LA Rams must decide among 4 feasible O-Line configurations

2021 athletic offensive line

Of course, here I am looking at the 2022 NFL Free Agency market, and I have concerns as soon as I see five offensive linemen from this LA Rams squad testing free agency in 2022. It’s there, staring back at us. What can the LA Rams do? Is this merely a situation where the Rams must throw their hands up in the air and plan to lose 60 percent of the offensive line in one NFL Free Agent Market?

Well, the LA Rams still have a couple of aces up their sleeve.  Coleman Shelton is a projected Restricted Free Agent (RFA) in 2022, and Chandler Brewer projects as an Exclusive Rights Free Agent (ERFA). In either situation, the LA Rams can exert significant influence over where they will be playing in 2022.  With a little forethought, the Rams can leverage that to weigh the option to start Coleman Shelton and use Chandler Brewer as a primary backup offensive lineman in 2021

Position                          Starter                                 Backup
Left tackle                      Andrew Whitworth           Joseph Noteboom
Left guard                      David Edwards                   Bobby Evans
Center                             Coleman Shelton               Brian Allen
Right guard                    Austin Corbett                   Tremayne Anchrum
Right tackle                   Rob Havenstein                 Chandler Brewer

Practice squad: Jamil Demby, Alaric Jackson, Max Pircher, Jordan Meredith

Putting Shelton in the center position is the right choice in my opinion because the body of work of Shelton has been predominantly at the offensive center position.  He is savvy enough to call protections, is good enough at run blocking to pull, block downfield, and trap block very effectively. In terms of pass blocking, he swivels his head back and forth as he backpedals to create an impenetrable pocket apex that redirects the pass rush around the quarterback.

I like Shelton at the center because he showed a lot of untapped potential when he played for the Washington Huskies, and he is in his fourth NFL season. It’s now or never for Coleman Shelton. I think it’s now.