LA Rams offensive line depth chart shake up in training camp

Shake up

The LA Rams signed up 6-foot-5 interior offensive lineman Coleman Shelton from the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. While it’s still early in training camp, the lack of reporting coming out of the Rams training camp about his status is not a good sign. After all, he has been a bit of a journeyman in the NFL so far, and the hope was that the Rams depleted ranks at the offensive line would give him a beachhead to finally make a stand and earn a spot. That does not seem to be the case.

Also, last year’s starting center, Brian Allen, is still fighting his way back. His injury was a bit more complex, and he was the first NFL player to test positive for COVID-19. That has created a delay in his ability to put on the pads and join his teammates in drills so far. Will he be back to full strength in time to be in the running for an active roster spot? Perhaps not.  The Rams could place him on IR to start the season.

Where did they line up?

Of course, confusing the offensive line is the conflicting reports of who lined up where during the scrimmage game. Joe Curley of USA Today Network reported a different configuration for the Rams second-string offensive line.  In his version 6-foot-4 312-pound Bobby Evans at left tackle, 6-foot-2 314-pound Tremayne Anchrum at left guard, 6-foot-3 316-pound Jeremiah Kolone as the center, 6-foot-5 321-pound Jamil Demby at right guard, and 6-foot-6 308 pound David Edwards at right tackle.  That arrangement seems more logical.

Well, pondering the conflict further, likely answer is that both scenarios are true. The scrimmage was about finding the most cohesive group of five players, not simply to drill the same five players over and over. With so little time to evaluate players and player groupings, the Rams’ coaching staff is saving time by creating opportunities to evaluate both simultaneously.

Jamil Demby clarifies

After the game, Jamil Demby confirmed that he actually saw action at the right guard, right tackle, and left tackle position last night. That confirms that reports out of the scrimmage were not keeping up with player changes. After the game, Demby shared that he had a lot of fun, and had a pretty good game.  Of course, there is always some clean up at this point in the season, but that’s understandable with swapping in and out of three different positions in one night.

Finally, and perhaps one of the biggest disappointments of the evening was the lack of information about undrafted rookie Cohl Cabral.  At 6-foot-5 and 304 pounds, he offers enough size and power to line up anywhere on the Rams offensive line. So it was a bit of a letdown not to see any reports of him involved in last night’s scrimmage. Was that because he was not involved? Or more likely, he rotated in but reports failed to capture his play on the field. Is he holding his own, or struggling to keep up? The Rams wanted a rookie to compete for their center position. Did they nail it? Or does the team feel they swung and missed? Stay tuned!