Turf Show Times
Rams front office must get the offensive line right this offseason.
When the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl 59, the reason was clear throughout the game. Defensively, the Eagles dominated at the line of scrimmage. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes wasn’t comfortable from the first drive. On the offensive line, the Eagles allowed a pressure rate of just 23.3 percent. They continue to be one of, if not the best, offensive line in the NFL.
While the Los Angeles Rams defensive line was good in 2024, the same could not be said about the offensive line. From the onset of training camp, it was a group that was surrounded by chaos and change.
The Rams signed Jonah Jackson in free agency, only for him to miss OTAs and then immediately get hurt in training camp. Initially, the plan was to move Steve Avila to center which is where he played during his sophomore and junior seasons at TCU. However, just weeks before the season, the Rams opted to play Jackson at center. It’s worth noting that Jackson hadn’t played center since his early seasons in college. That also doesn’t mention that Alaric Jackson missed the first two weeks of the season due to a suspension.
This was a group of five that was never able to settle in and gain any cohesiveness. Even after training camp, Steve Avila got hurt along with Rob Havenstein. The Rams didn’t take a single snap with their preseason starting five all on the field at the same time. When the offensive line was finally healthy, Beaux Limmer deservedly earned a starting spot at center.
The Eagles offensive line only ranked 14th in continuity score in 2024. With that said, it’s a group that has grown together for much of the past three years. With Jeff Stoutland as the offensive line coach, the Eagles have one of the best offensive line development paths in the NFL. It’s a reason why they were able to move on from Jason Kelce so quickly. Cam Jurgens was a second-round pick that was able to slot into that spot.
That ecosystem is a well-oiled machine where players can slot in and out of different positions without much of a drop-off. It’s a reason why they can take chances on a player like Mekhi Becton and turn him into a quality starter.
It’s nearly impossible to replicate what the Eagles have built on that side of the ball. However, the Rams didn’t necessarily help themselves last summer either. The Rams can’t spend another offseason with so many changes on the offensive line and the front office has to get it right. This is a group that has to get reps together during the summer which they did not get last year.
There are a lot of potential changes to this group with only two guaranteed starters in Avila and Kevin Dotson. The Rams would like to have Alaric Jackson back, but as a 26-year-old free agent left tackle, he...
