Rams 2019 offensive line ahead of other teams this season

[Elmgrovegnome]

Snead has yet to demonstrate any ability to effectively draft a OL'er with his first round selection. Snead has a deplorable track record in drafting OL'ers period.

No changes to Rams' O-line, but team optimistic about better results

Agree that we don't know what the Rams were thinking, too bad we couldn't be flies on the wall recording cell phone videos when they debated personnel decisions. And I agree that these are tough choices about money and players with lots of stuff factoring in and many competing priorities. And...

ramsondemand.com

I'm thinking Snead might be better going a different route using his salary cap $$$ for proven veteran OL'ers (like 2014 LG Rodger Saffold/ 2017 LT Andrew Whitworth & 2017 OC John Sullivan) & using his high draft selections on usual quick return dividend positions like CB/ ER/ OLB/ DL'ers. Snead spent most all his 2020 salary on newly signed NT Robinson, DL Brockers, OLB'er Leonard Floyd & CB Troy Hill. Plus Snead paid a near $40 million of his 2020 salary cap funds on just two veteran defensive players.

Point is it takes so much period of time & effort to get any return of effective play from selecting an Ol'er high in the draft three years later, when compared to all other NFL playing positions. Even ready to play OL'ers out of college are extraordinary rare. Prefer to prioritize off seasons to spend salary cap $$$ on OL'ers & use most all your high draft selections on the other positions........better results & better football!

Fact is Rams are still coping & endeavoring the difficult task to get our three remaining 2018 drafted OL'ers (Noteboom/ Allen & Demby) to pay dividends on the playing field. None @ this time are considered to be starters. All 3 are entering their 3rd season with little success thus far during the time of their contracts. If they do finally begin to pay off their contracts are up!

Noteboom was taken higher than many thought. Allen was a head scratcher in round 5. Demby a 7th rounder. Getting any good production from rounds 5-7 is not easy.

I liked the Noteboom pick. But after his time in college and two in a pro training room he’s not getting stronger. That was the sticking point with joe and why he didn’t get picked sooner.

Teams get good/better Olinemen that can start in rounds 1/2 every year. It increases the odds. Snead loves to look for diamonds in the rough. He’s had great success with it in UDFA. But he has had no success with taking late round or UDFA Olinemen so far.

 

[Memento]

Noteboom was taken higher than many thought. Allen was a head scratcher in round 5. Demby a 7th rounder. Getting any good production from rounds 5-7 is not easy.

I liked the Noteboom pick. But after his time in college and two in a pro training room he’s not getting stronger. That was the sticking point with joe and why he didn’t get picked sooner.

Teams get good/better Olinemen that can start in rounds 1/2 every year. It increases the odds. Snead loves to look for diamonds in the rough. He’s had great success with it in UDFA. But he has had no success with taking late round or UDFA Olinemen so far.

First of all, Demby was a sixth round pick, and Allen was in the fourth (although, yes, Allen in the fourth was a total headscratcher). Noteboom had a late third round/high fourth round grade on him. He was taken where he was supposed to be.

And secondly, Noteboom is purely a tackle. Putting him at guard was a waste of his skillset. Is he the strongest? Not at all, but his pass-protection skills are excellent. So why not put him there, where he excelled? If Havenstein falters, we could see Noteboom back at right tackle, which - while our run game would suffer - would at least give Goff good protection.

I'm not giving up on Noteboom just yet; offensive linemen take a while to get acclimated to the league, and he was hurt before he could really show what he could do. I could see him have a bounce-back year.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

First of all, Demby was a sixth round pick, and Allen was in the fourth (although, yes, Allen in the fourth was a total headscratcher). Noteboom had a late third round/high fourth round grade on him. He was taken where he was supposed to be.

And secondly, Noteboom is purely a tackle. Putting him at guard was a waste of his skillset. Is he the strongest? Not at all, but his pass-protection skills are excellent. So why not put him there, where he excelled? If Havenstein falters, we could see Noteboom back at right tackle, which - while our run game would suffer - would at least give Goff good protection.

