3 glaring concerns over LA Rams first unofficial depth chart

Troublespot III: Who is the backup center?

We know that Brian Allen is the returning starting offensive center. But he has certainly shown to have reason to question his durability. In fact, as a starting offensive center for the LA Rams for two seasons, he has missed eight games or 25 percent of the games.  But beyond that, he was pulled out of two additional games due to injury. And for several additional games, he played despite suffering a hyperextended elbow injury.

So you would logically expect the LA Rams to have some player assigned to be a backup center. But in the first Rams depth chart, no player is named. That creates a pretty significant problem. How so?

Well, some will poo-poo the matter by presuming that the Rams depth chart will simply designate Coleman Shelton to serve as the team’s backup center. And for all intents and purposes, that is very likely how the Rams see it as well.

But the Rams hold out starters for preseason games to mitigate injuries. Right now, Coleman Shelton is also the team’s starting right guard. So will the team play Coleman Shelton at center in preseason games, subjecting him to the possibility of injury?  If not him, then who is at the center position?  And while it makes sense to play Logan Bruss as the right guard in preseason games, if Shelton is forced to swap in to assume a starting center role, does that not also trigger an immediate promotion for Bruss as well?

Right now, the team has four right tackles on the depth chart and just one offensive center. That may simply be the nomenclature, but if the depth chart truly represents the Rams roster as it now stands, then the balance for that offensive line is a bit . . . off-balance.