The Los Angeles Rams have been hit hard by the injury bug in training camp so far. Aside from losing Derion Kendrick for the season, Darious Williams for an undisclosed amount of time, and star WR Puka Nacua for what looks to be the duration of the preseason, the offensive line is where the big hits have come, pun intended.
Prized offseason acquisition, guard Jonah Jackson, is considered week-to-week with a bruised scapula in his shoulder. Many are saying this is potentially a six-week injury.
Starting left tackle, Alaric Jackson, is dealing with an ankle injury that was originally thought to be day-to-day but has now been downgraded to week-to-week.
And stalwart, Rob Havenstein, is also recovering from an ankle injury and is considered week-to-week.
For a unit that was expected to be the strength of the team, this is a very ominous start. You cannot always prevent injuries, sometimes it is just bad luck, but what the Rams can control to some extent is the depth of talent behind the starting group.
This depth was badly exposed during a Sunday scrimmage against the Los Angeles Chargers, and apparently, Sean McVay and Les Snead saw enough that they needed to add to the room.
Related: 3 Reasons Los Angeles Rams Fans Should Remain Calm After Rought Scrimmage
Los Angeles Rams Add Reinforcement To Battered Offensive Line
Per Mike Garafolo, the Los Angeles Rams are expected to sign veteran offensive lineman Conor McDermott.
McDermott is a former 6th-round pick out of UCLA, and he started five games for the New England Patriots last season.
When you take a look at the Rams OL depth, outside of Joe Noteboom, it is extremely youthful. As we know with this current team, there is a lot of potential with all of these young players, but they also need some veteran presence with some quality starts under their belt.
According to PFF, McDermott finished the 2023 season with a 67.8 overall grade. For context, Jackson, Avila, and Shelton all finished with lower grades last season. McDermott was credited with 3 penalties and giving up 2 sacks.
At this point, this is purely a depth signing, but could we see a Kevin Dotson-like transformation? In 2022, Dotson received a 64.4 grade and was credited with 12 penalties. In 2023 with the Rams, he improved his grade dramatically to 85.2 and was only credited with 2 penalties.
At 6’8, 310 pounds, McDermott will certainly look to make an impact and perhaps steal a starting sport before the season starts.
***Since publishing, the Rams have also added offensive linemen Alec Lindstrom and Matt Kaskey. Lindstrom played with the Memphis Showboats in the UFL last year, and Kaskey was with the Birmingham Stallions, also of the UFL, after having short stints with the Chargers, Panthers, and Rams.