Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › Journalists at camp, 8/11 (including Rapoport)
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August 12, 2015 at 1:16 am #28574
znModeratorRams notes: Team has last workout open to fans here
By Joe Lyons
The Rams closed out training camp Tuesday evening before a crowd of 1,070 in Earth City at their last practice here open to the public. Will it be their final training camp in St. Louis?
“Gosh, you know, I really don’t think about it,’’ linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “I’ve always been taught by my parents to focus on the things you can control. I know it sounds cliché, I know it’s a really sensitive subject and I understand why.
“I think Jeff (Fisher) had been doing a great job of preaching this: We’re hoping that the fans come out to support the team. Everyone in this building, the players, the trainers and the coaches, it’s not up to us. It’s up to the 32 owners and the commissioner. The chips will fall as they may; all we can control is how we come out, start fast and get the city excited about football, get the Dome rockin’ and really have a successful season that we know we can have.’’
Before the start of training camp, Fisher had the following to say about a possible move to Los Angeles: “I don’t have any answers. I’ve not asked any questions. We’re playing here (in St. Louis) and we’ve got a good football team. When and if things change, then I’ll let (the players) know. But I’m not concerned and I’m not gonna get caught up in it.’’
After Tuesday’s workout, Fisher talked about the fans.
“We’ve had great crowds since we started camp,’’ he said. “Unfortunately, because of the circumstances where we’re going to be practicing out there (in California), it reduces the number of opportunities they have to come out and watch us. But it was great, great to have them out here today.’’
After opening the preseason Friday in Oakland against the Raiders, the Rams will travel to Oxnard, Calif., for three days, training with the Dallas Cowboys on Monday and Tuesday.
Preparing for his seventh NFL season, Laurinaitis says the Rams are ready for a game.
“I hope to play some, but they haven’t even talked to us about it yet,’’ he said. “Last year, I missed the whole preseason. I want to play, but ultimately that’s coach’s decision.
“You get to this point, you get so sick of seeing the same plays and the same schemes. They you get sick of each other. Then you try to trick the offense and they try to trick you. But now we get to go against another team … it’s always fun to get back into that routine again.’’
HALL OF FAME GOLF EVENT
David Baker, the president of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, made a stop Tuesday at Rams Park to promote the organization’s Salute to Greatness golf tournament, which is scheduled for Sept. 20-21 at Old Warson Country Club.
The charity event, to be co-chaired by St. Louis football legends and Hall of Famers Dan Dierdorf and Aeneas Williams, will benefit the Hall of Fame as well Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital.
“It s a great event, a chance for fans to get to meet and play golf with the game’s heroes,’’ Baker said. “Our goal is to try and take some part of the Hall out of Canton, Ohio, and bring it to other parts of the country.
“I’ve only been with the Hall for 18 months, but it’s been an incredible experience. To me, the neatest thing is seeing the new guys, guys like Jerome Bettis and Tim Brown, and watching them get a chance to meet and talk with somebody like Y.A. Tittle.’’
Salute to Greatness will kick off with a cocktail reception, dinner and auction Sunday, Sept. 20, with golf the following day. Each foursome is matched with a Gold Jacket Hall of Famer or pro football celebrity. Among those expected to take part are Dierdorf, Williams, Joe Buck, Eric Dickerson, Tom Mack, John Randle, Jackie Slater, Jackie Smith, Roger Wehrli, Dave Wilcox, Kellen Winslow and Jack Youngblood. More will be added in the coming weeks, Baker said.
Dave Peacock, who serves on the Pro Football Hall of Fame advisory board, helped bring the event, which is patterned after similar events in Chicago and Miami, to St. Louis.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our region’s enthusiasm, passion and support for pro football,’’ Peacock said in a St. Louis Sports Commission news release.
To take part or for more information, go to stlsports.cor/salutetogreatness or call 314-345-5111.
RAM-BLINGS
Sitting out the final open-to-the-public workout at Rams Park this season were DE Chris Long, DT Doug Worthington, CBs Janoris Jenkins, E.J. Gaines and Brandon McGee, RB Isaiah Pead, TE Brad Smelley, LB Kory Toomer and OL Cody Wichmann, who did some running on the side with a team trainer.
Linebacker Keshaun Malone, an undrafted rookie free agent from Bacone (Okla.) College, celebrated his 23rd birthday with an interception during Tuesday’s workout. He picked off the Sean Mannion pass after it went through the hands of running back Trey Watts.
