Examining Justin Blalock as a potential Rams fit
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...mining-justin-blalock-as-a-potential-rams-fit
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- As many of the big-ticket free-agent offensive linemen head to new locales with lucrative contracts in tow, the St. Louis Rams have mostly stood by and watched the market develop.
The Rams clearly have a need on the offensive line -- multiple needs, in fact. But they were never likely to jump into the deep end of free agency and offer the piles of cash required to land guys like Orlando Franklin or Rodney Hudson. Franklin and Hudson appear headed for San Diego and Oakland, respectively, with contracts exceeding even the most optimistic of projections.
Meanwhile, the Rams have taken an approach similar to last year wherein they seem to be feeling out the market and looking to add players who might come in the wave after the initial burst. One such player who won't move the needle much but might make sense for them is guard Justin Blalock.
The Atlanta Falcons released Blalock on Feb. 27 after he spent his first eight seasons there. Almost immediately, Blalock appeared to be a potential fit in St. Louis. At 31, Blalock doesn't exactly fit the mold of the type of younger free agent that Rams general manager Les Snead and coach Jeff Fisher recently said they'd prefer but he would offer a possible short-term fix while the Rams bolster the group behind him with youth.
By now, you might be thinking that Blalock isn't so much a replacement for the likely departing Davin Joseph, the player who started at right guard for most of the year last year for the Rams. In some sense, that's a fair comparison given their respective ages. But in most areas, the two are completely different.
Blalock has been one of the most durable players in the league since the Falcons made him a second-round pick in 2007. In the time since, he's started 125 games and only missed three along the way. Considering that he's older and doesn't profile to make the kind of money that a guy like Mike Iupati figures to command on the open market, Blalock could also probably be had for a relatively bargain rate.
In terms of scheme, Blalock would also make plenty of sense. He's 6-foot-4, 326 pounds and is best suited for a power running scheme similar to what the Rams prefer. Part of the reason Atlanta allowed Blalock to leave other than saving money on the salary cap was that Blalock isn't an ideal fit for the preferred zone schemes favored by new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
Last but certainly not least, Blalock also has plenty of ties in St. Louis. He played for current Rams offensive line coach Paul Boudreau when he was in Atlanta from 2008 to 2011. Current Rams general manager Les Snead and some of his top lieutenants also spent time in Atlanta with Blalock.
One NFL personnel evaluator summed up Blalock at this stage of his career like this: "Blalock is steady, reliable player. This season was the first time in his career that he's missed time. Good strength and is a better athlete than you think. Really smart player as well. Still has some years left in him."
Since the Falcons released Blalock, he could sign with a team at any time. But since he's not considered one of the top tier players available, there might not be much of a rush to do so. In theory, the Rams could explore other options while maintaining contact with Blalock in the meantime.
Whether anything comes of Rams' potential interest remains to be seen but if it does, it wouldn't come as much of a surprise.
