Rams LT Andrew Whitworth expected to return

[Riverumbbq]

Looks like nobody wanted to answer your hard question.

Most from what I have seen takes the easy response & state sign Andrew Whitworth & move on its handled. But that response IMO is way too simplistic.

There have been plenty of responses, but fans don't always like what they're hearing as answers.
Whitworth may or may not be the solution, only the front office really knows how this plays out. Will he want too much money, are his skills diminishing so quickly that he's no longer a viable consideration, will Noteboom be ready, will we draft another OT ? All these are reasonable questions.
If Whitworth is history and Noteboom remains on the injured list, does his temporary/permanent replacement come from within, or do we look towards free agency once again ?
At the moment, should Noteboom only be looking at a couple games being missed at the beginning of 2020, my money would be on the Rams filling that void from within, if he's expected to be gone for half the season or more, then I would expect Whitworth to be re-signed. In the event we are waiting on Noteboom for only a few games, then the temp could be Chandler Brewer who has been filling in this season at LT, or it could be one of Evans or Edwards if they aren't holding down another starting position.
As of 1/20/2020, there is no answer, only speculation, ... and that's what makes for some good debates, so continue on ...

 

[Merlin]

Cushenberry really struggled in the National Championship Game picking up the Blitz from linebacker James Skalski ...Cushenberry kept blocking down opening the middle for Skalski to come crazing through the middle and disrupting the play...It was a delay blitz, but if Cushenberry just stands his ground he stops Skalski every single time.

Yes and tbh the delayed pickups is also a coaching/scheme influenced deal too. And it's coachable, as long as the guy doesn't have a tendency to tunnel (i.e. consistent lack of awareness) which is bad. There are quite a few centers in this draft who should end up being pretty good but will just need some time and I think he's one of them.

 

[Riverumbbq]

I realize that and that's too bad because that's why I don't get involved in the mocks you all do (and I enjoy them) because I will only comment on guys that I watch week in and week out and for most part, that's the big ten, however, quite a bit of the PAC 12 too, but I am fortunate to have the ability to subscribe to receive these channels and I always feel it is a benefit when it comes to evaluating a player by actually watching them in a game instead of taking other people's word on it because most of that is based on someone else's word and so forth.

When I have been able to watch players, I have been on point for the most part, watching teams whiff on the likes of Christian Hackenberg, Billy Price, Dion Jordan & and our own Jason Smith to post a few...Have I been wrong when actually watching somebody play, absolutely Vernon Gholston I thought was going to be dominate in the NFL and he wasn't, but I just feel before you comment on a guy, go to YouTube and watch more than a few plays because the worst scenario is to have an opinion on somebody, based on another person's evaluation.

Thing is, even watching televised games can be vague with bad angles and missed shots focusing elsewhere. Even here we sometimes have to rely on an announcer to point out a good or bad play as the entire field may not be receiving coverage. I watch a lot of YouTube, and while far better than nothing, following linemen can be extremely frustrating as they are often quickly out of the shot, that or the camera angles suck. And then there are the unavailable games that don't even make it to YouTube. Still, when they are focused on, there is much to be learned, but then you have to decipher between the rarer hi-lite material and what may be the more consistent average play. In a perfect world we wouldn't have to rely on outside evaluation, but seeing things thru different eyes might also reveal otherwise unknown facets, so finding a balance between the two is important for me when trying to develop an opinion.
jmo.

 

[Ram65]

Most from what I have seen takes the easy response & state sign Andrew Whitworth & move on its handled. But that response IMO is way too simplistic.

Ha, sometimes the simplest answer is the best answer. The KISS method of Keep It Simple Stupid. Not you of course Boni.

#1- Salary cap ramifications for the hiring of this 38-39 yr old 2020 LT would be highly negative & restricting the Ram Org. from make the needed improvements on the many other positions & units on this team. Anyone who reads @flv posts as of late would know just how damaging it would be to the 2020 Ram salary cap.

So maybe the Rams have 20M to 40M. I thinking of the higher end to open the new stadium. Of course, we don't have an exact number. Whit signed for 11Million each for three years. Now I suggest 9 Million for a year. It's not unreasonable considering Whit to stay for a little less than other teams offer. He is settled in a nice area of SoCal with his wife and children, he likes McVay, gets, veteran days off and has been a team leader for the past three years.

