It's not even training camp, but Rams big-bodied OL has chips on its shoulders

Swing Tackle

The Rams had some good years and some not-so-good years from former swing tackle Joe Noteboom. One of the reasons why the Rams loved having Noteboom on the roster was his amazing versatility. He could be plugged into all positions (except center), and the team was confident in Noteboom's ability to hold his own until the starter was healthy enough to return. But Noteboom is gone now, and the team must now turn to swing tackle Warren McClendon Jr. to slide in for an injured teammate.

And if McClendon gets injured or struggles, look for KT Leveston to get work at offensive tackle.

McClendon has already endeared himself to the Rams coaching staff by willingly playing hurt while similar injuries benched his teammates. McClendon played through the pain in Week 2 on a sore ankle at left tackle to cover for suspended teammate Alaric Jackson. And he played well. He subbed in for RT Rob Havenstein in Weeks 1, 11, 12, and 18, and entered the Week 10 game to take over for an injured Havenstein.

Ideally, the Rams coaching staff hopes that McClendon is never needed. But with recent history proving that to be a futile wish, the Rams will continue to give McClendon work at both offensive tackle positions. And I expect Leveston to be eased into the swing tackle role at training camp this year.

Swing IOL

While the team may not have a designated swing player for the interior offensive line positions, I suspect that with the current roster composition, a need for a player who can be plugged in as either an offensive guard or center will be necessary this season. I have never subscribed that offensive tackles are automatically gifted at an interior offensive lineman role in the NFL. The action is faster as you get closer to the center, and the demands of the guard and center can be vastly different from those of an offensive tackle.

The first player who jumps off the page as an ideal fit across the spectrum of interior offensive lineman positions is undrafted rookie Willie Lampkin. One of the challenges facing the Rams if they hope to slide Lampkin to the practice squad is the fact that one NFL teams see Lampkin in action in preseason games, more than one NFL team is likely to claim him off the Rams' waiver wire as the team pares down to 53 players. Lampkin has been widely described as a versatile offensive lineman who can play either guard position, as well as center.

Some teams even expressed adding Lampkin to a fullback role.

The team must also figure out the roles for undrafted rookie IOL Ben Dooley and Wyatt Bowles. The team lost Logan Bruss and Jonah Jackson since forming the 53-man roster for the 2024 NFL season. As of right now, only Coleman Shelton restores one lost offensive lineman. But the expectation is that both veteran DJ Humphries and David Quessenberry could be in the mix if either Alaric Jackson or Rob Havenstein struggles to be fully healthy and ready to go before Week 1.

It's not even training camp, but Rams' big-bodied offensive linemen already have chips on their shoulders. Rightfully so, as this may be one of the deepest and most experienced offensive line groups in the history of HC Sean McVay. Now, it's simply a matter of staying healthy and performing up to their potential.

As always, thanks for reading.

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