Tag: Joe Noteboom

Here’s who the Rams started on the offensive line in Week 1

After an offseason of mystery, the Rams finally settled on a starting offensive line – which includes Joe Noteboom

We went just about the entire offseason without knowing what the Rams’ starting offensive line would look like, but we finally found out on Sunday when they took on the Seahawks. For the first play of the game, the Rams trotted out the following five players up front

LT: Alaric Jackson

LG: Steve Avila

C: Coleman Shelton

RG: Joe Noteboom

RT: Rob Havenstein

For the last few weeks, it looked like Tremayne Anchrum Jr. would be the starting right guard, but Noteboom emerged late and got the nod instead. Shelton beat out Brian Allen at center, which isn’t overly surprising.

We knew Jackson, Avila and Havenstein were in line to start for a while, but we were waiting to find out who would start at center and right guard.

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‘Good chance’ Joe Noteboom starts at RG for Rams in Week 1

Sean McVay revealed that Joe Noteboom is expected to be the starting right guard for the Rams in Week 1.

The Los Angeles Rams have yet to reveal who will be their starting five offensive linemen for Week 1, but Joe Noteboom is expected to be named a starter. With the Rams set to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Sean McVay revealed “there’s a good chance” that Noteboom draws the start at right guard over Tremayne Anchrum Jr., who was the presumed starter.

Noteboom began the 2022 campaign as the starting left tackle for the Rams after signing a multi-year deal. The former third-round pick suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 6 of last season, prompting him to be brought along slowly by the Rams in the offseason.

Amid Noteboom’s absence, Alaric Jackson got more reps at left tackle and has seemingly earned the starting job. And with Jackson’s emergence on the left side, the Rams began having Noteboom take snaps at right guard to compete with Anchrum.

The Rams also acquired Kevin Dotson in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers after the preseason concluded to bolster the interior of their offensive line. While the starting offensive line hasn’t been made public, it’s looking like Noteboom will line up at right guard with the rest of the starters.

Noteboom hasn’t made a start at guard since the 2019 season when he started six games at left guard.

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Joe Noteboom feels fully healthy and ‘100 percent comfortable’ at right guard now

Joe Noteboom missed time with an undisclosed injury but he feels fully healthy and comfortable at right guard as the season approaches

Joe Noteboom missed about a week of practice with an undisclosed injury, raising some questions about what was going on with the veteran lineman. Sean McVay has still not said what Noteboom was dealing with, only saying it wasn’t related to his Achilles tear from last season, but Noteboom is healthy again and ready to compete at right guard.

Though he’s not currently penciled in as a starting offensive lineman, Noteboom has the ability to play left tackle and right guard if needed. And while his injury came at a terrible time with the preseason winding down, Noteboom says he’s “100 percent now,” according to The Athletic.

Like McVay, Noteboom didn’t share any details about the injury but did say it was “really small, kind of a maintenance thing.”

As for his transition to right guard, which is where he’ll primarily be competing, he’s getting much more comfortable there – especially having played left guard in the past.

“Anyone that has played (will) say switching sides isn’t easy,” he said. “That’s why I’m doing (those reps) over and over and over again every day. At this point, it feels comfortable now. At the end of the day it is just flipped. Same footwork and technique (as left guard), just flipped. Takes the body a little time to adjust, but I feel 100 percent comfortable at it now.”

The Rams acquired Kevin Dotson in a trade with the Steelers on Sunday, adding some more depth to the offensive line, specifically at guard. That may complicate things for Noteboom a bit, but he’s still expected to make the 53-man roster unless a surprise trade happens.

Noteboom might be the Rams’ highest-paid offensive lineman but they’re not going to start him just based on that. They’re truly looking for their five best players up front, and if he’s not among them, so be it.

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Sean McVay believes Joe Noteboom is one of the Rams’ five best offensive linemen

Sean McVay shared that he believes Joe Noteboom is one of the best five offensive linemen on the Rams entering the 2023 season.

Since early in the offseason, Sean McVay and Mike LaFleur have made it crystal clear that the Los Angeles Rams are going to deploy their best five offensive linemen in Week 1. With the first week of the season right around the corner, McVay believes Joe Noteboom has done enough this offseason to warrant him being one of those top five.

“I think he’s played that way during camp. Again, the interesting thing is to get better at football, you have to be able to play football,” McVay said. “And so we want to be able to find that five and the way that it fits together and it’s hard to be able to see that if we don’t have people out here. And so all we can do is continue to work with the guys that are available. I want to see them continue to take steps in the right direction, but I’ve been super pleased with the camp that Joe has had. I think he’s played outstanding at tackle and guard. When he gets back then we’ll have to figure out, all right, which one of those spots do we want to be able to rep him at? But in the midst of his absence, I’ve been really proud of the guys that have stepped up.”