I'm not giving up on Noteboom just yet; offensive linemen take a while to get acclimated to the league, and he was hurt before he could really show what he could do. I could see him have a bounce-back year.

I stand corrected. But it doesn't change anything. Allen and Demby were atrocious. I watch a lot of Big Ten football, Allen wasn't even impressive in college.

I'm not sold on having an OLT that is weak in the run game. And no way would I move Noteboom to the right side, unless there were no other options.

 

[BonifayRam]

First of all, Demby was a sixth round pick, and Allen was in the fourth (although, yes, Allen in the fourth was a total headscratcher). Noteboom had a late third round/high fourth round grade on him. He was taken where he was supposed to be.And secondly, Noteboom is purely a tackle. Putting him at guard was a waste of his skill set. Is he the strongest? Not at all, but his pass-protection skills are excellent. So why not put him there, where he excelled? If Havenstein falters, we could see Noteboom back at right tackle, which - while our run game would suffer - would at least give Goff good protection. I'm not giving up on Noteboom just yet; offensive linemen take a while to get acclimated to the league, and he was hurt before he could really show what he could do. I could see him have a bounce-back year.

Agree with you here on most of your comments on Noteboom.

Joseph Noteboom remains in my mind a legit LT prospect even after awful 2019 LG showing. Many here consider JN weak, but JN bench'd 225lbs 27 times @ combine where Hav did only 16, Evans did 22 & Anchrum did 26. JN has the long arms & an unusual great 83 1/2 inch wingspan greater than any of the Rams 2020 OL'ers.

Those JN measurements would work hard against him playing OG & Kromer should have known that. Just look at the playing history on Andrew Whitworth ......from 2006 to 2008 AW was the starting @ LG for the Bengals & he struggled. In 2009 AW was finally returned to his LSU natural starting LT post & his all pro seasons started to flood in rapidly.

Currently, Hav is a diminished pass blocker. Hav's 2019 season PFF grade 50.2 was 27th in the NFL for RT's & lower than Brian Allen who is routinely trashed here in RODland. Hav has always had issues playing stiff but last season he took playing stiff to a height never seen before. To add to that his ability to move & bend was gone. Thus, those smaller quicker pass rushers just beat him silly. Hav does have tremendous Height but, a truncated wingspan.

If Hav does what most here thinks .....comes in & shows early in 2020 that he is able to retain some of what he did in his two best season...his rookie season 2015 & his 2018 season (which was his best by far).....Snead would be very wise to trade him straight up for a very young high potential starting OC prospect on his rookie contract before the 2020 trade deadline. Currently, the Rams have an overabundance of RT's on the roster in Hav/ Evans/ Edwards/ Brewer/ Anchrum.

So there is no reason for JN to be given any consideration as a starter @ RT when You have so many RT's who are a younger with latent skilled RT abilities here before the regular season. I believe Evans will be a good complete RT. Evans is far more OT than OG & much better on the right side than left. I am sure that Kromer has the same opinion.

 

[Rams43]

Yeah, Hav best show up in tip top shape and highly motivated if he wants to regain his starting spot. Or even finishing the season as a Ram as Bonifay suggests.

 

[BonifayRam]

I stand corrected. But it doesn't change anything. Allen and Demby were atrocious.

Yes they were!

I'm not sold on having an OLT that is weak in the run game.

My take on this is JN on his LT run blocking ....its pure technician type effort devoid of any tenacious nasty mean spirited combat skills.

And no way would I move Noteboom to the right side, unless there were no other options.

I agree fully keep him fully invested in that one critical LT post where the Rams have no other true LT prospects.

Getting any good production from rounds 5-7 is not easy.

