The Los Angeles Rams have been busy this offseason handing out contract extensions to key players on the team. Joe Noteboom was no exception to this wave of re-signings, as he got one to the tune of three years worth $40 million.
The difference between him and Aaron Donald, for example, is that Noteboom has not had much playing time in comparison. Noteboom has played four seasons but played in only 1,260 offensive snaps.
He played 90% and 91% of the snaps in 2019 and 2020 respectively, so he isn’t that new to the league. The Rams also have a huge hole to fill after the retirement of Andrew Whitworth.
Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus believes Noteboom will fill this void at the left tackle spot for the Rams.
“The money trail follows the small sample size of very good play, right,” Monson said during the PFF podcast. “They pay him (Joe Noteboom) pretty big money to keep him in the building as Whitworth’s successor.”
In his career, Noteboom has only allowed three sacks. While his playing time has come as a replacement for an injured starter, only three sacks in over 1,000 snaps for his career is a good statistic for quarterback Matthew Stafford, who got sacked 30 times last season.
If Noteboom can play as well as Whitworth did, then the sky’s the limit for this Rams offense. Noteboom could see individual success beyond his recent contract, and team success in the form of more championships.
With the Rams still well within its title-contention window, bringing back Noteboom was a no-brainer. Take into account that he is a 25-year-old and should improve as he becomes a starter in this league, and the Rams might have a long-term franchise player for the foreseeable future. For the Rams to go from one franchise tackle immediately to the next one is incredible for the team.
However, this depends on Noteboom and if he can fulfill his breakout potential, which Rams fans believe in.
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