Rams mix n match OL sending reports down multiple rabbit holes

Well, the LA Rams are grinding out their offseason workouts in a manner that is frustrating for some, exhilarating for others, and confusing for many. This is not just a young team. This is an entirely new chapter for the LA Rams organization, boasting many new parts throughout the entire team. And the basic method for learning the job is by doing, or On The Job Training (OJT for short).

The focus of many articles of late has remained on the young players on the Rams roster. But let's not ignore the fact that this team has a massive influx of new positional coaches, all of whom were handpicked to not only handie the role throughout the season but to reenergize the ability to coach up younger raw players into NFL-caliber players.

Through the early sessions of the LA Rams off-season workouts, OL Coach Ryan Wendell is making the best of a tough situation. He has to take a battered and demoralized offensive line and somehow figure out the best five-man combination to start this season. The toughest challenge, or perhaps Wendell's advantage, is the fact that he has no history with the players on the team. That could give Wendell a clean and objective slate when deciding who does and who does not start for the Rams' offensive line.

Mix and match now means deciding later

But to make that decision, Coach Wendell must be willing to mix and match players to see who is truly the best fit. That means that anyone competing for a starting role will have a turn at that role. Curiously, that seems to be a new strategy, as least if you are paying attention to the reports from OTAs and mandatory workouts:

Let's not get overwhelmed by OTAs in shorts and tee shirts right now. The LA Rams are not playing in pads. These workouts are about installs and getting players familiar enough to be comfortable with roles they may be asked to perform in 2023. Even as the short and tee shirts workouts give visible evidence of what the coaching staff is considering, it does not mean that any decisions have been made.

While we do not know a lot, let's record what we DO know.