Tag: Alaric Jackson

Alaric Jackson could be playing his way into an extension with the Rams

With Alaric Jackson playing well at left tackle, the Rams must consider extending him before he reaches free agency

Since returning from his suspension, left tackle Alaric Jackson has been a pillar of the Rams offense. Not only has Jackson been playing at an All-Pro level, he has proven himself to be a long-term answer at a position that has plagued the team since Andrew Whitworth’s retirement.

Jackson was phenomenal against Minnesota, displaying an elite ability to stop pass rushers in their tracks while being a nightmare for defenders in the screen game. Puka Nacua reopened his account on Thursday, running behind Jackson who continually led the way for Rams’ ballcarriers. That play set up his incredible night.

Jackson has only allowed two sacks on the season, minimal pressure on Matthew Stafford, and the entire offensive line looks much improved when he anchors the blind side.

Jackson, a 2021 undrafted free agent from Iowa, is set to hit free agency in the offseason after signing a one-year restricted free agency tender. The Rams can not let this happen. They need to extend him now before his already-rising price tag hits astronomical numbers.

The reality of the situation is this. Kelvin Banks and Will Campbell, the two best draft-eligible tackles in college football, are expected to be taken within the top six picks of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Rams do not have another answer for the position and Jackson has proven he can get the job done.

Extending him also allows the Rams to find a developmental tackle that wouldn’t need to play right away. Jackson is the answer for today and tomorrow and it’d be a good decision to extend him

Rob Havenstein (ankle) could miss Week 1 vs. Lions but won’t go on IR

There’s a chance the Rams will be without both of their starting tackles in Week 1 against the Lions

Sean McVay shared a handful of injury updates after practice on Monday, including some news on starting right tackle Rob Havenstein.

Havenstein, who’s been sidelined since injuring his ankle on Aug. 1, is still working his way back but is not yet ready to return. In fact, McVay said it’s possible Havenstein won’t be available in Week 1 when the Rams face the Lions on the road.

If Havenstein misses that game, it would leave the Rams without their two starting tackles; Alaric Jackson is suspended for two games due to a personal conduct policy violation.

The good news is that Havenstein won’t need to go on injured reserve, which requires a player to miss at least four games. So at the very least, he should be back by Week 4.

Havenstein is the longest-tenured player on the Rams’ roster and a key piece of the offensive line. He hasn’t been ruled out yet but with less than two weeks until the season opener, he’s running out of time.

Elsewhere on the offensive line, Jonah Jackson is expected to be available for Week 1 after returning to practice recently. The same goes for Darious Williams at cornerback and Puka Nacua at wide receiver.

So other than Havenstein, it sounds like everyone is on track to play in Detroit.

Sean McVay confident in Rams’ OL depth amid Alaric Jackson’s suspension

Sean McVay called Alaric Jackson’s two-game suspension “tough news” but he’s confident in the Rams’ O-line

The Los Angeles Rams were given some disappointing news on Friday when the NFL announced that starting left tackle Alaric Jackson was suspended two games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.

It’s yet another blow to an offensive line that has dealt with injury after injury, costing Jackson a spot on the 53-man roster in Weeks 1 and 2.

During Saturday’s preseason game against the Texans, Sean McVay commented on Jackson’s suspension for the first time, calling it “tough news” for the Rams. McVay is confident in the depth Los Angeles has up front, a group that includes Joe Noteboom and Warren McClendon Jr. at tackle.

Jackson has been out with an ankle injury but was expected to be back for the start of the regular season. He’ll have some extra time to recover now that he’s suspended, though he won’t be eligible to practice with the team once the season begins.

With Alaric Jackson suspended, Rams OL depth will be tested again

Alaric Jackson has been suspended two games, which will test the Rams’ OL depth

The Rams will start their 2024 campaign without starting left tackle Alaric Jackson, as the fourth-year man has been suspended for the first two games of the regular season.

In a year where the Rams’ offensive line was poised for a breakout season, losing a vital piece of the line has the potential to loom large against both the Lions and the Cardinals to open up the season. With the current Rams depth chart, it’s fair to assume Joe Noteboom will be the man at left tackle to start the season.

The performance of the backup offensive line has been impressive thus far in the preseason and, with a veteran like Joe Noteboom, the Rams should be able to stay afloat while Jackson serves his suspension. Noteboom notably stepped in for Andrew Whitworth during the latter part of the 2021 Super Bowl-winning season, playing well in his three starts on the year. Noteboom did, however, take a step back following a contract extension, eventually dealing with injuries that led to Jackson getting his shot at the left tackle spot.

Noteboom bounced back in 2023, getting eight starts on the line and proceeded to play well in those starts he was granted. Noteboom has proven he is capable of being a solid spot starter for the team but if the Rams staff feels there are better options on the squad, Warren McClendon or A.J. Arcuri could be options, as well.

The Rams season opener in Detroit is just over two weeks away, and any more hits to an offensive line that has dealt with injuries throughout training camp could truly test just how deep the 2024 Rams group really is.

Rams starting LT will be suspended for Week 1 matchup with the Lions

Rams starting left tackle Alaric Jackson is suspended for the first two games, so he won’t play in Detroit in Week 1

There’s still one more preseason game to get through for the Detroit Lions, but the look ahead to Week 1 is looking a little better now. When the Lions host the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1, the Rams will be without their starting left tackle.

The NFL has suspended Rams tackle Alaric Jackson for the first two games of the season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Jackson got hit with the suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Rams backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo was also suspended for the same two-game period. No immediate details on what portion of the policy they violated are available.

Jackson has been injured this summer, but he was projected to be the Rams’ Week 1 starting left tackle. Now, Los Angeles will swing to Joe Noteboom in that spot.

