Tag: Joe Noteboom

Les Snead on Joe Noteboom: ‘A lot of teams tried to trade for him’

Les Snead revealed this week that “a lot of teams” tried to trade for Joe Noteboom, but the Rams valued him too much.

When Joe Noteboom was selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, fans were curious to see if he would be the eventual successor to Andrew Whitworth at left tackle. But with Whitworth still playing at an elite level at 40 years old, Noteboom operates as a swing tackle behind Whitworth and Rob Havenstein.

Noteboom has been asked to step into the starting offense multiple times this season, whether it be due to injuries or issues with COVID-19. While Noteboom has impressed in his stints on the field, Les Snead recently went on the “Coach McVay Show” to inform J.B. Long and D’Marco Farr that multiple teams attempted to trade for Noteboom before.

“Internally, we’ve felt confident in what Joe does. And just to give everyone a little bit of insight, Joe’s one of those players where a lot of teams tried to trade for him,” Snead said. “They looked out our lineup and looked at how Joe’s maybe the third tackle and we always said no, that wouldn’t be a worthwhile trade based on the upcoming season and the attrition that goes into (it).”

Noteboom made a spot start for the Rams back in Week 8 when Whitworth was sidelined with a knee injury. And with Havenstein being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list ahead of this past week’s game with the Arizona Cardinals, Noteboom made the start at right tackle.

The TCU product has become a valuable offensive lineman for the Rams as he’s capable of playing nearly every spot besides center in the trenches. His versatility was likely something that intrigued the teams that expressed interest in trading for him.

While it remains to be seen if Noteboom evolves into a full-time starter for the Rams, it’s clear that Snead and the other members of the organization value what he adds to the offensive line right now – and possibly beyond this season, even though he’ll be a free agent in March.

“Jacked for Joe and hopefully the good news is that we drafted him to be a part of the Rams for a while,” Snead said. “We felt like he had a chance to develop into a very productive offensive tackle in this league and we’d like to keep that marriage going.”

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Integrating Joe Noteboom into Rams offense was a smart move by Sean McVay

When the Rams used Joe Noteboom as a sixth lineman, they averaged about 9 yards per play on Sunday

Joseph Noteboom has started 16 games in his career and played 1,192 snaps on offense since being a third-round pick in 2018. He’s played left tackle and guard, but on Sunday against the Jaguars, he took on a new role for the Rams: a sixth offensive lineman.

Noteboom reported in as an eligible receiver nine times over the course of the game, coming onto the field as an extra blocker along the offensive line. It was a new wrinkle in the Rams offense, something we hadn’t seen much of – if at all – from Sean McVay in the past.

Needless to say, it was a brilliant addition to the playbook.

When the Rams ran the ball with Noteboom on the field as a sixth offensive lineman, Sony Michel broke off three 6-yard runs, a rush of 7 yards, a 9-yard carry and a run that went for 25 yards. That’s an average of 9.8 yards per carry on those six runs, accounting for 59 of Michel’s 121 yards rushing on just six plays.

Here’s a look at Michel’s 25-yard run, and you can clearly see Noteboom win his matchup to open up the hole on the right side. Ben Skowronek and Kendall Blanton did a great job, too.

The heavy package worked when the Rams threw the ball, too, with the exception of one play. When Noteboom reported eligible on passing plays, Matthew Stafford hit Michel for a 4-yard gain and Tyler Higbee for a 22-yard pass down to the Jaguars’ 1-yard line. He was also sacked for a 5-yard loss, which was the only negative play with six linemen on the field.

So if you add up all nine of Noteboom’s plays as an eligible receiver, the Rams gained 80 yards, which works out to an average of about 9 yards per play. On their other 57 plays, they averaged about 6 yards per play.

Obviously, it’s a small sample size, but there’s no doubt this new package with Noteboom as the sixth offensive lineman worked in the Rams’ favor and it’s something they should continue to use, especially when running the ball.

McVay spoke highly of Noteboom on the “Coach McVay Show” this week, showing regret for not incorporating the fourth-year player more often in the past.

“I think it was an opportunity to get some really good football players on the field. You can’t tell me Joe Noteboom’s not one of our best 11 football players,” McVay said. “To not find ways to get him involved in some form or fashion, I think shame on us. Really great job by ‘Carbs’ (OL coach Kevin Carberry) and his group being able to get those guys ready to go. I thought he did an outstanding job.”

