Rams hoping Jamon Brown provides 'iron' at RG/Rang

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RamBill

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Finding the Fits: Rams hoping Jamon Brown provides 'iron' at RG
By Rob Rang | The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com
July 2, 2015 1:34 pm ET

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/...s-rams-hoping-jamon-brown-provides-iron-at-rg

This is part of a series -- Finding the Fits -- in which NFLDraftScout.com will review the more intriguing picks made during the 2015 NFL Draft. The goal is to identify one relatively unheralded player per team who appears to be a good schematic fit and, therefore, more likely to be a surprise contributor early in his pro career.

St. Louis' best fit: OG Jamon Brown, Louisville, No. 72 overall

Fans in St. Louis know better than most that it doesn't matter how much talent a quarterback or running back possesses if he isn't surrounded by equal ability (and durability) on the offensive line. Struggles up front contributed to Sam Bradford's failure to live up to expectations as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2010 draft and frustration for former Rams' star Steven Jackson, who rarely was provided clear rushing lanes to take full advantage of his talent.

As such, while optimism is high in St. Louis for new quarterback Nick Foles and potential star rookie running back Todd Gurley, there remain concerns about how quickly an offensive line expected to field three new starters in 2015 -- including two rookies -- can gel.

Unfamiliarity will be an issue, especially on the right side where the Rams hope to plug in second rounder Rob Havenstein at tackle and slide third rounder Jamon Brown inside to guard. Talent and schematic fit, however, won't be.

While Havenstein is viewed as somewhat of a "plug and play" at right tackle due to his 42 career starts at run-heavy Wisconsin, Brown is more of a projection as only his very first start (of 40) came at guard and that was on the left side back in 2011. That didn't stop the Rams from plugging the 6-foot-4, 323 pounder with the starters during OTAs.

Like Havenstein (and last year's No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson), Brown's game is based on power. He's athletic enough to get to the second level, boasting surprising initial quickness for a man of his size but isn't light enough on his feet to handle today's speed rushers, which is he ranked low among tackles on NFLDraftScout.com's rankings.

Brown is at his best simply mauling defenders at the point of attack, utilizing his long arms (34 3/8") and leg drive to generate movement - making him a better fit at guard in the NFL in a run-heavy, power-based scheme rather than the relatively finesse approach most teams expect from tackles in today's pass-happy attacks.

Fortunately for St. Louis, Brown has a proven track record of handling challenges. He initially signed with Louisville as a defensive tackle but he capably handled the switch to the other side when injuries along the offensive line forced him to start at left guard after only a handful of practices there. Further, he stood out at the East-West Shrine Game after earning All-ACC recognition after the past two seasons.

Brown is certainly facing a challenge in St. Louis where he's competing against veteran Brandon Washington for the spot vacated when the Rams elected not to re-sign Davin Joseph. Further, he's receiving a baptism by fire by practicing against arguably the league's most gifted defensive line.

"My motto has always been, 'Iron sharpens iron,' so you want to have a lot of good guys around you to be able to push you and kind of make you play to the best of your ability all the time," Brown said. "When you do that, everyone gets better. So iron sharpens iron is the motto."

Jamon Brown started out as a defensive end at Louisville. Jamon Brown started out as a defensive end at Louisville. (USATSI)

Other thoughts on the Rams' 2015 draft class:

The Rams are expected to take things slow with Gurley, who, of course, was unable to work out for scouts prior to the draft due to his recovery from surgery to repair a torn ACL. Once he gets onto the field, however, it won't take long for Gurley to prove why I've consistently compared him to Seattle's All-Pro Marshawn Lynch. Gurley possesses even better straight-line speed than the Seahawks' star and plays with a brand of physicality and power that could rightly be described as "Beast Mode." Because the Rams are likely to ease Gurley onto the field and may initially struggle with cohesion along the offensive line, he may not enjoy the immediate impact in St. Louis that fellow first round running back Melvin Gordon could see playing with established quarterback Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers. Gurley has the look of a future All-Pro, however, and provides Fisher with the Eddie George-like battering "Ram" that helped him enjoy such success with the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans.

By investing the No. 10 overall pick in Gurley and half of the club's other eight picks in big, brawling offensive linemen, Fisher and general manager Les Snead certainly made improving the running game a priority. Given that the Rams have finished just 19th in the league in yards per carry average since Fisher took over, that wasn't a surprise. There is no question that Havenstein, Brown, Andrew Donnal and Cody Wichmann have the potential to improve the Rams' rushing attack but each is relatively slow-footed in pass protection, which could make Foles a sitting duck against the athletic fronts he'll face in the hyper-aggressive NFC West.

