Will Steve Avila Secure a Starting Spot at Guard for the Rams In 2023?

[Tano]

Allen is gonna keep hanging around and starting just to get on your nerves Den.

I like Allen but his knees are shot and is going to only be good for a couple games each year

I don't want to have to count on that.

 

[Rams43]

First, let me say that I think Rams OL will be just fine this season, and I say that not knowing exactly who will start at LOT, LG, OC, or RG.

Sounds incongruous, I know, but the options are many and quite viable, imo.

Here’s the starters that I think the Rams WILL choose come opening day:

Boom
Avila
Allen
Jackson, Bruss, Anchrum, McLendon
Hav

Here’s the starters I think Rams SHOULD choose and are ‘best 5’:

Boom
Jackson
Avila
Bruss, Anchrum, McLendon
Hav

Boom, if healthy, gives us ‘best 5’, but if he can’t go then Jackson has to be our LOT. Then our best 5 looks like this:

Jackson
Avila
Shelton
Bruss, Anchrum, McLendon
Hav

That’s still a damned good OL, imo.

 

[nighttrain]

"Jackson
Avila
Shelton
Bruss, Anchrum, McLendon
Hav"

"a damned good OL"

Boom is not gonna be available
so skip the inevitable
train

 

[Psycho_X]

That's maybe a definite yes possibly.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Let the best 5 start. I see the Rams wanting Avila to start at OG but if he’s the OC in the best starting 5 combination then so be it. I’m also not ruling out a vet who could crack the starting 5 being picked up this year (eg. Someone like Becton) but probably not until mid-season.

Didn’t they retain some of the late season pick ups from 2022?

I really really want Bruss to work out as a good starting OG but I’m prepared for him being no more than average depth (i.e. an “in shape” Bobby Evans).

Bruss was a late third round pick. He was essentially a fourth. It wouldn’t be the first time a fourth round Olineman didn’t pan out. When they picked him, I was like -who?. The same reaction that I had when they picked Allen. As a PSU fan I watch a lot of Big Ten football and I notice when someone stands out or impresses.

Avila will start. He's the biggest, most capable interior lineman on the Rams right now. Interested to see if Noteboom will be ready.

Noteboom was never ready.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Didn’t they retain some of the late season pick ups from 2022?

Not sure who you are referring to.

Matt Skura? Oday Aboushi? Ty Nsekhe?

None of them were re-signed.

Am I missing anyone?

 

[Merlin]

I liked Bruss' film in college so I expect him to be fine with another camp. Him thinking and being lost in the scheme could explain a lot of his issues. And the injury robbed him of the opportunity to recover as things slowed down for him.

If he doesn't win the job rather quickly this camp, however, then I expect he will bust. Guards play quick in the NFL if they are good enough. Especially if he gets beat out by a depth guy like Shelton. That will be a very bad sign. So I figure he cements that shit quickly.

 

[oldnotdead]

Even McVay doesn't think Allen will hold up this season. When he's healthy he's very good. But you can see by Shelton's contract structure that Shelton has their confidence at center long term if the expected injury bug bites Allen again. Regardless, I think Allen is gone next year and Shelton or McAllister will take over in 2024.

I think they are hoping Noteboom can return to form from his Achilles injury. We have seen how Akers looks like he's 100% back, so I think the overall prognosis for Noteboom is optimistic. But if he can't the Rams have Jackson who would be a pretty good LT.

At RG they have a similar situation with Bruss. I think they like what they see in Bruss, but if he can't stay healthy they have options in Jackson, McClendon and possibly Maginn. I think they would rather have McClendon succeed in making the position switch and be a long term solution at RG.

At LG the more I look at Avila's film the more I think they drafted him as the long term solution at LG. He's got technique issues that need to be addressed, i.e. lapses in his technique, like a tendency to play too high which is a huge no no in the NFL. But again nothing that can't be addressed with good coaching.

Next year they have have options at RT with Jackson, and Thomas. If Jackson is playing LT then I see Thomas as their next option to replace Havenstein. He has better feet, i.e. he is quick enough to mirror edges. His problems have been technique and strength related. He's had two years to remedy those concerns.

Unlike previous years the Rams have legit depth on the OL. They have options, but I have to believe that their starting OL going into TC will be:

LT Noteboom
LG Avila
C Allen
RG Bruss
RT Havenstein

I think the only real change will be next year at C and RT with Shelton and Jackson. But going forward starting this year the OL doesn't look like a weakness. I think with the addition of Shelton and Jackson this will be a good OL they can play behind for years. This will give Stafford probably the best OL he's ever played behind.

With the OL resolved it sets the stage for them to draft their next franchise QB.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Bruss not starting in year 2 would represent significant failure, imo.

Look, I was seriously underwhelmed by how lost Bruss looked in PS last year but he had an injury that wiped out an entire year of development. I'll be disappointed if he doesn't win a starting spot this year but not shocked (To @Elmgrovegnome's point, he was basically a 4th round pick in addition to the injury). But I don't think we can have an ultimately sense of what his trajectory will be (boom, average, or bust) until a year from now.

