Rams LT Andrew Whitworth expected to return

[Riverumbbq]

They didn't have 5 young guys, many who were relative high picks, who had a number of starts the previous year. They have that now going into 2020.

You cant just go out and buy starters every year. The system does not allow that. You hire coaches for a reason. You have personnel people who draft players for a reason. Your coaches have to develop those players or it will be impossible to win anything for any extended period of time.

This seems like an over-exaggeration. There are 11 starters on offense and the OL was the worst unit on the team, ... is desiring ONE quality free agent to help set things straight really holding coaches back with the development of every other offensive player ?

Are our OL draft picks really all that high ? In three years McVay has brought in two 3'rd. rounders (Noteboom, Evans), one 4'th. rounder (Allen), one 5'th rounder (Edwards) & one 6'th. rounder (Demby).
During this same period, McVay has also acquired Whitworth & Sullivan (already departed) through free agency and Blythe off the waiver wire, ... and now all three of these players are set to be gone as a new free agency period approaches.

 

[BonifayRam]

^Wasn't that the line of thought that took us from a SB to no playoffs? I really hope we never see a repeat of that....

Yes it was the general overall line of thought by most @ ROD .....but the Rams SB 2018 season offense was showing signs of cracks & operational issues before the offense went into fail mode in February 2019 SB. We all know that the OL was an issue but so was RB-QB-TE units.

Several early 2018 gms inspection tests by Chicago & Philadelphia saw the offense suffer blown fuses & brownouts due to a McVay offense that could not make effective in game changes especially going up against the 6 man DL.

By the end of the 2018 season the McVay offense was trending downward. The NFL world knew that the Rams center right OL was weak. OC & RG had lack of power issues against strong big DL'ers & the RT (great run blocker) was really "Baby Huey" when facing small quick pass rushers.

The 2019 off season addressed few of those offensive issues but overall as we know they fell far short. They went with the same starting RG & RT as in 2018 & was forced to replace the Rams top OL'er @ LG ( departed FA'cy) with a LT first time starting learning a new OG position on the fly. The new center was a 3rd day draft pick in 2018 & had zero starts too.

Luck of the draw came to call finally in 2019 when something happened to the 2019 OL that did not happen in 2017/2018.......injuries after injuries....OC Aaron Neary/ RG Austin Blythe/ LG Joe Noteboom/ RT Rob Havenstien/ OC Brian Allen....& Rams end up with 3 first yr OL'ers & 1 former starting RG playing new positions .......in four starting OL post. Not sure you can place a heavy amount of that just on the OL'ers.

 

[Merlin]

Wow - I Don’t know how you don’t put Austin Corbett in that category over Edwards?? Anyway my judgement is way off then. I might need bifocals, because I’m blind at The Rams thinking & my evaluation on the young offensive is pretty poor. Have to wait until late February to get them reevaluate though.
I’m sure at the end of the day we both want the best for The Rams. I’ll continue to drink my kool-aide until then.
Btw- you videos on breaking the I’line down were real good & I thank you for taking the time to post those. I also enjoy reading your post .

Well I might be wrong. E & E both played well as rookies in rushed status so they're the only guys I'm sure of right now and it could just be that I'm a bit more conservative on the OL than you are.

I think Corbett might be a long term part of this OL but my caution with him is related to how long he's been in the league. So in my mind he's part of that needing to step up group that includes some others who will determine how good we are next season. Him and Havenstein both for that matter.

There are a lot of ways the Rams can approach the OL obviously. So I'm not set on any one of them, just putting out what I think is likely. First determiner of how things will go is Whit, at this point it looks 50/50 to me and I am sure it depends on what he wants to be paid. As long as he doesn't cost us big money (be it through him signing an affordable deal or leaving in FA) I think we'll bring in an interior OL to strengthen the line. But the Rams in-house might be really high on Corbett so we'll see.

 

[Rams43]

Well...

About Blythe. I had thought that extending him as our starting C would be “settling”. Merlin’s thread on Blythe/OL was a real eye opener. But then I learned about him playing through an ankle injury and two shoulder injuries (both shoulders requiring post season surgery, btw). So, maybe Kromer likes him as starter when healthy? I’m conflicted, but I’ll trust Kromer on this one. Sure would be nice not to have to spend our #52 on a C, huh?

