What is the position group you are most worried about post draft and pre TC?

[iamme33]

for a little different point of view here is mine. most think our ol got better after the injury's and we brought in the back ups. is it possible that the line got so bad that mcvay finally had to start to scheme around the ol. after all that is when we started going 12 personnel and using te to help out the ol. the one game we kind of went back to 11 personnel was dallas and we got kicked. anyway I think if we have to scheme around our ol we are taking a hell of a chance with goff being injured. so to me the position group that needs the most help is the ol after all if the ol needs schemed around we take a chance with our franchise qb. if you don't like this talk to my personel protector mr terrell lewis. (joke)

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

for a little different point of view here is mine. most think our ol got better after the injury's and we brought in the back ups. is it possible that the line got so bad that mcvay finally had to start to scheme around the ol. after all that is when we started going 12 personnel and using te to help out the ol. the one game we kind of went back to 11 personnel was dallas and we got kicked. anyway I think if we have to scheme around our ol we are taking a hell of a chance with goff being injured. so to me the position group that needs the most help is the ol after all if the ol needs schemed around we taka a chance with our franchise qb. if you don't like this talk to my personel protector mr terrell lewis. (joke)

I think they definitely schemed to make up for our OL, but if so why wouldn't they bolster the OL personnel since then? Every angle's a head scratcher....

 

[iamme33]

I think they definitely schemed to make up for our OL, but if so why wouldn't they bolster the OL personnel since then? Every angle's a head scratcher....

that is a good point and it is definitely got me scratching my head but I was wrong about the panama canal so this might make twice I was wrong but i'm going to send mr lewis over to see if we can get this itch on my scalp fixed.

 

[Jacobarch]

Oline and ILB and heres why...

OL is a big question mark. Are guys like Corbett evens and Edwards going to be better second year? From what I saw I would say yes. But teams will watch their tape this off-season and exploit their weaknesses. IE see Havenstien.
Whit is my biggest concern believe it or not. He had the most "help" out of all 32 Lts in the NFL last season. That's...not...good. if his age is going to become a factor this season are the Rams going to have his replacement ready?
Evans was impressive I will say. Slow starter in preseason and TC but you could tell the light bulb went on and he never gave up the RT spot back to Hav.
Edwards is also another player that might be our future LT he has the frame and smooth motion that you look for in most LTs. But he's playing RG right now and doing a good job. Look for him to steadily continue to get better ...
Corbett was solid not perfect but definitely better than Boom. He started really coming along towards the end of the year. We shall see about him.
Blythe is a question mark. He looked better at center than guard but he definitely was the weak link on the line. He has no push and needs to get quicker at the point of attack. Maybe a full off-season of center will help him out. I dunno.

Allen and boom were disappointments at best. Yeah they were young and unproven and they had a whole year and off-season program to get up to speed and they were not. Maybe they improve this year but with their bad injuries I don't really see how that's possible. Look for them to be backups at C and LT.
Boom is really the guy that HAS to step up. If Whit declines or gets injured we will be in deep if he's not ready.

ILB
who's playing linebacker?????? Kiser? He never impressed me. Watching the TC and even his college film I didn't really see what the Rams saw in him. But I'm just a dude so what do I know?
Is Patrick gonna move to ILB? He seems like a nasty player but can he cut it learning a new position?
Hager is Hager a good backup but I don't see him being our Waterboy.

I like the fact that we have competition at a couple of spots on our roster. I just mcvay takes the Pete Carroll approach and plays the guy who's earned and not where he's drafted.

And to those pointing out that we were ranked 31st on PFF last year on our Oline. That number is definitely skewed. We really started showing vast improvement the last 4 games of the season and we were so bad before that it didn't change the rank all that much.

 

[sjm1582002]

We did not upgrade a deservedly low rated OL either through FA or the draft.

Same with ILB. I always felt CL was miscast as a ILB but his former positon is now a huge question mark.

With GZ there was always the threat he could thunder one home from well beyond 60 yards away. I guess we will be going
for it on 4th from that distance or punting next year.

