LA Rams sign FA OC Drake Jackson to 2022 futures contract.

Welcome back, Drake

Well, that’s been addressed now, as the team had announced the (re-) signing of offensive center Drake Jackson to a Reserve/Future contract. If you recognize that name, you are good.  It seems that by making this move, the LA Rams are deliberately resolving the ‘no center for 2022’ issue.

Perhaps even more promising is the fact that the Rams auditioned Jackson for two weeks, and have now gone out of their way to ensure that he will be available to the club for the 2022 NFL Season.

So what? Well, perhaps the biggest takeaway is the fact that the Rams will not be depending upon drafting an offensive center with relatively few and definitely weak draft picks. Instead, the team has added a player with who the coaches are quite familiar, and who has had positive statements made about him throughout the draft and his rookie season.

But there are more reasons than just complimentary press. Let’s dig at the offensive position a bit more strategically?

Coleman Shelton starter, Drake Jackson backup?

The LA Rams will not have unlimited funds to extend players in 2022, but I would be very surprised if the team did not attempt to bring back reserve offensive center Coleman Shelton. The team will most certainly not want to attempt a new season without a player who has snapped the ball to QB Matthew Stafford. Not only has Shelton done so, but he has gotten plenty of positives from HC Sean McVay when he has done so.

Shelton is a very athletic offensive center. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 299-pounds, he is a stalwart pass blocker. But he really kicks it into gear when given the chance to bowl over a defender in run blocking. Shelton is always eager to hit someone, and will often run 10 or 20 yards downfield on a running play in an attempt to get one more lick in.

The 6-foot-2 292-pound Jackson is ideally suited to that style of blocking. He too is very athletic and has already received a significant amount of praise in his rookie season, in spite of the fact that he struggled to find a team willing to take a chance on him.

Hopefully, both the LA Rams and Drake Jackson have found what they have been looking for. This one makes a ton of sense for both sides. At least, for now, the team does not have a glaring hole in the middle of the offensive line for the 2022 NFL Season.