About Scherff. The Rams decided that they couldn’t afford a healthy Saffold in ‘19. A player at the top of his game, a great teammate, and already 100% immersed in the playbook, culture, and already gelled with his OL teammates.

And now some think that they’re contemplating signing an equally expensive Scherff? An oft injured player that would have to do all of the above? Really?

I don’t think so. Admitting a mistake (Saffold) is one thing, but why compound it for the long term? I think that this is fan generated hope and dream.

I doubt that the Rams are seriously interested in an expensive Scherff, or any other similarly expensive FA for their OL. I expect them to bring in new OL talent via draft and/or 2nd tier FA’s.

i may be in a slight minority, but I like a healthy Boom as our starting LOT. I just don’t know exactly when he’ll be healthy. Worst case scenario is Evans/Edwards at LOT until Boom is good to go.

Hell, Hav might snap back to his former status when healthy. Heaven knows that he has sufficient competition to give him ample incentive to give 100%.

I’ve already posted that I favor letting Whit walk due to cap considerations plus his regression.

To summarize, I think that the Rams are actually in pretty decent shape for a ‘20 OL. They have a young and emerging corps and a respected OL coach that presumably will be able to focus 100% on his OL this year. Depending on their Blythe decision, the Rams might devote a high draft pick on a C that falls. Maybe even at #52 if a stud falls..

 

[Ram65]

About Blythe. I had thought that extending him as our starting C would be “settling”. Merlin’s thread on Blythe/OL was a real eye opener. But then I learned about him playing through an ankle injury and two shoulder injuries (both shoulders requiring post season surgery, btw). So, maybe Kromer likes him as starter when healthy? I’m conflicted, but I’ll trust Kromer on this one. Sure would be nice not to have to spend our #52 on a C, huh?

He got blown up in the SB too. I didn't know about the shoulder injuries. I still think Rams need an upgrade.

And now some think that they’re contemplating signing an equally expensive Scherff? An oft-injured player that would have to do all of the above? Really?

He is going to be more expensive $11Million to $14+Million. He is younger but, injuries and money make it a questionable signing.

I’ve already posted that I favor letting Whit walk due to cap considerations plus his regression.

That depends. I think Whit got better later in the year. Who plays LT while Noteboom heals?

 

[Riverumbbq]

About Scherff. The Rams decided that they couldn’t afford a healthy Saffold in ‘19. A player at the top of his game, a great teammate, and already 100% immersed in the playbook, culture, and already gelled with his OL teammates.
And now some think that they’re contemplating signing an equally expensive Scherff? An oft injured player that would have to do all of the above? Really?
I don’t think so. Admitting a mistake (Saffold) is one thing, but why compound it for the long term? I think that this is fan generated hope and dream.
I doubt that the Rams are seriously interested in an expensive Scherff, or any other similarly expensive FA for their OL. I expect them to bring in new OL talent via draft and/or 2nd tier FA’s.

It's not just that a few fans might want Scherff, we also have to keep in mind the connection he has with both our Head Coach who was Washington's OC when Scherff was drafted, and his connection to the OC he has had since McVay left, who is now our very new OC, Kevin O'Connell. Admittedly, this is no guarantee for Scherff, but the connection does require some reasonable attention.
Admitting that losing Saffold may have been a mistake isn't compounded by passing on Scherff, ... although it may certainly compound the error by doubling down and also passing on an available Scherff.

Bringing in 2'nd tier FA's that may be no better than what we already have with our current young OL players doesn't make much sense to me, just delays development. Bringing in a veteran like Scherff gives the Rams something they didn't have last season, a quality run blocker, and everyone around him is better for it.
jmo.

 

[PhillyRam]

This seems like an over-exaggeration. There are 11 starters on offense and the OL was the worst unit on the team, ... is desiring ONE quality free agent to help set things straight really holding coaches back with the development of every other offensive player ?

Are our OL draft picks really all that high ? In three years McVay has brought in two 3'rd. rounders (Noteboom, Evans), one 4'th. rounder (Allen), one 5'th rounder (Edwards) & one 6'th. rounder (Demby).
During this same period, McVay has also acquired Whitworth & Sullivan (already departed) through free agency and Blythe off the waiver wire, ... and now all three of these players are set to be gone as a new free agency period approaches.

They also added Corbett, a former high 2nd rounder and Edwards dropped to the 5th due to shoulder injury his sr year. They have some quality young depth there.

