this draft to you?

 

[Wisconsinram]

Soul,

Admire the heck out of you as a poster and Ram fan. Also realize your question to Leo wasn't directed to me, but I want to chime in regardless!

First, I love and share your optimism on the OL talent we have on board. Edwards, Corbett, Evans, Noteboom and company give us plenty of reason for optimism moving forward, particularly at the guard position. I also like your Pats analogy as drafting in rounds 3-6, grooming, and inserting is their mantra and one I would love to see us emulate. Keep in mind, however, they had one of the greatest OL coaches in history at the helm during their dynasty.

Second, I agree the unit played better overall later in the season. That said, I do think we need to keep in mind that adjustments were made that supported that improvement. By way of example, Evans received far more help on the edge than Hav did prior to his injury. I'm not sure an ideal Oline set-up should require schematic adjustments to compensate for subpar performance. I'm not faulting Evans at all in this example as he shouldn't have had to be asked to be in there given what we knew of him coming in (he needed developmental time that wasn't afforded to him). I'm simply pointing out that I am sure McVay and Co. don't want to have to do that type of thing moving forward (unless a particular player or scheme call for it, of course), nor are elite OL's required to do so game in and game out.

I don't want to speak for Leo, but I have to assume that for those of us (myself included) that were disappointed in the draft largely point to the lack of support the OL received. Particularly, center and/or OLT (even one to groom).

In any year that I can remember our offense being elite over the past 30 years, I feel like we always had a top 12-ish OL in the league. That we finished the year ranked 31st, did not add a single newcomer via FA or the draft, and aim to finish that high seems like we are asking for a minor miracle. Quite honestly, it would be epic.

Put another way, let's assume Whit and Blythe play as they have most recently at their respective positions and Hav returns to his 2018 form. How good are we asking for our two guards to play to vault us into the top 12-ish in the league as a unit? That's a heavy burden on some high-potential yet young and unproven players.

Finally, I would argue to get into the top 5-8 units in the league will be impossible with an average at-best center in Blythe and a LOT that is simply no longer elite. We bypassed on a number of very good centers and that is just too important of a position for what we do, in my opinion.

Like I shared with So Far, I hope like hell you and the Rams brass are right a second time (when the bullets fly). I just need to see it with my eyes before I am convinced.

Respectfully,

Mike

 

[PhillyRam]

I sense a recurring theme here. I told you so rings loud and clear with you, but dont be so quick to think your right. They haven't even played a game yet. You were right that the Rams didn't draft an Olineman early, but that could also be luck in the way the draft fell.

Your claims that this line will be good are still unproven. And as long as Blythe is the Center, then Center is a big need. He's going to need a lot of help from both guards. I hope they are up to it.


I'll ask you this now, just to qualify what your definition of good or better is. Where would the Rams Oline have to rank for you to call it a success and what is your prediction of their offensive line ranking by seasons end?

Adding a 2nd round C or 3rd round G does not create a proven line as well.

They have addressed the OL in the two previous drafts. Let them develop.

Otherwise if they drafted a couple this yr that do not get enough time to develop, especially in this shortened offseason, do you draft over them again next year?

Di you keep repeating and blow out the young guys before they get time to develop?

Jackie Slater didn't start until his 3rd season.

Orlando Pace did not start dominating until his 2nd year.

Guys like Adam Timmerman who was a late pick in GB did not excel from day one.

Few do. Unless you have a top ten guy like Nelson.

 

[PhillyRam]

BTW, i also think while Kromer's approach to cross train the rookies at multiple positions is good for the purposes of having young back ups that can function at multiple positions if needed. It also is not great to get a player up to top form to go start from day one at a set position.

I think this year Edwards & Evans and even Corbet & Noteboom will be better off if they are now focused on one position from day one in camp.

 

[Loyal]

BTW, i also think while Kromer's approach to cross train the rookies at multiple positions is good for the purposes of having young back ups that can function at multiple positions if needed. It also is not great to get a player up to top form to go start from day one at a set position.

I think this year Edwards & Evans and even Corbet & Noteboom will be better off if they are now focused on one position from day one in camp.

agree

 

[leoram]

What are the two most surprising things about this draft to you?

#1: No OL available in the 2nd round would provide a bigger impact than the two skill players we drafted?

#2.The LB corps minus Littleton still looks like the weak link. But hey...we got a WR to add a handful of catches a game to compliment four better options.

 

[bubbaramfan]

Blythe has played in 55 games over 4 years with the Rams, 33 at center. He's been adequate at best. More than a few times he was overwhelmed and downright manhandled by oposing DT's.
McVay had to make adjustments by rolling Goff out, limiting 7 step drops and long pass plays. We've seen enough of Blythe to know he's not going to improve much, if at all.

Brian Allen was even worse. Expecting both to step up and not get pushed back in the pocket and protect Goff suffeciently is fantasy. Rams missed a chance to get a big body added to compete for the C position. Rams OL will not improve much until they control the LOS and with Blythe or Allen at C, that's asking more than they an give. The best we can hope for is MVay game planning, Knowing his OL is weak up the middle. That they drafted a RB who is used to played behind a bad OL is telling. Granted, the OL did improve late in the season, but going from 31st to middle of the pack is asking a lot.

Hopefully, Kromer gives some of these other guys who we have seen little of, a chance to compete at C. Corbett an Shelton both have some experience at C.

 

[Soul Surfer]

All those things can definitely come into play.
And the way this offseason is going, there is little to no chance of us developing a top 12 *overall* final ranking.
But I could definitely see a strong possibility of us having a top 12 ranking in the second half of the season.
I think if you read my posts from this time last year, you'll find that I was also looking at the second half of the season as a time when our line would be developing out into something promising.
I had a slightly different lineup in mind that I think would have had much better results;
Whit
Noteboom, (which I feel I was entirely wrong on)
Blythe at Center, (which I feel I was correct on)
A training camp battle here at Right Guard between Evans & Edwards.
Havenstein of course.
However, despite their injury paranoia concerning starters, I would have played all four of those guys together in the preseason minus Whit.
I still think Kromer is one of the best o line coaches in the league.
He just had his plate a little over full with his switch to running game coordinator and having to deal with rebuilding a line.
I love the enthusiasm and the positivity of the Rams staff to think that they could put an offensive line together with two players with 0 starts and a under sized Right Guard but I mentioned I thought that was a huge mistake.
Blythe is an NFL Center if he's anything.
He * possibly * could have been a stability at Center for a Noteboom on his left and a rookie on his right.
Allen next to Noteboom had disaster written all over it as I mentioned.
Not running those guys in the preseason together was a mistake.
Having to play Demby what's the third strike that made them look like they didn't know what they were doing.
But coaching is a progressive learning experience ideally.
And I think they definitely learned from their mistakes because there will be no rookies 4 players with 0 starts starting this year.
Probably only 5 to 10% of offensive line players come into the league Plug & Play.
Most o linemen take at least a couple years to develop.
I see us as ahead of the overall curve in developing a strong o line.

And definitely the best plan at attempting to develop one.

 

[BonifayRam]

.................................
Hopefully, Kromer gives some of these other guys who we have seen little of, a chance to compete at C. Corbett an Shelton both have some experience at C.

Coleman Shelton signs tender with Rams, Jeff Holland waived

Offensive lineman Coleman Shelton signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Los Angeles Rams on Monday.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Offensive lineman Coleman Shelton signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Los Angeles Rams on Monday. Shelton appeared in 11 games last season for the Rams with most of his snaps coming on special teams units. A former undrafted free agent out of the University of Washington, Shelton spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers before finding a landing spot with the Rams.