Plan B: Can Rams get by without Alaric Jackson?

Alaric Jackson’s status is in limbo, Rams sign DJ Humphries

There’s no good time to lose your franchise left tackle.

The Los Angeles Rams had just signed Alaric Jackson to a three-year, $57M deal in free agency, and now on the eve of training camp they are drawing up contingency plans for the season. Jackson is battling a recurring instance of blood clotting, which kept him from playing over the second half of the 2022 season.

You can find silver linings amidst the chaos:

• We don’t actually know whether Jackson will miss time
• If he does, the Rams have all training camp to find alternatives
• It’s not often you can find a player like DJ Humphries off the street
• This could have cropped up during the season

It’s worth assessing the Rams’ plan B and whether they can meet their lofty Super Bowl expectations without Jackson. Signing Humphries in a pinch is a positive, but is he an overall downgrade from plan A? Attrition happens at the margins in the NFL and can be the difference between average to good, good to great, and great to elite.

What is LA’s backup plan?

There are three potential alternatives should Jackson miss time:

DJ Humphries

Humphries was a first round selection by the Arizona Cardinals in 2016, where he played for eight years. The veteran spent last season with the Kansas City Chiefs but was used sparingly. The Chiefs felt Joe Thuney—who normally plays along the interior—was their better option at left tackle.

David Quessenberry

Quessenberry has notched playing time at both left and right tackle over his NFL career, though his lone starting season he primarily played on the right side for the Tennessee Titans. While he’s mostly been a depth player, he’s been buck average when on the field. He’ll bring an element of professionalism and competence to help the Rams find a floor should Jackson and/or Rob Havenstein miss time.

Warren McClendon

The Rams drafted McClendon in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He made five starts for the Rams last year with four coming on the right side of the line. The results were mixed but mostly improved over the course of the season and depending on the opposition. McClendon might have something worth working with, but inserting him into the lineup likely brings a lower floor than what Humphries or Quessenberry might offer. That may not be a risk you can live with at tackle.

What does DJ Humphries offer to the Rams?

Humphries’ career in Arizona didn’t come to a close because of performance. It was more a story of availability. Out of eight seasons with the Cardinals, Humphries played more than 600 snaps in only three. He also suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2023.

We could put aside the production from last season with the Chiefs, which is an outlier from the rest of his career; however, last season probably tells a meaningful story about where Humphries is post-injury and towards the end of his career.

In only two starts with Kansas City in 2024, Humphries allowed 11 total pressures (including three sacks) and was penalized twice. He played a total of 25 snaps in these two matchups against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14 and versus the Denver Broncos in Week 18.

Humphries has historically been an oft-penalized player:

2016 – six on 599 snaps

2019 – 13 on 677

2020 – seven on 695

2021 – 12 on 699

2023 – nine on 568

Outside of a lack of availability and penalties, the Rams should consider themselves fortunate they could sign Humphries at this state of the offseason. He’s an average to above average starter and provides an insurance policy in the case Jackson misses extended time.

This is how Humphries graded in recent seasons according to Pro Football Focus (PFF):

2020 – 88.3 OFF; 90.8 RUN; 79.9 PASS

2021 – 67.5 OFF: 69.8 RUN; 65.7 PASS

2022 – 72.3 OFF; 57.5 RUN; 80.5 PASS

2023 – 62.5 OFF; 56.5 RUN; 68.4 PASS

2024 – 44.8 OFF; 66.1 RUN; 30.5 PASS