LA Rams OL saving the best for (Andrew Whitworth’s) last?

Noteboom is clearly Whitworth’s protege

So far this season, Andrew Whitworth missed two offensive snaps, when teammate Joseph Noteboom relieved him for two plays. Whitworth has played remarkably well for five games so far. And he is the pace car for this offensive line, ensuring that each will show up and play just as hard and consistently as Whitworth.

Even more astounding is the fact that Whitworth is doing all of this less than a year after injuring his knee midway through the 2020 NFL season. So far this season, Whitworth has allowed just one quarterback sack and he’s committed one penalty.

When he was out in 2020, offensive tackle Joseph Noteboom stepped up in his place. While he did not have the kind of season Whitworth was having last year, he played well enough to hold down the position until Whitworth returned.  He must have impressed the coaching staff because his role for 2022 is to serve as Whitworth’s backup.

Okay, so Noteboom is clearly the heir apparent.  That will complicate the 2022 offseason because the team will need to address both the center and offensive guard positions. You see, the Rams face the expiration of their contracts with Brian Allen, Austin Corbett, and Joseph Noteboom at the end of this season.  All totaled, the Rams risk losing 17 players to free agency next year. Four of those players hold key roles on the team’s offensive line.

The Rams 2022 off-season will be very interesting