Is there reason for concern with Rams offensive line depth?

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 would want to move on from Noteboom. He gave up 15 pressures and two sacks in four appearances last season. However, they also haven’t made an effort to replace him. As it stands, tackle depth remains a question mark the Rams need to address.

Warren McClendon is heading into year three and will hopefully continue to develop as he got meaningful reps in 2024. With that said, he allowed nine pressures between left and right tackle in Weeks 1 and 2. All three of Dennis Gardeck’s sacks with the Arizona Cardinals last season came against the Rams and McClendon in Week 2. It’s also worth noting that McClendon doesn’t provide versatility inside at guard.

Behind McClendon, the Rams also have AJ Arcuri. Arcuri is heading into year four as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State. However, Arcuri has struggled every time his number has been called. In 2022, he gave up five pressures against the Kansas City Chiefs at left tackle. Arcuri allowed seven pressures at left tackle in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions last season. He has yet to show the consistency needed to inspire confidence in meaningful snaps.

While the Rams signed a promising undrafted free agent in Trey Wedig, it’s also important to have realistic expectations. Wedig allowed 15 pressures last year at Indiana. Seven of those pressures, including three of them came against Michigan, Ohio State, and Notre Dame. If he develops, Wedig could become a swing tackle. It’s also hard to see that happening as a rookie and for another player who doesn’t have experience at guard.

Again, it’s very possible that a player like McClendon develops more heading into year three. McClendon had a solid outing against the New England Patriots in Week 11. Still, context can be added there. The Rams consistently helped McClendon with a tight end and the Patriots defense ranked 29th in quarterback pressure rate. In Week 12 against the Eagles, McClendon allowed three pressures and two sacks.

McClendon started five games last year and gave up three or more pressures and two or more sacks multiple times. To put it simply, there were some expected growing pains. If he can build on the positives such as his game against the Patriots, there may be some optimism in year three.

It’s worth noting that the Rams will get KT Leveston back from injury this season. Leveston was a left tackle at Kansas State. Despite having 34-inch arms, Leveston’s build and below average foot speed is likely better suited inside at guard.

It’s always possible that the Rams could still make an addition to the offensive line between now and the beginning of the season. That’s exactly what they did when they acquired Kevin Dotson from the Pittsburgh Steelers. A player like Evan Neal makes some sense as well as Jedrick Wills who is a free agent.

Right now, the Rams seem to have their eggs in the “ability to stay healthy” basket. It’s a risky approach that could pay off if the group stays healthy. At the same time, it leaves little margin for error. Havenstein is getting older and has missed multiple games in each of the last two seasons. Jackson has been a starter in three seasons. He ended up on IR in 2022, missed two games in 2023 with injury, and missed time due to a suspension last year. The chances that the Rams remain fully healthy at tackle over the course of an entire season is unlikely.

In 2024, the Rams only played 23.2 percent of their snaps with their starting offensive line of Alaric Jackson, Steve Avila, Beaux Limmer, Kevin Dotson, and Rob Havenstein. Despite playing 76.8 percent of their snaps with at least one backup, the Rams don’t seem equipped to handle injuries on the offensive line. The best offensive lines are the ones with depth and it’s hard to have a lot of confidence in the Rams’ current depth.

As mentioned, this isn’t to say that McClendon can’t take a step forward in year three or that there shouldn’t be some optimism in Trey Wedig and KT Leveston. At the same time, those are three very big unknowns and do bring reasons for concern. The Rams have proven they can win despite adversity. Still, fortifying the offensive line could be the final step in elevating this roster.