5 LA Rams players who need to show up vs. Raiders

IV: Offensive lineman

There have been some positive videos of Rams offensive lineman Coleman Shelton holding his own against the Dallas Cowboys and the Las Vegas Raiders. Not just on the line of scrimmage, but he has shown up as a player who can in fact block downfield for running plays.

Some observations from the joint practice cited Shelton not have the cleanest hikes to veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. That was to be expected in OTAs because the team dedicated almost the entire OTA and training camp drills into Austin Corbett snapping the football as the presumption was that Corbett was the starting center.

That’s no longer the case. Right now, Brian Allen is the designated starting offensive center. But that may not last either. Austin Corbett may be better at the offensive guard positions. That does not mean that Brian Allen is the best starting offensive center. Coleman Shelton has something to say about that. Right now, he’s shown steady progress and growth.

Certainly, the video footage from OTAs, training camp, joint practices, and even preseason games show a steadily improving Coleman Shelton who is now in competition for the starting role at the offensive center position. While he may not overtake Allen in time for the start of the NFL season, he most certainly can argue his case with a solid showing against the Raiders in the second preseason game.