The Los Angeles Rams were busy at the trade deadline last year, striking several key deals involving Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib and Jalen Ramsey. But while those trades got most of the attention – specifically Ramsey’s acquisition – the Rams quietly added two players in the process: Austin Corbett and Kenny Young.
We saw some of Corbett in 2019 when he filled in at left guard after Brian Allen and Joseph Noteboom went down, starting seven games for the Rams after being traded by the Browns. Young wasn’t quite as prevalent, though, in the sense that he didn’t play a single defensive snap in 2019.
Young wasn’t brought in to be a solution at linebacker last season, but there was some outside belief that he could help contribute next to Cory Littleton with Micah Kiser on IR and Bryce Hager hurt (and struggling).
Expectations were low for both players in 2019, but what might their roles be next season? It’s complicated for both of them.
For Corbett, he can play both guard and center. Andrew Whitworth is expected to return for another year in Los Angeles, which means Joseph Noteboom won’t slide over to left tackle just yet.
As a result, Corbett will need to battle him for a starting job – a competition that will be fairly evenly matched. Corbett only allowed one sack last season, while Noteboom didn’t allow any (on 166 fewer snaps). Neither was a standout guard, but Corbett was more consistent and reliable as a blocker.
At center, Allen hardly looked like a starting-caliber player for the Rams. He was outmuscled regularly and didn’t carry the punch and power that many expected him to on the interior; he’s a bit undersized but still possesses good strength. Offensive line coach Aaron Kromer likes to cross-train his linemen, so expect Corbett to get some time at center this offseason, too.
As for Young, his path to playing time will depend greatly on Littleton’s future. If Littleton leaves in free agency, the Rams will be looking for a new starter at inside linebacker. They didn’t have a quality No. 2 linebacker next to him last season, either, so that’s a position of need, too. Young isn’t exactly reliable in coverage, though, allowing four receptions on four targets with one touchdown last season. In 2018, he allowed 15 catches on 23 targets, giving up only 93 yards on those plays. Littleton is just the opposite, proving to be one of the best coverage linebackers in football.
Expecting Young to replace Littleton is unreasonable, simply because he isn’t the same type of player. But if the Rams can retain Littleton and Young has a strong spring and training camp, he could get a look as the second inside linebacker.
Troy Reeder, Travin Howard and Kiser will all be in the mix, too, but Young is more experienced and is a former starter in the NFL. He just needs to improve against the pass and make better reads against the run.
There could be openings for both Young and Corbett to carve out roles next season, but they’ll likely need to win camp battles in order to earn significant playing time.