If Rams don’t re-sign Austin Blythe, what are their options at center?
Austin Blythe re-signed with the Los Angeles Rams last offseason, inking a one-year deal to remain the team’s starting center. He became a free agent a few weeks ago and has remained on the market, which is a somewhat surprising development.
Nothing seems imminent with Blythe either re-signing or leaving the Rams, which leaves Los Angeles in a situation where it’s unclear who will be the starting center. Brian Allen could be an option, but the team doesn’t seem sold on him returning to that role.
If the Rams don’t re-sign Blythe, here are seven players who could replace him, either through the draft or as a free-agent addition.
Quinn Meinerz, Wisconsin-Whitewater
Meinerz is squarely on the Rams’ radar after meeting with the team twice already, including a chat with OL coach Kevin Carberry. It’s not a stretch to think he could be a target at No. 57, though he’d be a better value at No. 88 for the Rams. There are some areas where he needs to improve and after playing at Wisconsin-Whitewater, he didn’t exactly face the best competition. But at the Senior Bowl, he dominated against top prospects and showed why he should be one of the first centers drafted.
Austin Reiter, free agent
Reiter is still on the market, which is somewhat surprising. He started 28 games for the Chiefs in the last two seasons and didn’t allow a single sack in 2020, according to Pro Football Focus. He earned an overall grade of 70.9 from PFF. At 29 years old, he’s still relatively young and doesn’t have a ton of wear and tear on his body as a full-time starter for two years. Reiter won’t break the bank, either, considering how long he’s been available.
Joe Looney, free agent
Looney started all 16 games in 2018 when Travis Frederick was out, and then another 12 games this past season after Frederick retired. He’s not a top-tier center but he has good size and decent movement skills for the position. Last season, he allowed three sacks in 764 snaps played, which resulted in an overall grade of 50.7 from PFF. He’d be nothing more than a stopgap as the Rams try to find a long-term solution, but he’s more than capable of being a starter for a season in Los Angeles.
Kendrick Green, Illinois
Green can play guard or center in the NFL and projects well at both positions. He’s not a polished prospect and still has room for growth, but his fit in the Rams’ system would be smooth because of the scheme he came from at Illinois. Green is athletic and has good movement skills, allowing him to get outside when the Rams run their wide-zone plays. He’s more of a project than Meinerz is, but Green has the potential to be an early starter in the NFL if in the right scheme – which the Rams would certainly be.
Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma
Humphrey is in the conversation to be a first-round pick and the top center drafted, so he may not even make it to the Rams at No. 57. He’s an experienced player and one of the safest players in the draft, showing good awareness at Oklahoma after being a three-year starter. He’s the type of player who can solidify the position for years to come after being a Day 1 starter in the middle of the Rams’ offensive line. It’d be somewhat surprising if he makes it to the Rams at No. 57, but if they’re determined to add an immediate starter, they could trade up to the 40s to select him.
Landon Dickerson, Alabama
Dickerson is another first-round prospect, but there are concerns about his knee after suffering a season-ending injury in the SEC championship game this past season. He’s an excellent prospect who played on one of the best offensive lines in college football last year at Alabama, continuing a long line of quality linemen to play for the Crimson Tide. If he slides out of the first round and all the way to the Rams at No. 57, he should be a player Los Angeles considers. So long as his health checks out, he could be back on the field at some point in the 2021 season.
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