But its a good possibility to find a good starter if you just keep utilizing those 3rd day selections on OL'ers. Rams have a few good ones like David Edwards or Ryan Tucker or Mark Setterstrom. Many 3rd day draft picks have helped win many SB's like Ted Larsen, Marcus Cannon, Ted Karras to name a few. Also 3rd day picks or UDFA's have started & play very good football & making big $$$ like OC Ryan Jensen, Jason Kelsei, Ben Jones, Andrew Norwell, David Bakhtiari, La'el Collins, J.C. Tretter, Corey Linsley, Mark Glowinski & Alejandro Villanueva to name a few.

But he (snead) has had no success with taking late round or UDFA Olinemen so far.

Sadly you are correct just maybe Ol'ers like David Edwards, Tremayne Anchrum, Bobby Evans & Chandler Brewer will help Snead on his poor resume.

 

[So Ram]

One big question on Brian Allen......IF he does not start this season ( which means Blythe/ Trewyn/ Cabral/ Shelton/ Kolone ) wins the starting center post) can he win a relief OL position playing only one OL post?

Allen did play more OG than OC in college & was very good at it. However, I have never seen him play anything other than center. Usually most all interior OL'ers who make the roster typically play more than one post.

Allen made the 2018 roster as a relief when Sullivan was the starter but the very versatile Blythe was also on the roster as a relief OL'ers until dinky Blythe beat the massive 6-4/330 plus pound Jamon Brown out of his former starting RG post when he returned from SUP.

Can the under 6-1 305 lbs very short armed interior OL Allen be an effective reserve OL'er for this Ram team?

Seems to me that if the newly resigned ($4 million) last half 2019 starting center Austin Blythe (with all his known deficiencies) proves he is a better Kromer starter...... than the now entering 3rd season Brian Allen would not the 6-4/300 lbs Coleman Shelton or a 6-5/310 lbs Cohl Cabral offer Kromer a better versatile reserve game day interior OL'er?

I don’t know how it will turn out, but imo which of course is different from yours is Blythe if is the starting C would move to right or left guard before Brian Allen & Allen taking over the Center postion. I do not see Allen as a guard & Blyrhe only as a reserve guard.
This is the way I’ve viewed it for awhile now as well. Plus maybe there is a better choice as well on the roster ?? This season is all messed up any ways though.

 

[So Ram]

Snead has yet to demonstrate any ability to effectively draft a OL'er with his first round selection. Snead has a deplorable track record in drafting OL'ers period.

No changes to Rams' O-line, but team optimistic about better results

Agree that we don't know what the Rams were thinking, too bad we couldn't be flies on the wall recording cell phone videos when they debated personnel decisions. And I agree that these are tough choices about money and players with lots of stuff factoring in and many competing priorities. And...

ramsondemand.com

I'm thinking Snead might be better going a different route using his salary cap $$$ for proven veteran OL'ers (like 2014 LG Rodger Saffold/ 2017 LT Andrew Whitworth & 2017 OC John Sullivan) & using his high draft selections on usual quick return dividend positions like CB/ ER/ OLB/ DL'ers. Snead spent most all his 2020 salary on newly signed NT Robinson, DL Brockers, OLB'er Leonard Floyd & CB Troy Hill. Plus Snead paid a near $40 million of his 2020 salary cap funds on just two veteran defensive players.

Point is it takes so much period of time & effort to get any return of effective play from selecting an Ol'er high in the draft three years later, when compared to all other NFL playing positions. Even ready to play OL'ers out of college are extraordinary rare. Prefer to prioritize off seasons to spend salary cap $$$ on OL'ers & use most all your high draft selections on the other positions........better results & better football!

Fact is Rams are still coping & endeavoring the difficult task to get our three remaining 2018 drafted OL'ers (Noteboom/ Allen & Demby) to pay dividends on the playing field. None @ this time are considered to be starters. All 3 are entering their 3rd season with little success thus far during the time of their contracts. If they do finally begin to pay off their contracts are up!

