LOS ANGELES — If Sean McVay learned anything from the injury luck his Rams have had along the offensive line the past three seasons, it’s that depth is an absolute necessity at the position. It’s all well and good to have five good starters, but the chances that those are the only linemen you’ll need in a season are slim. You need to feel good about every lineman on the roster.
One of the exemplars of the Rams’ depth at the position has been reserve right tackle Warren McClendon Jr. With stalwart Rob Havenstein battling ankle and knee injuries throughout the year, McClendon has started five games for the Rams this season, including the past two.
After allowing three pressures in his first start, McClendon has allowed only one in the four games since, including a clean slate in Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers.
“Warren continues to stack good performances,” McVay said. “The way that he’s worked has allowed him to be able to have good experiences when he’s playing in these real games.”
It’s a big growth for McClendon, who allowed four sacks and 14 pressures in six games in 2024. After missing training camp his rookie year with a knee injury, the Rams asked McClendon to play both left and right tackle last season. The result was a player who was a step slow as he tried to process everything in front of him.
This season, though, McClendon has largely focused on the right side, which was his natural position coming out of Georgia. He still reps on the left side at practice, just in case of emergency, but honing in one side of the line has helped slow things down for him.
“When you’re a swing tackle, you have to think about the plays and flip them when you go to the other side,” McClendon said. “Definitely calmer when I get out there. I know more, I know the playbook better than I did. So I’m confident in myself to know what I’m doing, my assignment.”
And the Rams’ confidence in him is at a high, too.
“I thought last year he took some strides, obviously got out there on the grass on Sundays and then as he played this year, he got better and better whether it be on the practice field and again, the experience that he’s gained on Sundays,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. “I have zero alarms in terms of him being out there because he’s played good football and I know the other 10 guys on the field feel the same way.”
ATWELL UNCERTAINTY
Wide receiver Tutu Atwell practiced in full on Wednesday as he continues to wait and see if the Rams (9-3) will activate him from injured reserve for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals (3-9).
McVay said the Rams opted not to add Atwell to the active roster last week because of a numbers crunch and not wanting to disrupt special teams by cutting someone playing a role in that aspect of the game.
Asked Wednesday if it’s possible the Rams don’t activate Atwell by the end of his 21-day practice window – thus returning him to injured reserve for the rest of the season – McVay did not rule it out.
“We haven’t gone down that road yet. But there are some number things like we’ve talked about,” McVay said. “It’s just been a unique set of circumstances.”
INJURY REPORT
Wide receiver Davante Adams (hamstring), cornerback Darious Williams (tibia) and defensive tackle Poona Ford (calf) did not practice on Wednesday, while running back Kyren Williams (ankle), safety Kamren Kinchens (shoulder) and linebacker Omar Speights (undisclosed) were limited. McVay said he expects all six players to play against the Cardinals.