Right guard headlines Rams top position battle

The Los Angeles Rams are finishing out their first week of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) at Cal Lutheran, their Thousand Oaks facility. A large percentage of this time is for Sean McVay and the coaching staff is to get the team, particularly rookies and new players, up to speed on the way their practices will be run. In addition, Sean McVay and Raheem Morris use this time to begin the installation of their offensive and defensive packages for the upcoming season. With over 40 new players on the roster, LA will need to be patient as they implement their systems and for their young players to absorb the new information. For some players, learning the playbook can be overwhelming, let alone executing their assignment.

One player who is vying for a starting role is Logan Bruss. But he will have to overtake Coleman Shelton at right guard, who took control of the position last offseason.

Even though the Rams selected Bruss with a third-round pick in 2022, it was expected that he would need time to develop. Considering that McVay has a history of not starting his rookies, Bruss was the underdog. Unfortunately, we never got to see the Wisconsin Badger suit up for the regular season because of a season-ending injury in Week 2 of the preseason. Bruss has been working his way back from an ACL and MCL tear.

Entering year 2, Bruss still lacks game experience but will an off-season of aggressive rehab and understanding of McVay’s offense give him the leg up in the position battle? There is no dispute that Bruss is the superior physical talent. But Shelton won’t just concede…

Logan Bruss appears to be the front runner according to unofficial depth charts. But paper is one thing, health and performance is another. In the first week of OTAs, Sean McVay discussed that they are taking their time with Bruss’s recovery. The head coach admitted that the guard has experienced some normal soreness and that they will continue to take his recovery day-by-day.

It would not be surprising (to me at least) if Coleman Shelton received the nod initially to start the season, with the idea of Logan Bruss taking his spot after the first quarter of the season (if Shelton does not perform adequately).

We’ll have a better feel for Logan Bruss’s talent and ability as he is expected to receive plenty of snaps in OTAs, training camp, joint-practices, and preseason games.