Rams previously injured offensive linemen appear to be falling behind

Will Joe Noteboom even make the LA Rams roster for the 2023 NFL season?

LA Rams left offensive tackle Joe Noteboom is another backup player who was promoted to start for the Rams at left tackle in 2022. But He was only able to go for five games in the 2022 NFL season, plus nine offensive snaps in the sixth game against the Carolina Panthers, before he tore his Achilles Tendon and ended his season.

But much like rookie Logan Bruss, Noteboom had struggled a bit with his assignment even before he fell to injury. Per his Pro Football Focus grades, Noteboom played 325 offensive snaps in 2022, allowed five quarterback sacks, and committed three penalties. The LA Rams offense played 1022 offensive snaps last season. so five sacks of the 59 total sacks allowed by the Rams' offensive line works out to 8.5 percent of the QB sacks. But 325 offensive snaps out of the 5,110 snaps played by the LA Rams offensive linemen last season works out to just 6.3 percent of the opportunities.

That's a lot of math, but it was necessary to illustrate that Noteboom was a weak link even one year ago.

It don't come easy. You know, it don't come easy

Hey, I'm not here to troll the guy. He is giving it his all, and at the end of the day, that is all the LA Rams and Joe Noteboom can expect. But coming back from an Achilles Tendon injury is a tough path as well. And that is on top of the guy suffering a devastating knee injury in 2019, plus a calf strain that benched him in 2020.

Now he is beihg held out of practice and preseason games this year. I don't want to be the guy that asks the obvious question, but will Noteboom even make the LA Rams 53-man roster at this point in time?

It's no secret that the LA Rams loved Noteboom's versatility as a swing tackle in 2021 when he was able to slide in and hold down the fort in 2020 and 2021 as either guard or tackle position. And the 6-foot-5, 321 offensive lineman seemed to flourish in that role as well, even to the point of starting for the Rams at left tackle for eight games while Andrew Whitworth recovered from an MCL injury.

Whether deserved or not, Noteboom's durability is very concerning. He has yet to master a full 17 game season healthy, and he is already fighting off injury this season. I do not mean to be ruthless, but at some point, the LA Rams have to go with the guys who can dependably suit up each week. Right now, I do not see Joe Noteboom as an offensive lineman who qualifies for that category.