Although they had endured their fair share of struggles throughout the 2019 NFL season, the offensive line came up big for the Los Angeles Rams during their 17-7 win over the Chicago Bears in Week 12.
Among the notable new faces that made their debut was guard Austin Corbett following his arrival from the Cleveland Browns prior to the trade deadline. He quickly found himself thrust into an integral role along the offensive line amidst their recent rash of injuries.
Fortunately, he had the benefit of making his Rams debut alongside left tackle Andrew Whitworth and it clearly paid huge dividends. He is now doing what he can to build on his promising start next to a veteran of his caliber.
Corbett admits having Whitworth there has helped him find his footing as a starter in this league, via Gary Klein of the L.A. Times:
“It’s phenomenal,” Corbett said of the opportunity. “He’s seen a lot of ball. He understands a lot of things. Just to be able to talk to him on the sideline about how I’m seeing things and what he’s seeing and how to approach things, it’s been awesome.”
It is undoubtedly encouraging to see Whitworth taking the younger offensive lineman under his wing considering there are so many on the roster these days.
Corbett’s comments are just further proof of how much of an impact a lineman of his status can have in the locker room. After all, he is still trying to establish his roots as a professional after being taken by the Browns in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
The fact that he was unable to etch out a starting role for himself in a lackluster Browns’ offensive line is indicative of how much scheme and coaching can affect a player’s overall performance. Fortunately, Corbett is already providing Los Angeles with plenty of bang for their buck so far and will likely have the final stretch of the regular season to show his potential as a long-term option.
If this offensive line group is able to perform better than the one that was in during the first half of the year, the coaching staff may have to consider revisiting the depth chart once it is all said and done. While it is still far too early to tell if the new regime up front can be the permanent solution, another strong performance against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football will certainly go a long way in helping to solidify their case.