 

[dang]

McVay has probably slept very little since the end of the season. He had to have been embarrassed by the offensive shortcomings last year. Changes were in order. Quicker pass plays. Precise route running. Better use of the TEs. More variety in the backfield. RB committee that can accommodate any situation. The OL has to come together to make this work but I believe they feel they have the horses. My biggest concern is the ability of the OL to support an effective run game. Blythe at center concerns me so I hope they have options. This will be a huge transition year for the Rams but I think they have a youth movement that could set them up for years to come.

 

[Memphis Ram]

You act like the line was playing well through the first 6 weeks?? It was unbelievably bad!! Whit/Noteboom/allen/blythe/hav was a total failure. That was the strategy all off-season was to have those two guys come in to replace the departures.... THAT was the failure.

Yet a team with such a horribly bad OLine won 3 of those 6 games and averaged about 30 points in two of the losses. Any semblance of a defense and they could have been 5-1. Well 5-1 with a horribly bad OLine.

 

[PARAM]

Yet a team with such a horribly bad OLine won 3 of those 6 games and averaged about 30 points in two of the losses. Any semblance of a defense and they could have been 5-1. Well 5-1 with a horribly bad OLine.

Right? I think the first 6 games of a dreadful 9-7 season are too far in the rear view mirror for fans to remember vividly. So they'll rely on the grades given Noteboom & Allen by PFF, MIT or PCP. Noteboom was playing a totally new position so it's understandable it could have taken him 5 or 6 games to acclimate. I realize one drive or even one game does not a season make but I remember the opening drive of the first SF game. Plus I've watched it a few times. That stellar front 7 of those 5-0 niners were manhandled by the Rams O line. Allen was on the second level blocking LBs. Noteboom had the DT on skates. And Malcolm Brown (5 for 40) and Robert Woods (2 for 16) were the only players who touched the ball on a nice looking, all on the ground TD drive. Then on the first play of the next series Noteboom went down and the shit hit the fan.

But as you say, 3-3 averaging 30 points in what could have been 5-1 with a decent defensive performance is not "total failure'. I'd go as far to say 6-0 with a healthy Joe Noteboom in week 6 with a better D effort against Tampa and a last second FG against Seattle. But perhaps the hidden positive going forward in all that (that terrible 9-7 season) is the fact Noteboom and Allen got experience, as well as Evans, Edwards and Corbett. I'd think McVay, knows how important O line performance is to his game plans, and Snead and Kromer having been around the block a time or two, have a better handle on how all those lineman performed in 2019 and what they see going forward more than anybody else. They would have made the necessary moves to make the unit improved if they thought it needed improving. Instead, they resigned Whitworth and Blythe and took a mauler in the 7th round. I trust them more than I'd ever trust PFF, MIT or PCP.

 

[MachS]

Yet a team with such a horribly bad OLine won 3 of those 6 games and averaged about 30 points in two of the losses. Any semblance of a defense and they could have been 5-1. Well 5-1 with a horribly bad OLine.

Context matters man come on.. The three games we won were against:

1) A hurt and crippled week 1 Cam Newton...who was what? 60%-70% healthy?
2) The next week AD knocked Drew Brees out of the game in the 1st quarter. Beating the saints without Drew Brees??
3) Browns didn't have Denzel Ward, the 4rd pick of the NFL draft

You cant say we won those 3 because the "line couldn't have been that bad." It's incredibly misleading. Yes if the defense plays better against the bucks we likely win, but what about Goff having 4 turnovers?? Do we blame that on the defense? Maybe if the o-line played better, Goff doesnt turn it over 4 times and the Bucks dont score 55. You can defend the 0-lines performance all you want last year it wasnt CLOSE to good enough for this team.

 

[Memphis Ram]

Context matters man come on.. The three games we won were against:

1) A hurt and crippled week 1 Cam Newton...who was what? 60%-70% healthy?
2) The next week AD knocked Drew Brees out of the game in the 1st quarter. Beating the saints without Drew Brees??
3) Browns didn't have Denzel Ward, the 4rd pick of the NFL draft

You cant say we won those 3 because the "line couldn't have been that bad." It's incredibly misleading. Yes if the defense plays better against the bucks we likely win, but what about Goff having 4 turnovers?? Do we blame that on the defense? Maybe if the o-line played better, Goff doesnt turn it over 4 times and the Bucks dont score 55. You can defend the 0-lines performance all you want last year it wasnt CLOSE to good enough for this team.

