Why fans needn't worry about early injuries to OL in Rams Training Camp

It's only the second week of the 2024 LA Rams Training camp, but the starting five offensive linemen are already down to two healthy players: Ironman center Steve Avila, and veteran right guard Kevin Dotson. So far, no injuries have placed the 2024 regular season in perild, yet. But the frequency of bumps, bruises, cuts and scrapes has certainly raised the concerns of Rams fans already. And that is not how this fanbase wanted to start training camp this season.

Two weeks of training camp. Three offensive linemen injured. Sheesh.

I get it. The Rams have had some horrific luck in the past when it came to the health and durability of offensive linemen. In 2019, it was a string of injuries that derailed the team's plans to return to the Super Bowl. IN 2022, it was even worse, forcing the team to sign veterans off the street to suit up and play for the team as starters.

In 2019, the team went 9-7. In 2022, the team went 5-12. And the belief this year was that if the team invested into the offensive line, and had a stalwart season of top-tier blocking, that this year would be special. As in Super Bowl appearance special.

The offensive line is, for lack of a more eloquent description, the backbone of this team, and the foundation of success. With a strong offensive line, the offense has the option to either pass or run with the football. That balance keeps defenses honest and on their heels. But it also allows the team to control the game clock. More time with the football in the hands of the offense is a very good thing.

And less time defending the football is another positive characteristic of a strong offensive line. If he defense is on the field less than half of the game, they will be fresher and more rested. And that all helps to stack the odds in the Rams' favor.

But 2024 appears to be starting out with more injuries than many would like. Is this a harbinger of things to come? Or is this simply a one-off anomaly, and something that won't be a factor as the regular season gets underway?

Banged up bodies starting to stack up already

While the Rams know that there is a lot of work to do with the offensive line in 2024, remember that the team never planned to allow starters to compete in preseason games. So if you were disappointed to learn that left guard Jonah Jackson would not compete in preseason games, you can take comfort in the fact that he was never going to play anyway.

Still, that does not help the fact that this group of five offensive linemen are not yet attuned to one another just yet. Offensive linemen are most susceptible to underperformance if they are unable to synchronize their blocks, communicate effectively, and ensure that they not only know their own roles, but know the roles of their teammates.

The Rams already face three starting offensive linemen with minor injuries. While no injury is severe enough to bench a starter from the start of the regular season, the injuries are keeping starters out of practices. That has the negative effect of hindering that synchronization that is so very important for the team.

The first injury incurred to the team's offensive line happened to left tackle Alaric Jackson. He tweaked his ankle, but HC Sean McVay expects his return sooner than later:

The more derailing injury is the shoulder injury to left guard Jonah Jackson. Jackson arrives as a free agent from the Detroit Lions, and his participation is perhaps the most vital because while he is playing a familiar position, he must learn the Rams playbook, players, and his blocking assignments. That is something that was hampered earlier in OTAs as he was recovering from injuries suffered in 2023. For now, the Rams have reported that Jackson suffered a bruised scapula, and will be week to week for as many as four weeks:

And then, the injury epidemic continued as starting right tackle Rob Havenstein pulled up hobbled with an apparent foot injury. That makes three starting offensive linemen who have suffered injuries already.

While nobody wants injuries, there are silver linings to this injury epidemic. So, why don't we discuss some of those positives to help ease concerns?

Why this early injury epidemic could be a good thing?

While the entire offensive line needs to resynch up for the 2024 NFL season, the two most critical players to get practice time in training camp is center Steve Avila and left guard Jonah Jackson. While Jackson is injured, Avila continues to suit up and learn his new role for the new season. And with each new day, he gets that much more experience under his belt.

But another aspect that seldom gets discussed is the fact that this offensive line room is very deep. This roster boasts 16 offensive linemen, as much as any previous season since hiring HC Sean McVay. While that is a good thing on paper, it does mean a lot of players are vying for limited reps. And limited reps means that coaches who are trying to select the best of the bunchy have a limited database on which to base those vital decisions.

The absence of three starters in training camp means that those reps will be diverted to three backup offensive linment. And their reps, it turn, will be dispatched to three reserve offensive linemen. In short, the reps are not 'lost' per se. Rather, they are given to less experienced offensive linemen to benefit from. And those reps speed up the development of every player on the depth chart.

More experienced backup offensive linemen may not sound ideal until the season starts and the depth of the roster is tested by mid-season injuries. Then, when the team needs to rely upon the 'next man up' principle, the guys who must step up have the right make up and familiarity to do exactly that. Right now, the team is investing in those players who will be counted on to step up this season.

What do Rams fans have to look forward to in 2024?

Let's pause, take a deep breath, and focus on the big picture right now. While the Rams may be getting dinged up in training camp so far, there are no major injuries yet. And the benefit of giving reps to depth players is undeniable. So far, that's all this has been. Just depth players on the Rams offensive line getting an above average workload.

But what happens when the season starts? What can Rams fans expect in 2024? Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. The team faces some tough opponents. But this team has some solid improvements in the works as well. And let's not ignore the fact that the Rams allowed just 34 quarterback sacks in 2023, good enough to be the sixth ranked offensive line in that regard.

So this offensive line has the right to have some swagger.

Here is the way that Rams starting center Steve Avila describes his teammates:

So to recap, his descriptions are:

• LT Alaric Jackson - Controlled
• LG Jonah Jackson - Energy
• C Steve Avila - Awesome
• RG Kevin Dotson - Swaggy
• RT Rob Havenstein - Leader

And he is not wrong. As well as Kevin Dotson played in 2024, I am going out on a limb to predict that he has an All-Pro season in him for 2024. He is not only that good, but he has that quiet confidence of knowing it.

Beyond the Rams talented starting five, the team has the sixth-man in OL Joe Noteboom, who is essentially a plug-and-play at every position except center. The team also drafted two rookie offensive linemen to reinforce the roster in Beaux Limmer and K.T. Leveston. They join Zach Thomas and Warren McClendon, two backups who also saw action in 2023. And then there are more than a handful of other offensive linemen eager to earn a roster spot.

This team also boasts multiple tight ends, all of whom excel at blocking. In a pinch, this team has the option of flipping to 12 personnel packages. Even if an occasional two tight end set is used, it will be enough to keep this offense chugging along and moving the chains.

While injuries are not ideal, they are not signs that the sky is falling. In truth, with their occuring this early in training camp, they are creating opportunities to find successors for the future. And this group of starting five offensive linemen will suit up for Week 1.

When they do, grab your popcorn. It's going to be a great show.

As always, thanks for reading.