Don’t expect the Rams to use this heavy package 15-20 times a game, but as an offensive wrinkle in certain situations, it can keep the defense off balance. And it only works when you have a lineman who can climb to the second level and seal off edge defenders the way Noteboom did.

As McVay said, he was excellent against Jacksonville, and it was reflected in his 92.2 overall grade at Pro Football Focus.

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Joe Noteboom proved Rams can survive Andrew Whitworth’s absence

Joe Noteboom stepped up in a big way against the Buccaneers on Monday night, playing well at left tackle.

There was a slight sense of panic when Andrew Whitworth was carted off the field last week during the Rams’ win over the Seattle Seahawks. He’s been the steadiest and best offensive lineman for the Rams since 2017, leading both on the field and off it.

Joe Noteboom immediately stepped in at left tackle and played well, helping limit the production and impact of Carlos Dunlap. That was in about half the game, however, so the sample size was small.

On Monday night against the Buccaneers, Noteboom played all 72 offensive snaps and looked every bit like a starting-caliber tackle. That’s not only great news for the Rams in the immediate future as Whitworth recovers from a knee injury, but also long-term in the event that the veteran retires after the season.

Following the win, Sean McVay recognized Noteboom for the way he played, specifically holding his own against Jason Pierre-Paul.

“I thought Joe Noteboom stepped up in a big way,” McVay said.

In the last two weeks, Pro Football Focus has given Noteboom an 85.9 pass-blocking grade. He’s allowed just two pressures on 70 pass-blocking opportunities, which is a stellar rate, needless to say.

And it’s not as if he’s had easy assignments in those two games against the Seahawks and Buccaneers, either.

When you consider Jared Goff threw 51 passes and wasn’t sacked a single time, the offensive line deserves a ton of credit for that. He wasn’t even hit once by Shaquil Barrett or Pierre-Paul, either, with the only three hits he took coming from Devin White on a blitz and William Gholston.

Goff expressed confidence in Noteboom all week leading up to this game, and after the victory, his faith didn’t waiver.

“Joe did great. Joe did really well. It was good to see,” Goff said. “Again, that’s a really good defensive line. It’s one of the top defensive lines in the league and for him to come in do what he did. Again, he’s a guy that we’ve played a bunch so we have a lot of faith in him and his ability, but for him to come in against a couple good pass rushers and play the way he did was tremendous. I think the offensive line deserves credit for tonight. That front four was, like I said, one of the best in the league. They kept me clean all night and did a hell of a job and I can’t speak enough about him.”

Whitworth isn’t expected to return until the playoffs, so Noteboom could hold down the left tackle spot for another six games. There’s no doubt Whitworth will reclaim his place as the starting left tackle when healthy, but Noteboom is earning trust in the coaching staff that he can be the heir to Whitworth’s throne when No. 77 retires.

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Sean McVay expresses confidence in Joe Noteboom as Whitworth’s replacement

McVay doesn’t want to look too far ahead as Noteboom fills in for Whitworth.

There’s simply no easy way to replace a four-time Pro Bowl left tackle like Andrew Whitworth. The Rams haven’t had to since he signed as a free agent in 2017 – until now, that is.

Whitworth went down with a knee injury in Sunday’s game and will miss an estimated 6-8 weeks, though he could return for a playoff run. It’s a huge blow to the Rams offensive line, which has improved dramatically after a difficult year in 2019.

They won’t be bringing in a free agent or poaching someone off a practice squad to take his place at left tackle. Instead, the Rams will give Joe Noteboom a chance to prove himself as Jared Goff’s blindside protector.

Noteboom has eight career starts in the NFL, but all of those came at guard. He has yet to see extended playing time at left tackle since being a third-round pick in 2018. That hasn’t caused Sean McVay to waver on his confidence in Noteboom, putting faith in the third-year lineman as Whitworth’s replacement.

“I think, Joe did a nice job stepping in yesterday,” McVay said Monday. “Coach (Aaron) Kromer has done a great job of developing Joe. Joe’s a guy that has position flex. Obviously, he started at the guard position for us this season and going back to last year, but he was somebody that we always anticipated when we drafted him out of TCU, that he could be a big-time player at the tackle spot. And he’s going to get a lot of great work. We have a lot of confidence in him and I’m looking forward to seeing Joe accumulate some great experience and play at a high level for us starting against the Bucs.”

