After Jacksons health it is all about the interior line.
Avila was not good most of the season. Repeatedly beaten badly one on one is pass pro. Off balance and lunging or getting out of position and not being able to recover. He was bailed out multiple times by Stafford quick release.
Dotson you can same the same about to a lesser degree.
Limmer filled in as best he could and certainly showed he can play in the league but he made mistakes, which is to be expected.
Now, both Avila and Dotson (along with every one else at various times) were injured. The lack of depth may have forced them back earlier that what would have been ideal. I get that and think they get an "incomplete" grade over all.
All that said, both had a down year.
Both will need to bounce back for the Rams offense to take a step up.
There was a looooong stretch of the season where the Rams offense was struggling to approach 20 points. 3rd and 8 or 3rd and 11 were common place.
As always, there is more than one cause to ongoing misfirings.
But, the OL inside did not help.
Shelton in at C. McVay has said he will help the continuity of the OL in both run and pass games, but, particularly pass game.
There were other FA centers that graded out a little higher than Shelton and got more money. Are they that much better than Shelton? Probably not.
Center is a position that doesn't have a big middle class.
There are a few very good center at the top and just sort of "everyone else".
Hopefully Shelton provides Limmer good lessons and helps his game mature so he can replace him as the full time starter in a year or two.
I can really see the Rams line going either way this year.
Its not an elite unit, but, it can be effective and good if healthy.
G/C/G just have to be better this year as well.
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