#2- Noway to know if Andrew Whitworth will retire or desire to continue to play on. Whitworth who is now on the open UFA market is sure to get a few outstanding high offers from several teams who have 3 times the salary cap $$$ that the Rams have now @ $23 million.
Indianapolis Colts has $96.5 million
Miami Dolphins has $93 mil.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers has $92 mil
Buffalo Bills has $92 mil.
New York Giants $70 million.
Seattle Seahawks has $69 million

Rams aren't going to get into a bitting war for Whits services. I don't think it makes sense for him to go far away from SoCal for a year. I don't know what teams are desperate to offer a one year deal for the aging Whitford. To me, it seems reasonable at this time Whit and the Rams can come to a reasonable deal that benefits both parties.

I believe the answer to your unanswered question will come from the following......Snead/ McVay do have a very young cadre of long term starting college LT's currently signed & under contract.
They are listed below:
2018 2nd rd pick Austin Corbett
2018 3rd rd pick Joe Noteboom (currently rehabbing from knee surgery)
2018 6th rd pick Jamil Demby
2019 3rd rd pick Bobby Evans
2019 5th rd pick David Edwards

I would also include 2019 UDFA 6-6 320 lbs 23 yr old Chandler Brewer who end the 2019 season as the main reserve for the LT post. This above list most likely contains the two OL'ers who will end up taking snaps as the Ram starting 2020 LT post. Time to build with the current Rams team recent investments in the OL. Plus I would advocate to plan to continue constructing & fabricating future starting & top reserve OL'ers from within. It's up to Snead to bring in the fresh material & Kromer/ Dickerson to do the hard work.

 

[PhillyRam]

Thanks for posting this, i'd never seen Ruiz this high on another mock. In fact, this mock has several players ranked in areas unseen prior, both much higher and lower. I don't recall seeing this much discrepancy among mocks in years, so it will be interesting to see how things shake out following the Combine.

And this is not a mock, it's a big board so it is not looking at teams vs needs.

I have used this site for 20 yrs... They normally are in the ballpark and it will change as the offseason goes based on how players perform or screw up.

I look at this and see a lot of value for DL & OL in picks 80-130.

I could see the Rams trading back again in round two so they get an extra pick in this range.... Especially if they get an extra 2 for Fowler.

 

[PhillyRam]

Cushenberry really struggled in the National Championship Game picking up the Blitz from linebacker James Skalski ...Cushenberry kept blocking down opening the middle for Skalski to come crazing through the middle and disrupting the play...It was a delay blitz, but if Cushenberry just stands his ground he stops Skalski every single time.

That sounds more like coaching & scheme though.

I just want a physical center who doesn't get walked back into Goff by guys like Fletcher Cox or Akiem Hicks, etc..

Goff is affected more, like most QBs when he can't step up in the pocket without a guy in his face. Someone like Wilson or Mahomes can bail and make a play, Goff not so much.

 

[PhillyRam]

There have been plenty of responses, but fans don't always like what they're hearing as answers.
Whitworth may or may not be the solution, only the front office really knows how this plays out. Will he want too much money, are his skills diminishing so quickly that he's no longer a viable consideration, will Noteboom be ready, will we draft another OT ? All these are reasonable questions.
If Whitworth is history and Noteboom remains on the injured list, does his temporary/permanent replacement come from within, or do we look towards free agency once again ?
At the moment, should Noteboom only be looking at a couple games being missed at the beginning of 2020, my money would be on the Rams filling that void from within, if he's expected to be gone for half the season or more, then I would expect Whitworth to be re-signed. In the event we are waiting on Noteboom for only a few games, then the temp could be Chandler Brewer who has been filling in this season at LT, or it could be one of Evans or Edwards if they aren't holding down another starting position.
As of 1/20/2020, there is no answer, only speculation, ... and that's what makes for some good debates, so continue on ...

Yeah, to me signing Whit for a reasonable number.... And I am talking a Weddle like contract.. maybe a 2 yr deal, guarantee him $8M... $2M salary, $6M bonus and just expect to eat $3M in 21'.