It’s hard to ignore the magnitude of this opportunity for Noteboom. He was originally drafted to potentially replace Whitworth in a year or two if the veteran retired, but he hasn’t been needed because Whitworth is winning his battle with Father Time.

This is Noteboom’s first real chance to prove himself as a future starting left tackle. If Whitworth retires after this season, the door could open for Noteboom to take his place. But that’ll be less likely if Noteboom struggles to close out this season, causing the Rams to look elsewhere for Whitworth’s heir.

McVay is fully aware of the situation, but he doesn’t want to look too far ahead. He doesn’t necessarily view this as an audition for Noteboom.

“I think what it is, is it’s an opportunity for him to play right now and we’re going to be present in the moment,” he said. “Joe is a guy that we’ve always anticipated in projected as somebody that we do feel like is a starting-caliber left tackle in this league. He’s got the length. He’s got the athleticism. I think he’s doing a great job of continuing to, to grow his repertoire in terms of understanding the techniques, the fundamentals that we want to implement and utilize in the run game and protection. I was pleased with him yesterday, but it’s going to be something that you’ll certainly miss Andrew and everything that he means to us. But, whether you look at it as an audition, I think it’s an opportunity for Joe to step up and I expect him to play.”

Joe Noteboom has a chance to prove himself as Rams’ current and future LT

Andrew Whitworth will miss time with a knee injury, which gives Joe Noteboom a chance to prove he can be a future starter at LT.

The Los Angeles Rams have played exactly one game without Andrew Whitworth since he signed as a free agent in 2017, and it wasn’t because he was injured. It was when the Rams elected to rest their starters in Week 17 of the 2017 season, giving Whitworth the day off.

His durability has been remarkable, especially considering he’s 38 years old and still playing just about every single snap at left tackle. But with Whitworth now likely on the shelf for at least a few weeks, the Rams face the difficult reality of lining up without their stud left tackle blocking Jared Goff’s blindside.

It’s now Joe Noteboom’s turn to step up and prove his worth after a shaky start to his career in the NFL. Bouncing between backup tackle and starting guard has prepared Noteboom to play multiple spots, but it hasn’t exactly made him ready to line up for every snap as a starting left tackle.

He played 34 snaps in Whitworth’s place on Sunday, which was a career-high for him at left tackle. He’s expected to be the starter for as long as Whitworth is out, so his playing time is bound to increase exponentially.

The Rams have said repeatedly that Noteboom was drafted to potentially take Whitworth’s place whenever the veteran retires. Whitworth signed a three-year extension this offseason, but he could walk away from the NFL at any time – especially now that he has to come back from a devastating knee injury.

This is Noteboom’s first and best opportunity to prove he can be a professional left tackle – not only in the immediate future while Whitworth is out, but also in the future. The Rams are running out of time to decide what exactly Noteboom can be in the NFL, making this an important inflexion point in his career.

If he steps up and plays well, just as he did on Sunday against the Seahawks, the Rams can feel better about Whitworth potentially retiring. Ideally, Noteboom would step in as the starter in 2021 and earn a contract extension to keep him around for the long-term.

But there’s also a very real possibility that he struggles and proves to be nothing more than a decent swing tackle. He doesn’t seem to have the traits to be a top guard in the NFL after experiencing some trouble as a starter inside last year, but his best position is certainly offensive tackle.

If Noteboom can’t hold up in Whitworth’s absence, the Rams will be forced to once again evaluate the position. Is Bobby Evans an option? Can David Edwards play left tackle? Would Rob Havenstein flip sides?

It’s not easy to find a great left tackle – the Rams know this well – which is why this Whitworth-less stretch is so important for Noteboom. It could decide the path of his career beyond 2020 and his future with the Rams.

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David Edwards to remain Rams’ starting LG when Noteboom returns

The Rams aren’t going to make any changes on the offensive line, even when Joe Noteboom returns.

The Los Angeles Rams are set to add some depth to their offensive line soon, but don’t expect the starting lineup to change. After designating Joe Noteboom to return from injured reserve this week, Sean McVay said he won’t reclaim his spot as the starting left guard.

That job belongs to David Edwards, who has played extremely well in Noteboom’s place over the last several weeks. The Rams want to keep the continuity they currently have up front by allowing Edwards to remain the starter.

Noteboom will be a backup, giving the Rams flexibility at both offensive tackle and inside at guard.

