2023 LA Rams roster breakdown, shockingly thin at some positions

Durable big-bodied blockers

The LA Rams made significant changes to their starting offensive line in 2023, and like the 2019 NFL season, almost every one of those changes seemed to come back and bite them in the keister. I’m not here to sell you right now on the best options for the LA Rams’ starting offensive line in 2023.  Right now, I’m focused exclusively on who is on the roster next year, and who, if any, players on expiring contracts may be re-signed to the Rams roster.

Offensive linemen (10): For starters, the LA Rams roster will welcome back quite a few veteran offensive linemen. Brian Allen, Coleman Shelton, Logan Bruss, Tremayne Anchrum, Rob Havenstein, Alaric Jackson, Max Pircher, Joseph Noteboom, A.J. Arcuri, and Zach Thomas are all returning. That’s a huge number of returning players, and I’m not convinced that the Rams won’t be tempted to just reset the offensive line from this group and call it a day.

That’s what they did after the 2019 NFL season, and we know that the 2020 version of their offensive line was one of the NFL’s best.

The more the merrier, and the fiercer the competition

But if the Rams are nervous about durability or quality of play in 2023, they have plenty of options. Here are the offensive linemen who become free agents in the offseason:

Matt Skura, center
Oday Aboushi, guard
David Edwards, guard
Ty Nsekhe, tackle

Of course, the Rams could just clean the roster, ignore value-added options, and just draft away. But didn’t the Rams just draft IOL Logan Bruss, and we saw no contribution from him in 2022? If the Rams can extend Skura, Aboushi, and most of all, Nsekhe, to team-friendly contracts, I’m all for it. All three were thrown into the LA Rams offensive line with no training camp and minimal time to onboard and orient themselves to the Rams offense. And if they cannot earn a start, they will at least push the player who does earn a start hard.

Bringing them back also allows the Rams an opportunity to focus on the best player available when they select. And even at the 37th overall pick, the Rams will have a strong chance to select a first-round rated rookie prospect who falls to them at that point.

David Edwards is another story. He was injured badly in 2022, and I have no confidence that he can compete in the NFL in 2023.

Rams OL projections are better than many seem to believe

The Rams’ offensive line currently projects to be very solid at right tackle with Rob Havenstein and right guard, whether that is Coleman Shelton or Tremayne Anchrum. I believe that Coleman Shelton is far better at the center, and more durable, than Brian Allen.  So who for the left side? I love the idea of starting Alaric Jackson at left tackle. And that frees up Joseph Noteboom to start at left guard.  That’s just the base.  Logan Bruss could win the left guard role. Max Pircher, a darkhorse offensive lineman who is entering his third NFL season, is a player I believe you should keep a close eye on.

If the LA Rams grab a very good to elite offensive tackle or interior offensive lineman on Day 2, and one more solid depth offensive lineman on Day 3, the Rams’ offensive line has a great chance to finish among the NFL’s Top-5 in 2023.
Status: Matt Skura, Oday Aboushi, and Ty Nsekhe extended with team-friendly deals

That’s it. This is a lot of information that I’ve put out there. And I don’t pretend to know it all, so I invite you to openly discuss the Rams roster in the comments section. But the Rams’ offseason is coming quickly, and I have to admit that having worked on, and reread the status of the Rams roster, I actually feel much better about the team.

The Rams’ secondary needs to be upgraded. But the real strategy will happen after the LA Rams begin to reform the 2023 roster. Stay tuned, because here we go . . .