THOUSAND OAKS Gerald Everett Jersey , Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Rams center Brian Allen started to build a rapport with quarterback Jared Goff last season as a rookie when starter John Sullivan would be held out of practice early in the week to rest and recuperate.Allen was again snapping the ball to Goff during the first day of organized team activities Monday. In his second season, however, Allen will not have to make way for Sullivan.“We had a lot of time to play together last year Monday through Thursday, and then John took over on the weekends. But now it’s a full-time gig for me,” Allen said.How Allen settles into his new position could determine whether the Rams reach the Super Bowl for the second consecutive season. It is the biggest change on an offensive line that has been a marvel of health and consistent play during the previous two seasons under coach Sean McVay. Sullivan started 35 of a possible 36 games during the regular season and playoffs during that span.The Rams chose not to exercise a team option in March to bring back the 33-year-old Sullivan for a third season and instead put into action a succession plan that started when they selected Allen in the fourth round of the 2018 draft.Allen got a “redshirt year” last season to learn from the veteran lineman and work with Goff, all without the pressure of having to play a critical role for the eventual NFC champions.Offensive line coach Aaron Kromer also had Allen learning to play guard to give the position group more flexibility. Such practice was particularly helpful in helping Allen learn blocking schemes in McVay’s offense.“It really forces you to know it better and know what everyone is doing,” Allen said. “As a center that’s kind of your job, but to have that, it just makes you stay on top of it a little bit better.”Allen believes that experience will give him the best opportunity to succeed in the NFL, and he is immensely grateful to Sullivan for the part he played in that development.“It’s sad not having him here,” Allen said. “I’m just kind of out here sometimes thinking what would he do here, what would he say to me here John Kelly Jersey , stuff like that. He was a great mentor for me and I couldn’t thank that guy enough.”Allen wasn’t the only young Rams player to benefit from what Sullivan could offer on and off the field. Goff credits Sullivan’s vast understanding and recognition of opposing defenses for playing a part in his improvement over the past two seasons.Without the trustworthy Sullivan there to change protections at the line of scrimmage, Goff and Allen are working to build a more collaborative approach to making calls in hopes of overcoming the lack of experience.“With Brian, there is some of me and him working together a little bit more and trying to solve problems at the same time at the line where I could lean on John so heavily,” Goff said. “I expect Brian to get there, but he’s just in his first full year of actually playing.”The plan is to show Allen as many different defensive alignments as possible over the next few months to make sure he is on the same page with Goff, but McVay understands there are limits to what a coach can do in creating the relationship between a center and quarterback. The early signs are promising, McVay said, pointing to how Goff is talking to Allen.“I think he and Brian are really getting comfortable with one another, and you can hear it,” McVay said. “Their communication after periods, a certain sets of plays, whatever it is John Franklin-Myers Jersey , their dialogue is ongoing and that’s the most important thing.”Thanks to the support system put in place last year, Allen is confident he will be ready to start on Sundays later this year.“Excited for the opportunity and this is what I’ve been working for my whole life,” Allen said. “It’s here.”NOTES: RB Todd Gurley, DE Dante Fowler, CB Aqib Talib and CB Marcus Peters did not attend the workout. McVay said all four players communicated their plans with the Rams and none of the absences were unexpected. Fowler could join the team later this week, McVay said. Here’s your Los Angeles Rams 2019 NFL Draft class." 2019 NFL Draft2019 NFL Draft Results: Los Angeles Rams add to secondary, offensive line while grabbing early running backHere’s your Los Angeles Rams 2019 NFL Draft class.CDTShare this storyShare this on FacebookShare this on TwitterShareAll sharing optionsShareAll sharing options for:2019 NFL Draft Results: Los Angeles Rams add to secondary, offensive line while grabbing early running backTwitterFacebookRedditPocketFlipboardEmailWashington Huskies S Taylor Rapp tackles Penn State Nittany Lions RB Saquon Barkley in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl, Dec. 30, 2017.Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images2019 NFL Draft LA Rams OrderRd#Rd#PickPlayerPOSSchoolRd#Rd#PickPlayerPOSSchoolThe Los Angeles Rams went into the 2019 NFL Draft on the back of a very successful 2018 season that saw the Rams go all the way to the Super Bowl. While the result in Super Bowl LIII was disappointing, the Rams’ overall success was a reflection of a very talented roster.Most of that talent was retained. The Rams did lose LG Rodger Saffold III, C John Sullivan Brian Allen Jersey , DL Ndamukong Suh, ILB Mark Barron and S Lamarcus Joyner, but veteran additions in LB Clay Matthews and S Eric Weddle along with some youth in the depth ranks like OL Joseph Noteboom, OL Brian Allen and ILB Micah Kiser could help offset those losses.So overall, the Rams weren’t in a desperate position to address any immediate roster gaps. Instead, the two biggest factors were future roster gaps and the status of RB Todd Gurley’s knee.And after a flurry of trades, the Rams addressed both.Draft PicksWashington Huskies S Taylor Rapp61st overall pickRapp’s a fine replacement for Joyner who arrives with little immediate pressure. With John Johnson and Weddle already on the safety depth chart, the Rams won’t need Rapp to provide immediate dividends. How much playing time he’ll get in Year 1 is tough to gauge until we get to training camp, but it’s a strong addition to the secondary that, like many picks in recent years, is designed more to deliver over the course of Rapp’s four-year contract than his first year.Memphis Tigers RB Darrell Henderson70th overall pickMoreso than the preceding pick, this one is the headliner in the class.Nine months after the Rams made Gurley the highest-paid running back in the NFL Joseph Noteboom Jersey , they traded up into the early third round to take a running back.It’s telling evidence that Gurley’s knee just isn’t reliable enough to depend on the way that the Rams did in the last two seasons. It’s also a damning indictment of the portion of Rams media that didn’t just dismiss the severity of the injury but dismissed the impact of the injury itself.This shouldn’t dissuade fans from being excited about Henderson. He’s a fine running back and the Rams get good value for taking a very talented RB at 70th as opposed to earlier in the draft where the position value doesn’t line up with the draft capital.It’s not a bad pick by any means. It’s just unfortunate the Rams had to make it in the first place.Michigan Wolverines CB David Long79th overall pickWhereas Rams CB Marcus Peters is more of an athletic ballhawk, Long is a physical technician. Consider the scouting report from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:Add to that that now Long is joining a cornerback depth chart with Peters and Aqib Talib meaning he can develop into the NFL slowly as opposed to a team that might have taken him and pushed him into an immediate starting role, and you can see how good of a fit this is.Should the Rams re-sign Peters while Talib either exits in free agency or retires, and you’ve got a great cornerback pairing built on opposing styles for the future.Oklahoma Sooners OT Bobby Evans97th overall pickThe Rams are undergoing a pretty wide transition on the offensive line. Since Head Coach Sean Mcvay’s first season in 2017, the Rams have already moved on from three starters: Saffold, Sullivan and former RG Jamon Brown. With LT Andrew Whitworth playing his final season in 2019, adding talent to the line was always going to be important. Whether Evans adds talent to the tackle depth chart or offers a chance to kick inside to challenge RG Austin Blythe will be a key to training camp this year.Washington Huskies DT Greg Gaines134th overall pickThe departure of DL Ndamukong Suh opened up a starting spot on the defensive line. While second-year linemen Jonathan Franklin-Myers and Sebastian Joseph-Day will also be involved, Gaines should find himself in the mix early on.And with DT Michael Brockers likely playing his last year as a Ram, Gaines should be a great addition to work his way into contention over the next few years.Wisconsin Badgers OT David Edwards169th overall pickWe’re now across the 2/3rds pole here, so we’re getting into the deepest depth to come out of the draft. Edwards is probably in line to compete with Darrell Williams moreso than to challenge Whitworth, Rob Havenstein or Evans. Perhaps though, the Rams found a gem here to mine. Worth considering the timeline Blythe enjoyed. Should this pick pan out in a major way Jack Youngblood Jersey , perhaps in 2020 or 2021 Edwards comes into his own as an NFL lineman.Penn State Nittany Lions S Nick Scott243rd overall pickTexas Tech Red Raiders LB Dakota Allen251st overall pickNot sure either of these two are angling for anything more than special teams in Year 1. Hopefully, they can pan out into just that.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="9oubEk">SummaryThe Rams are coming out of the Super Bowl or Bust season and looking to transition into a more stable team with more longevity.This class is a fine start.The Rams added two solid pieces to the secondary while adding developmental talents to the offensive line and a running back to limit Gurley. It was a fine approach early. The late picks matter little for position value. If you can get any of those guys to turn into anything on offense or defense, that’s a huge, albeit unnecessary, bonus. The aim is to turn them into special teams stalwarts.The transition to the post SBOB Rams is underway. And while this class might not lead the way, they’re definitely going to be an integral part in it.
