LA Rams sign OT Ty Nsekhe to roster from Colts PS

The LA Rams have now lost three (count ’em. three) offensive linemen for the 2022 NFL season. The visions of 2019 are flooding back to the forefront, as the Rams front office has been scrambling to replace players as soon as they have fallen to injury. So far, the Rams have signed veteran IOL Oday Aboushi and IOL Matt Skura to take up the slack on the Rams roster caused by the unexpected injuries to rookie offensive lineman Logan Bruss and veteran offensive lineman Tremayne Anchrum.

But the loss of starting offensive tackle Joe Noteboom is a blow to the LA Rams roster reserves. Even as the Rams have a dandy taking over, offensive tackle Alaric Jackson, who is backing up Jackson? For that matter, who is backing up Rob Havenstein, Oday Aboushi, Bobby Evans, or Jeremiah Kolone?

Well, let’s sort that out before we move on to the latest LA Rams signing. We know that the LA Rams have veteran IOL Matt Skura, a player who can cover either offensive guard position as well as a backup at the offensive center. We expect that starting offensive center Brian Allen will return after the BYE, freeing up IOL Jeremiah Kolone. We also know that the Rams are confident in the play of offensive tackle Chandler Brewer.

But at the rate that the offensive linemen are biting the dust, the LA Rams will need to do better than that.  Thankfully, the Rams do have two more players on their practice squad. The first is rookie offensive tackle A.J. Arcuri. He is a promising young man who showed signs of NFL capability during the preseason. The second is IPP OT Max Pircher, a player who is making significant progress and deserves to be featured in the near future.

Help is on the way

So now, we have some background. The current state of the Rams’ roster for the interior offensive line is razor-thin but doable for now. The challenge is at offensive tackle, where the Rams have been hit hard and have exhausted all but one backup for two positions. The LA Rams are in their BYE week, and help is on the way.

Nsekhe last played for the Saint Louis Rams in 2012, a year where he was not particularly effective. Since then, he has had a long and storied NFL career with stops at Washington (4 seasons), Buffalo (2 seasons), and finally Dallas (1 season).  Over the past seven seasons in a rotational role, Nsekhe has only been graded below 70 by Pro Football Focus twice, with a 60.3 grade in 2017, and a 67.3 grade in 2019.

Some may not approve of an offensive lineman who is nearly 37 years of age. Have we forgotten so quickly how effective Andrew Whitworth remained up to the age of 40? In all likelihood, Nsekhe’s role will merely be depth insurance for the offensive tackle position.

Ty Nsekhe may never see action for the LA Rams. But from the glowing reports about his work with the Buffalo Bills, and from the buzz he stirred up when he signed with the Dallas Cowboys, I think that the Rams have signed a solid performer.

Will he be an immediate plug-and-play type? Not exactly. But he is one more capable veteran on the LA Rams roster who thickens the roster at a thin position.