While Foles does not possess ideal mobility to escape the pocket, he does have the height, football intelligence and enough arm talent to be successful as a starter if complemented by a strong running game and defense. That also summarizes Sean Mannion, the Rams' second pick of the third round, as well. Mannion certainly looks and acts the part of a pro quarterback and his success against quality competition speaks for itself. He holds the Pac-12 record for career passing yards (13,600) and came from a pro-style attack also built around a commitment to the run, frequent quick screens and deep passes to counter when opponents cheated up to stop either. These traits make Mannion a potential future starting candidate in Fisher and new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti's scheme. If he's to make that happen, however, Mannion must speed up his delivery and improve the velocity of passes to the perimeter.

St. Louis' 2015 draft class:

1st Round, No. 10 overall: RB Todd Gurley, Georgia

2nd Round, No. 57 overall: OT Rob Havenstein, Wisconsin

3rd Round, No. 72 overall: OG Jamon Brown, Louisville

3rd Round, No. 89 overall: QB Sean Mannion, Oregon State

4th Round, No. 119 overall: OL Andrew Donnal, Iowa

6th Round, No. 201 overall: WR Bud Sasser, Missouri

6th Round, No. 215 overall: OL Cody Wichmann, Fresno State

7th Round, No. 224 overall: ILB Bryce Hager, Baylor

7th Round, No. 227 overall: DE Martin Ifedi, Memphis

-- Key Undrafted Free Agents Signed:

RB Malcolm Brown, Texas

DB Imoan Claiborne, Northwestern

DT Louis Trinca-Pasat, Iowa
 

JUMAVA68

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Let's hope he mans that guard position for years,with Havenstein,Saffold,Robinson and maybe Jones this group could be together for a long time.
 

DaveFan'51

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Let's hope he mans that guard position for years,with Havenstein,Saffold,Robinson and maybe Jones this group could be together for a long time.
I hope Brown is the 'Road Grader' we need on the right!
And, as to Jones, I see he been active in his off-season training! ( Photo below!)


tempBarretJonesGuests--nfl_mezz_1280_1024.jpg


:LOL::D He has his Fans!!(y)
 

Akrasian

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LG not RG, Saffold at RG

While I agree that's where I would like him eventually - the Rams have seemingly made it clear that for now at least they want Saffold next to GR, which I can understand. Develop your franchise LT. Later on Saffold can be moved to his better spot. Though if the rooks develop, given Saffold's injury history he could find himself out of a job at some point. He's good, but he's also pricey and injury prone.

If he's saved his money, he can buy a bunch of franchise McDonalds or something and be set for life anyway, AND ensure that his nephews and nieces have starting jobs.
 

den-the-coach

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LG not RG, Saffold at RG

Yes it's been posted by many, but the Rams want Saffold next to GROB and they want to protect Foles blind side so it will be Saffold at LG and Brown at RG for better or worse.
 

RamDino

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Could our line be better if Saffold plays right tackle and the rookies play guard? Might this happen if Havenstein and Brown have problems learning/blocking in the NFL? Just a thought.
 

den-the-coach

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Could our line be better if Saffold plays right tackle and the rookies play guard? Might this happen if Havenstein and Brown have problems learning/blocking in the NFL? Just a thought.

No...Havenstein is a right tackle only played it for years at Wisconsin and is a plug and play and the major reason he was drafted by the Rams...Saffold is better inside than outside and not exposed as much from an injury perspective.

Saffold is going to play LG, he's actually going to be the back-up LT as well in case of injury to GROB, but having Saffold & GROB on the left protect the blind side of the QB.

No excuses Rams will roll with Havenstein & Brown and they will lead the running game to many touchdowns!
 

bluecollarram

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Poor Jamon Brown, today you will be responsible for blocking Aaron Donald.
Tomorrow you will go against the two's and block Nick Fairley, oh yeah, the D-line needs to work on stunts so you will also have to block Chris Long.
The O-line will have a hard time trying to pull the guard in practice.
Preseason games are going to be light duty for this guy.
Come on September, GO RAMS!
 

Rams43

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Poor Jamon Brown, today you will be responsible for blocking Aaron Donald.
Tomorrow you will go against the two's and block Nick Fairley, oh yeah, the D-line needs to work on stunts so you will also have to block Chris Long.
The O-line will have a hard time trying to pull the guard in practice.
Preseason games are going to be light duty for this guy.
Come on September, GO RAMS!

Congrats, bluecollar!

You receive my nomination for today's humor post award.

This one flat made me chuckle and smile.

Thanks, man.
 

bluecollarram

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Congrats, bluecollar!

You receive my nomination for today's humor post award.

This one flat made me chuckle and smile.

Thanks, man.
Glad you enjoyed it.
If this kid looks good in practice they should pencil him in for the Pro Bowl facing those guys.
 

