Expectations are not high for the Los Angeles Rams entering the 2023 season, and part of the reason why is the uncertainty surrounding the offensive line. After a dismal season in 2022, The 33rd Team’s Ross Tucker ranked the Rams’ offensive line unit 30th for the impending season.
Here is what Tucker said about the current state of the offensive line of the Rams:
I thought the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive line would take a bit of a step back after the retirement of left tackle Andrew Whitworth and the free agency departure of Austin Corbett. Unfortunately, that step back was much bigger than anybody, myself included, anticipated.
Following the departure of Andrew Whitworth last season, the Rams handed Joseph Noteboom a multi-year extension to become Matthew Stafford’s new blindside protector. Noteboom, among others along the offensive line, suffered an Achilles injury that derailed his 2022 campaign.
While Rob Havenstein is locked in as the starting right tackle, Noteboom is competing with Alaric Jackson for the left tackle spot this season. A.J. Arcuri and rookie Warren McClendon Jr. are expected to be depth options at the tackle position.
Meanwhile, Coleman Shelton and Brian Allen have split first-team reps at the center spot. Besides selecting Steve Avila in the second round of this year’s draft, the Rams are getting Logan Bruss back after he missed his rookie season in 2022 because of a knee ailment.
Amid an endless number of injuries last season, Stafford was sacked 29 times and hit 63 times despite playing in only nine games. The Rams set the NFL record for different offensive line combinations and offensive line injuries a season ago.
So even with Tucker and others having little confidence in the Rams’ offensive line figuring things out in 2023, it’ll be tough for them to perform worse than they did in 2022.
