Rams’ offensive line problem isn’t as bad as it looks

[shovelpass]

I would bet that 2nd yr OT Evans will have the primary #1 LT responsibilities early in TC.

I think so too. He came in at LT on the last drive of the Falcons game. It was oniy a few snaps but it shows that they think he can play LT to some extent.

 

[BonifayRam]

I think so too. He came in at LT on the last drive of the Falcons game. It was oniy a few snaps but it shows that they think he can play LT to some extent.

Its those extra long arms that gets Kromer excited. So important as you know in keeping redirecting & fighting off those quick speedy ER's. I also believe that Whitworth likes Bobby as a person a lot & has a real interest in assisting him with his future.

Bobby Evans will have the benefit over Noteboom who was the starter on several areas.....1st- Bobby is in full health something Noteboom is not. 2nd- Bobby has the actual regular season game experience @ OT with those ER's that Noteboom does not have. Now Noteboom sure looks like the more pure LT @ this point in time but Bobby is just in a much better pole position to start.

Rams should be in excellent condition @ the OT posts with Whitworth, Havenstein, Evans & Noteboom all on the active roster. Then they can move the 6-6 320 plus pound Chandler Brewer back to his more natural OL (RG/LG) positions to add to super depth with Corbett/ Edwards/ Anchrum.

 

[nighttrain]

Its those extra long arms that gets Kromer excited. So important as you know in keeping redirecting & fighting off those quick speedy ER's. I also believe that Whitworth likes Bobby as a person a lot & has a real interest in assisting him with his future.

Bobby Evans will have the benefit over Noteboom who was the starter on several areas.....1st- Bobby is in full health something Noteboom is not. 2nd- Bobby has the actual regular season game experience @ OT with those ER's that Noteboom does not have. Now Noteboom sure looks like the more pure LT @ this point in time but Bobby is just in a much better pole position to start.

Rams should be in excellent condition @ the OT posts with Whitworth, Havenstein, Evans & Noteboom all on the active roster.

And dont forget Edwards

train

 

[BonifayRam]

And dont forget Edwards

train

I will not! I see David Edwards as our long term starting LG from 2022 & on. Until then, he will do just fine @ RG or RT posts.

 

[Bald_81]

I also think our offensive philosophy will be shifting this year as we saw down the stretch in 2019. More 12 personnel groupings with 2 TEs like McVay used a lot of in Washington. They must feel confident in the group they have in house as they transition to feature 2 TEs more and making their jobs easier. Plus, more cap space next year opens up possibilities to find solutions in FA if our young guys don't develop as expected.

 

[BonifayRam]

I also think our offensive philosophy will be shifting this year as we saw down the stretch in 2019. More 12 personnel groupings with 2 TEs like McVay used a lot of in Washington. They must feel confident in the group they have in house as they transition to feature 2 TEs more and making their jobs easier. Plus, more cap space next year opens up possibilities to find solutions in FA if our young guys don't develop as expected.

Utilizing the 2 TE's Rams have this season would be a smart plan IMO. The reserve TE's with Johnny Mundt & now 4th rd rookie TE Brycen Hopkins sure provides depth.

As far as more cap space not so sure once you take a long look @ next March Ram UFA's:

2021 NFL Free Agents Tracker

Tracking the status and signings of all 2021 NFL free agents.

www.spotrac.com

IF the Rams current 7 or 8 young Ol'ers DO develop (along with Whitworth/Havenstein) as expected 4/5th of the OL will be in very good condition. The OC being the only area of concern but still there is a good chance that both Brian Allen & Coleman Shelton will be here both in their 4th NFL seasons.

 

[Memphis Ram]

And dont forget Edwards

train

He rarely gets any mention here, but I've heard Chandler Brewer's named mentioned by either McVay or Snead a couple times this offseason, too.

 

[den-the-coach]

He rarely gets any mention here, but I've heard Chandler Brewer's named mentioned by either McVay or Snead a couple times this offseason, too.

Oh my Good God, @BonifayRam is going to party like it's 1999.

 

[So Ram]

I’ll continue to ask the question about some of the young Offensive Lineman.

Chandler Brewer is still only 22 years of age. If he was to come out in the 2020 draft instead of going pro in 2019. What round would he have been drafted, if at all ?

 

[den-the-coach]

Good info here on Coleman Shelton a Center...Maybe there is hope and maybe the Rams do believe in players like Shelton & Chandler Brewer, but there is never anything wrong with adding talent to a group and IMO, the offensive line could have used at least one player of significance in the draft at Offensive Line.

Addition 3: Center
The LA Rams added center Coleman Shelton by signing him from the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. At the time, the team had lost rookie center Brian Allen for the season and had lost veteran interior offensive lineman Austin Blythe for several games due to injury. To compensate, the LA Rams had to trade for an interior offensive lineman in midseason and then needed a center to be the team’s backup.

Fortunately for the LA Rams, they chose very wisely.

Coleman Shelton has not had the benefit of LA Rams offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, and as a result, has waited patiently for his opportunity to take offensive snaps on the starting line for several years. At 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, he is a huge center who becomes the offense’s own worst enemy to shorter quarterbacks trying to peer over him to find receivers downfield. Thankfully, LA Rams quarterback Jared Goff stands in a 6-foot-4, giving him plenty of height see over Shelton and find his targets in their downfield routes.

