last day of camp

5 key questions for Rams: How they have been answered

Vincent Bonsignore

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/sports/20170817/5-key-questions-for-rams-how-they-have-been-answered

IRVINE >> Sean McVay called his Rams together on a sun-splashed Thursday morning moments after a loud horn sounded to end practice.

Thirty seconds or so later, the chorus of 80 players yelling “Rams” could be heard bouncing across two football fields, nearby locker rooms and weight rooms and a UC Irvine campus springing back to life after summer vacation.

And with that, the first Rams’ training camp presided over by new head coach Sean McVay was officially in the books.

Ahead is a game against the Raiders in Oakland, and then the Rams are back to official headquarters in Thousand Oaks. Soon they will be settling into a normal regular-season routine as they navigate through the final two preseason games and the approaching 2017 season.

The Rams faced five key questions heading into camp three weeks ago, key aspects of their operation they’d have to address to help ensure a rebound from last year’s 4-12 record.

Let’s take a look at those questions — and the verdicts — with training camp now over.

OFFENSIVE LINE MUST GET SQUARED AWAY

The addition of free agent left tackle Andrew Whitworth changes the whole dynamic of an offensive line that was ranked among the worst in the NFL last year. It takes a position of weakness and makes it a strength, and with Rodger Saffold a fixture at his natural left guard spot and veteran John Sullivan the starting center, the middle and left side of the Rams offensive line is settled.

But while the Rams have peace of mind on the left side, the right side is still a bit unsettled. They went into training camp hoping the moves of Rob Havenstein from tackle to guard and Jamon Brown from guard to tackle would solidify the right side, but after a week of camp Havenstein was back at tackle and Brown back at guard.

Havenstein has fit right back in at tackle, but not so much Brown, who faces a big couple of weeks ahead as the Rams decide whether he can be counted on as a starter or if a change needs to be made.

It’s a concern, obviously, but collectively the offensive line appears much improved from last year, and the veteran leadership of Whitworth, Saffold and Sullivan should be a boon to Jared Goff and help Todd Gurley get back on the right track. If Brown – or a replacement – can lock down right guard with Havenstein anchoring the right side, the Rams could be decidedly better along the offensive line in 2017.

VERDICT: Headed in the right direction

GOFF NEEDS TO TAKE CONTROL

Almost everything the Rams did this offseason was with their second-year quarterback in mind. From making the change from the defensive-minded Jeff Fisher to the offensive-minded McVay, to rebuilding the coaching and personnel infrastructure around Goff, the objective was to enhance his chances of reaching his ceiling.

Aside from a hiccup to begin the last week of training camp in which Goff was bitten by the interception bug – he chalked up two shaky days of practice to pushing some boundaries and vowed to learn from it – Goff has looked solid thus far.

He’s making good decisions on the majority of his throws, seems to be adapting to the new offense under McVay and has done a nice job spreading the ball around to a rebuilt receiving corps bolstered by the recent addition of Sammy Watkins.

It’s obvious Goff is developing a nice rapport with free agent pick-up Robert Woods, second-year tight end Tyler Higbee and rookie wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Throw Watkins into the equation and all of a sudden there is a deep arsenal he can tap into.

Just as importantly, Goff seems much more comfortable in his demeanor and role as the starting quarterback, right down to the confident manner in which he handles media responsibilities as his personality and sense of humor begin to emerge.

It’s a small thing, but telling.

VERDICT: Promising

IT’S TIME FOR GURLEY TO REAPPEAR

Todd Gurley burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2015 with 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns in 13 games.

Then he limped through 2016 with 885 yards and six touchdowns.

Yes, Gurley was running behind an offensive line that couldn’t consistently open holes and alongside a quarterback and wide receiver group incapable of challenging teams downfield.

Yes, there was a lack of creativity in the coaching staff to figure out solutions.

But there also is evidence to suggest when Gurley did have room to run, he didn’t always make the most of it.

Gurley looked more decisive in camp running behind an improved offensive line and in the new offensive scheme under McVay.

But the lack of tackling in camp makes it hard to truly judge. The next two weeks of preseason games should give us a better handle on things.

VERDICT: Incomplete

PASSING GAME WEAPONS NEED TO EMERGE

The Rams went heavy on wide receiver help through the draft and free agency while also adding a new vertical tight end threat. The hope was newcomers Woods, Kupp, Gerald Everett and Josh Reynolds would combine with holdovers Tyler Higbee, Tavon Austin, Nelson Spruce, Pharoh Cooper and Mike Thomas to lift a receiving group that struck little fear in the hearts of opposing defenses.

Kupp and Woods have settled in nicely, Higbee has the potential to be a major weapon for Goff, and Reynolds made an immediate impression when he returned to practice this week after being sidelined because of leg issues.

Nevertheless, it was obvious the Rams lacked a difference-maker on the perimeter through the first two weeks of training camp.

That all changed late last week when they traded cornerback E.J. Gaines and a future second-round pick to the Buffalo Bills to bring in Watkins, a dynamic playmaker who immediately adds the home-run threat the Rams lacked in the middle of their batting order.

Watkins added to the previously retooled receiving corps could mean a major difference in how the Rams attack opposing defenses and in how opponents defend them. In the process, Goff and Gurley could benefit greatly.

VERDICT: Rams might be onto something

SEAN McVAY MUST MAKE AN IMPACT

The Rams had an accountability, leadership and teaching problem under Fisher, with players privately complaining about a lack of urgency to get problems fixed and a sentiment that they weren’t being empowered to lead.

The hiring of McVay, 31, was expected to improve those deficiencies by establishing a new culture in which players are held accountable but also given a voice.

McVay, along with the experienced coaching staff he constructed, has brought a level of teaching, passion and creativity that was obviously apparent during training camp, and the players in turn seem to be responding.

McVay’s first go-round as a head coach appeared to build off the groundwork he laid during the offseason, and as the regular season approaches and unfolds it’s imperative he continues to nurture the culture and identity he hopes to be the foundation of his team in the future.

VERDICT: Absolutely