Snead/Mcvay neglect caring about the 0-line isn't backed up by facts.

[Elmgrovegnome]

last year they struggled... this year they are injured... the years before that they ran the ball well

so, the argument that Mcvay doesnt have good olines is no where near "standing"

McVays off-season priority was to fix the running game. How does rolling with bum knee Allen and no strength Noteboom accomplish that?

When were they able to get the tough yards when they really needed to? I don’t remember a good running game since Gurley. The offense is supposed to be based on the running game. It seems to be based off the passing game.

 

[Kupped]

That's kind of the point. Those, like myself, who have criticized the coaching staff for not investing in the oline are asking for the coaching staff to invest in DEPTH. We have been very fortunate with being healthy most of McVays tenure, but one injury could mean going from top 10 to bottom 5.

They had injuries and COVID last year. They survived.

They didn’t have a ridiculous number of injuries.

 

[Allen2McVay]

... but one injury could mean going from top 10 to bottom 5.

Maybe I am missing your point (if so, I apologize in advance).

The Rams' have not had just one O-Line injury ... or two, or three, or four. They have had Six O-Line injuries!

6 of the projected top-8 O-Linemen have gone down for multiple games. I just don't see that as a depth issue.

Tampa has had a "depth-issue". The Bucs lost their starting-Center and starting-Left Guard. Tampa has gone with its #2 Center and #3 Guard.

The Rams also lost their starting-Center and starting-Left Guard ... AND ... their starting-Right Guard ... AND their back-up Center (also their RG) ... AND their #3 Guard ... AND their #4 Guard ... AND their starting Left Tackle. That's a lot!

 

[I like Rams]

They had injuries and COVID last year. They survived.

They didn’t have a ridiculous number of injuries.

My memory may be incorrect, but I dont remember any player of our oline missing significant time due to injury and Havenstein was out week 14 and 15 due to covid.

 

[I like Rams]

Maybe I am missing your point (if so, I apologize in advance).

The Rams' have not had just one O-Line injury ... or two, or three, or four. They have had Six O-Line injuries!

6 of the projected top-8 O-Linemen have gone down for multiple games. I just don't see that as a depth issue.

Tampa has had a "depth-issue". The Bucs lost their starting-Center and starting-Left Guard. Tampa has gone with its #2 Center and #3 Guard.

The Rams also lost their starting-Center and starting-Left Guard ... AND ... their starting-Right Guard ... AND their back-up Center (also their RG) ... AND their #3 Guard ... AND their #4 Guard ... AND their starting Left Tackle. That's a lot!

Yea, you missed my point. Lol. My point was we don't need to have as many injuries as we have had to not be a good offensive line. There have been some bright spots like Jackson, but that makes you wonder why was he pushed down so far on the depth chart?

 

[Allen2McVay]

Yea, you missed my point. Lol. My point was we don't need to have as many injuries as we have had to not be a good offensive line.

How do you know that?

How do you know that just one or two O-Line injuries would have had as much of an impact?

That's where you're kind of lost me.

If any two of the six Rams' offensive linemen that went-down were the only multi-game injuries, the O-Line would had had greater continuity, with higher-rated back-ups filling-in. How do you know the Line would not have been much better than it has been?

That's what depth is for. When a team loses one or two players at a position group.

 

[Allen2McVay]

There have been some bright spots like Jackson, but that makes you wonder why was he pushed down so far on the depth chart?

Sorry to disagree some more but Alaric Jackson has been the top-reserve-OT since the start of the season.

 

[I like Rams]

How do you know that?

How do you know that just one or two O-Line injuries would have had as much of an impact?

That's where you're kind of lost me.

If any two of the six Rams' offensive linemen that went-down were the only multi-game injuries, the O-Line would had had greater continuity, with higher-rated back-ups filling-in. How do you know the Line would not have been much better than it has been?

That's what depth is for. When a team loses one or two players at a position group.

You're focusing on just this year. My original post was including multiple previous years. 2019 we had half the injuries we've had now, and we were still bottom of the barrel in oline performance. That alone and the lack of investment should give you an idea. Two of our starters, Noteboom and Allen have had problems staying healthy, yet we banked on them staying healthy. I would kill to still have cobett and blythe on our line right now, but we let them walk.

 

[I like Rams]

Sorry to disagree some more but Alaric Jackson has been the top-reserve-OT since the start of the season.

No need to apologize bro, but I would think he would have been promoted up before Anchrum if they valued him higher.

 

[XXXIVwin]

Great thread here with good points.

Ultimately I side with those who defend McSnead's prep for the season.

Noteboom was a calculated gamble-- quite understandable given the limited options.

The plan was to go Boom, Edwards, Allen, Bruss, Havenstein.

Alaric at swing tackle, and two quality interior backups in Anchrum and Shelton.

So if we had lost "only" 3 starters, this still would have been a functional group.