 

Rams LT Alaric Jackson suspended 2 games for violating personal conduct policy

The Rams will need a new starting left tackle in the first two games. Alaric Jackson was just suspended by the NFL.

The Los Angeles Rams will now have two players suspended for the first two games of the season: Jimmy Garoppolo and Alaric Jackson.

The team announced on Friday that Jackson has been suspended two games without pay for violating the league’s personal conduct policy. No other details on the suspension were given.

Jackson has been sidelined due to an ankle injury but he was projected to be the starting left tackle this season. With this suspension, the Rams will likely turn to Joe Noteboom at that spot until Jackson is able to return.

Jackson, 26, will miss the Rams’ games against the Lions and Cardinals before being eligible to return in Week 3 when Los Angeles hosts the 49ers in the home opener.

The Rams signed Jackson to a one-year restricted tender worth $4.89 million this offseason, keeping him on the roster for the 2024 season.

Alaric Jackson signs RFA tender, locking him in for 2024 season

Alaric Jackson officially signed his RFA tender, which will keep him with the Rams for the 2024 season

The Los Angeles Rams gave Alaric Jackson a second-round tender as a restricted free agent this offseason, which almost assured that he’d remain with the team for one more year. They could’ve used a lower tender for less money, but they were willing to pay him more in order to make it almost certain he’d return to Los Angeles.

On Monday, the first day of the Rams’ offseason workout program, Jackson officially signed his tender, which will lock him in at $4.89 million for the 2024 season. That’s the ninth-largest cap hit of any team on the roster. He started 15 games for the Rams last season, his first full year as a left tackle.

Jackson could’ve fielded offers from other teams in an attempt to earn more money than the tender was worth, but now that he’s signed it, he’ll remain with the Rams for another season.

Additionally, the Rams announced Ronnie Rivers signed his exclusive rights free agent tender, as well, so he’s officially returning, as well.

By tendering Alaric Jackson, Rams are letting the market set his price

The Rams will tender Alaric Jackson as a restricted free agent, allowing other teams to set his price

Though it’s not official yet, the Los Angeles Rams plan to use a restricted free agent tender on Alaric Jackson, their young left tackle who started 15 games last season. The Rams are deciding whether to use the second-round tender for $4.89 million, or the original-round tender at $3.116 million for one season.

Either way, the Rams are wise to tender Jackson rather than letting him become an unrestricted free agent. By tendering Jackson at either level, they’re going to let the market set his price for them.

Teams are allowed to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets, which the player’s original team will then have a chance to match. Essentially, the Rams are allowing other teams to tell the Rams how much Jackson is worth. If no one signs him to an offer sheet worth more than his tender, they’ll keep him at that price – either $4.89 million or $3.116 million.

If the Rams go with the original-round tender, they won’t receive any draft pick compensation for losing Jackson in the event that they don’t want to match an offer. That’s because he was an undrafted free agent when he came into the NFL. At the second-round level, the Rams would receive a second-rounder for letting Jackson go.

The question is whether the extra $1.78 million is worth paying in order to better protect Jackson from leaving. Either way, the Rams are going to let the rest of the NFL determine exactly how much the young left tackle is worth.

The original-round tender is a bit riskier, but the Rams might feel confident no one will sign him to an offer so high that they won’t be willing to match.

Rams plan to use RFA tender on LT Alaric Jackson

The Rams plan to use a restricted free agent tender on Alaric Jackson in hopes of retaining him for 2024

The Los Angeles Rams got some steady play out of former undrafted free agent Alaric Jackson last season, his first year as a starter on the offensive line. After seeing growth from the young left tackle, they hope to retain him for another year.

According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, the Rams plan to use a restricted free agent tender on Jackson. Though they’re undecided on which level tender to use on Jackson, they’re leaning toward the original-round tender, which will pay him $3.116 million for one year.

With the tender, teams can sign him to offer sheets, which the Rams can then choose to match or let him walk. Because Jackson is a former UDFA, the Rams would not get any draft pick compensation for losing Jackson like they would with the first- or second-round tender.

Here’s how much it’ll cost the Rams to tender RFAs such as Alaric Jackson, Michael Hoecht

Here’s how much it’ll cost the Rams to tender their restricted free agents, including Alaric Jackson and Michael Hoecht

In addition to a large group of unrestricted free agents, the Los Angeles Rams will also have several decisions to make on restricted free agents this offseason. A restricted free agent is a player with an expiring contract who’s only accrued three seasons, which applies to the likes of Alaric Jackson and Michael Hoecht, among others.

There are different levels of a restricted free agent tender, depending on how difficult the team wants to make it for another team to sign the player. For instance, a team can use a first-round tender on a player so that if he signs an offer sheet elsewhere, the team will receive a first-round pick as compensation.

On Friday, the NFL announced the tender amounts for restricted free agents, giving fans an idea of how much it’ll cost the Rams to keep their RFAs this offseason.

  • First-round tender: $6.822 million
  • Second-round tender: $4.89 million
  • Right of first refusal tender: $2.985 million

Below is a list of the Rams’ restricted free agents in 2024.

  • Alaric Jackson
  • Michael Hoecht
  • Christian Rozeboom
  • Jonah Williams
  • Tyler Johnson

It’s possible the Rams will not use a tender on any of the above players, but Jackson and Hoecht are two strong candidates to be tendered. If the Rams use the right of first refusal option, they will receive no compensation if the player leaves to sign with another team.

For that reason, the Rams might consider using the second-round tender on Jackson, knowing a team is unlikely to give up a second-round pick to sign him. With Hoecht, the best option is a right of first refusal tender of $2.985 million, though even that might be a bit too rich for Los Angeles’ taste.