The Los Angeles Rams made a deep run into the playoffs, reaching Super Bowl LIII. Of course, they came up short against the New England Patriots, but that’s not to say it wasn’t a successful season.
The Rams built one of the best rosters in football and uncovered a hidden gem at right guard in Austin Blythe. He took over for Jamon Brown, who was suspended two games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Blythe never relinquished the starting job, playing all 16 games, just as the other four starters did on the offensive line.
He was a huge part of the Rams’ success on offense, shoring up the weakest spot on the offensive line from 2017. Blythe finished with an overall grade of 71.0 from Pro Football Focus, good for 12th among all guards in the NFL.
He thoroughly enjoyed playing for the Rams, too, saying they helped him enjoy football again.
“I think that’s what makes the Rams so special, that everyone is so connected,” Blythe said. “I was telling (offensive line coach Aaron Kromer) that I enjoyed playing football this year — it wasn’t a job, it was a game again — and it was a lot of fun, a lot of fun playing with the guys that we have on the team and unfortunately not everyone is going to be here next year, but hopefully we’ve got a lot of the same guys back because they are great guys. Like I said, I’m already looking forward to the offseason.”
Blythe was merely a backup in 2017, coming in to fill in for John Sullivan at center from time to time. However, he showed great versatility and had no problem playing guard in place of Brown.
That proved to be a great move for the Rams, finding a diamond in the rough after claiming him off waivers in May 2017. Now, they have a long-term starter at right guard for a very low cost.