Shelton is extremely athletic, a muscular center whose role on an offensive line requires plenty of snaps to understand his own assignment, and that of other players at the line of scrimmage. While he has yet to play significant snaps for any NFL team, he has yet to benefit from an offseason training program under Coach Kromer. At worst, he is the equivalent of a seventh-round pick. But compared to the talent level of the 2020 NFL Draft, Shelton is more like the equivalent of a fourth-round pick.

LA Rams 2019 mid-season additions act like 2020 NFL Draft picks

The LA Rams added 3 players in the midst of the 2019 NFL season. Here's why they should be considered to be 2020 NFL Draft picks

ramblinfan.com

 

[Allen2McVay]

Good info here on Coleman Shelton a Center...Maybe there is hope and maybe the Rams do believe in players like Shelton & Chandler Brewer, but there is never anything wrong with adding talent to a group and IMO, the offensive line could have used at least one player of significance in the draft at Offensive Line.

Addition 3: Center
The LA Rams added center Coleman Shelton by signing him from the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. At the time, the team had lost rookie center Brian Allen for the season and had lost veteran interior offensive lineman Austin Blythe for several games due to injury. To compensate, the LA Rams had to trade for an interior offensive lineman in midseason and then needed a center to be the team’s backup.

Fortunately for the LA Rams, they chose very wisely.

Coleman Shelton has not had the benefit of LA Rams offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, and as a result, has waited patiently for his opportunity to take offensive snaps on the starting line for several years. At 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, he is a huge center who becomes the offense’s own worst enemy to shorter quarterbacks trying to peer over him to find receivers downfield. Thankfully, LA Rams quarterback Jared Goff stands in a 6-foot-4, giving him plenty of height see over Shelton and find his targets in their downfield routes.

Shelton is extremely athletic, a muscular center whose role on an offensive line requires plenty of snaps to understand his own assignment, and that of other players at the line of scrimmage. While he has yet to play significant snaps for any NFL team, he has yet to benefit from an offseason training program under Coach Kromer. At worst, he is the equivalent of a seventh-round pick. But compared to the talent level of the 2020 NFL Draft, Shelton is more like the equivalent of a fourth-round pick.

LA Rams 2019 mid-season additions act like 2020 NFL Draft picks

The LA Rams added 3 players in the midst of the 2019 NFL season. Here's why they should be considered to be 2020 NFL Draft picks

ramblinfan.com

The writing is a little sloppy in my opinion. Allen was not a rookie, and Blythe did not miss several games. That stuff is easy to check.

Doesn’t mean Shelton isn’t an interesting option.

 

[den-the-coach]

The writing is a little sloppy in my opinion. Allen was not a rookie, and Blythe did not miss several games. That stuff is easy to check.

Doesn’t mean Shelton isn’t an interesting option.

Those are good points, but Blythe did miss one game I believe.

Starting guard Austin Blythe went down with an ankle injury in the second quarter of the Rams’ Week 2 bout against the Saints. He was helped off the field by trainers and was carted into the locker room.

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/20...e-against-new-orleans-questionable-to-return/

 

[Allen2McVay]

Those are good points, but Blythe did miss one game I believe.

Starting guard Austin Blythe went down with an ankle injury in the second quarter of the Rams’ Week 2 bout against the Saints. He was helped off the field by trainers and was carted into the locker room.

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/20...e-against-new-orleans-questionable-to-return/

Yes. One game.

There is so much material out there. So many sites and articles.
I love reading about the Rams but sometimes I think the authors aren't really watching the Rams very closely.

 

[den-the-coach]

Yes. One game.

There is so much material out there. So many sites and articles.
I love reading about the Rams but sometimes I think the authors aren't really watching the Rams very closely.

That's how I feel about some college players in the draft, I realize you can't watch all of them, but the ones I do get to see, I'm amazed how some analysis is so far off.

 

[BonifayRam]

Good info here on Coleman Shelton a Center...Maybe there is hope and maybe the Rams do believe in players like Shelton & Chandler Brewer, but there is never anything wrong with adding talent to a group and IMO, the offensive line could have used at least one player of significance in the draft at Offensive Line.
Addition 3: Center
The LA Rams added center Coleman Shelton by signing him from the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. At the time, the team had lost rookie center Brian Allen for the season and had lost veteran interior offensive lineman Austin Blythe for several games due to injury. To compensate, the LA Rams had to trade for an interior offensive lineman in midseason and then needed a center to be the team’s backup.

Fortunately for the LA Rams, they chose very wisely.

Coleman Shelton has not had the benefit of LA Rams offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, and as a result, has waited patiently for his opportunity to take offensive snaps on the starting line for several years. At 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, he is a huge center who becomes the offense’s own worst enemy to shorter quarterbacks trying to peer over him to find receivers downfield. Thankfully, LA Rams quarterback Jared Goff stands in a 6-foot-4, giving him plenty of height see over Shelton and find his targets in their downfield routes.

