https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/04/11/nfl-draft-rams-joseph-noteboom-guard-tackle/
Rams open to drafting a guard, keeping Joseph Noteboom at tackle
By: Cameron DaSilva
Noteboom is expected to slot in as the starting left guard right now, but that could change in a few weeks. The Rams have been looking into offensive lineman prospects throughout the pre-draft process and could select a guard 31st overall in the first round.
If that were to happen, Les Snead would be comfortable keeping Noteboom as the No. 3 tackle and eventual replacement for Andrew Whitworth, just as he was drafted to be.
“Joe would be the heir apparent at this particular time,”
Snead said, via ESPN. “Now you could go into the draft and all of a sudden you draft a guard at 31,
maybe that’s the starter and Joe’s the third tackle, which is still very valuable.”
Noteboom is viewed as the heir to Whitworth, who’s returning for the 2019 season. However, given the fact that he’s 37 and considered retirement this offseason, it’s fair to expect Whitworth to retire after next season ends. Noteboom fits better at tackle than guard as he doesn’t possess the power many like to see on the inside, but he can certainly play either spot.
Another option for the Rams is drafting a left tackle to take over for Whitworth in 2020, keeping Noteboom inside at guard. Either way, they need to find another offensive lineman at some point to shore up the depth along the front.
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https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/03/15/nfl-rams-joseph-noteboom-andrew-whitworth-replacement/
Rams still hope Joseph Noteboom can replace Whitworth after playing LG
By: Cameron DaSilva | March 15, 2019
The Los Angeles Rams are undergoing multiple changes on the offensive line with John Sullivan moving on and Rodger Saffold joining the Tennessee Titans. That leaves two holes on the interior that the Rams will have to fill, which is no easy task.
Fortunately, they prepared for departures like these last year in the 2018 NFL draft. With their first two picks, the Rams surprisingly took two offensive linemen: Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen.
Noteboom is expected to fill in at left guard while Allen will take over at center, beginning what looks like a youth movement up front. Noteboom was viewed as Andrew Whitworth’s future replacement, but with Saffold leaving and the 37-year-old left tackle returning, that change will have to wait.
That doesn’t mean the Rams aren’t still grooming Noteboom to be their left tackle of the future, of course. They are, and while doing so, they’ll also look to the draft and free agency for added depth on the offensive line.
“Here’s what we did last year in drafting Noteboom and Brian Allen — we did have a projection that at some point we’d have to groom them to become starters,” Snead said this week,
via the team’s official site. “The thing you hear about Joe is that he’s versatile, he could then fill in for Rodger. And then at the end of the day, you are still grooming him to maybe be a Whitworth replacement or heir apparent in time, but you still need to replenish that, right? So we will look around, let’s say, in the veteran market and scrutinize the draft like we did last year. Because then the goal would be to draft a younger player, let them develop, evolve for a year, and when their time comes [they can become starters].”
Aaron Kromer is one of the best offensive line coaches in the NFL and worked with Noteboom at left guard and tackle last season. He and Allen have gotten “valuable reps” in practice since being drafted, Sean McVay said, and have shown the ability to become starters down the line.
It’s difficult to replace the road-grading blocking style of Saffold or the intelligence of Sullivan in making pre-snap reads, but Noteboom and Allen have to fill those big shoes in 2019. And for Noteboom, his role might be even more crucial in 2020 if/when Whitworth retires.
