4 OL who won’t be back for the LA Rams in 2023

OL I: New start for a struggling player

The Rams Bobby Evans has been a struggling offensive lineman for years. But before I go any further, I for one do not think that the LA Rams have done this guy any favors. He has performed much better (not good, just better) at the offensive tackle position than any interior offensive line position.

Evans is not a good fit for what the LA Rams continue to ask him to do, which is automatically enough of a reason not to expect him to return next year. After all, this is the last year of his rookie contract, and he is unlikely to be offered an extension from what we’ve witnessed this season.

But Bobby Evans has not stopped trying, and I believe that he will find himself the recipient of a modestly termed contract to play for some other NFL team. And to be honest, I expect that if he has that opportunity to play elsewhere, he could put up a respectable season.

Evans is not a fit for Rams but could be elsewhere

Evans simply does not fit what the Rams ask of him because, to be honest, the defense knows exactly what the offense will do. The Rams run on early downs, pass on later downs, and then pass almost exclusively when the team falls behind on the scoreboard. Pro Bowl offensive linemen would struggle to play well with that predictability. But a player like Bobby Evans, who needs help to get the job done, has almost no chance.

Even with the Rams letting these four offensive linemen walk away to try their luck in the NFL Free Agency market, the team still is looking at 14 offensive linemen returning to the Rams roster in 2023. Will the team add rookies in the 2023 NFL Draft knowing that so many offensive linemen are vying for playing time?  Historically, the answer to that question is no.

But you just never know, do you? Well, unless there is a wide receiver on the draft board when the LA Rams step up to the podium to make their selection.