TST: The Offensive Line

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St. Louis Rams:The Offensive Line
By C_Daniel@C_Dizzle48 on Jul 14 2014


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Dilip Vishwanat

Games are won and lost in the trenches. Do the Rams have an offensive line capable of stacking up against some of the best defenses in the NFL?

The Rams have added a wealth of talent to the roster this offseason. Which position group has the most POTENTIAL to improve on the field during the 2014 season?

Let’s start with the big boys up front. St. Louis has inserted the massive Greg Robinson into the starting lineup at left guard. Despite his rookie growing pains during minicamp, he should be an immediate upgrade over the departed Chris Williams. Robinson’s rare combination of strength and quickness will allow him to thrive in a downhill, run first offense.

An all but forgotten member of the 2013 draft class should, at the very least, provide some solid depth for all three interior positions of the offensive line. Barrett Jones took a virtual redshirt year after recovering from his Lisfrank injury suffered during his senior year at Alabama.

Jones is a hard-nosed football player who uses his high football IQ and versatility as his strengths. His ability to play all five positions in college makes him a very interesting player behind the starters.

St. Louis flirted with free agent guard Davin Joseph early in free agency. The inquires appeared to cease once the Rams were able to resign Rodger Saffold. However, the Rams decided to pull the trigger on signing the former Pro Bowler in late May.

Although Joseph has struggled to regain his 2011 form, his addition to the roster brings a great deal of experience to the group. Joseph has had a successful eight year career that includes nearly 100 career starts and two Pro Bowl appearances.

On paper, the Rams have the makings of a very good offensive line. The projected starting lineup consists of LT Jake Long, LG Greg Robinson, C Scott Wells, RG Rodger Saffold, and RT Joe Barksdale. Unfortunately, three out of the starting five linemen have a history of missing significant time due to injury. On the plus side, the Rams finally have the talent and depth across the o-line to be one of the most improved units on the team.