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2010 Offensive Line Analysis - St. Louis Rams

2010 Projected Starters:
Left Tackle: Jason Smith
Left Guard: Jacob Bell
Center: Jason Brown
Right Guard: Adam Goldberg / John Greco
Right Tackle: Rodger Saffold

2009 Injuries:
T Jason Smith: Weeks 3-5, 12-17
G Jacob Bell: Weeks 15-17

2009 Statistics:

Overview:
Despite winning only three games in 2007, the Rams have managed to get worse in each of the last two seasons. It looks like they may finally be on the way up with the selection of Sam Bradford with the number one overall pick. Despite having an above average running game, the Rams ranked last in the league in points scored on offense but they’re hoping that a new quarterback and a healthier offensive line will turn things around this year.

The Rams selected Jason Smith with the second overall pick in 2009 and are expected to move him to left tackle this season after trying to ease him into the NFL by starting him on the right side in his rookie year. He is big and aggressive at 6’5” and 310 lbs so he is an asset for the running game even in only his second season. Smith still has to improve his technique in pass protection in order to be effective at left tackle in the NFL because, for now, he is quite vulnerable to speedy defensive ends. Another downside with Smith is that he played only three complete games in 2009 because of various injuries and he has gotten hurt again this off-season. He has very good work ethic so he has huge potential and will improve very quickly if he manages to stay healthy. For this season, we’d expect Smith to be slightly above average in run blocking and slightly below average in pass protection which would make him an upgrade over last year’s starter Alex Barron. Barron was recently traded to the Dallas Cowboys and will be replaced by this year’s second round pick Rodger Saffold. Saffold has good size at 6’4” and 315 lbs and is quite athletic for his size but for now he lacks the strength to be efficient as a run blocker in the NFL. Because of that he will be better as a pass protector than a run blocker in his first season but he could eventually be solid in both. Phil Trautwein, an undrafted free agent in 2009, adds depth at tackle.

At guard, the Rams were able to sign Jacob Bell from the Tennessee Titans to a six-year deal in the 2008 off-season but a number of injuries slowed him down in his first two seasons with the Rams.  Bell is a very smart and intense player who will never give up and, although he has worked a lot to become stronger, he will never be a top run blocker. His agility and quick feet make him a very good pass protector but he seems to miss a few games every year and the Rams need him for all 16. The battle for the starting job at right guard should be an interesting one. Adam Goldberg, a seventh-year veteran, probably has the edge after starting 14 games last year at three different positions. He looked more comfortable at tackle last season but should still be pretty good as a starting guard. John Greco was selected in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft and has started four games in the past two years. Greco also played at three different positions on the line but is a much better fit at guard because of his 6’4” and 330 lbs. He will however have to earn the job over Goldberg in training camp because the latter was ahead on the depth chart last season and at the June OTA’s. The Rams also added Hank Fraley who started four games with the Browns last year. The 32-year old was most likely signed because of his versatility to play guard and center and will likely be used as a backup for both positions this season.

The Rams signed Jason Brown to a three-year deal last off-season and finally seem to have found their starting center. Brown is pretty strong and athletic at 6’3” and 320 lbs and is capable of pulling to the outside and block in motion. He remains an average starting center at best but he has not missed a start in three seasons and gives this line a little consistency, something they haven’t had for a couple of seasons.

2010 Outlook:
The Rams offensive line is probably one of the hardest to analyze this season. They have a starting left tackle with a lot of potential but who barely played last year, a rookie starting at right tackle and two or three players competing for the starting job at right guard. The one comforting statistic for the Rams is that they averaged 4.5 yards per carry in the running game and allowed only 29 sacks until the final three games of the year when they were without Jacob Bell. In those first 13 games they used Barron at LT, Bell at LG, Brown at C, Goldberg at either RG or RT and Smith, Greco, Setterstrom and Incognito played at the remaining position. If we compare that line with this year’s line: Smith should be an upgrade over Barron, Bell and Brown will continue to start and the winner at right guard will be as good as Goldberg and maybe better. This means that rookie Rodger Saffold only has to be as good as an alternating group of four. As little as we know about how Saffold will do this year, there’s nothing worse for an offensive line than always changing players so it shouldn’t be very hard for him to be better than those guys. If we put all that together, the Rams should be at least as good as they were in those first 13 games with two possible upgrades. The Rams also have pretty good depth with Greco, Fraley, Trautwein and Setterstrom but the starters must still find a way to stay healthy, especially Smith and Bell. Overall, we expect this line to be right around the league average in pass protection, an improvement over last year, and we believe that their run blocking could surprise and be near the top of the league.

See all of our 2010 Offensive Line Analysis Articles