LOS ANGELES — As the Rams opened practice on Thursday, their last before a long weekend and the actual game prep that will begin on Monday, right tackle Rob Havenstein was on the sidelines getting a sweat in. The veteran wasn’t in pads, but he was working on his drop steps and sweating in the Woodland Hills sun alongside former teammate and retired Ram Andrew Whitworth. Havenstein hasn’t practiced in four weeks after injuring his ankle.
And as the Rams look ahead to Monday, their first day preparing for the season opener against the Detroit Lions, there remains uncertainty about whether or not Havenstein will be ready to practice. “We’re hoping. He’s making tremendous progress,” head coach Sean McVay said Thursday.
“I won’t know that until the next couple days.” The Rams’ offensive line as a whole remains in a similar state of flux. Currently, the Rams have seven offensive linemen on their active roster.
Six healthy ones, if you exclude Havenstein. Starting left tackle Alaric Jackson began his two-game suspension this week, and backups K.T.
Leveston and Conor McDermott are on injured reserve for at least four weeks. The Rams have three offensive linemen on their practice squad, but A.J.
Arcuri is the only tackle among the group to reinforce the edge. His lone NFL experience came in 2022 as he started one game, part of 12 different OL combinations the Rams ran through in that injury-plagued year. So McVay expects the Rams to add some help to the position .