Everyone talks about Saffold's impact on the Titans, but their RG is a 3rd round rookie. I guess they developed him.

Again in a perfect world, the Rams have $60M in cap space and they can add a veteran stud OG. However that is not the situation.

The team needs a ton on the D's front 7 considering Fowler, Brockers, & Littleton are FAs and the DL has underwhelmed in general.

Any big money will be spent there where their young depth is not as solid.

Remember, this team was knocked out of contention in part due to the D being lit up against Tampa, Dallas, SF, and Seattle.

The O was a problem as well, but did improve with the young OL down the stretch. The D did not improve and that will need to be addressed.

As big as Tenn's OL & running game is to their success, their D is legit. Without that, they would not have made the playoffs.

So you need to address both sides of the ball and they have limited resources to do so.

 

[Merlin]

Admitting that losing Saffold may have been a mistake isn't compounded by passing on Scherff

No doubt. What actually would compound it is deluding ourselves that the same group can come out in 2020 and get different results.

Fortunately those days are gone with the Rams leadership. They'll aggressively improve this unit.

 

[Riverumbbq]

They also added Corbett, a former high 2nd rounder and Edwards dropped to the 5th due to shoulder injury his sr year. They have some quality young depth there.

Everyone talks about Saffold's impact on the Titans, but their RG is a 3rd round rookie. I guess they developed him.

Again in a perfect world, the Rams have $60M in cap space and they can add a veteran stud OG. However that is not the situation.

The team needs a ton on the D's front 7 considering Fowler, Brockers, & Littleton are FAs and the DL has underwhelmed in general.

Any big money will be spent there where their young depth is not as solid.

Remember, this team was knocked out of contention in part due to the D being lit up against Tampa, Dallas, SF, and Seattle.

The O was a problem as well, but did improve with the young OL down the stretch. The D did not improve and that will need to be addressed.

As big as Tenn's OL & running game is to their success, their D is legit. Without that, they would not have made the playoffs.

So you need to address both sides of the ball and they have limited resources to do so.

I'm the last guy who's going to deny that the Rams OL have added what appears to be some excellent young developmental players, but i'm not going to anoint them as pro-bowlers quite yet either. One reason I like Corbett is that he looks built to be a successful Center, he walked on at LG and did well by us, especially considering that unlike Evans & Edwards, Corbett didn't have the advantage of any pre-season training with our staff.

Yes, our defense also needs help, and I suspect we will address both sides of the ball in free agency and the draft. The Rams don't need $60mil to spend in free agency, but as I pointed out in my mock, we can make big improvements on both sides of the ball with a couple of key players and a good draft. Losing Fowler, Littleton & Brockers to free agency means change and likely getting a bit younger, and this combined with two new Coordinators has me calling 2020 a developmental year more than a return to the Super Bowl year, ... i'll reserve that honor for 2021.

Look at my mock and you'll see both units being addressed with limited resources and without digging into restructures this next season. And i'm not saying that anyone has to like my mock, but we do have plenty of options which can work for us in such a limited CAP environment.
jmo.

 

[Ram65]

It's over.

 

[Merlin]

Watching the 9ers destroy the Packers should be a nice reality check for those who think we have the right pieces on the OL. The division goes through SF now. If we can't handle that defensive front Goff and Gurley are going to look like crap in 2020 and we'll be watching the playoffs yet again.

 

[PhillyRam]

Watching the 9ers destroy the Packers should be a nice reality check for those who think we have the right pieces on the OL. The division goes through SF now. If we can't handle that defensive front Goff and Gurley are going to look like crap in 2020 and we'll be watching the playoffs yet again.

Or a reality check that our front 7 wouldn't have a prayer to stop them either.

The D has more holes with fewer young prospects to step in. So you want to ignore that to go sign a high priced OG when you have a number of 2nd & 3rd yr players that did play well down the stretch?

 

[Merlin]

Or a reality check that our front 7 wouldn't have a prayer to stop them either.

The D has more holes with fewer young prospects to step in. So you want to ignore that to go sign a high priced OG when you have a number of 2nd & 3rd yr players that did play well down the stretch?

Does signing an OG really mean we have to ignore the defense?

 

[PhillyRam]

The biggest problem that the Niners opponent has in this game is their own DL. Its not their own OL.

