The Rams’ offensive line had a tough night in their season-opening loss to the Bills last night. Unfortunately, their job won’t get any easier as starting center Brian Allen will miss the next two to four weeks in order to undergo a knee procedure, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic.
Allen played the entirety of the game last night without apparent issue but requires a cleanout procedure on his knee. Allen has seen a number of ailments in his knee. He missed half of the 2019 season with a knee injury and had to earn his starting job back upon his healthy return.
After successfully topping the depth chart again in 2021, Allen was sidelined with an MCL sprain one snap into a Week 12 game against the Jaguars that would force him to miss the following game in Arizona, as well. Another knee injury forced him to leave a Week 15 matchup against the Vikings early, but he was able to return the next week and stay healthy all the way through the Super Bowl.
With Allen out, the Rams will slide starting right guard Coleman Shelton into center and Tremayne Anchrum will sub in for Shelton. Last night was just Shelton’s third career start in the NFL but he does have center experience from his time at the University of Washington.
Placing Anchrum in the starting lineup will give the former seventh-round draft pick his first career start after appearing in 13 games since being drafted in 2020. Los Angeles doesn’t have much more of a choice as third-round rookie Logan Bruss is on injured reserve with tears in his right ACL and MCL from the preseason. Past Anchrum, the Rams only have backup tackles A.J. Jackson and Bobby Evans as substitute options.
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