Elmgrovegnome
Legend
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2013
- Messages
- 22,445
I think your view is an incredibly pessimistic rationalizationThat's an extremely positive rationalization there Elm.
First off Avila playing center in college is great, but doesn't mean they're gonna be happy with him in the pros there. Last season he was a very good starter for us as a rookie at LG. If that was true thus far at C then the Rams would almost surely have continued the execution of their "plan" to move him over. Because unit cohesiveness is so important with an OL, and because guard is the easiest position to plug someone in on the short term. Also the consistency of calls by that pivot, and the boys being on that same sheet of music with him is crucial. So no matter how you slice this thing to move a guy who has had all camp and preseason at center out to guard a week prior to the opening game is a concern.
I presume Limmer is part of this. But once again the only reason that would be true is because they are not happy with the starting five. And to go a bit further I think this is fundamentally different than say ILB, where a vet got outcompeted for his job. This is where you end up when shit doesn't work well enough and the staff acknowledges it in a last minute effort to try to squeeze more performance out of the unit.
That's not to say the OL will definitely struggle in the opener. As backup OTs go ours are better than most, thanks to Boom. However I expect it's gonna be fuckin ugly. And the Rams staff knows this, which is why they're playing musical chairs at the eleventh hour.
Silliness aside. I think the person who said it’s easier to replace Jackson with Limmer in case of an injury may be correct. ,Jackson has been injured in the past, so if it happens again, then it makes a smoother transition. Also, while Jackson has great movement skills, the very wide bodied Avila has already proven to be adept at helping protect Stafford to his left and his right. Having Noteboom to his left may make McVay feel more secure in protecting Stafford.