Noteboom returned to practice for the Rams on Wednesday as the team prepares to hold joint practices with the Denver Broncos ahead of a preseason matchup on Saturday. The sixth-year offensive lineman has been absent from practice recently due to an undisclosed injury or issue that isn’t connected to his season-ending Achilles ailment from last season, according to McVay.

Ahead of the 2022 season, Noteboom received a three-year, $40 million deal in hopes he’d be the long-term replacement for Andrew Whitworth. If practices are any indication of what the Rams intend on doing, Alaric Jackson has usurped Noteboom at left tackle with the former third-round pick recovering from a season-ending injury and his most recent absence.

Throughout training camp, the Rams began giving Noteboom reps at guard, putting him in a competition with Tremayne Anchrum at right guard. So even if Noteboom isn’t starting at left tackle, the Rams are giving him an opportunity to earn another starting spot in the trenches.

While time is ticking for the Rams to decide on who will start along the offensive line, McVay seems confident that Noteboom can start at multiple spots when he’s healthy.

Ahkello Witherspoon among Rams players to miss Wednesday’s practice with Broncos

Sean McVay shared injury updates on Ahkello Witherspoon and others following practice with the Broncos

With Week 1 approaching, the Los Angeles Rams are going to be especially careful with players in practice and the preseason. They don’t want to risk further injury if a guy isn’t 100%, erring on the side of caution more often than not.

That was the case on Wednesday when the Rams practiced with the Broncos for the first of two days. Joe Noteboom was limited to individual drills due to an undisclosed injury, while Rob Havenstein was also held out as a precaution.

“Joe just got some individual. Probably still be smart and err on the side of caution with him. Did the same with Rob Havenstein. You guys didn’t see him out there,” McVay said.

Ahkello Witherspoon and Jason Taylor were both absent from practice, too. Witherspoon felt some discomfort in his groin so the Rams are playing it safe with him, while Taylor felt something in his psoas muscle so he missed practice, as well.

“With Ahkello, felt a little groin,” he said. “Wanted to be smart on that with any of that soft-tissue stuff. And then with Jason, same thing. Kind of just feeling a little bit in his psoas, and so wanted to be smart there.”

Logan Bruss tweaked his ankle in Saturday’s preseason game against the Raiders but he was back at practice Wednesday, which McVay was pleased to see. Defensive lineman Larrell Murchison felt the effects of the high altitude so he was on the sidelines.

“As far as Logan, it was good to be able to see him push through,” McVay said. “Got his ankle a couple of days ago and he was able to get some snaps today, which was important. And then Larrell was feeling a little bit of the altitude but I think he’s going to be OK.”

On the bright side, Cooper Kupp and Derion Kendrick both returned to practice. That’s encouraging as the start of the regular season rapidly approaches.

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Sean McVay: ‘Fingers crossed’ Joe Noteboom can practice this week

Sean McVay still isn’t saying much about Joe Noteboom’s injury but he hopes he can practice this week against the Broncos

Joe Noteboom missed last week’s practices with the Las Vegas Raiders because of an undisclosed injury, which has certainly hurt his chances of earning the starting job at left tackle or right guard. Sean McVay has been oddly vague about the situation, not even using the word “injury” when describing his absence.

On Sunday, McVay was asked if Noteboom’s injury is related to his Achilles tear from last season, but he said it isn’t. He also doesn’t know if Noteboom will practice this week against the Broncos, but he’s keeping his fingers crossed.

“I’m hopeful. It’s day-to-day. I have much better clarity on Cooper (Kupp) and on Derion Kendrick that they’re going to go,” McVay said. “With Joe, it’s kind of a fingers crossed. And then if not, then next week is where we anticipate the thumbs up, but I would love for him to be able to go if possible.”

Noteboom had been competing at left tackle with Alaric Jackson, but the Rams are giving him more opportunities at right guard now, which is where Tremayne Anchrum Jr. is playing. There’s no clear indication of whether Noteboom or Anchrum is the favorite to start at right guard, but the longer Noteboom is out, the worse his chances get.

The Rams will hold two joint practices with the Broncos this week before facing them in the final preseason game on Saturday night. With how much value McVay puts on these practices, it would really benefit Noteboom to be out there.

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McVay’s vague comments on Joe Noteboom’s absence create trade speculation

Sean McVay said Joe Noteboom won’t practice this week but he was very vague about it. Could the Rams be trying to trade him?