Shelton is extremely athletic, a muscular center whose role on an offensive line requires plenty of snaps to understand his own assignment, and that of other players at the line of scrimmage. While he has yet to play significant snaps for any NFL team, he has yet to benefit from an offseason training program under Coach Kromer. At worst, he is the equivalent of a seventh-round pick. But compared to the talent level of the 2020 NFL Draft, Shelton is more like the equivalent of a fourth-round pick.

LA Rams 2019 mid-season additions act like 2020 NFL Draft picks

The LA Rams added 3 players in the midst of the 2019 NFL season. Here's why they should be considered to be 2020 NFL Draft picks

ramblinfan.com

CS as an UDFA has signed contracts on four NFL teams since 4/30/18. Three (SF/TN/AZ) were all practice squad contracts. CS had one full TC & preseason for the 9er in 2018 & the same for the Cards in 2019. It should be said that CS never was unemployed for more than a day during that time. On 9/3/19 early before regular season game 1 he was added to the Rams 53 active player roster for the first time.

I do believe that CS will be included in the final 10 Ram OL'ers going down to the final cut time event. I also think it's a good chance that the Rams go all season with 9 OL'ers on the player roster. CS's versatility as discussed in this thread makes him a hard OL'er to place in this newly reformed OL. If I were to guess his best 2 OL posts will be OC & LG. But he was used by Kromer last season as an all 5 post OL reserve going into game days later last season.

This article made a real good point when it stated "he has yet to benefit from an offseason training program under Coach Kromer". So even after being with Kromer for the entire 2019 regular season Kromer will soon get his first opportunity @ CS in Training Camp & preseason.

Rams history over the last half century on starting centers is an odd one.....all their best long term centers were either UDFA's/ or very late rd draft selections:

Ken Iman -UDFA- 1960 to 1974
Rich Saul- late 8th rd Ram draft pick -1970 to 1981
Doug Smith- UDFA- 1978 to 1991
Mike Gruttadauria UDFA- 1996 to 1999
Andy McCullum UDFA- 1999 to 2007

Yes. One game.

I might say Blythe missed 1 & 3/4's of a game due to injury.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Which is more likely.

A) The 2017 and 2018 OL went from outstanding to bad in one offseason that saw the departure of basically two starters. One very good player(Saffold) and one decent player(Sullivan) who was clearly declining.

B) The outstanding offensive scheme of 2017 and 2018 had run it's course and lost it's effectiveness due to DC's adjusting...rendering the OL, Goff, Gurley, the receivers etc etc much less effective as a whole.

I've gone with with B all along, and it looks like the Rams didn't feel like an OL overhaul was needed right now either. Having said that, i do feel like the interior OL needs more talent and more physicality to match the fronts in the division.

This season should tell us a lot about what we've got in Evans, Edwards, Allen, Boom and other fringe guys up front...as long as McV adjusts what we're doing. IMO the same old concepts will bring the same old results up front.

 

[Rams43]

About the ‘20 Rams OL...

Can we all agree that it all hinges on the effectiveness of our play at C?

One of Blythe, Allen, Corbett, or Shelton simply must step up and do the job. If one of these guys does then I like our overall OL.

I think Kromer’s got this.

 

[OC--LeftCoast]

I suppose if a thread runs long enough it eventually runs in circles

This much I’m fairly confident about;

if management got this right and their investments in the past few years ON the OLine pay off (and I’m counting on they will)

Then we’re gonna have on hell of a ride this season

 

[den-the-coach]

I suppose if a thread runs long enough it eventually runs in circles

This much I’m fairly confident about;

if management got this right and their investments in the past few years ON the OLine pay off (and I’m counting on they will)

Then we’re gonna have on hell of a ride this season

And if they are not right, the season most likely be disappointing. And now the thread has come full circle.

 

[Merlin]

Which is more likely.

A) The 2017 and 2018 OL went from outstanding to bad in one offseason that saw the departure of basically two starters. One very good player(Saffold) and one decent player(Sullivan) who was clearly declining.

B) The outstanding offensive scheme of 2017 and 2018 had run it's course and lost it's effectiveness due to DC's adjusting...rendering the OL, Goff, Gurley, the receivers etc etc much less effective as a whole.

I've gone with with B all along, and it looks like the Rams didn't feel like an OL overhaul was needed right now either. Having said that, i do feel like the interior OL needs more talent and more physicality to match the fronts in the division.

This season should tell us a lot about what we've got in Evans, Edwards, Allen, Boom and other fringe guys up front...as long as McV adjusts what we're doing. IMO the same old concepts will bring the same old results up front.

Why does it have to be one or the other Mojo.

A. is correct, and we could see the lack of faith in the OL in the moving pockets McVay had to use even late in the season. The 2nd whiner game I lost count of the boots we ran. More appropriate would be counting the number of dropbacks that weren't quick passing plays and it would be a very small number. For a good reason.

B. is correct as well. Queue up the Dallas game. They were all over our route combinations. Teams basically sat on our routes last year and there weren't a lot of guys open. Some of that was helped by poor receiver play (Cooks was crappy after the concussion) but most was certainly due to poor OC production under McVay which he rectified this offseason.