Nobody is kicking sand in LA Rams Brian Allen’s face anymore

Meanwhile, back at camp

The LA Rams offensive line from the point of Allen’s injury became the focal point of relentless debates among fans, and concerns that the front office had repeatedly ignored one of the roster’s greatest needs. Fans begged the Rams to draft offensive linemen in 2020. Fans implored the Rams to draft offensive linemen in 2021.

What did the LA Rams organization do? They held firm in their belief that the injury-riddled offensive line that fell to the 31st-ranked unit in 2019 deserved a chance to prove themselves. And despite the cries of a fanbase that wanted immediate concrete actions, the Rams decided to stick to their guns, continue to coach up and develop their young offensive linemen, and bank on the fact that the starting experience earned by so many linemen in 2019 would pay dividends in 2020.

The Rams made these seven correct decisions in 2020, many of which were the opposite direction of what the fans wanted. But by the time that the 2020 NFL season had arrived, the LA Rams offensive line was assembled. Austin Blythe was the starting center. In many ways, the return of Brian Allen to a starting role was even bleaker than before. Not only did the Rams have a cohesive offensive line that played among the Top-5 NFL offensive line units in 2020, but his own recovery has suffered several setbacks.

Allen contracted COVID-19 while rehabbing his knee, one of the first NFL players to do so. And as he explained in the previous video, he was forced to have his knee drained several times. In fact, he did not return to the LA Rams team until the second week of the 2020 season. But he did win over the coaching staff. As he proved healthy once more, the team cut center Cohl Cabral from the practice squad.

By doing so, the Rams opened the door for Brian Allens’s return to a starting role. That door opened wide when Austin Blythe signed on with the Kansas City Chiefs in the offseason. The Rams appeared ready for Brian Allen to compete for a starting role. The problem was, would Brian Allen be ready to start in 2021?