The Los Angeles Rams need insurance at left tackle behind Alaric Jackson, and if they want to look outside the current roster there are a few veteran free agents left who can fill that need. One of the most intriguing names left on a bare market is the one Rams fans will remember the best: Joe Noteboom.
Two years after his last start with L.A., should the franchise bring him home?
Why the Rams need a little help from old friends
Jackson will only miss one game due to suspension, costing him this Sunday’s home game against the Arizona Cardinals, down
from his original two-game suspension that was handed down after he punched Buffalo Bills linebacker Bradley Chubb Monday night.
That’s a good thing, because the Rams don’t want to be without their left tackle more than they have to be. But Jackson has also proven he’s not the most reliable player on the roster, and this is a team that can’t afford any holes along its offensive line as it tries to keep pace in the NFC race. While David Quessenberry is fine in a pinch, Los Angeles would be better off with a reasonable replacement who can rotate in should Quessenberry struggle.
At this stage of the year, however, limited options for free agent acquisitions include the likes of Taylor Decker, Noteboom and not much else.
Decker was a hot topic this offseason the last time Jackson found himself in hot water. He had a long, productive career with the Detroit Lions and is certainly familiar with quarterback Matthew Stafford. The biggest questions about Decker, however, revolve around what he would cost and whether or not he would want to come back.
Noteboom is intriguing mostly because he’s a familiar face. After being selected in the third round of the 2018 draft, he played 81 games over seven seasons in Los Angeles, starting 36 of them. Injuries have hampered him throughout this career; just search for him in the TurfShowTimes archives and you’ll see plenty of examples of that.
The Rams let Noteboom walk following the 2024 season, and he spent last year with the Baltimore Ravens on a one-year deal worth just over $2 million. He ended up starting once in 10 games played.
He’d be a cheap option and he knows the system, but is that enough to assuage any other concerns tied to him?
After that, the Rams would be looking at several other also-rans at the position. Cam Robinson never met the hype he had as a prospect (both in high school and college) but has at least been functional for most of his career, and was still signing decently sized contracts into his most recent deal. Kelvin Beachum is already 37, and while he’s been equally unspectacular he’s been in the league well over a decade for a reason.
That’s the bulk of the feasible options.
Jackson is a good player and a core piece of what the Rams want to do, but this is now multiple suspensions he’s faced (plus another in college), not to mention the off-field legal issues. While the hope is obviously that he can simply stay on the field the rest of the way after his suspension ends, the Rams need to consider adding as much depth at that spot as possible.