Joe Noteboom has started 23 games in his career, playing both left tackle and guard in his five seasons with the Rams. But despite being the team’s highest-paid offensive lineman at $13.3 million per year, he still hasn’t secured a starting spot up front.

He was competing at left tackle with Alaric Jackson and most recently, he shifted to right guard where he’s been battling Tremayne Anchrum Jr. For the rest of the week, though, he won’t be competing at either spot.

Sean McVay said after the Rams’ joint practice with the Raiders on Wednesday that Noteboom is “dealing with a little something right now” and won’t be practicing for the rest of the week. McVay refused to elaborate on the matter, saying, “I don’t have any more information than that right now.” He only said that Noteboom did individual drills but was held out of the team portion of practice.

With the way McVay vaguely described Noteboom’s absence, it’s hard not to speculate about what could be going on. Did he suffer a new injury? Did he have a setback in his rehab from a torn Achilles? Or, are the Rams trying to trade him?

It seems unlikely that Los Angeles would try to move its highest-paid offensive lineman but if there isn’t a starting spot for Noteboom, he’ll be a very expensive backup to keep on the roster; he’s making $13.3 million annually and after having his deal restructured this offseason, he has a cap hit of $6.5 million in 2023 and $20 million in 2024.

Here’s what McVay said when asked if it’s hard for Noteboom to miss a joint practice with the Raiders, which was an important day of practice for everyone. Again, he didn’t say Noteboom has an injury. He just wants him to focus on what he can control and that Noteboom “wants to be able to be out here.”

“It is, but I think the biggest thing is we want to focus on the things that we can control,” McVay said. “I know Joe wants to be able to be out here. He’s had an outstanding camp. I’ve been so pleased with his ability to play tackle and guard for us. But I think he’s putting all the work in and that’s all you can do. There’s some things that occur sometimes on the field that it’s like, man, that’s an unfortunate thing. It’s just a little bit of a setback. We’ll hopefully get him out here sooner than later. But we don’t want to waste our emotional energy on stuff that we can’t control and he’s done a great job of that and that’s important.”

McVay has never been great about openly discussing injuries and being completely honest about them (Todd Gurley, anyone?), but that’s because he doesn’t have to. And at this point in the offseason, he doesn’t have to disclose injuries the way he does during the regular season when there’s an injury report.

If the Rams were to trade Noteboom, they would save $1.5 million in cap space this year, $5 million in 2024 and $10 million in 2025. If that doesn’t sound like a move the Rams would strongly consider, I don’t know what does. After all, they’re focused on clearing money in 2024 and 2025.

It’s entirely possible Noteboom is just banged up right now, but McVay’s ambiguity raise questions about what might actually be going on with the veteran lineman.

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Joe Noteboom ‘dealing with a little something,’ won’t practice this week

Sean McVay said Joe Noteboom is “dealing with a little something” and won’t practice the rest of this week

Joe Noteboom has suffered a little bit of a setback as he tries to carve out a role for himself on the offensive line, either at left tackle or right guard. Noteboom was out at practice but didn’t participate in team drills because of an undisclosed issue.

Sean McVay told reporters afterwards that he’s “dealing with a little something right now” and that he won’t practice the rest of the week.

“He was out today. He just did some individual stuff,” McVay said. “He’s dealing with a little something right now and so he won’t be practicing the rest of this week. I don’t have anymore information than that right now but he wasn’t part of the team activities today.”

McVay didn’t elaborate on what the injury is – or if it’s an injury at all – but he did mention how pleased he’s been with the way Noteboom has practiced this summer. He loves his position flexibility between tackle and guard, and he thinks this is just a minor setback for the sixth-year lineman.

“I think the biggest thing is we want to focus on the things we can control,” he said. “I know Joe wants to be able to be out here. He’s had an outstanding camp. I’ve been so pleased with his ability to play tackle and guard for us. But I think he’s putting all the work in. that’s all you can do. There are things that occur sometimes on the field that it’s like, man, that’s an unfortunate thing. It’s just a little bit of a setback. We’ll hopefully get him out here sooner than later. But we don’t want to waste our emotional energy on stuff we can’t control and he’s done a great job of that.”

Alaric Jackson appears to have pulled ahead of Noteboom at left tackle, while Tremayne Anchrum Jr. is his biggest competition at right guard. Noteboom is the Rams’highest-paid offensive lineman but the Rams are going to start their five best players regardless of salary.

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Sean McVay breaks down what he’s looking for in a starting left tackle

Sean McVay gave a breakdown of what the Rams want in a left tackle, both in simple and technical terms

One of the key position battles that’s ongoing in Rams training camp is the one at left tackle. Alaric Jackson is competing with Joe Noteboom, who was the starter to begin last season before tearing his Achilles.

