Upon announcing at the beginning of May that they would not be exercising the fifth-year option on Greg Robinson’s contract, the Rams made it clear that the left tackle had a lot of work to do to earn his spot on the offensive line.

The 24-year-old was consistently penalized last season and the protection was sub par, so this season the Rams are trying him out at right tackle – which means moving Rob Havenstein to right guard. There’s a lot of competition for the starting spots, as third-year players Jamon Brown, Andrew Donnal and Cody Wichmann are also competing for a premiere role.

One player whose spot isn’t up for grabs though is three-time Pro Bowler Andrew Whitworth, who is taking over at left tackle. The former Cincinnati Bengal was one of the biggest names on the market in free agency and was by far one of the Rams best acquisitions – and he’s already proving his worth as a leader on the field and in the locker room.

Per ESPN.com’s Alden Gonzalez, Whitworth has made it a mission of his to help Robinson however he can, employing “positive reinforcement” and talking through schemes, walking through technique and always being available.

And it’s not just Robinson that’s benefiting from his altruistic approach to improving the offensive line. Jamon Brown called him “an open book” and said that he’s really showed him how to be a pro.

Via LATimes:

“So the energy that he gives off makes it easier for me and, I’m sure, the other guys to kind of go up and ask different questions. He gives you good feedback, and that allows you to be more confident and gives you the ability to really dive in and use him as a tool.”

Even head coach Sean McVay, four years Whitworth’s junior, has been the beneficiary of the 35-year-old’s wisdom.

Via LATimes:

“He’s been a great sounding board for me,” McVay said last week. “Just watching the way he communicates with his teammates. How receptive he is to coach Kromer’s techniques. … His presence has definitely been felt on our offense.”

If Whitworth, along with fellow veterans John Sullivan and Roger Saffold, can continue to coach up these younger guys and really get them to play at the next level, there’s a very good chance that the Rams O-line will be unrecognizable in 2017.