BonifayRam

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One thing about this Havenstein selection.....sure appears that this prospect was brought in here & installed right into the Right Tackle post. That's something completely different.

Hard for me to recall when remember when this last happened. Not that Fisher has drafted many OL'er before this season. Reading the cards the Ram scouts were given instructions early last season to go find what Snead/Fisher/Boudreau ordered up as their ideal starting ORT. They found this really tall big somewhat overweight guy Havenstein prospect who filled in all the boxes.

The final showing took place during the week of the Senior Bowl where he was under the Ram Org microscope. They knew he was the unquestioned leader of the Wisconsin offense. The knew he had a ton of experience where he started in 42 of his 54 games played all @ ORT. They knew he arrived @ college @ 390 pounds & took his poundage down to where he tipped the scale @ 332 pounds at Senior Bowl.

The "cream & cherry on top" was later discovered that Havenstein show'd some seriousness to continued to take charge of his poundage & getting quicker when he got to the combine @ 321 pounds. Such will power & devotion to match up his real sharp smart brain with a smart prototype NFL ORT physique. The Ram Org was smitten.

Just to make sure that Havenstein did not continue to push himself they drafted 2 other ORT's in Donnal & Brown for some real good insurance.

Yes den there is no question in my mind now that Havenstein is Snead/Fisher/Boudreau's starting Right Tackle.
 

WestCoastRam

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With Havenstein, I don't think you can discount his work at the Senior bowl. It really is a huge selling point. Coaches get to see so many things about players that help reveal if they're going to be successful: how they practice, how they take to coaching, how they compete against top talent (especially if they weren't on tape). Havenstein shined at the Senior bowl and I think that's why they see him as plug-and-play. Sure, he'll have issues but I think they know exactly what they're getting with him.
 

Killgasm

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Poor Jamon Brown, today you will be responsible for blocking Aaron Donald.
Tomorrow you will go against the two's and block Nick Fairley, oh yeah, the D-line needs to work on stunts so you will also have to block Chris Long.
The O-line will have a hard time trying to pull the guard in practice.
Preseason games are going to be light duty for this guy.
Come on September, GO RAMS!
Iron sharpens iron ;)
 

RamBill

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Rams counting on rookie OL Jamon Brown
By Nate Latsch

http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1560829-rams-counting-on-rookie-ol-jamon-brown

The St. Louis Rams selected Louisville offensive tackle Jamon Brown in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft with the intention of moving him inside to guard. If he makes a successful transition, the Rams’ running game could thrive this season.
The Rams’ rebuilt offensive line looks like it will feature two rookies — Brown and second-round pick Rob Havenstein — as starters at right guard and right tackle, respectively. If the youngsters are able to make an impact early, then St. Louis should have the kind of ground-and-pound rushing attack Jeff Fisher and Co. are looking for.

Our friend Rob Rang from The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com highlighted Brown in his Finding the Fits series earlier this week. The goal of Rang’s series, he writes, is “to identify one relatively unheralded player per team who appears to be a good schematic fit and, therefore, more likely to be a surprise contributor early in his pro career.”

The 6-foot-4, 323-pound Brown looks like the kind of run blocker the Rams are looking for up front, but considering he played primarily the strong tackle spot — he lined up at either left tackle or right tackle depending on the play call — at Louisville, there are questions about whether he can make a successful transition to guard full-time.

Rang sees Brown being a good fit there for the Rams.

“Brown is at his best simply mauling defenders at the point of attack, utilizing his long arms (34 3/8") and leg drive to generate movement — making him a better fit at guard in the NFL in a run-heavy, power-based scheme rather than the relatively finesse approach most teams expect from tackles in today's pass-happy attacks,” he wrote.

Rang also points to Brown’s successful transition from defensive tackle recruit to offensive line with the Cardinals, switching to guard because of injuries and then emerging as a solid offensive tackle.

Unless the Rams make a surprising run at free agent Evan Mathis, a Pro Bowl guard the past two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, they will be counting on Brown to handle the guard spot opposite veteran Rodger Saffold this season. That’s a lot of pressure for a rookie, but St. Louis obviously liked the Louisville lineman enough to use a third-round pick on him.
 

Amitar

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Yes it's been posted by many, but the Rams want Saffold next to GROB and they want to protect Foles blind side so it will be Saffold at LG and Brown at RG for better or worse.
For worse, stupid decision IMHO
 

Amitar

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Later on Saffold can be moved to his better spot.
Then the Rams should have picked up a RG in FA. Just like last year signing Joseph and moving Saffold to LG. Coaches overthink stuff all the time. Saffold goes from OT and LG where he is getting hurt all the time to RG and dominates at that position. It is very simple for someone to understand that RG is his best position. Get someone else to play LG. The Rams had $23 mil in cap space and neglected to sign a OG.