Instead, the injuries hit like a tsunami, and so we had to rely on guys named Evans, Aboushi, Brewer, Kolone, Skura, and Nsekhe. Nobody can survive with scrubs like that.

 

[Wisconsinram]

This thread is the definition of "Monday morning" decision making.
Coming from a huge "Humphrey fan," it's time to let it go.
The OL was a question mark going in. NO ONE was able to anticipate what occurred regarding injuries.
Of course it's impacted the O.
This isn't hard. Stop trying to lay blame. Sometimes shit happens.

 

[Kupped]

No need to apologize bro, but I would think he would have been promoted up before Anchrum if they valued him higher.

He’s the #1 backup tackle & was the 5th guard.. but definitely showed he could start there.

 

[Mackeyser]

Yeah… no team is gonna thrive with this level of injury to such a critical unit as the OL.

I just can’t get over how bad Evans is. We had this issue I think in the last Fisher year where we were signing guys off the street on Wed to play on Sunday and I don’t think any of those guys was near as bad as Evans.

I don’t want to pick on any Rams player… I’ve just never seen play this bad and I watched Greg Robinson…

 

[Corbin]

PFF Grades

2017 6th
2018 6th
2019 -31st
2020 3rd
2021 7th

Outside of 2019 the 0-line average ranking is 5.8 out of 32 teams

This year the 0-line has been decimated by injuries

 

[So Ram]

View attachment 57388

Exactly- even if we all play Monday Night O”Lineman.

Les Snead & Mcvay both screwed up.Maybe it was more Mcvay that got away with it?

I’ll blame Covid,but Tutu Atwell is not the right pick either way.Especially when you look at how The Rams 2021 roster was built with D-Sean Jackson.Then all the Free-agents.

I would have traded up for Lance Dickerson personally.I always find the best value & the most important need.

In 2020 I would have traded up to draft Johnathan Taylor.I thought he was the sure thing.

It would have cost Cam Akers,Van Jefferson & probably T. Lewis.

This year in 2022 we all know how that worked out ? A OLB/DE should have been circled.

I liked Cobe Bryant.Funny The Rams selected Durant to play in LA instead. Kendrick is a real nice find,but he also was the player with the PI. Not blaming,just saying those were obvious picks IMO.
All the players above are players I circled & fell into striking range.
In 2021 though you could have thrown at dart for a starting O’Lineman(center).

Do I like Brian Allen ? Yes ,he is a veteran Ram who we are stuck with now. Glad he came through & Shelton is coming back. Not sure he is the answer.

I do like the development of Jackson & now Brewer as well.

Does David Edwards get resigned ? My guess is yes.

 

[Allen2McVay]

You're focusing on just this year. My original post was including multiple previous years. 2019 we had half the injuries we've had now, and we were still bottom of the barrel in oline performance. That alone and the lack of investment should give you an idea. Two of our starters, Noteboom and Allen have had problems staying healthy, yet we banked on them staying healthy. I would kill to still have cobett and blythe on our line right now, but we let them walk.

First-off, in your other reply you called me "Bro". Thank You ... Seriously.
I love to called Bro. Getting old, and it does not often happen anymore ... and I miss it. Dead Serious.

I agree with much of your point; and (as you pointed-out) I am focused on this year.

Would argue that losing three OL starters for half the season in 2019 qualifies as significant and impactful. Also worth noting that the depth in 2019 was really inexperienced, with back-ups Edward, Evans and Shelton all first-year players; and Corbett a mid-year trade acquisition who had to be inserted as a starter very quickly. That lack of experienced depth made the injuries to the starters even more challenging.

I also wish Corbett was still around but (to be honest), I was impressed that the Rams were able to make the O-Line moves in the off-season that they did make. With Whitworth headed to retirement; and Allen, Noteboom, Shelton and Corbett all unrestricted free agents, that represented 5 of the top-7 OL from 2021. Plus, the Rams had cap issues.

I was impressed and pleased that the Rams could bring back three of the four free agents; and they used their top-pick on another offensive lineman. Did not expect the O-Line to be a strength but thought it could be average-to-good. However, not with this many injuries before the season is even half-over.

Finally, just to prove that we are not in full disagreement, in the off-season I posted my hope that the Rams might consider signing just one free agent from another team. And that player was OL James Daniels (24), a former high second round pick out of Iowa (develops lots of good OL under Head Coach Kirk Ferentz). Daniels has played both Center and Right Guard' and I thought he would have been a perfect addition. So I was thinking O-Line too.

 

[den-the-coach]

I'm hoping with the return of Shelton and he should go to LG keeping Brewer at RG with Havenstein the OL can turn the corner a bit and maybe salvage the season with 8 or 9 wins.

