LA Rams free agency search turns up 3 undervalued veteran centers

The LA Rams have a few large needs to fill, one of which is the offensive center. Should they chase that need in the draft? Or, would it be wiser to look to the NFL Free Agency market, so as to stretch the limited dollars the team has to spend?

More specifically, a replacement, a stand-in, is needed for fourth-year pro and offensive line anchor Andrew Blythe who appears likely to leave via free agency. Blythe was picked up off waivers in 2017 and has solidified a Rams offensive line that was recognized by Pro Football Focus last year as the third-ranked offensive line in the NFL.

The lynchpin, the fulcrum of that line has been Blythe who’s now appeared in 40 career regular-season games with 18 starts and started three-of-four postseason clashes. He’s been a versatile player for the Rams, someone who has started both at offensive guard and offensive guard for the Rams in the NFL playoffs.  But his contract is up, and the price to resign an NFL starter for two different positions has likely grown beyond the Rams budget.

Can the Rams be so fortunate the second time around to find a center? Unless they re-sign Blythe, finding a new center should be an area of intense laser beam-like focus in the days leading up to March. We know that the Rams tried, and failed, to draft center Cesar Ruiz from the 2020 NFL Draft. He was ultimately drafted by the New Orleans Saints.