Is the offensive line… good?

[Loyal]

Noteboom and Allen should be going out. I don't care how you have to do it to make them go away; do it all the same. I'd deal Havenstein as well; he's in his thirties, and he's had injury issues. Let A-Jax move to right tackle or right guard. I don't care which. I'd also let Shelton go; that false start on the goal-line and the delay of game were inexcusable mistakes, and were costly enough for us to lose.

If we go into next year without a plan at center or left tackle (or, worse still, with one or both of Allen/Noteboom there), we're even more fucked than this year.

LT in the 1st round next draft!

 

[Memento]

LT in the 1st round next draft!

I wouldn't mind, depending on if the player is an LT. So no J.C. Latham. Maybe Mims, if he can prove he's a left tackle?

 

[TexasRam]

If Stafford were a threat to run like Jackson, defenders wouldn't be carefully rushing up the field with controlled rushes like teams do vs. Jackson.

Agreed.

Overall I think our Oline is a notch below the Ravens Oline. But it looks much worse since you can’t straight up rush Jackson, and our pass rush is subpar

 

[Pupped]

View: https://x.com/MattWaldman/status/1734042366707687682?s=20

 

[RamWoodie]

Did you see him avoid contact today?

His head hit the turf on that play. He did avoidthe contact though. They're calling it a head injury...probably concussion protocol.

 

[Pupped]

I don't want to start a new Oline thread.. so, here's my Oline plan for next season.

Sign Dotson.. sign Shelton, IF HIS PRICE IS REASONABLE...
Draft a Tackle high and a Center mid.
Release Noteboom and Brian Allen POST June 1. There's big savings there and Rams will be able to make a few later signings with the money.

I want to have at least 4 starters returning.. but also want to draft potential upgrades at Tackle and Center. Continuity is HUGE and we're seeing the benefits as this season goes along.

 

[Ram65]

They are getting better. Maybe they are average now.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

Agreed.

Overall I think our Oline is a notch below the Ravens Oline. But it looks much worse since you can’t straight up rush Jackson, and our pass rush is subpar

We're definitely not as good at holding. Maybe our guys should take it up, since it's apparently legal.

 

[HitStick]

I think the reason they’re playing well now (and at the start of the year) but looked like a mess for awhile was because we were not balanced on offense. Doctson has to be a priority. I’d draft Sedrick Van Pran in the second if he’s there. I imagine we will be out of the running for a stud LT in the first so I’d hope to find an upgrade in the first three rounds. If not, I’m fine with rolling with Jackson PROVIDED we find a second running back to spell Williams and/or continue to produce in the event of an injury. The offense goes through the running game

 

[JimY53]

2022 - 50 games missed by starters
2023 - about 5 ... made 1 change, Dotson took over for Noteboom ... we had a couple where starter went out early

Original question "Is the line good?"
Maybe the better question is "Are they healthy?"

Non one is going to the Pro Bowl. Avila will make All-Rookie but being healthy makes a huge difference in and of itself plus woking in gap with the OZ helps. Keeping Stafford upright is all we ask and they are doing it.

Last year's line had names like Skura, Abouski, Brewer, Evans, Kolone and on and on

 

[Merlin]

In our recent Super Bowl season the OL was good in pass pro but not so good on the ground. This year's OL is damn good in the run game. Way better than McVay has had since Gurley, and better I think simply because TG due to the scheme dependency on outside zone got shut down by that wide nine nonsense.

This line is not going to be stopped by that wide nine. This run game is significant. We just cannot afford to lose Williams. Freeman is still very effective but Williams helps to compensate for an undermanned defense.

 

[Noregar]

OL looking good including Noteboom at RT. I still think Noteboom replaces Havenstein next year. Joe is playing against a quality DL and playing well.

I like Boom as backup but I much prefer Havenstein over Noteboom despite the age difference. Hav has his flaws like any player but his durability and consistency far surpasses Boom’s despite the age difference. Does your Consistent dissent against Havestein have a deeper cause?

 

[OldSchool]

In our recent Super Bowl season the OL was good in pass pro but not so good on the ground. This year's OL is damn good in the run game. Way better than McVay has had since Gurley, and better I think simply because TG due to the scheme dependency on outside zone got shut down by that wide nine nonsense.

This line is not going to be stopped by that wide nine. This run game is significant. We just cannot afford to lose Williams. Freeman is still very effective but Williams helps to compensate for an undermanned defense.

