The thing I don't understand this year

[BelgianRam]

is the O-line seemingly getting worse as the year went along. In the past years I understood that the line was not performing due to a lack of continuity (injuries) and therefore could not "gel" to form a coherent unit.
This year however most of our line was in tact for the majority of the season yet this "gelling" seems to not be happening with our group of linemen. Are they just untalented? Badly coached? not motivated?

Just wanted to hear what your toughts are on this

 

[SteezyEndo]

is the O-line seemingly getting worse as the year went along. In the past years I understood that the line was not performing due to a lack of continuity (injuries) and therefore could not "gel" to form a coherent unit.
This year however most of our line was in tact for the majority of the season yet this "gelling" seems to not be happening with our group of linemen. Are they just untalented? Badly coached? not motivated?

Just wanted to hear what your toughts are on this

No motivation...I could see it miles away, the lack of it was blatantly obvious. Everything can or could be talented eventually if properly trained and utilized. The players got too emotional and let their frustrations take the best of them that's how we lost games also. They didn't finish all the way through to the final stretch. Oh well we will see if that has changed by tonight. Go Rams!

 

[Mikey Ram]

I think they were over- hyped as a young, up and coming group...Coaching almost had to play a substantial part...I really believe Boudroeux (sp?) has been coaching on his reputation for a while...I'd like to see new blood there...

 

[Da-Rock]

It is strange that they tanked so badly this year. I agree that it seems to point more to motivation and emotions. I would like to add that I think a lot of that has to fall on our Oline coach and the Head Coach. If you have to explain to a HC how important the line is, then they really should not be a HC.

 

[DaveFan'51]

I think it boils down to Coaching! But it has always been true, everything in Football starts in the Trenches. Be it O-Line or D-Line You start their and Build a Team! Then you have to have A QB!

 

[dieterbrock]

They tried the FA route to build the o-line, and it didn't work
I felt like they drafted a bunch of lineman last year expecting that some of them would cut it.
And it didn't work

 

[Snaz]

Free Agency isn't what it once was. Either you overpay for near Elite Talent. Or you wait and get marginal talent. Most teams are able to lock up their stars. The Rams tried but ended up getting too many injuries on the OL. And they haven't drafted an Elite OL since Orlando Pace.

 

[cvramsfan]

So may times I see the O line leave their blocks to move to the 2nd level. Problem is they did not slow down the 1st level and the make the tackle. I get trying to get to the 2nd and 3rd levels but does no good if we cannot get past the 1st level.
Not sure why the coaches don't see this and just tell em get and stay on the 1st block and let Todd or whoever read it and cut into the lane that is there. Its like they are trying to out smart them. Screw that man handle them. But what do I know.
No needs to answer that last part. :burp:

 

[RamBall]

is the O-line seemingly getting worse as the year went along. In the past years I understood that the line was not performing due to a lack of continuity (injuries) and therefore could not "gel" to form a coherent unit.
This year however most of our line was in tact for the majority of the season yet this "gelling" seems to not be happening with our group of linemen. Are they just untalented? Badly coached? not motivated?

Just wanted to hear what your toughts are on this

During TC it looked like the DL was taking it easy on the OL. I thought it was due to the red jersey and no hitting the QB, but it may have had a negative effect on the OL, and once games got real DLs have been having their way with the Rams OL. Most of the OL are big maulers except Barnes, but it looks like they dont know who to block and often block nobody.

 

[Rmfnlt]

It's anybody's guess... but mine (guess) is coaching.

There are no superstars along that line... but I just think they could do better than they are doing.

That's coaching.

 

[bubbaramfan]

I find it hard to believe after drafting 5 O-linemen that had all started 3 or more years in college at major college and none of them end up being starter material? These guys should have been progressing. I went to practices at Irvine and made it a point to watch the OL coaching and workouts. No way they should have been as bad as what showed during regular season. Part of it was no continuity. The OL in pre-season never played in regular season. Massive failure on Boo's part. Havenstien never played a down in practice or preseason until the very last qtr of game 4, and you could tell he was still favoring his foot. Saffold started all preseason and practiced with the ones at RT. Brown played most of his snaps at LG.
When the regular season started, coach Boo started a completely new OL. Havenstien at RT, Saffold at LG and Brown at RG. Stupid of Boo to ignore continuity. Gurley was doomed and so was the OL to failure.

I've been questioning the effectiveness of Paul Boudreau for some time now, and I'm not the only one. Bonifay,46, some others and I have been posting all season about how the OL has been mishandled from the beginning of TC.

There's no way Boudreau is retained. I just hope whoever comes in brings a good OL coach, because that's where the Rams problems this season began its the first thing they need to fix.

 

[-X-]

There's no way Boudreau is retained. I just hope whoever comes in brings a good OL coach, because that's where the Rams problems this season began its the first thing they need to fix.

