LA Rams News: OL biggest question mark for 2020

Left tackle

As soon as the Rams ended the 2019 season, the team needed to re-sign veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth, as well as begin to groom his replacement. Of course, re-sign Whitworth happened. But the team failed in every conceivable way to address his successor.  Even if that player is on the LA Rams roster, he was not backing up Whitworth a year ago.

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What can the LA Rams do? Well, the team has returning player Chandler Brewer, the courageous young man who fought and defeated cancer. Now, with a clean bill of health, his focus will be on football. Joining him in that focus is last year’s starter at left guard Joseph Noteboom.  Noteboom was slotted to the left guard with huge shoes to fill and really struggled before falling to a devastating injury. Now both players will be fighting to earn a backup role for the left tackle, and likely a future starting role.

Depth Chart

Behind Whitworth is where the true battle with occur. But this battle could be far more urgent.  While Whitworth did not miss a game in 2019, he did have surgery following the season. And as one of the oldest active NFL offensive linemen, he will certainly be at risk of an ill-timed injury, which will force the Rams into another offensive line scramble in 2020. One of the most important decisions for the Rams season happens here:

6-foot-7 330-pound Andrew Whitworth
6-foot-5 321-pound Joseph Noteboom
6-foot-6 320-pound Chandler Brewer

That’s where the team’s offensive line stands today. If Whitworth’s health holds, Blythe and Havenstein find their 2018 form, Corbett improves, and Shelton can fill a starting role, the Rams will be a force to reckon with as 2020 begins.

This is not an NFL top-five offensive line on paper. This group faces adversity this season, and will likely experience both bad times as well as good times.  But adversity can forge bonds as indestructible as steel. Nobody sees much hope for improvement in 2020. That’s why I believe it is entirely likely.