Next year you need to add some draft capital to the OL and I would even consider hiring a new OL Coach because the Rams need to be more physical. Brian Allen is solid at center, but that knee seems like it will be an ongoing issue. I might cut ties with Noteboom, I like him, but he seems overmatched at times and his injury history is just abysmal.

 

[I like Rams]

First-off, in your other reply you called me "Bro". Thank You ... Seriously.
I love to called Bro. Getting old, and it does not often happen anymore ... and I miss it. Dead Serious.

I agree with much of your point; and (as you pointed-out) I am focused on this year.

Would argue that losing three OL starters for half the season in 2019 qualifies as significant and impactful. Also worth noting that the depth in 2019 was really inexperienced, with back-ups Edward, Evans and Shelton all first-year players; and Corbett a mid-year trade acquisition who had to be inserted as a starter very quickly. That lack of experienced depth made the injuries to the starters even more challenging.

I also wish Corbett was still around but (to be honest), I was impressed that the Rams were able to make the O-Line moves in the off-season that they did make. With Whitworth headed to retirement; and Allen, Noteboom, Shelton and Corbett all unrestricted free agents, that represented 5 of the top-7 OL from 2021. Plus, the Rams had cap issues.

I was impressed and pleased that the Rams could bring back three of the four free agents; and they used their top-pick on another offensive lineman. Did not expect the O-Line to be a strength but thought it could be average-to-good. However, not with this many injuries before the season is even half-over.

Finally, just to prove that we are not in full disagreement, in the off-season I posted my hope that the Rams might consider signing just one free agent from another team. And that player was OL James Daniels (24), a former high second round pick out of Iowa (develops lots of good OL under Head Coach Kirk Ferentz). Daniels has played both Center and Right Guard' and I thought he would have been a perfect addition. So I was thinking O-Line too.

We are not in full disagreement. I think we are focusing on different timeliness, which puts us at a more of a disagreement. I have posted a few other times in other threads that I can't be mad at how this season has turned out, bc no one could overcome the amount of injuries that has occurred to our oline. Our bad luck is almost laughable.

Now having said that, going back to 2019. Noteboom was supposed to be our guy to replace Whit. Whit went down and Noteboom struggled massively. I understand he was a rookie, but I felt, and many here also felt that if anyone would succeed starting year one, it would be him. The big surprise was Edward's filling in nicely but everyone else struggled, which is an understatement considering Allen was rated the worst center in the league that year. This was my first concern about the oline. We found Corbett and he was a big surprise. So to date, our future investments to our oline looked like they may need some massive time and work, and we got lucky with finding fill ins like blythe and Corbett in the past to get us through the season. Shelton should get a mention bc he has turned out to be a good addition after surfing some practice squads.

As the seasons went on, Edward's was doing a good job, Noteboom had come around to being decent this season but cant stay healthy, Allen has been good but also having knee trouble and Bobby evans...I'll leave him alone. After that initial draft of those 3, we never really invested in the oline as a need, even though only one of the 3 we drafted has stayed healthy and constantly good. Everyone else we had picked up late in the draft or as udfa was a question mark. Some have turned out good and others we don't know bc they got injured.

My opinion is that we should have had least kept Corbett or even Blythe as good back up. I know we were having cap issues, but we have managed to work it out in the past to keep or add players, but I feel like we didn't even try.

 

[fanotodd]

After his drafting and developing and good LT play when the opportunity presented itself, re-signing Noteboom absolutely was the right thing to do. Simply put, the Rams had to know. Time had been invested and, quite frankly, it was their best option.

Corbett? $$ was scarce and the Rams made a decision to draft his replacement making Corbett the odd man out.

Cue the Humphrey discussion here. I admit I wanted to draft a Center, but have been screaming for one for over a decade. The Rams stuck with Allen and…it worked out. I do understand, however, that by letting Corbett walk, the idea of starting 2 rookies on the interior might have sounded dicey, so drafting a Center this this year was not an option.

In retrospect, if the Rams did anything wrong, they might have made the wrong decision and had Humphrey and Corbett instead of Allen and a competition at RG.

As for the depth, it is frustrating to watch the current OL, but whaddya expect? It has been decimated by injuries.
…still, I get pissed watching my team, the reigning SB champs, play so rotten.

So what are we looking at moving forward? Hmmm. Drafting both an interior guy and a Tackle would not be the worst idea. The problem is there are several needs to be addressed.

 

[Tano]

I was impressed and pleased that the Rams could bring back three of the four free agents; and they used their top-pick on another offensive lineman. Did not expect the O-Line to be a strength but thought it could be average-to-good. However, not with this many injuries before the season is even half-over.

I think that is the issue that people have with the OL

If the Rams had made it a higher point in the 2020 & 2021 drafts, then maybe we could be going into 2022 with a good to very good OL and if we did have these injuries we would be below average to average instead of horrible at two spots during the season because the depth would be decent and NO EVANS and Kolone.