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Should there be concerns with Rams offensive line depth?
Over the past two seasons, the Los Angeles Rams have been plagued by slow starts. In 2023, injuries to Rob Havenstein, Joe Noteboom, and Alaric Jackson caused disjunction along the offensive line. That lack of cohesiveness resulted in a 3-6 start. Last season, the Rams started 1-4 as Jonah Jackson, Alaric Jackson, and Rob Havenstein all missed time.
Thankfully, the Rams were able to recover from those deficits in each instance. However, the slow starts certainly hurt the Rams come playoff time. Had the Rams avoided a 3-6 start in 2023, they may have been able to compete for the NFC West title or gotten a higher playoff seed. What if the Rams avoid a trip to Detroit in the first round?
While the Rams won the NFC West last season and got a playoff win, a better start and they may have been able to compete for the number two seed. They may not have had to go to Philadelphia in the divisional round.
In one sense, it’s a good thing that the Rams have been able to recover from 3-6 and 1-4. That displays a resilience and strong coaching to keep players believing until the very end. At the same time, if the Rams are going to win one more Super Bowl with Matthew Stafford under center, earning a top two seed is crucial. A top seed with a bye at that point in the season is extremely beneficial.
That’s not to say that the Rams couldn’t win as a four seed. They did exactly that in 2021. With that said, the chances increase as a higher seed and especially as the number one seed. Since the NFL expanded to a seven-team playoff four of the eight teams to make the Super Bowl have been the top seed. To add to that, five of the eight have been a top two seed.
It always starts up front for NFL teams, but that seems to be especially the case for the Rams. When they are healthy on the offensive line, the offensive moves like a well-oiled machine. However, one injury and certainly multiple can cause the entire train to derail.
Again, some of that is to be expected. However, so are injuries to one of the most physical positions in football. Having the ability to be six or seven players deep on the offensive line is important. As it stands, the Rams don’t seem to have that trustworthy depth on the offensive line.
The team chose not to invest draft capital in the offensive line and are prioritizing internal development and continuity. The Rams only brought in Coleman Shelton in free agency who is a marginal upgrade at center at best. While Joe Noteboom wasn’t a starting quality player, he was a decent swing tackle who brought versatility at four of the five positions on the offensive line. Noteboom just signed with the Baltimore Ravens.
It’s understandable why the Rams...
