The Los Angeles Rams' offensive line has been a point of pride for the franchise throughout its history. Hall of Famers Orlando Pace, Jackie Slater, Bob Brown, Tom Mack and potential future Hall of Famer Andrew Whitworth have maintained a longstanding tradition of dominance along the line of scrimmage.
But the state of the Rams' offensive line in 2024 is a far cry from the days of old. Given the uncertainty and inconsistent play, the future of the five men at the top remains bleak.
Tackles Alaric Jackson and Rob Havenstein have held strong, but Jackson has one year on his contract and Havenstein will be 33 at the start of next season, the final year of his contract. Both men may have different futures in football, but they are unsure who they will play for next season.
The problem is that the Rams can't afford to lose either one. The Rams' offensive line is even more fragile than it already is if one of them misses time and the capital it would take to replace them would be more than what it would take to extend their contracts. Replacement can also lead to poor results.
So both Jackson and Havenstein's agents have significant influence over contract negotiations, which could put a dent in the team's wallet. However, the tackle situation is child's play compared to the mess on the interior offensive line.
The Rams signed Jonah Jackson to a three-year, $51 million contract in free agency this offseason. They also re-signed Kevin Dotson to a three-year contract extension worth $48 million. Steve Avila has a four-year rookie contract worth about $9.2 million and Beaux Limmer has a four-year rookie contract worth about $4.1 million. All four men are under contract until at least the end of the 2026 season.
That's over $110 million allocated to an interior offensive unit that contributed to an all-out display of poor pass defense. With the pressure coming primarily from within, the Rams have conceded 25 quarterback hits in the last four games.
The question arises: What is the solution? There really isn't one. When the Rams signed Jonah Jackson, it was thought that Avila would move to center. Avila played the position several times during his college career, so the transition would be easy in theory. That wasn't it. It was a failure and due to injuries Beaux Limmer became the starter.
Limmer is a newcomer and plays like one. Yes, Limmer has shown good potential and thrived in the run game, but on Sunday he posted a 5.2 pass-blocking grade on PFF. That's out of 100. However, putting Limmer on the bench now would ruin his development, but keeping him means exposing Matthew Stafford to an even worse punishment.
The bigger question is who of Avila, Dotson and Jonah Jackson will be the underdog if all three are healthy? Currently it's Jackson, but he's the most expensive of three players. He was also promised a job as a security guard when he signed.
But if Avila is substituted, he would have the right to request a trade. He's in the second year of his rookie contract and if he wants to see a big second contract, he needs playing time. He was also drafted as a guard, at which position he was a first-team All-Big 12 selection and a PFWA All-Rookie Team selection.
Financially, the answer is to cut Dotson. He and Jackson have similar contracts, Dotson is a bit older and he would save the Rams just over $12 million in cap space. The problem is that losing Dotson would be one of the worst football decisions of GM Les Snead's career. Dotson is playing at an All-Pro level, he has started every game since week three of the 2023 season and is on a very short list of players the team cannot reach. This begs the question: What are the Rams doing?
They could cut Jackson since he provides similar relief, but that would also mean letting go of a Pro Bowl-caliber player and admitting his signing was a failure. They could trade Avila, but that would mean getting rid of a rising star in the prime of his career on a cheap contract. The other option is to bench Limmer. If that were to happen, benching Limmer would seriously harm the development of a player who has a 50-50 chance of being the centerpiece of the offensive line for the next decade.
If the team does nothing, they will have to pay a lot of money while negotiating possible deals for Havenstein, Alaric Jackson and/or their successors.
Snead faces a tough decision, but inaction could lead to growing resentment in the locker room, and the last thing this offensive line needs is another reason not to be on the same page.