In-other-words, the Rams improving their own OL, will not make the Niners OL worse.

The strength of the Niners is both lines, but to have any prayer of beating them consistently the Rams have to beef up their front seven to combat the Niners style of play.

Sure the Rams OL needs to play better and they did in week 16 against SF, but they still gave up a lot of points in that game abd thats before losing Brockers, Fowler, and Littleton who are currently not on the roster.

Yet let's go spend $10M on a guard. Please.

Lets develop Edwards, Evans, Corbett, Noteboom, Brewer, and Allen. Add a C to compete and hopefully get Whit back for one more yr until Noteboom is ready.

Then spend money on that DL and a MLB to stop that run game.

 

[PhillyRam]

Does signing an OG really mean we have to ignore the defense?

If you go out and spend big money on an OG it does in that there is a lot less $$ to address that DL.

They have $21M in cap space. Maybe it increases to $30 after a few cuts and trades. You have a lot of young guys to extend, which will impact the cap down the road as would any big contract for an OG. And as I mentioned I see DT/DE as a much bigger need that will be costly.

So yes, big money for a OG will hurt the ability to address the holes on the front 7 which lost 3 starters. And if you keep any of those starters that is a big hit out of your existing cap space.

That is the reality.

 

[Merlin]

The key here Philly is OL require time to develop and both FA signings they brought in to bridge the OL rebuild are likely gone in 2020. We might not be in a position to find a stud OL who starts week one his rookie season, it's possible but unlikely because of the way OL are used in college nowadays which is why drafting them later and developing is a solid approach. Meanwhile this DL class is loaded with guys who can help us quickly on defense.

FA looks really good at OG even assuming some won't hit the market. C has some options although the quality is lower. ILB has some good depth looking at the list as well. Overall I'm thinking this is what we'll see this offseason:

FA addition at IOL and ILB (tagging Littleton is possible but I think he hits the market). Draft 5T. Lock up Ramsey. Draft a couple more OL for depth and maybe competition.

This gives us some vet experience up front to pair with our two rooks who showed so well in 2019 and the line should be very good. Defensively our secondary will be high quality and the front seven should be competitive.

 

[PhillyRam]

BTW, I am not trying to be a dick here...

And I agree the DL class is loaded, but so is the OG/C class with some great value in rounds 3 & 4.

And i think they need a vet DT... A 26 yr old 2nd contract type who is emerging and there is a good DT FA class out there.

You stated it takes time to develop an OL. Well they took their lumps this year doing that so I think it should expected that they will take that big step next year.

Look at it this way. The line that played those last 6-7 games never played together before that in that configuration. Imagine how much better they will be when they spend a camp together with the experience that they have gained.

Now sure if you can add a vet to the group, great... Particularly a vet C would be outstanding, but I do not go spend for a frontline top paid guy at OG when they have so many options at OG and the D is so short-handed right now.

Watching this Niner game should make it clear that DL/LB is the top need for 2020.

 

[OldSchool]

The key here Philly is OL require time to develop and both FA signings they brought in to bridge the OL rebuild are likely gone in 2020. We might not be in a position to find a stud OL who starts week one his rookie season, it's possible but unlikely because of the way OL are used in college nowadays which is why drafting them later and developing is a solid approach. Meanwhile this DL class is loaded with guys who can help us quickly on defense.

FA looks really good at OG even assuming some won't hit the market. C has some options although the quality is lower. ILB has some good depth looking at the list as well. Overall I'm thinking this is what we'll see this offseason:

FA addition at IOL and ILB (tagging Littleton is possible but I think he hits the market). Draft 5T. Lock up Ramsey. Draft a couple more OL for depth and maybe competition.

This gives us some vet experience up front to pair with our two rooks who showed so well in 2019 and the line should be very good. Defensively our secondary will be high quality and the front seven should be competitive.

I keep reading we need to sign a vet OG but have only ever heard one name. It's Scherff or fail for the offseason? We're cornered into having to spend 12-13 million a year for an injury prone lineman?

 

[Merlin]

I keep reading we need to sign a vet OG but have only ever heard one name. It's Scherff or fail for the offseason? We're cornered into having to spend 12-13 million a year for an injury prone lineman?

It's a good class, with a lot more options than Scherff. Thuney, Glasgow, Scherff headline the group and are all sub 30. But you also have Vaitai who can play multiple spots and a few dev types.