Boudreau is a real good teacher. I mean, real good. I've heard him speak about his craft a few times, and he oozes knowledge. Maybe he's not a good motivator or something, because I don't think this is a failure on his part. These guys *have to* know how to play the position, individually, but somehow they're not doing it together. Maybe they just need a new scheme and someone who can tap into their inner strength. I dunno. It's perplexing to say the least.

 

[Boston Ram]

I agree with the OP. I think part of the problem is they have so many different pieces that dont match. What I mean by this is it seems like they have 4 guys best suited for ZBS and 4 who are best suited for man block. On top of this they employ kind of a hybrid approach.

I feel like the personal is good individually but as a unit not so good. After last years draft I started to wonder if they knew what they wanted to do or what kind of line they wanted to build.

IMO based on individual talent they seem better suited to employ ZBS.

I think step one is either employ the scheme and put the proper personal in place or employ a scheme and coach the personal to that. If feels like they lack an indentity

 

[Dieter the Brock]

Boudreau is a real good teacher. I mean, real good. I've heard him speak about his craft a few times, and he oozes knowledge. Maybe he's not a good motivator or something, because I don't think this is a failure on his part. These guys *have to* know how to play the position, individually, but somehow they're not doing it together. Maybe they just need a new scheme and someone who can tap into their inner strength. I dunno. It's perplexing to say the least.

What exactly is Boudreau teaching them though?

All we heard was what a wizard he was and that he only needed young pieces to mold - hence the 2015 draft and all those young offensive lineman: Jamon Brown, Andrew Donnel, Cody Wichman, Isaiah Battle, Rob Havenstein, and of course the GRob pick. That's a lot of draft capital to be thrown one wizard's way to then go on to have a promising 2015 season to a disasterous 2016
This Oline seriously confuses me.
How can Havenstein look so good in college and his rookie year to "not so good" this year
Is it the players? The system? Whatever it is it's gone sideways this year
Yeah so
Yeah i don't know why i'm rambling - it's just that the only constant is Coach Boudreau

I mean what gives? It's perplexing for sure

 

[Snaz]

Did they change the Blocking Scheme this year from last year? If so they are all rookies again. But I think whatever they did last year was more successful in the running game.

 

[drasconis]

To much youth may be an issue. the coaches can only spend so much time with each guy, with so many guys with little experience that teaching may have been thin. Then look at the one "vet" on the team (same issue for the WR the last few years)....a guy who never really became more than JAG with constant health issues. You look at a line like the Cowboys, they draft a guy like Martin....a great talent to be sure....but then you put him in with guys who have been doing it well for years. If he makes a mistake they let him know, if they mess up likely they let him know it was their bad. When he does screw up they know how to help, or even if they should. In the Rams case one of them makes a mistake do the guys to either side know "for sure" he messed up or did they? Can they help correct him or just point fingers? Then there is a question if they know how or if they should help when an error occurs (sometimes you can help chip a guy other times trying to help just means 2 get through instead of just 1).

It is great to say we are going to draft a OL group and they will grow together, trouble is that then how much help are they to each other. Reminds me of when a company I worked for moved a manufacturing line. Instead of just expanding it where it was, which would have meant increasing the work force by a 1/4 (thus 1 new guy has 3 old guys helping him learn), they moved it to the lower cost facility which made hardly any of that product and needed to increase workforce by 75% (thus 1 guys was helping 3 new ones learn). You can imagine how production went .....

 

[-X-]

What exactly is Boudreau teaching them though?

Technique, teamwork & fundamentals. Same as every O-line coach.

He made an interesting comment about coaching last year, and not coincidentally, O-line play dropped off the past couple of years. Couple what he says here with the fact that he has a boat load of young, inexperienced (per NFL standards) O-linemen to work with.

When we got into the league, the biggest jump for a player as an offensive lineman was from his rookie season to his second season. Now, you don't see the kid until April. From January until April, you can't talk to him, you can't touch him. He's behind the curve. When we go out scouting, it's an advantage for a guy, like at the Iowas and Stanfords, the Notre Dames, Alabamas, Wisconsin, they play an NFL style. It's nothing against the read option. I've coached wishbone guys, I've coached veer guys. It's my job to get them up to speed, but if I can't because of the CBA, at the end of the day, that owner still wants to win a Super Bowl. How do you get those guys ready? It's hard. They put you in a bind.

 

[A55VA6]

I just feel like our OL is full of backups. Put these guys on other teams, and they probably won't be starting. That's my issue. I understand trying to develop guys with potential, but it isn't happening.

 

[OnceARam]

Youth. Collective bargaining agreement limiting practice time. Pussy footing around. Etc.

 

[RamFan503]

Boudreau is a real good teacher. I mean, real good. I've heard him speak about his craft a few times, and he oozes knowledge. Maybe he's not a good motivator or something, because I don't think this is a failure on his part. These guys *have to* know how to play the position, individually, but somehow they're not doing it together. Maybe they just need a new scheme and someone who can tap into their inner strength. I dunno. It's perplexing to say the least.

I agree. And I have to wonder that as much as Coach Bou is probably a very good coach, if the scheme or system just doesn't match.