What Snead did in 2018 was the reverse in 2019 then ? Will still see how 2018 plays out. That draft was pretty bad.
I compared this 2020 draft to the 2017 draft which was exceptional.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Whit // Corbett // Blythe // Edwards // Hav

That's pretty much how I see it as our best case scenario. Blue being a plus starter, green is average, grey is JAG.

So the competition I'd like to see is at LG and C where maybe that helps whoever wins those jobs to be a little better, in other words maybe that competition can elevate Corbett to green (he was close to that last season IMO but his run blocking prevents me from going there). Or maybe we hit the lottery on a depth guy like maybe Anchrum.

At Center we're basically fucked IMO. Blythe isn't gonna get better but with good guards next to him and if he makes great line calls we'll be ok. As to the competition I don't think Allen's pass pro will allow him to win the job but never know.

We definitely need a shot in the arm at those two positions. And that's not considering the potential for Hav to not return to form which would suck ass. If that happens it's Evans replacing him and I expect he'll be green/average at best because he's gonna need some dev time.

I'm not calling Edwards a plus player at this point. He looked pretty stiff to me, and Havenstein has something to prove this year too.


Right now based on last year the Rams have one average player in Whitworth and four jags. The only guys I saw with potential to be average to above average were Evans and Brewer, and that is with a lot of future projection on both.

Hopefully Rob H. can return to prior form and give us two average players at least. This offensive is sorely lacking in star power. How much better it could look with just two top players inserted into the mix.

 

[Merlin]

I'm not calling Edwards a plus player at this point. He looked pretty stiff to me, and Havenstein has something to prove this year too.

Which is why I included the caveat "best case" scenario. But to be honest I do expect him to make a big jump this season.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

Right now based on last year the Rams have one average player in Whitworth and four jags.

Not even, since it's not yet clear who the other four even are.

 

[So Ram]

Not even, since it's not yet clear who the other four even are.

What ??? Clear. ??? It’s 2020. I think it’s pretty clear. Okay I won’t talk about the first Tuesday in November either.

 

[So Ram]

Which is why I included the caveat "best case" scenario. But to be honest I do expect him to make a big jump this season.

You break things down a little different than myself,but I think you’ll like the continuity of this starting

Offensive Line !!

 

[So Ram]

Yes they were!
My take on this is JN on his LT run blocking ....its pure technician type effort devoid of any tenacious nasty mean spirited combat skills.
I agree fully keep him fully invested in that one critical LT post where the Rams have no other true LT prospects.
But its a good possibility to find a good starter if you just keep utilizing those 3rd day selections on OL'ers. Rams have a few good ones like David Edwards or Ryan Tucker or Mark Setterstrom. Many 3rd day draft picks have helped win many SB's like Ted Larsen, Marcus Cannon, Ted Karras to name a few. Also 3rd day picks or UDFA's have started & play very good football & making big $$$ like OC Ryan Jensen, Jason Kelsei, Ben Jones, Andrew Norwell, David Bakhtiari, La'el Collins, J.C. Tretter, Corey Linsley, Mark Glowinski & Alejandro Villanueva to name a few.
Sadly you are correct just maybe Ol'ers like David Edwards, Tremayne Anchrum, Bobby Evans & Chandler Brewer will help Snead on his poor resume.

Well - will see. I can’t go by Sneads track record. I think Kromer has done an excellent job.

Brian Allen is a qus

 

[Soul Surfer]

In 2017 Kromer was big on The Rams not drafting a Offensive Lineman.

I think he realized he already had enough raw recruits and wanted to get a couple of veterans hence; Whitworth and Sullivan to add to Saffold.

 

[So Ram]

I think he realized he already had enough raw recruits and wanted to get a couple of veterans hence; Whitworth and Sullivan to add to Saffold.

Well of course The Rams needed veteran leadership in the locker room. Especially with a rookie QB coming back who never won a game as a starter.
Saffold needed as well because he could not provide that at the time.

Greg Robinson effect.