 

[Faceplant]

I don't see how anyone can have Bruss listed in their top 5. He was arguably the worst OL in camp last year and has been out with injury since last preseason.

Sorry, but that is a leap of faith I am not ready to make until I see him do something.... ANYTHING in a Ram uniform.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Plenty of negative comments on Logan Bruss; and I don't really understand it.

Personally, I have no idea if the guy can play.

If some posters went to the open practices last August, and watched Bruss get abused ... OK.

If some posters read reports, that I may have missed, saying how badly he looked in Camp ... OK.

But if posters are going off the limited tape from the preseason games ... Not OK in my opinion.

Bruss got injured early in the 2nd preseason game. He looked like a rookie in the 1st game, where he got bull-rushed to the ground on one of the first pass plays. Are opinions based on that one play!?!

 

[den-the-coach]

Bruss got injured early in the 2nd preseason game. He looked like a rookie in the 1st game, where he got bull-rushed to the ground on one of the first pass plays. Are opinions based on that one play!?!

He did not play well in preseason, but this year it's a blank page and there is a new sheriff in town in OL Coach Ryan Wendell so let's see how Bruss looks this year.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Are opinions based on that one play!?!

100%.

That's how a lot of people roll around here.

.

 

[dang]

I want to thank them for their service but the Rams will never have a great OL with Note at LT and Allen at OC. If for no other reason, when they are injured it devastates the stability and cohesiveness of the unit.

 

[Tumak61]

I think both Avila and Shelton will be starting at 2 of the 3 interior spots. I think they'll make an excellent combo.

 

[Allen2McVay]

He did not play well in preseason, but this year it's a blank page and there is a new sheriff in town in OL Coach Ryan Wendell so let's see how Bruss looks this year.

Sorry Den but I just didn't see what you saw. And it wasn't the pre-season. It was just one game.

I tape pre-season games (I need to get-a-life) to focus on specific players. I re-watched the 1st pre-season game against the Chargers; and focused on Bruss for every snap he played because I figured he was the only rookie with a real chance to start.

Aside from getting steam-rolled (by former Ram Morgan Fox), I thought Bruss did fine.

I thought his run-blocking was good. Thought his pass blocking was OK when the man in front of him was Bruss' responsibility (except for the above-mentioned play). When there was a DL-game or stunt, I thought the rookie guard was slow to read and adjust.

Then he was injured in the 2nd quarter of the next game against Houston.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Sorry Den but I just didn't see what you saw. And it wasn't the pre-season. It was just one game.

I tape pre-season games (I need to get-a-life) to focus on specific players. I re-watched the 1st pre-season game against the Chargers; and focused on Bruss for every snap he played because I figured he was the only rookie with a real chance to start.

Aside from getting steam-rolled (by former Ram Morgan Fox), I thought Bruss did fine.

I thought his run-blocking was good. Thought his pass blocking was OK when the man in front of him was Bruss' responsibility (except for the above-mentioned play). When there was a DL-game or stunt, I thought the rookie guard was slow to read and adjust.

Then he was injured in the 2nd quarter of the next game against Houston.

Hey, I appreciate that you do that. I went back and watched the 1st preseason game at breakfast. He wasn't as underwhelming as I remember but I think it's a bit generous to say that he had one bad play. His pass blocking def needed work and he played "Ole" with a few guys on their way to the QB and but for an uncalled hold would have given up another sack. Bad hand punch and lateral quickness, they just went around his shoulder.

I think a lot of people have pretty clear eyes here on Bruss. It was a disappointment he couldn't win the starter spot in camp last year, looked average at best in preseason against starters (but against backups too!). And he was injured and lost important development for a year. He's basically still a rookie. Want him to succeed but he may need another year before we see the guy we imagined when we drafted him.

Also, I don't remember when he got hurt in 2nd game and don't have time to look at that one but wonder how he looked in that one. Memory makes me think it was more of the same.

 

[nighttrain]

, looked average at best in preseason against starters (but against backups too!). And he was injured and lost important development for a year. He's basically still a rookie. Want him to succeed but he may need another year before we see the guy we imagined when we drafted him.

.

Average for a rook against starters isn't so bad for a late 3rd round pick against starters. I suggest we wait a bit and see what McVay does.

train

 

[den-the-coach]

Sorry Den but I just didn't see what you saw. And it wasn't the pre-season. It was just one game.

IDK the preseason was not his best IMHO and I know there were also struggles during camp. All in all I believe in Bruss and when the dust settles, I do think he will be starting at RG. However, there were many camp reports that stipulated he was being outplayed by both Shelton & Anchrum so do you remember that?

 

[Pupped]

One thing I'm really looking forward to is that I think the interior OL and left side will be much more powerful this year, if health cooperates.
I don't see Boom back.. and Jackson and Avila together should just move people. The run game should be fun.