Then if they do pick up etc picks via sone trades, maybe pick an athletic raw kid to develop as LT depth behind Whit and Noteboom. If Noteboom can't comeback to form, maybe you have someone for 21'.

 

[Merlin]

I definitely want more physicality up front on both sides of the ball.

Defensively there are 2 guys I covet on the DL early on: Davis and Futa. Davis is a rangy strong guy who will excel at 5T for us if he is there in round 2 which is questionable. Futa is a nose who could allow us to move SJD to 5T but I also think he can play 5T and is well suited for it. He is cited round 3 and later on a lot of sites so should be in play for us.

 

[Ram65]

I believe the answer to you unanswered question will come from the following......Snead/ McVay do have a very young cadre of long term starting college LT's currently signed & under contract.

They are listed below:
2018 2nd rd pick Austin Corbett
2018 3rd rd pick Joe Noteboom (currently rehabbing from knee surgery)
2018 6th rd pick Jamil Demby
2019 3rd rd pick Bobby Evans
2019 5th rd pick David Edwards

I would also include 2019 UDFA 6-6 320 lbs 23 yr old Chandler Brewer who end the 2019 season as the main reserve for the LT post.

This got stuck in the quote in my previous post.

This is the scary part. We know both Demby (poor play) and Corbett (OC/OG) shouldn't be on the list. Noteboom had surgery mid-late October last year. He won't be ready for the start of the season and he may not be ready till late in the season. That leaves Evans, Edwards and Brewer.

Evans PFF grade at RT was very poor at 49.4 for the Rams. Evans did play RT for two years and LT for one year at Oklahoma out of a two-point stance. I don't if you want to put him in as Goff's blindside protection. I like his long arms but, he may need another year competing. He can compete with Haventein at RT or at RG.

Edwards PFF grade at RG was a little higher at 61 a little below average. Edwards played RT in college. He was ahead of Evans coming off the bench to play LG. Again I'm not sure he is the one to protect Goff's blindside. He has no experience at LT. He can compete with the others and could stay at RG giving him a more permanent position.

Brewer is your boy and has no real NFL experience.

These are all good sized with lots of potential offensive lineman. I want them all to compete for starting positions. As rookies picked after round two Evans and Edwards played reasonably well. They should get better going into 2020. I'm not sure any of them can step up to play LT for the Rams next year. There is no perfect answer but, Whitfield does give the Rams a year of expected above-average play at the important blindside LT position at a cost that may not be prohibitive. It's one less question mark going into the season. Spend the rest of the money on the defensive side of the ball.

 

[Riverumbbq]

I definitely want more physicality up front on both sides of the ball.

Defensively there are 2 guys I covet on the DL early on: Davis and Futa. Davis is a rangy strong guy who will excel at 5T for us if he is there in round 2 which is questionable. Futa is a nose who could allow us to move SJD to 5T but I also think he can play 5T and is well suited for it. He is cited round 3 and later on a lot of sites so should be in play for us.

While I like Futa, are the Rams prepared to draft a 3'rd NT in as many off-seasons ? This is where I look to free agency, especially if Danny Shelton or Jordan Phillips remain in play.
I'll be shocked if Raekwon Davis even gets close to our first pick.

 

[Merlin]

While I like Futa, are the Rams prepared to draft a 3'rd NT in as many off-seasons ? This is where I look to free agency, especially if Danny Shelton or Jordan Phillips remain in play.
I'll be shocked if Raekwon Davis even gets close to our first pick.

I have no idea. But I love his tape and would make it a point to get him.

 

[Riverumbbq]

I have no idea. But I love his tape and would make it a point to get him.

I think Yetur Gross-Matos has a better chance of reaching us, but I doubt we get a sniff of either of them.

 

[Merlin]

I think Yetur Gross-Matos has a better chance of reaching us, but I doubt we get a sniff of either of them.

Yeah I haven't really looked too much at Gross' games. I tend to go back and look at the guys who are ranked higher on the list once I have a feel for the ones who are supposedly in our wheelhouse.

Definitely going to nuke the 5T types and the DL in general though because I think SJD can play 5T so by extension the 1T types will be in play for us IMO. But I do think we have a shot at Futa.

