The Rams somewhat surprisingly let Austin Blythe leave in free agency despite the center signing a very cheap deal with the Chiefs at the end of March – well after the free-agent market opened. They then passed up every center in the draft, even though they were presented with countless quality options who would probably start very early, if not right away.
It became clear that those moves were a vote of confidence for Austin Corbett, who’s projected to move over from right guard to center this season. It’s still a work in progress and Corbett struggled at the position with the Browns, but Sean McVay feels strongly about this switch.
He told Peter King of NBC Sports that he believes Corbett can become one of the better centers in the NFL if he can fully grasp the mental aspect of the position and snap the ball consistently when the Rams are in the shotgun.
“I think if Corbett can handle the mental part—which is tough in our offense—and if he gets comfortable with the consistent accuracy on the shotgun snaps, I think you’re going to be talking him as one of the better centers in this league. Very quickly,” McVay said.
That’s as definitive a statement as we’ve heard McVay make about Corbett. Ahead of camp, he wouldn’t rule out Brian Allen and Coleman Shelton competing for the job, and it’s still possible they will push Corbett.
But there’s no doubt McVay believes in Corbett to not only step in as Blythe’s replacement, but hopefully even be an upgrade.
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