Did the LA Rams stumble into bookend OTs of the future?
by
Bret Stuter
In LA Rams News: Did the LA Rams roster somehow stumble upon two young bookend offensive tackles who can start in the future?
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The LA Rams are by no means the NFL organization that plops sacks of cash, makes blockbuster trades, or even signs premier free agent veterans to the offensive line. It’s just not how this team rolls. But don’t think that
the LA Rams are not planning for tomorrow. It’s easy to assume that, simply because this team makes some pretty big splashes in the water when the front office makes a move. And yet, that’s not where all of the action is.
All in all, the LA Rams have done a pretty good job of building an NFL winner by looking in places where other teams don’t, and by choosing players that other teams overlook. It’s a curious trait for a team that seems to splash the headlines each year or so when there is another blockbuster trade, and the Rams are the team that has converted their first-round draft picks into some special type of veteran player.
But paying for 90 players in the offseason, and 53 players through the course of an NFL season takes a lot of cash. The Rams pay their stars, which leaves a much smaller share to pay the rest of the roster. So planning for the future creates significant challenges for a team that doesn’t retain first-round draft choices.
So this team needs to plan ahead. That requires coordination with the team’s front office, a matter of some import as there will not be enough money to go around next year. That means that the team will need to consider the length of the contract when setting the final depth chart. Right now, the LA Rams have four players set at their two offensive tack positions, and only one is expected to be back in 2022. That’s three offensive tackles in one year? Go on, tell me another one.
But help is one the way. At the back of the roster right now are a couple of players who seem to be shaping up very nicely. So well, in fact, that I expect to see their play in preseason games to confirm if the LA Rams have something or not. So who am I referring to? Let’s find out:
Tremayne Anchrum
When the LA Rams drafted Tremayne Anchrum late in the 2020 NFL Draft, they were not drafting an offensive lineman, but rather were drafting the best player on their board. The guy is no slouch at his position, but because he is not the 6-foot-5 prototype offensive lineman, he fell to the Rams and the team was more than happy to call out his name.
Anchrum didn’t have much time to ‘fit in’ with the LA Rams offensive line a year ago, as the team raced to pull together a group of starters. But 2021 is a bit different. For starters, the Rams’ new offensive line coach Kevin Carberry seems to enjoy bigger-bodied guys, which has pushed Anchrum back on the depth chart. But I don’t expect him to stay there.
Anchrum is a solid player who understands not just his position, but the roles and responsibilities of the guys playing around him. He is a headsy guy, the one who knows who to prioritize and who can be avoided, and uses that as he not only engages at the line of scrimmage but has he enters the second and third levels of blocking.
He may currently be at the third string, but I don’t believe that stands. He has great power, instincts, and finesse. I believe that he can improve his rank on the team’s depth chart through the upcoming preseason games. Now, all he has to do is go out there and prove me right.
AJ Jackson
The LA Rams were expected to add two or three offensive linemen to the roster this year via the 2021 NFL Draft. With so many players in the last year of their contracts, it only made sense to add some reinforcements to the roster just in case. And yes, some of the players who were available when the LA Rams selected are making a name for themselves already.
While the Rams did not grab a new offensive center or an offensive tackle during the draft, they may have grabbed the best of the bunch of offensive linemen who remained. The Rams picked up longtime Iowa offensive tackle Alaric Jackson, a.k.a. A.J. Jackson, after the draft. He was projected to be a day two selection, but due to the depth of quality offensive linemen, and some less than ideal measurables at his pro day, he fell to the LA Rams.
T Alaric Jackson from Iowa (6’6 315 lbs)
Jackson earned a Pass Block Grade of 74.2 and a Run Block Grade of 73.6 last season
pic.twitter.com/mFjAHgrAmo
— PFF LA Rams (@PFF_Rams)
May 8, 2021
AJ Jackson, just like Tremayne Anchrum, showed up in a very positive light against the Dallas Cowboys defensive linemen in their joint practice. In fact, he appeared to be one of the better offensive linemen on the field at the time.
Pads are on now. This is AJ Jackson’s wheelhouse. Now is his time to shine. The guy has played offensive tackle for a very good Iowa offensive line for what seems like forever. Jackson is a huge 6-foot-7 315-pound young man who showed up for the LA Rams at 285 pounds. He is taking the entire football thing incredibly seriously. So seriously that he changed his diet completely to get leaner, have more pop in his game, and improve his endurance.
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