LA Rams OL: A bricklayer’s tale of bricks, mortar, and walls

Who’s on center? I don’t know. Left tackle!

The LA Rams’ different iterations of their offensive line have left the Rams fans’ heads spinning, almost like the “Who’s on first?” comedy routine of a pair of famous comedians, Abbott and Costello. If you haven’t ever seen that comedy routine, you are in for a treat, because here it is:

The comedy routine is a true classic, but clearly shows the challenges of the LA Rams’ variations of their OL. I apologize if you try to read the table below on your smartphone.  For the best visual effect, I recommend viewing it on your personal computer (whenever possible):

•                                     Week:    1    2    3     4    5    6    7    8     9    10    11   12   13 Name                        Posn   Joe Noteboom                        LT  LT   LT   LT  LT   LT   –     –     –     –     –      –     – David Edwards                       LG LG  LG    –  LG   –    –     –     –     –      –     –      – Brian Allen                               OC  –    –    –    –    –     –    OC  OC  OC    –     –     OC Coleman Shelton                   RG OC OC  OC  –    –     –     –    –    LG   OC   OC   RG Rob Havenstein                     RT  RT RT  RT  RT  RT  –    RT  RT  RT  RT   RT   RT Tremayne Anchrum                –   RG  –     –     –     –    –     –    –     –     –      –      – Alaric Jackson                           –   RG RG RG RG RG   –    LT  LT   –     –      –      – Jeremiah Kolone                      –     –    –   OC OC OC   – Bobby Evans                                               LG LG          –     LG Chandler Brewer                                                                         RG RG    –     –     – Oday Aboushi                                                           LG   –   RG  –     –     RG   RG Ty Nsekhe                                                                                    LT   LT     LT     –    LT Matt Skura                                                                                                   LG   LG   LG A.J. Arcuri                                                                                                               LT    –

(Bolded names are free agents signed to the Rams roster after the start of the season)
The table above shows how incredibly unpredictable this season has been for so many offensive linemen. Three offensive linemen so far this season have been forced to start in multiple positions this year. 14 players have started at least one game for the LA Rams on their offensive line in 13 weeks in 12 games.

Fix it, don’t demolish it

So can you truly believe that ‘fixing this’ means inserting more names, adding more unfamiliarity, and creating even more chaos than the Rams already have? Do you run the vacuum on a windy day with the windows open? Despite the urge to DO SOMETHING, sometimes the best course of action is to pause and let the dust settle.

Cracks in a brick wall do not mean you tear down the wall, throw away the bricks, and start all over with a new shipment of bricks and a newly mixed mortar. You replace only those bricks that are damaged and then reset enough new mortar to make that wall as good as new.