Noteboom suffered a calf injury in Week 2 against the Eagles and has been on injured reserve ever since. He can begin practicing immediately and can be activated at any time, having spent at least three weeks on IR.

Edwards exclusively played offensive tackle in college but has transitioned to guard in the NFL.

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Rams place LG Joe Noteboom on IR, add Natrez Patrick to active roster

Noteboom will miss at least three weeks after being placed on IR.

For the second year in a row, Joe Noteboom has landed on injured reserve. The Rams placed him on IR with a calf injury Thursday, which will sideline him at least three weeks.

Noteboom suffered the injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Eagles and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the day.

To take Noteboom’s spot on the 53-man roster, the Rams signed Natrez Patrick from the practice squad. He was temporarily called up for last week’s game against the Eagles but reverted back to the practice squad, per COVID-19 rules.

Additionally, the Rams filled Patrick’s spot on the practice squad by signing Jeremiah Kolone, who was with them in camp.

Unlike past years, Noteboom won’t be required to miss eight weeks after landing on IR. The NFL tweaked the rules this year to allow teams to activate players after just three weeks in response to the ongoing pandemic.

Noteboom had gotten off to a solid start this season after struggling a year ago, so his injury comes at an unfortunate time just two games into the regular season. He’ll be replaced by David Edwards, who also stepped in at guard last season when Noteboom went down.

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Sean McVay shares injury updates on Cam Akers, Joe Noteboom and Malcolm Brown

Joe Noteboom is the only one ruled out for Sunday’s game right now.

The Rams were forced to play the majority of Sunday’s game against the Eagles without their starting running back after Cam Akers left with a rib injury after just three carries. He didn’t return to the game, leaving Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson to handle the workload in the backfield.

Sean McVay didn’t have an update on Akers after the win, but on Monday, he had more clarity on the rookie’s injury. Akers has separated rib cartilage and there’s a chance he could play in Week 3 against the Bills. McVay said “he should be OK,” so the early diagnosis isn’t too bad.

Joe Noteboom also left Sunday’s game with an injury after hurting his calf. McVay had an update on the Rams’ starting left guard, saying he has a Grade 2 calf strain and will miss the next game in Buffalo. He could be placed on injured reserve, which would sideline him at least three weeks.

Finally, McVay shared an update on Malcolm Brown. Brown injured his finger late in the game, which limited his availability in the fourth quarter. It’s a fractured pinky finger for him, but he’ll be able to play with a splint.

Darious Williams’ injury is one we didn’t know about until today, as he only missed a handful of plays against the Eagles. But fortunately, it sounds like he’ll be able to play against the Bills and should practice on Thursday and Friday.

While Noteboom’s diagnosis isn’t great, it could’ve been worse on the injury front for L.A. In a best-case scenario, Noteboom will be the only one to miss Sunday’s game and he won’t be out much longer than that, but as McVay said, IR is an option.

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Joe Noteboom feels ‘way more comfortable’ now at guard

Joe Noteboom is hitting his stride at left guard this summer.

Joe Noteboom was drafted in 2018 to potentially replace Andrew Whitworth at left tackle. As a college left tackle at TCU, it was only natural for Noteboom to be groomed to protect Jared Goff’s blindside at some point down the line.

But with Rodger Saffold leaving in free agency last year, there was a void at left guard, which the Rams asked Noteboom to fill. He struggled early and continued to have trouble at his new position as the season went on, eventually suffering a knee injury that landed him on injured reserve.

Noteboom is back at left guard in training camp, running with the first-team offense. He seems in line to keep his starting job, feeling much more comfortable at the position than he did last year.

“I definitely feel way better than I did last year. I felt good last year, but it was just kind of the inexperience at guard. That was my first time playing it. I definitely feel way more comfortable there right now,” he said Friday. “I kind of learned, like even when I wasn’t playing I was just watching it over and over again. So, I think it’s guard right now. I’m trying not to think about it if I’ll play anything in the future. Just kind of trying to focus on guard because that’s most likely what I’ll be playing. But definitely feel way more comfortable there than last year.”

Whitworth signed a three-year extension this offseason, and although he may not play out the entire length of it, he will remain the left tackle for at least one more season. That complicates Noteboom’s future a bit if he struggles again in 2020, because there may not be an opening at tackle until 2023 if Whitworth keeps defeating Father Time.

Hopefully for the Rams, Noteboom takes a positive step forward this season and becomes a quality starting guard, bringing some security to the offensive line for the foreseeable future.