LA Rams: Team should kick the tires on OL David DeCastro

A veteran IOL will do

It seems as though the LA Rams need another interior offensive lineman. Of course, if he is truly a plug-n-play starter, that is all the better.  But even as a venerable depth player who can come off the bench and plugin at an interior offensive lineman position, the addition of a veteran would be a huge boost to the LA Rams’ entire 17-game season.  In short, adding one veteran adds one more layer of injury-proofing to this roster, and that can be the difference in winning in any win-or-go-home scenario.

So who am I referring to? Well, the Pittsburgh Steelers just released one of the best offensive linemen in his day, All-Pro right guard David DeCastro. The LA Rams need to act quickly now.

Right now, the rumor currently is that David DeCastro battled injuries all of 2020, and is considering retirement. But even as he battled injuries throughout his 2020 season, he started 13 games for the Steelers and played 845 offensive snaps. While he was an All-Pro in both 2015 and 2017, he has been a Pro Bowler for each of the past six seasons.

While he was released by the Steelers, keep in mind that he was in the last year of his contract, and the move freed up over $8 million of cap dollars for Pittsburgh. He may be pondering retirement due to his experience of playing through painful injuries in 2020. But the LA Rams could entice him into one more season if they work with the player and showcase the benefits of a one-year prove-it deal to play as a primary reserve interior offensive lineman.