5 LA Rams benefiting most from Sony Michel's sudden retirement

IV: IOL Steve Avila

While it may not seem obvious, the impact of a mauling interior offensive lineman is greater in the absence of a strong north-south veteran running back. And the fact is that despite not having played a single NFL regular-season snap, rookie Steve Avila fits that description to a tee.

Opening running lanes is going to be one of the many areas of focus for the besieges LA Rams offensive line this year. And without RB Sony Michel, those running lanes will need to be a little bit wider and held open just a little bit longer. That will fall upon the Rams offensive linemen, but perhaps none more than Avila.

Rams changed their OL profile

While Steve Avila is not the typical LA Rams offensive linemen, the changes to the traditional linemen are for the better:

You may not know what you have until you lose it. But the reverse is true in that you don't know what you've been missing until you get it. Yes, Steve Avila is a rookie who faces a learning curve just like every other NFL rookie who has suited up to compete on the offensive line.

But Avila is both powerful and swift. He is the type of guy who can move defenders off the line of scrimmage and move downfield to block secondary defenders as well. With the absence of Michel, the Rams will need to get bodies on defenders routinely. I believe that with the exception of normal rookie struggles, the Rams will get that from their starting rookie interior offensive lineman.