There’s been no indication of who’s winning that competition as camp nears its end, and it doesn’t sound like Sean McVay feels rushed to decide on a starter. During an interview on Inside Rams Camp, McVay said he’s not putting a timetable on when he wants to pick a starting left tackle or center.

“I don’t think you have any real timetable on it. I think you want to continue to be able to evaluate,” he said.

As for what he’s looking for in a left tackle, McVay looked toward Andrew Whitworth, who always talked about production at that position. It sounds simple, but he also wants a player who will take care of his responsibility on each play.

That’s when McVay got a bit more technical, describing a couple of different scenarios that a left tackle might face.

“I think it’s production. I think you look at the big fella that was doing it at a high level for such a long period of time for us, he used to talk about production. What is my job within the framework of each single snap? And did I do my job? Am I checking that box or am I not?” he said. “Sometimes it can be a little bit flashier than others but ultimately, if you’re responsible for reaching an open-side 5-technique and you keep him covered up to be able to run in the B-gap and press it backside, job well done. If you’re responsible for being on the man side of the protection and you keep your guy covered up just long enough to give Matthew a second hitch to be able to get through a progression, job well done.”

One additional trait McVay wants in all of his linemen is physicality. He wants the Rams to be more physical on both sides of the line of scrimmage, which includes their left tackle.

On that front, Jackson appears to play with a little bit more physicality than Noteboom, so he could end up being the team’s preferred left tackle.

“We’re looking for consistency snap in and snap out. I think we want to be a physical unit, as well,” he said. “I think that’s an important thing for us to establish, physicality on both sides of the line of scrimmage. But it is about production snap in and snap out and consistency and that’s what we want to be able to see.”

McVay hasn’t said whether Jackson or Noteboom will play in the preseason, but given his recent comments about the plan being “very different,” we can assume they’ll get at least some snaps in preseason games to help sort out the position battle.

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Rams’ LT and center competitions could decide how rest of O-line looks

The Rams may need to figure out who their starting left tackle and center is before determining who starts at guard

Before the Los Angeles Rams can decide who will be their two starting guards, they might need to sort out very important competitions at left tackle and center. Sean McVay has already said it’s an open battle at both positions, with Alaric Jackson and Joe Noteboom competing at left tackle and Brian Allen and Coleman Shelton at center.

What makes those two positions so interesting is the fact that the loser of each won’t necessarily be a backup. It’s possible that whoever loses each competition will still get a chance to start somewhere along the offensive line.

That’s a testament to the position flexibility of those players, with the exception of Allen, who’s strictly a center. Jackson and Noteboom can both play tackle or guard, and they’ve each made starts at both positions in the past. Shelton has also been a starter at center and guard.

There’s a scenario where if Jackson beats out Noteboom at left tackle, Noteboom could be the starting right guard. The same goes for Allen and Shelton; if Allen wins out at center, Shelton could still start at right guard.

That’s a good problem to have, but one the Rams have to figure out sooner than later. Right now, they’re rotating guys a bunch along the offensive line in an attempt to find their best five starters. There’s been no indication of whether Jackson or Noteboom is lead at left tackle, or who has the edge at center.

But once the Rams settle on starters at each position, they can then give the loser of those battles a fair shot to compete at other spots; maybe in the end, Jackson is just best suited to play guard instead of left tackle.

“I think you want to see competition across the board, but when you look at it, you’ve got four players that are competing or rotating at those spots right now that have all played in bigtime games and started for us. When you look at Alaric Jackson, you look at Joe Noteboom at the left tackle spot, you look at Brian Allen and Coleman Shelton from the center spot, those are guys that have played a lot of football for us,” McVay said this week. “I do believe competition brings out the best in guys. And so, whether or not those guys are always at those spots, that’s to be determined, but I do think that they’ll positively push each other and get the most out of each other and that’s what we’re looking at early on in camp. I’m looking forward to seeing those battles unfold.”

One of the guard spots could potentially go to rookie Steve Avila, who’s already gotten first-team reps. If he’s locked in as one starter, the other position could be hotly contested by a handful of players: Jackson or Noteboom, Shelton, Logan Bruss and Tremayne Anchrum Jr. That’s potentially five players competing for one spot.

Left tackle and center are unquestionably more important than the two guard spots, which is why it’s critical for the Rams to settle on starters at those positions sooner rather than later. Plus, with the way McVay protects his starters in the preseason, he’s not going to want to put guys in harm’s way if he doesn’t have to in meaningless exhibition games.

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