Rams OT Joe Noteboom 'Developing' - But Is He Running Out of Time?

The Los Angeles Rams' injury-laden offensive line has an Andrew Whitworth-sized hole at left tackle - and not in a good way.

Described by Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford as a "heck of a player, hall of fame player," the 6-7, 331-pound Whitworth retired following Los Angeles' Super Bowl win this past February.

Stepping into Whitworth's all-important role of protecting Stafford's blindside is a fifth-year pro, Joe Noteboom, who did the same in spot starts last year, including during a pair of playoff games after Whitworth went down with an injury.

Noteboom entered Los Angeles' wildcard win over the Arizona Cardinals and played over half the snaps and proved enough to warrant a start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the week after while Whitworth continued his recovery. Noteboom more than held his own, and while he didn't play after Whitworth returned, left the playoffs with much higher stock than when he started.

His efforts impressed Rams coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead enough to earn a three-year, $40 million contract this offseason, with the belief that his uptick in performance was simply a sign of things to come.

However, through five games, Stafford has been sacked 21 times - tied for the most in the league - and, per Pro Football Focus, Noteboom has been responsible for five of them - also tied for the most in the league.

The 27-year-old Noteboom still has time to right the ship - but per McVay, the Rams aren't necessarily pleased with the pace of Noteboom's growth.

"He still is a young developing player, but we want to be able to see that growth and maturation occur a little bit more quickly," McVay said. "I do have a lot of confidence in Joe that that will get done.”

Los Angeles spent a third-round pick on Noteboom in 2018, and he was a career 17-game starter entering this season. Experience hasn't quite been the issue, and he's certainly provided high-end flashes. The problem, McVay said, has been turning those flashes into the consistent play required for a professional left tackle.

“I think it's been some things that are in alignment with what we expect from Joe, then there's some things that he could do at a higher level," said McVay, citing consistency. "I think he'd be the first to be able to tell you that. But the good thing is that you've seen enough positives over the course of Joe's career to really be able to build on it."

The other good thing for Noteboom is that he still has his quarterback's trust, even with his early-season struggles.

"I think Joe has done a really good job this year," Stafford said.

However, the numbers - and McVay's subtle hint of growing impatience - tell a different story, one that the Rams certainly weren't anticipating after shelling out $40 million and making a three-year commitment to the former TCU Horned Frog.

Fortunately for Noteboom, there are 12 more games this season to turn his difficult start into a Hollywood ending, beginning with Sunday's 1:05 kickoff against the Carolina Panthers at SoFi Stadium.

You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter at @DFlickDraft

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