It's funny though about the run blocking. PFF. Who I'm on record not being a fan of, rates our run blocking worse than pass blocking. As do othe such data sites. People also use PFF to tell us how very good Dotson and Jackson are. But we see i.proved run blocking while these sites tell us we don't run block better. So confusing.

 

[Merlin]

It's funny though about the run blocking. PFF. Who I'm on record not being a fan of, rates our run blocking worse than pass blocking. As do othe such data sites. People also use PFF to tell us how very good Dotson and Jackson are. But we see i.proved run blocking while these sites tell us we don't run block better. So confusing.

Yeah this is why I don't use them. I haven't seen a rush game this potent since TG. Dotson gets shit run grades but since he has settled in the 5 as a unit have been excellent in both phases, run and pass. They have been getting better too.

OL can be greater than the sum of their parts when they work together. And the skill guys are all doing great in blocking as well. So I think seeing the Rams auto convert third down and short on the ground is far more meaningful than some hired grader churning out grades.

Lastly the outer zone dependency was a prob but now the Rams are going to be much harder to stop. There are fronts that can do that but focus on the run at your risk vs Stafford. We are a very dangerous team due to this.

 

[JimY53]

It's funny though about the run blocking. PFF. Who I'm on record not being a fan of, rates our run blocking worse than pass blocking. As do othe such data sites. People also use PFF to tell us how very good Dotson and Jackson are. But we see i.proved run blocking while these sites tell us we don't run block better. So confusing.

Sometimes when grading 3 guys on one play can get a "plus" and one can get a "minus" and other neither an he play can be a good gainer. And you can have 4 plusses and it's a 1-yard gain because RB messed up.

When grading errors are a part of it, so a player can have an error but a play can still work. And there are things like finishing a block that elite players like a Trent Williams or a Zack Martin do that comes with elite talent and experience.

I think PFF is okay. I just cannot say they are right on Donald (highest graded DL for many year,s in the 90s) and wrong on other guys on the Rams, At worst, they'd have to be some wrong on Donald and some wrong on our offensive line.

Sure, they could make mistakes - get it wrong for a game. But overall, I think they are at least credible. At least to me.

 

[Pupped]

I just hope they continue to invest in the position this offseason.

 

[Ram_Rally]

I just hope they continue to invest in the position this offseason.

Invest as in upgrade or invest as in keep? Because we quietly have 3 guys to pay. Very interesting to see what they decide.

 

[rdlkgliders]

PFF is a good place for a baseline some of it is grain of salt. I like that they consider the players duties and intent as opposed to only the successes or failures of the play. Reading their player eval on the game helps bring into focus what their reasoning is for the grade. They try but I often disagree due to their valuing strategies which seem a bit skewed.

I will always want a top 5 LT, AJ is fine usually but all it takes is one mismatch and your gameplan is in shambles due to weakside pressures. I support investing premium assets for what should be a decade of solid service. Great LT's return on investment is extremely high especially when they are protecting a young QB which is a likely scenario soon

 

[Pupped]

Invest as in upgrade or invest as in keep? Because we quietly have 3 guys to pay. Very interesting to see what they decide.

Invest draft capital.
I'm going back and forth on keeping all.
Jackson is going to be relatively inexpensive for his worth as an LT.. even if you tender him at the first rounder level. He's been a good, not great, starter this season. Some teams would love to move up to that.. but I think a first would be too steep for them to give up. That puts him at a little over six million.
Projections put Dotson at about 16 million plus. I LOVE what he's done.. but I also can't get around that number the more I think about it. Couldn't they draft another 2nd rounder to plug and play like Avila? Is that worth the risk?
Shelton will opt out.. I don't know how much he'll get and I think they can upgrade at center relatively easily.

But.. I also love STABILITY.. which would mean keeping them AND investing draft picks.
The least I could see them investing in draft picks is a high-round tackle. The most is a high round tackle, a higher mid-round center and a lower round guard.

 

[Faceplant]

I like Boom as backup but I much prefer Havenstein over Noteboom despite the age difference. Hav has his flaws like any player but his durability and consistency far surpasses Boom’s despite the age difference. Does your Consistent dissent against Havestein have a deeper cause?

It HAS to. I am convinced that RH kicked his dog at this point. It's been obsessive over the last couple of years. Weird stuff to say the least.