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Projecting Rams’ starting offensive line after initial free agency moves
Cameron DaSilvaTue, March 15, 2022,
Projecting Rams’ starting offensive line after initial free agency moves
The Rams retained three linemen but lost one in free agency. What does their starting offensive line look like as of now?
sports.yahoo.com
The Rams’ offensive line was bound to undergo some changes this offseason. Andrew Whitworth is on the verge of retirement, Brian Allen and Austin Corbett were free agents and Joseph Noteboom has been waiting in the wings to replace Whitworth at left tackle.
One day into the legal tampering period of free agency, the Rams’ O-line is already taking shape. They re-signed Noteboom, Allen and Coleman Shelton, keeping them in the mix for 2022. Corbett won’t be back in Los Angeles, however, after he landed a three-year, $29.25 million deal with the Panthers.
We still don’t officially know Whitworth’s plan for 2022, but he’s been hinting at retirement for some time now. So assuming he does retire from the NFL, the Rams’ starting offensive line isn’t terribly difficult to project at this point.
It will probably look something like this
LT: Joseph Noteboom
LG: David Edwards
C: Brian Allen
RG: Coleman Shelton
RT: Rob Havenstein
There’s a chance that Shelton could play left guard and Edwards could move to the right side, but for now, we’ll project Edwards to stay at left guard and Shelton to replace Corbett at right guard.
Shelton started at left guard against the Vikings in Week 16 after Whitworth and Havenstein tested positive for COVID-19, forcing Edwards to play left tackle with Noteboom at right tackle. So he has experience at left guard, and in college, Shelton also played right guard.
Had Allen not been re-signed, it would’ve been easy to pencil in Shelton as the starting center, too. He has position flexibility across all three interior spots, giving the Rams plenty of options in the event of injury.
The Rams committed to Shelton for longer than they needed to, as well, which is a good sign for how highly they think of him. He was a restricted free agent, so he could’ve been tendered for one year for as low as $2.4 million. We still don’t know how much Shelton’s two-year deal is worth, but the Rams clearly wanted to keep him beyond just 2022.
LA prioritizes stability and homegrown talent along the offensive line
By Christopher Daniel Mar 15, 2022,
Rams let Austin Corbett walk but stabilize O-line with 3 key re-signings
LA prioritizes stability and homegrown talent along the offensive line
www.turfshowtimes.com
While the Los Angeles Rams continue to work on a contract extension for quarterback Matthew Stafford, the team made sure to keep the majority of his protection in place. LA re-signed left tackle Joseph Noteboom and center Brian Allen to three-year deals, while also retaining the services of center/guard Coleman Shelton with a two-year pact.
Unfortunately, the Rams couldn’t keep everyone up front, as right guard Austin Corbett is expected to sign a three-year $29.25 million contract with the Carolina Panthers. Though there has been no official word on Andrew Whitworth’s status, he is expected to retire, ending his illustrious career with a much-deserved Super Bowl ring. Those presumed departures made Monday’s re-signings that much more critical to the future success of the o-line, and the offense as a whole.
View: https://twitter.com/JKBOGEN/status/1503463319096770560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1503463319096770560%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.turfshowtimes.com%2F2022%2F3%2F15%2F22978452%2Flos-angeles-rams-offensive-line-free-agency
Noteboom will become the Rams new starting left tackle, a role he has been groomed for since being selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. He has performed exceptionally well whenever he has been called to step into the starting lineup. As long as he can stay healthy, the 27-year old Noteboom should only get better with more experience.
The void at right guard is likely to be filled by Shelton. At the very least, it may be his job to lose. The former 2018 undrafted free agent played well (all thing considered) in his two starts during the 2021 season, but will have to perform even better if he is going to earn a permanent position in the starting lineup.
While the re-signings may not equal the splash of a big trade for another marquee name, they were vital in providing stability up front. An offensive line consisting of Noteboom, David Edwards at left guard, Allen, Shelton possibly starting at right guard, and Rob Havenstein at right tackle is a good offensive line to work with in an attempt to repeat as Super Bowl champions.
LA Rams lay solid foundation for team to open NFL free agency
by Ronnie Eastham
LA Rams lay solid foundation for team to open NFL free agency
The LA Rams have a lot of work to do to prepare another NFL Championship run, or is it defense? In any case, the first step is to stick to the Rams Free ...
ramblinfan.com
NFL Free Agency technically does not officially open until 1:00 pm PDT on March 16, 2022, but NFL teams are authorized to begin negotiating with players on March 14th, as evident by all the NFL news coming out. There were some questionable contracts being handed out today, including that of the Jacksonville Jaguars agreeing to sign former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk to a four-year, $72 million deal.
In comparative terms, the LA Rams were relatively quiet. That is not to say that the team sat this one out. There were some deals in the offing, as well as a significant loss on both the offensive and defensive lines.
It starts at the line of scrimmage
The LA Rams were not completely inactive, as the front office did manage to sign a few of their own. Three so far, to be exact, and all offensive linemen. The first report was that of offensive tackle Joseph Noteboom, whose compensation was definitely in the range of starting left tackle, rather than handy-dandy swiss-army knife versatile backup. The deal has been reported as a three-year $40 million contract, which incentives to earn as much as $47.5 million.
Next up, the LA Rams extended starting offensive center, Brian Allen, with a three-year $24 million contract. While Allen did suffer injury in 2021, this contract ensures that the Rams offensive line will remain intact for 2022. And Allen is coming off his best NFL season, while still having plenty of upside potential to develop even further.
Finally, the team turned to backup center Coleman Shelton. Even though the team may have ensured his return with a one-year Qualifying Tender Offer, the team elected to commit to a two-year deal with Shelton. The result implies that the team plans to install Noteboom at left tackle, keep Allen at the center position, and slide Shelton to right guard where he will take over for outbound free agent Austin Corbett.
Paths parting ways with others
The LA Rams are making every effort to keep their offensive line intact, or at least to ensure that they have a veteran group of starters who can get right to it from the get-go in 2022. With any successful season, some players are bound to leave for greener pastures, meaning green in their bank accounts.
Case in point, starting right guard Austin Corbett, which PFF has graded his 2021 performance at 68.8. He is signing a new deal with the Carolina Panthers for three years and $29.5 million. For those of you who follow those sorts of things, that is a contract that will likely result in an awarded compensatory pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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