Warren McClendon forced fans to rethink everything with late season performance

The Los Angeles Rams may be 10-3, but the team's roster cannot succeed on autopilot through the upcoming offseason. After all, this is a team with three veterans on the roster, and two are facing the expiration of their current contracts at the end of the season.

Tight end Tyler Higbee and right tackle Rob Havenstein have both been limited by injuries to just seven starts this season. The tight end room has compensated for Higbee's absence. Havenstein's absence has fallen upon backup Warren McClendon Jr. to handle.

So far, the versatile swing tackle has flourished as a starter.

Fans needn't await the subjective grades to tell them what they see each week. The running backs are making a lot of noise now that the weather has turned colder. And the offense behind quarterback Matthew Stafford is giving off those "Greatest Show on Turf" vibes once more. But if you dive a bit deeper, you could make a case that McClendon has been a significant contributor to the offense's sudden dominance.

With McClendon at right tackle, LA has skyrocketed to the second-best offensive line in the NFL. That's huge, because the durability of starting quarterback Matthew Stafford remains tethered to the performance of the offensive line.

Warren McClendon's return has buoyed the Rams OL performance

In the past three games, LA's offensive line has performed superbly. That just happens to coincide with Warren McClendon Jr.'s return as the starting right tackle. It's not a random alignment. The front office signed veteran offensive tackles DJ Humphries and David Quessenberry to ensure adequate depth at the position this season.

McClendon overcame heated training camp competition to secure the top offensive tackle backup role. And his performance as a starter has been superb. He has been so accomplished that he has forced many fans to acknowledge that he is the most likely starter at right tackle next season.

That makes veteran right tackle Rob Havenstein redundant. If the team can part with wide receiver Cooper Kupp, LA can justify parting ways with the veteran right tackle as well. And why not? The team's current offensive line configuration is dominating, and the roster has to get younger and cheaper on the offensive side of the football.

To do that, some highly paid veterans will need to sign lucrative contracts elsewhere. The team is armed with enough draft picks to land a solid offensive tackle in the 2026 NFL Draft. The thing is, the team doesn't need to find an instant starter, merely someone who can take up a starting role if injuries occur.

LA has a pair of the most unlikely starting offensive tackles in the NFL, and they are outstanding. Why change a process that has gotten such phenomenal results?

As always, thanks for reading.