Re-signing FA C Austin Blythe may be a bit tricky for the LA Rams right now

The LA Rams are very familiar with both the business side of the NFL and the interpersonal side of the NFL. It takes huge mastery of both to succeed, and yes, the LA Rams have succeeded at both so far.  But there is a lot of unexplained changes going on among the LA Rams coaching staff.  Changes are neither bad nor good. And for the business side of an NFL team, that’s about the extent of it.

But on the interpersonal side of things, it can certainly set the Rams organization back in terms of winning in 2021. After all, the Rams traded Jared Goff, this year’s third-round pick, a first-round pick in 2022, and in 2023 to get older (and hopefully better) at the quarterback position.

That speeds up the team’s timeline. Winning is synchronized to the quarterback, and newly acquired Matthew Stafford wants to win now. To do that, the Rams will need to stock the roster with players who are prepared to perform now.  And one such player is the Rams’ veteran center, Austin Blythe.

Blythe’s contract expires at the end of the 2020 NFL season. It expired a year ago, but the Rams re-signed him to a one-year deal. One of the reasons for doing so was the close relationship he had with offensive line coach Aaron Kromer.  And the gambit paid off. Blythe had a good season, and the Rams made it to the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs.

Re-signing Blythe up in the air now

Will the Rams re-sign Blythe? While there are arguments to be made for and against doing so, one thing seems clear. It will certainly be a bit more involved and complicated than a year ago. Austin Blythe had a great personal relationship with his offensive line coach Aaron Kromer.

Unfortunately, Coach Kromer is no longer with the Rams organization.  That throws a wrench into the offensive line plans this offseason.

Typically, free agents look for four things when signing on with a team: Guaranteed money, overall financial security, the chances of success with the new team, and stability among the coaching staff.

We can understand the business side of the NFL to a degree. But the interpersonal relationships will remain behind the curtain for many years.  Does Blythe’s loyalty lie with the LA Rams or with Coach Kromer?

The new coach has plenty to sort out

But is that even where the decision lies now? Will the new offensive line coach want to go in a new direction, and sign players that he has developed a relationship with over the years. Reports are out that the Rams recently interviewed NY Giants assistant offensive line coach Ben Wilkerson for a team vacancy.

It could be for the Rams offensive line coaching position.  While Wilkerson may be a fine addition to the Rams coaching staff (no decision has yet been made by the team), whoever fills the role will have a lot of work to do quickly. The LA Rams face thin roster depth at the center position in 2021. So re-signing Blythe seems to make sense on many fronts.

Will it happen?  Bringing back Blythe may yet come to pass. But the process has become a bit trickier. Whoever the Rams bring in as the new offensive line coach will need to determine what type of center will be the best fit for the type of offensive line he intends to install.

We had a feel for the Rams offseason moves a year ago. But this year the bread crumbs are scattered and the actions of the team so far are not fitting into a discernible pattern. there is less than a month before the 2021 NFL Free Agency market opens for business. Will the Rams be inking another deal with Austin Blythe?  That’s anyone’s call right now.