3 reasons why LA Rams trade RT Rob Havenstein during NFL draft

Reason three – May no longer fit LA Rams youth movement

The LA Rams resigned center Austin Blythe to a one-year deal and offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth to three-year-but-works-like-a-one-year deal.  The plan is for the Rams to develop a backup to take over at left tackle and center in 2021. But the Rams already have a young starter at right tackle in David Edwards.

Where does Rob Havenstein fit in that mix?  If the team demotes David Edwards, do they swap players if Havenstein plays poorly in 2020?

Havenstein may have created the current Rams offensive line strategy. When he went down to injury in 2019, the team was forced to reinforce the offensive line ranks. The team traded for backup lineman Austin Corbett and signed center Coleman Shelton off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. Committing that 2020 fifth-round pick in 2019 essentially forced the Rams to go all-in with a younger offensive line. The team was able to reintroduce Blythe at the center and maintained Whitworth at the left tackle, but the final games did not see Havenstein at the right tackle.

Do the Rams have momentum from 2019 they wish to build upon? It certainly seems that way, right down to bringing back Johnny Mundt, who was so instrumental in two tight-end sets to help with the blocking schemes.

The LA Rams have the potential to use the 2020 NFL Draft to squeeze an NFL team desperate for a 2020 starting offensive tackle out of a valuable draft pick. And the team has plenty of surplus at the offensive line to do so without impacting their own 2020 success.