O-Line cuts throughout the league

[den-the-coach]

Will be watching them closely game 1.

Won't we all!

 

[pmil66]

Sounds like the rams will be carrying 8 OL on the gameday roster. Provided that Donnal is healthy, and he has returned to practice, the 9th spot should be for a young player that coach Kromer can develop. Seems the rams will be looking at RT, since the original plan was to move Hav to G, but he had to move back to RT. Also see the rams adding a couple of OL to the practice squad. Since the roster is heavy on D, makes sense the practice squad will be heavy on O. Coach Kromer has a good reputation at developing players on the OL, would think that will help the rams to sign who they want.

 

[fearsomefour]

Sounds like the rams will be carrying 8 OL on the gameday roster. Provided that Donnal is healthy, and he has returned to practice, the 9th spot should be for a young player that coach Kromer can develop. Seems the rams will be looking at RT, since the original plan was to move Hav to G, but he had to move back to RT. Also see the rams adding a couple of OL to the practice squad. Since the roster is heavy on D, makes sense the practice squad will be heavy on O. Coach Kromer has a good reputation at developing players on the OL, would think that will help the rams to sign who they want.

The funny thing is the Rams are thin, but, given the play of Williams at LT and Blythe inside this preseason I actually like the depth better now then recent years.
Now, if Donnal can come back and back at both G spots and RT then they could be solid.

 

[den-the-coach]

Sounds like the rams will be carrying 8 OL on the gameday roster. Provided that Donnal is healthy, and he has returned to practice, the 9th spot should be for a young player that coach Kromer can develop.

Not so sure about that because Kromer will have his opportunity to develop a couple of young offensive linemen on the practice squad. IMO, because the Rams have plenty of youth like Brown, Havenstein, Blythe, Donnal & Williams are young, IMO, if they carry a 9th OL, he will have experience like John Greco, Eric Winston or Austin Howard for example and all of them have started as well, so I believe the 9th guy added, will not be a younger player unless, it truly is someone Kromer just feels great about.

 

[Ram65]

Seems likely they are going with the starting 5. Snead said they would have 7 activated on game day at the 8 minute mark of his interview. That sounds crazy. They have 8 on the roster now . Do they go to 9 if they pick someone up? I assume Donnel is close to being ready. Maybe they take a shot a veteran if they feel the right side needs help. The backups seem to be solid enough.

Blythe
Donnel
Williams

 

[PhillyRam]

Just that last name got me thinking of those old Rams O lines and how good they were.

But here we are scraping around for other people's cuts with questions on our O line.

Rainy day yesterday so I was watching some old Ram games on YouTube via Comcast App. Definitely stood out how great those OL' s were compared to the issues this team has dealt with these last 10 plus years.

Of course then you could stash and develop guys over several years. Guys like Slater, Williams, France, Smith, & Harrah, waited their turn and stepped in when they were ready.

 

[ReddingRam]

I would still like to see another interior OL added. At least one that can play OG. Can't remember the name, but GB cut a young guy yesterday that they desperately want back on the PS. So he has some WCO -G experience. Greco would be awesome but....$$$

 

[fearsomefour]

Seems likely they are going with the starting 5. Snead said they would have 7 activated on game day at the 8 minute mark of his interview. That sounds crazy. They have 8 on the roster now . Do they go to 9 if they pick someone up? I assume Donnel is close to being ready. Maybe they take a shot a veteran if they feel the right side needs help. The backups seem to be solid enough.

Blythe
Donnel
Williams

I would say that Williams would win the most improved this preseason.
Maybe it is scheme and approach or coaching but he seemed to be much better at using angles. Not trying to be more athletic than the rusher, but, shielding and directing. Same in the run game. You don't have to physically overpower a guy (that isent going to happen for most guys) to be effective. Shield, angle, sustain. I was impressed with Williams. This was after writing him off last year. I'm happy for the guy. He stuck with it and earned a valuable back up spot. If he can continue to grow he can have a long career as a solid LT.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Of course then you could stash and develop guys over several years. Guys like Slater, Williams, France, Smith, & Harrah, waited their turn and stepped in when they were ready.

Oh, that definitely helped.
We have to remember though that the entire league has not been able to stash and develop guys and our O lines have been subpar.

People have to remember that the battle is truly won and lost in the trenches.

People laughed at Dallas when they took Frederick with a first round draft pick because somehow Guards and Centers were somehow demoted to second-rounders and below.

General Managers and people running the draft get caught up in the hype of the flashy positions too often in my opinion.

All they see is the guy with the ball in his hand running in the open field without considering how he got in the open field.

