LA Rams Logan Bruss ACL/MCL injury sends OL to drawing board

The news from the LA Rams team about their rookie offensive lineman Logan Bruss was not good. In fact, it was about the worst news that Logan Bruss or Kevin Carberry could get right now. Bruss injured his knee in the Rams’ second preseason game and was reported in-game as out for the remainder of the contest.

Today, the Rams’ follow-up report on Bruss. is the worst scenario that could be imagined from last night’s injury. In the news today, the LA Rams will almost certainly place Bruss on the team’s injured reserve list, essentially redshirting him for the entire 2022 NFL season. But that has a ripple effect, as the LA Rams clearly had a tight fit to get players onto their 53-man roster. So let’s evaluate how this information affects the offensive line going forward.

We know that the LA Rams were considering Bruss in competition for the Rams’ starting right guard position, a role that he had already seemed to lose to veteran Coleman Shelton. However else the Rams intended to work their Rams roster magic this year, one thing was clear.  The Rams intended to staff their center/right guard positions with a combination of veterans Brian Allen, Coleman Shelton, and rookie Logan Bruss.

Now? It’s back to the drawing board.

Rams Roster: Logan Bruss redshirted

But let’s pause a moment, as the end to a very challenging and demanding season this early for Logan Bruss has to be completely heartbreaking. While he was the first rookie selected by the LA Rams in the 2022 NFL Draft, he was ultimately the 104th player selected in the draft overall. While he is a very talented young offensive lineman with a bright future ahead of him, expectations of his claiming a starting role for the LA Rams this season are over.

Done. Kaput. Finito.

That will throw the LA Rams roster for the offensive line back to square one. Why? Well, the Rams have been sorting out their offensive line through OTAs and training camp. The starting five offensive linemen: Joseph Noteboom, David Edwards, Brian Allen, Coleman Shelton, and Rob Havenstein, are pretty much set in stone.

But when it comes to the backup offensive linemen? It was a jigsaw puzzle before Bruss’s injury. Now, it’s more like a bunch of jigsaw pieces. Let’s go over what we know. The Rams feel warm and fuzzy over offensive tackles Alaric “A.J.” Jackson and A.J. Arcuri. The team has Bobby Evans and Tremayne Jackson to plug and play in either an offensive tackle or offensive guard role.

But offensive center? That’s a bit dicey. The Rams are working Jeremiah Kolone in the role, with a backup rotation to Jack Snyder. Right now, Bruss’s injury will likely put Kolone into a roster discussion, with Snyder into consideration for the team’s practice squad.

The LA Rams’ depth must be ready to compensate for any injuries to starters, and we have yet to see full-season durability out of either Brian Allen or Joseph Noteboom. Bruss, as an NFL rookie, was hoped to be a player who could address that durability with a plug-and-play role at either offensive guard or tackle this year. Those plans will all be chucked out the window now.

We’ll have more to say on this topic. But suddenly, the third and final preseason game appears to play a huge role in terms of the Rams roster for the offensive line in the 2022 NFL season.