Should Rams Switch Avila to Center?

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Londoner said:
Avila should remain at left guard, where he has shown elite potential.
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Maybe and maybe not. He's got elite potential as a center too. In fact he was projected to be good at both. We don't know enough to know if he's going to be even better at center than guard.

In a vacuum, I'd agree.

But if Rams snag a guard like Trey Smith, a monster, in a later round and he proves to be great but cannot play center, I'd have no problem putting Avila between Dotson and someone like Smith, even if it is a year or two down the road.

Bruce Matthews moved from guard to center to guard then to center ... Oilers/Titans wanted to get the best 5 on the field.

So, no, wouldn't do it, unless coaches found an elite guard ... and only way to get best 5 on field is to move Avila.
 
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blackbart said:
Biadasz is a UFA

Van Pran from Georgia is a 3rd round projection but can you really hand C over to an untested rookie???
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Where was Humphrey drafted? Under 10 picks shy of the third round? I think if the kid is talented AND he's got talented Gs on either side of him, why not?
 
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Memphis Ram said:
It might ruffle some feathers, but if the Rams believe that there is a franchise LT on the board at pick #19, having both Jackson and Avila slide over one spot could make a very strong OLine.
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It would have to be Alt or Fashanu for me. I am not a fan of any of the other first round tackles at that spot. Latham, Mims, Fuaga, all of them are right tackles, and there's no way I'm taking Morgan or Fautanu at #19.
 
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Memphis Ram said:
It might ruffle some feathers, but if the Rams believe that there is a franchise LT on the board at pick #19, having both Jackson and Avila slide over one spot could make a very strong OLine.
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Yet another good example of what is possible -- and agree. That is a possible scenario that involves moving a guy.
 
If Avila wants to play center and McVay likes it.... then fuck yeah.

I want to be big and powerful enough across the O-line that no front seven can just physically bully them off the LOS. There might be some great and effective ways to win offensively with smaller, more athletic interior O-linemen.... but getting abused and dominated up the middle is the uncontested absolute worst fucking way to lose a game on offense.

All that said, if it's easier to upgrade Center and leave the rest in place, I'm in favor of that... but if we could find a Steve Avila 2.0 who wants to play LG while the 1.0 version could slide between him and Dotson??
FU, SF!!! :fistbump:

download (11).jpeg
 
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badnews said:
All that said, if it's easier to upgrade Center and leave the rest in place, I'm in favor of that... but if we could find a Steve Avila 2.0 who wants to play LG while the 1.0 version could slide between him and Dotson??
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Perfectly said.
 
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Memento said:
It would have to be Alt or Fashanu for me. I am not a fan of any of the other first round tackles at that spot. Latham, Mims, Fuaga, all of them are right tackles, and there's no way I'm taking Morgan or Fautanu at #19.
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What makes you think Latham, Mims and Fuaga can't be good left tackles in this league? Yes they're right tackles but they all have the size and skill set (they all are very good pass protectors) to play LT and possibly excel as none have hit their ceiling yet. I can understand some reluctance to pick them as they need some work but my guess is most teams will draft them in the 1st round to play LT this year, because of their potential there.
 
I don't like seeing the Rams draft players in the first round based on potential.
 
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No, use the extra 3rd to draft one ! -- the Fatboy
 
Memento said:
It would have to be Alt or Fashanu for me. I am not a fan of any of the other first round tackles at that spot. Latham, Mims, Fuaga, all of them are right tackles, and there's no way I'm taking Morgan or Fautanu at #19.
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I felt the same way about Fautanu awhile back. But after doing a bit more research, I'm not so sure about that stance now.

And another good OLineman on a rookie contract might help with the distribution of salary cap $$$.
 
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Memphis Ram said:
I felt the same way about Fautanu awhile back. But after doing a bit more research, I'm not so sure about that stance now.

And another good OLineman on a rookie contract might help with the distribution of salary cap $$$.
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Don't know. Fautanu reminds me a bit of Bakhtiari, but he's short for a left tackle. Might be a better fit as a left guard, and if we're talking guards, there's none I'd pick in the first round. Beebe is fantastic, an Avila type, and we do need more O-line on rookie contracts, but even I wouldn't pick him with #19.
WestCoastRam said:
What makes you think Latham, Mims and Fuaga can't be good left tackles in this league? Yes they're right tackles but they all have the size and skill set (they all are very good pass protectors) to play LT and possibly excel as none have hit their ceiling yet. I can understand some reluctance to pick them as they need some work but my guess is most teams will draft them in the 1st round to play LT this year, because of their potential there.
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None of them have shown that they have the footwork and pass-protection technique necessary for the protection that is imperativard for Stafford's blindside. Fuaga is definitely a right tackle/guard only; his pass-protection technique is ugly, and he's only this high because he's one of the best run-blockers to come out in years. Latham has straight-line speed (he's supposed to run the 40 in 4.85), but nothing to prove that he can protect the blindside; Alabama's O-line got straight up murdered by Michigan's D-line, and Latham looked very bad that game. Mims is the only one I'd consider; he has the length, size, and weight you dream about, looks like Andrew Whitworth, but when he was tested against Alabama and Dallas Turner/Chris Braswell, he looked pretty bad himself.

I don't care about 40 times, how they feasted on bad teams. They aren't going to see a single bad team in the NFL.
 
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@Memento

Fautanu dropped from the Senior Bowl, but media draftnik Dane Brugler had him at 6'3 1/2" 319 pounds with 34 3/4" arms in an article I read. Not ideal height, but the arm length and tape is pretty good.

Fuaga may be a 1st round guard. Possibly a cheaper replacement for Dotson which might make the signing of a top EDGE rusher more palatable for the team's cap structure.
 
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Memphis Ram said:
@Memento

Fautanu dropped from the Senior Bowl, but media draftnik Dane Brugler had him at 6'3 1/2" 319 pounds with 34 3/4" arms in an article I read. Not ideal height, but the arm length and tape is pretty good.

Fuaga may be a 1st round guard. Possibly a cheaper replacement for Dotson which might make the signing of a top EDGE rusher more palatable for the team's cap structure.
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Yeah, the arm length and tape are good, but that height's a killer. If you think he's a solid left tackle, you take him...but I wouldn't spend #19 on him.

Fuaga might be the exception for the first round guard, but I still wouldn't take him; he's so damn awful in his pass-protection technique that it worries me.
 
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