 

[BonifayRam]

If the Rams sign both LG/RG Cody Wichmann & OC/LG/RG Jake Eldrenkamp to the PS then for the moment the original main 10 Ram cadre will be back together for practices. It should be OK. I don't really like any of those OL'ers listed above. I like the ideal of keeping the original 10.

If Andrew Donnal returns fully healthy this week then the OL is fine for the moment. AD has logged major time @ FOUR OL posts in regular season games! In addition Austin Blythe has been worked in the 3 interior posts since he was signed. Darrell Williams should be left alone to refine his skills & talents stuck 100% of the time to MT. Andrew @ LT.

A little thing to notice that Kromer's 2 top reserves attended & schooled @ Iowa All-Big Ten.

 

[fearsomefour]

Oh, that definitely helped.
We have to remember though that the entire league has not been able to stash and develop guys and our O lines have been subpar.

People have to remember that the battle is truly won and lost in the trenches.

People laughed at Dallas when they took Frederick with a first round draft pick because somehow Guards and Centers were somehow demoted to second-rounders and below.

General Managers and people running the draft get caught up in the hype of the flashy positions too often in my opinion.

All they see is the guy with the ball in his hand running in the open field without considering how he got in the open field.

I hope GMs know better.
I would draft at least one O lineman and one D lineman in every draft. 45% of offensive personnel on every play are lineman, so, the offensive game is very much about line play.
By the way, Mike Martz and his drafting of Trung Candidate fits the mindset you were speaking of.

 

[Soul Surfer]

I hope we can KEEP Eldrenkamp on the practice squad, (about a 50-50 proposition there) but I don't think Wichmann is eligible.

 

[fearsomefour]

If the Rams sign both LG/RG Cody Wichmann & OC/LG/RG Jake Eldrenkamp to the PS then for the moment the original main 10 Ram cadre will be back together for practices. It should be OK. I don't really like any of those OL'ers listed above. I like the ideal of keeping the original 10.

If Andrew Donnal returns fully healthy this week then the OL is fine for the moment. AD has logged major time @ FOUR OL posts in regular season games! In addition Austin Blythe has been worked in the 3 interior posts since he was signed. Darrell Williams should be left alone to refine his skills & talents stuck 100% of the time to MT. Andrew @ LT.

A little thing to notice that Kromer's 2 top reserves attended & schooled @ Iowa.

I would assume Donnal was kept for his ability to play RT then.

 

[Ram65]

Keep in mind any veterans with 4 accrued seasons are free agents. That could increase the cost to sign one. As far as I know this is updated.

https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/2/3/5351372/2014-nfl-waiver-wire-how-it-works-guide

Who has to go through waivers?
Remember when I mentioned "four accrued seasons" above? That's important. Any player with at least four accrued seasons is considered a "vested veteran" and is not subjected to the waiver process. Vested veterans become a free agent immediately upon their release and can sign with any team of their choosing. The NFL defines an accrued season as one in which a player appeared on the active 53-man roster for at least six games. Players with fewer than four accrued seasons must pass through the 24-hour waiver period, after which they too become a free agent.

 

[Soul Surfer]

I would draft at least one O lineman and one D lineman in every draft.

I will go you one better;
They should make it a point to draft at least one O lineman and one D lineman in the FIRST FOUR ROUNDS of every draft.

 

[fearsomefour]

I will go you one better;
They should make it a point to draft at least one O lineman and one D lineman in the FIRST FOUR ROUNDS of every draft.

Ok and I will add a flyer on a QB every year.
Could be a 7th round pick or an USFA, but, try to find that developmental guy.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Mike Martz and his drafting of Trung Candidate fits the mindset you were speaking of.

.....and I was having such a good Sunday morning.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Ok and I will add a flyer on a QB every year.
Could be a 7th round pick or an USFA, but, try to find that developmental guy.

Garrett Gilbert is looking much better with Carolina.

 

[Boston Ram]

Wonder if the Rams think there is anything with TJ Clemmins. He struggled with Minny and the move to guard was a fail, but I really liked him coming out of Pitt

 

[BonifayRam]

I would assume Donnal was kept for his ability to play RT then.

Its just me but if Havenstein does not settle down & gets his protection issues solved Andrew Donnal will be our starting RT once again with Havenstein moving back to RG with Jamon Brown moving back to the role he had last season as the top swing OG reserve.

Andrew Donnal was our most improved OL last season. Even with his injured hip he gave us some very good pass protection on that right side later in the season. AD is a technician OL'er which fits what Kromer wants on the exterior of his OL. Same can be said for the re-emergence & improvement of LT Darrell Williams who for the most part was finished & done in the NFL as an OT under Boudreau. Both DW & AD should be much better under Kromer's scheme than Boudreau's. I still would think that Kromer wants Rob back inside ASAP!