 

[So Ram]

Well I might be wrong. E & E both played well as rookies in rushed status so they're the only guys I'm sure of right now and it could just be that I'm a bit more conservative on the OL than you are.

I think Corbett might be a long term part of this OL but my caution with him is related to how long he's been in the league. So in my mind he's part of that needing to step up group that includes some others who will determine how good we are next season. Him and Havenstein both for that matter.

There are a lot of ways the Rams can approach the OL obviously. So I'm not set on any one of them, just putting out what I think is likely. First determiner of how things will go is Whit, at this point it looks 50/50 to me and I am sure it depends on what he wants to be paid. As long as he doesn't cost us big money (be it through him signing an affordable deal or leaving in FA) I think we'll bring in an interior OL to strengthen the line. But the Rams in-house might be really high on Corbett so we'll see.

well said, but from my view point Mcvay & Whit are tight. Whit has always been in with the front office on things. Like when they find out about the schedule and that. I know what Talib was as well, but Whit has always been there for meetings a stuff other players aren’t. He also had Goff & some of the lineman at his house for Thanksgiving. Corbett being one of them. I also think the played well off each other.
I think Corbett showed a lot & he was a lot better Imo than Edwards was in both run & pass blocking. Not getting penalties as well ???
Center is a spot I think The Rams might stay in house with. Kromer & Mcvay liked the way he handled the play calling of the offensive line ?? There is something to be said about that, especially if he was playing really hurt ?? 2 shoulders injury’s & what about the ankle ?? He is smaller, but The Rams has him starting at RG for 2 seasons. That has to mean something weather Ram fans want to believe it or not ?
Second all these young guys that have been on the practice squad & roster spots.
Demby,Noteboom &Blythe I’m guessing are rehabbing with Reggie ?? Kolone is going into his 3rd season.
- I know it doesn’t sound good, but this is how I believe Mcvay & Kromer set this out to be by developing from there own. Next man up. Big Rob & Evans ??
Yes the domino’s start with Andrew Whitworth, I just think they play the dominos in hand & not let them fall.
I’ll just keeping going back to what was said when The coaching staff took over & we, not me. They are into teaching of men.
I also think this is the most young depth The Rams have had since I’ve been a Rams fan. Dennis Harrah & Mike Smith were reall good,& not they took over for Tom Mack or not. The Houston trade sent a couple good lineman away I think that was to get Jim Everett. I don’t know. That is just my thought process & have more knowledge than any of these Johnny come lately writers ?? They do get better information than I do though.

 

[Riverumbbq]

Definitely going to nuke the 5T types and the DL in general though because I think SJD can play 5T so by extension the 1T types will be in play for us IMO. But I do think we have a shot at Futa.

I suppose if you can like Brockers as a 5T you might find room to like SJD. SJD has shown little to me as someone who can help relieve Donald of triple teams, and even less as someone to get consistent pressure on the QB, ... so i'll have to disagree.
jmo.

 

[Merlin]

I think Brock was mediocre as 5T vs the run. Hit and miss. SJD is a far better run player, much stronger and better at anchoring in vs stout run blocking.

So if the Rams were to get Futa and play him at 1T he and Donald would absolutely terrorize interiors. And SJD would hold it down vs the run. But I would play Futa at 5T and use SJD & Gaines in a constant rotation for freshness. Futa IMO would kill it at 5T or 1T in this defense.

 

[Zaphod]

I don't think it matters too much, SJD will start the season anyway.

Why not draft Futa and see where the chips fall? Either way you have some great depth in rotation.

Also, what about about Gaines at 5T? I think he could be a monster there.

 

[Riverumbbq]

Also, what about about Gaines at 5T? I think he could be a monster there.

At 6'1", ... too small imo. I'd prefer a guy with reach who can either get his hands in the face of a QB, or at least possess an ability to tip the ball.

 

[Kevin]

At 6'1", ... too small imo. I'd prefer a guy with reach who can either get his hands in the face of a QB, or at least possess an ability to tip the ball.

How tall is Aaron Donald?

 

[Riverumbbq]

How tall is Aaron Donald?

He doesn't play 5T.
Anyway, he's in a class all by himself.
Comparing Gaines to Donald is painful to my ears.