This former Rams starter proves once and for all that he is worth waiting for

The Los Angeles Rams were rumored to be closing in on a deal with former starting center Coleman Shelton a day ago. And for all intents and purposes, the source of that rumor was reputable, the logic of signing Shelton to fill in the void of trading away Jonah Jackson made perfect sense, and the move had all the fingerprints of a Les Snead type of move.

But time passed slowly when investigating confirmation. Tik tok. As the Rams and the 2025 NFL Free Agency market continued at a breakneck pace, the silence over the Rams agreeing to terms with their former center was deafening. There was unlikely to be much competition over Shelton. The Bears had already agreed to terms with a new starting center. The market over centers was not heating up. And yet, nothing.

That is, until later in Day 2, that is. When the news finally broke, it was confirmed over and over. The LA Rams had finally reached agreement with Coleman Shelton. And it is another superb move by the front office:

At risk of repeating myself, the Rams roster in 2025 is nowhere near as robust with interior offensive linemen as one year ago. Since this time a year ago, the Rams have lost versatile offensive Zachary Thomas to the New England Patriots after releasing him in an attempt to sign him on the practice squad. The Rams released veteran IOL Logan Bruss after it was clear that he was unable to play at an NFL level. And the team traded veteran IOL Jonah Jackson to the Chicago Bears for a Round 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

That left just Justin Dedich and Dylan McMahon, two young and untested offensive linemen, to handle backup duties for the team in 2024. Since Coleman Shelton is a versatile offensive lineman who has starting experience for the Rams at the center and guard positions. his return is a solid addition.

A huge signing? Perhaps not. But like any piece to a jigsaw puzzle, every piece that is fitted into its proper spot adds to the image that is forming. Coleman Shelton is instant competition for the starting center role. Whether or not he earns a starting role in 2025 is less important than the fact that the team now has a solid second unit as backups on the Rams roster. That is a huge win as the team continues its quest to reconstruct a winning team.

As always, thanks for reading.

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