Has the LA Rams offense gotten any tougher in the trenches?

The LA Rams do not rush offensive-skill players along to play. That is even more true when those young players are trying to win playing time on the offensive line. But the LA Rams may not have a choice this year, as rookies will eventually make up 50 percent of this team's training camp roster. The trouble. What about the trenches? The bottom line is have the LA Rams gotten any tougher in the trenches after the 2023 NFL Draft?

If you want the honest answer? It will all depend on who the LA Rams choose to start in 2023. That may not be what anyone wants to hear right now, but it's the harsh truth.

We know that the team signed two offensive centers after the draft with the addition of Wake Forest's Sean Maginn and Youngstown State's Mike McAllister. They are joined by Baylor offensive lineman Grant Miller. During the draft, the Rams selected TCU interior offensive lineman Steve Avila, and Georgia offensive tackle Warren McClendon Jr.

While new to the NFL and still raw and inexperienced, the five rookie additions to the Rams roster have a snarl to them. That's exactly what the Rams need in the trenches, particularly on the offensive line as the Rams struggled to pave the way for their running backs as well as hold a quality pass pocket for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Is the LA Rams offensive line merely a mirage?

But unless the Rams make significant changes to the offensive line, not much will change at all. What do I mean? After the Rams have added five new players to the Rams roster for training camp, are the Rams willing to make changes to ensure that the team commits to the five best offensive linemen? Or have the Rams already predetermined who starts on the offensive line, regardless of training camp competition?

The Rams drafted kicker Sam Sloman in the 2020 NFL Draft, and he competed for the Rams' starting kicker role against CFL kicker Lirim Hajrullahu and USFL kicker Austin MacGinnis. By all accounts, Sloman appeared to come in a distant third-place to his rivals, but he was awarded the job anyway.

Do the Rams rookies have a chance at earning playing time on this offensive line? Or will the Rams simply restore Joe Noteboom to left tackle, Brian Allen to center, Coleman Shelton to right guard, and either Logan Bruss or Tremayne Anchrum to left guard as starters and call it good? If that is the outcome, then the Rams wasted draft picks on two talented rookies.

Whose line is it anyway?

The hope is that the Rams will find enough reason to justify starting:

• LT - Alaric Jackson
• LG - Steve Avila
• C - Coleman Shelton
• RG - Tremayne Anchrum
• RT - Rob Havenstein

Even though they are back, injuries have me quite doubtful that Joe Noteboom, Brian Allen, and Logan Bruss are up to the challenge of starting 17 games for the Rams in 2023.

Has the LA Rams offense gotten any tougher in the trenches? Potentially, the answer is yes. The Rams draft certainly did its part. But it all depends on the Rams training camp now, and who the Rams coaching staff tap to start this season. This could be the dawn of a new and long-lived Rams offensive line, or the sequel to the 2022 fiasco up front. For now, all we can do is wait. And hope that the Rams get it right this year.

The alternative may be a painful 2023 NFL season, but a very promising 2024 NFL draft class.