OK. The team with the horribly bad OLine scored 27 points vs. New Orleans, 30 points vs. the Panthers, and 20 points vs. the Browns with Higbee and Blythe inactive. This team with the horribly bad OLine averaged almost 30 points a game during the first 5 weeks.

No. I don't blame Goffs having 4 turnovers vs. the Bucs on the defense. However, it's just as unfair to blame the OLine for every turnover Goff has had. He's not a constant who can't make turnovers with good OLine play. At times, he makes some bad decisions. And again, they still they scored 40 points vs. the Bucs with that horribly bad OLine.

Context.

 

[MachS]

OK. The team with the horribly bad OLine scored 27 points vs. New Orleans, 30 points vs. the Panthers, and 20 points vs. the Browns with Higbee and Blythe inactive. This team with the horribly bad OLine averaged almost 30 points a game during the first 5 weeks.

No. I don't blame Goffs having 4 turnovers vs. the Bucs on the defense. However, it's just as unfair to blame the OLine for every turnover Goff has had. He's not a constant who can't make turnovers with good OLine play. At times, he makes some bad decisions. And again, they still they scored 40 points vs. the Bucs with that horribly bad OLine.

Context.

You can point out all the outlier games from last year you want. Doesn't change the reality that our offense hasn't been the same since before the super bowl. Anyone with two eyes can see that, we haven't been able to really run the ball for like 18 games. We had a standard for two consecutive years of dominance and people couldn't stop us. That started with the #1 rated OL in 2017 and the #2 rated OL in 2018. Coincidence we missed the playoffs last year with the #31st rated OL? Blame it on the oline, blame it on Gurley's knee, blame it on Goff, blame it on McVay's scheme....whatever. All the data shows FOR THIS TEAM a great oline gives them the best chance to win. Not rolling the dice with a group of late round question marks hoping they pan out. We've seen 4 years with Goff - two of them he had a great oline, and running game and played great -(playoffs both years, 1 SB appearance + 2 pro bowls). The other two he had a horrible oline, & running game and played horrible (0-7 as a rookie, terrible year last year, among league lead in turnovers + 23rd rated QBR) . To me its not rocket science.

 

[dang]

The defense had their issues and gave up several blowouts, however, if the offense could have been more consistent and found rhythm in each game sooner, we would have had an NFC contender. That’s on McVay and Goff but I fully expect changes to address last years issues. What we have to see is whether other issues pop up.

 

[LARams_1963]

I think the O-line will be better. I'm mostly concerned with the LB squad. Especially ILB.

 

[Memphis Ram]

You can point out all the outlier games from last year you want. Doesn't change the reality that our offense hasn't been the same since before the super bowl. Anyone with two eyes can see that, we haven't been able to really run the ball for like 18 games. We had a standard for two consecutive years of dominance and people couldn't stop us. That started with the #1 rated OL in 2017 and the #2 rated OL in 2018. Coincidence we missed the playoffs last year with the #31st rated OL? Blame it on the oline, blame it on Gurley's knee, blame it on Goff, blame it on McVay's scheme....whatever. All the data shows FOR THIS TEAM a great oline gives them the best chance to win. Not rolling the dice with a group of late round question marks hoping they pan out. We've seen 4 years with Goff - two of them he had a great oline, and running game and played great -(playoffs both years, 1 SB appearance + 2 pro bowls). The other two he had a horrible oline, & running game and played horrible (0-7 as a rookie, terrible year last year, among league lead in turnovers + 23rd rated QBR) . To me its not rocket science.

Point to outlier games from last year? I merely made a comment on the same first 6 games YOU pointed out, remember? And as unbelievably bad the OLine was in your estimation, the team was still putting up points. My question is how is that possible, if the OLine was as unbelievably bad as you say?

Look. No one is disputing that there isn't room for improvement along the OLine. But, at the same time, the improvement needed isn't only on the OLine. It's on coaching staff and the rest of the players, too. Remember, that same so-called great OLine of the 2018 season helped this team score only 3 points in the Super Bowl. So it's not a cure all for success as the league catches up to what is going on.