• The majority of the Blues’ coaching staff — Ken Hitchcock, Brad Shaw and Kirk Muller — and head trainer Ray Barile watched Tuesday’s practice.
• Also on hand were NFL legends Jim Hanifan and Gil Brandt. Brandt, who worked in the Dallas Cowboys’ player personnel department from 1960-1988, was in town for an annual stop at Rams camp for a SiriusXM broadcast he co-hosted with Alex Marvez.
August 12, 2015 at 1:18 am #28575znModeratorNick Foles finds his comfort zone
By Ian Rapoport
It looks and feels like training camp, with warm, sticky weather and fields as far as the eye can see. The Rams’ practice facility in Earth City, Missouri, is surrounded by festive floats and gated off family areas. There was also a drone high into the air watching practice.
Observations:
1) The blockbuster trade happened months ago, but it’s still jarring to see Nick Foles under center in St. Louis instead of Sam Bradford. The reality is, armed with a new extension, the fit seems like a great one. After a few shaky weeks facing Gregg Williams’ defense in practice (he doesn’t hold back), Foles has reached a comfort level. Thanks in part to a newly stocked quarterback room featuring offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti and QB coach Chris Weinke, Foles has returned to his West Coast Offense roots. It’s the mental part that’s key, being asked to do a lot with protections and getting the team in and out of the right plays. But he’s put in the work, and the players have already taken to him.
2) With a healthy quarterback, the Rams hope to have the steadiness at that position they haven’t had for years. Because really, they don’t need Foles to do too much; not with Williams’ defense returning essentially every starter, plus adding Nick Fairley to an already nasty defensive line headlined by Chris Long and Aaron Donald. The defense isn’t holding back in practice, giving this young offensive line fits. Word is, it’s starting to look like it did at the end of last year when they dominated at times. Plus, this defense is so young, the principals could stay together for years. A legitimately scary proposition.
3) While the team practiced on one field, a pad-less rookie ran routes against air and caught passes. He looked completely normal, which is the curse of Todd Gurley, their first-round pick. He’s so athletic that even when he’s rated at 90 percent on a surgically repaired knee, he looks 100 percent. But make no mistake, Gurley isn’t ready yet. He won’t play in the preseason. I’m told the Rams don’t even expect him to be ready for the season. They believe he’ll miss the first couple games, not wanting to risk injury until he’s ready. The ligament is strong, but the area around it isn’t there yet. With so much invested in a player compared to a young Adrian Peterson, St. Louis will be cautious. But the future is so bright for Gurley, team personnel can barely contain themselves.
New additions
Nick Fairley, DT: Free agency didn’t materialize like Fairley wanted, with the big-money deal offered to the likes of former teammate Ndamukong Suh never arriving. So Fairley made the best decision available: He signed with the Rams for one year to help solidify the best D-line in the NFL. Suddenly, St. Louis has starters as backups and a hungry Fairley ready to prove his worth.
Curt Cignetti, offensive coordinator: By the time the Rams hired an offensive coordinator, nobody noticed. It was Cignetti, formerly their QB coach. But it was treated like an oh-by-the-way move rather than breaking news. Interestingly, Cignetti had previously turned down other chances to be an NFL coordinator, waiting for the right opportunity. This is it, with young talent at receiver, a stud back, and Foles, who is more than eager to learn. The Mike McCarthy disciple will make his mark.
Overheard
“I’ve had some really good defenses in the past. I’ve had some really good ones across the league in other teams. They have the makings of (that), but we have to stay healthy. Some of the offenses, hoefully they’ll cooperate, too, and not play as well.”
— Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, downright giddy about the potential of his unit. He has a reason to be.
Extra points
» The Rams are the youngest team in the NFL, as they always seem to be. That’s the vibe of this team, as well. Young, loud, energetic, amped up.
» It’s how the defense plays. Healthy again, with a coordinator who can make sure he gets the ball on the run, this could be the breakout year for Tavon Austin the Rams have been waiting for.
» Left tackle Greg Robinson lost weight and showed up in shape, which is a welcome sight. Nearly as welcome is Barrett Jones healthy at center. Having overcome foot issues, the cerebral Alabama product is in position to start at center.
Follow Ian Rapoport on Twitter @RapSheet.
August 12, 2015 at 1:24 am #28577znModeratorPractice Report 8/11: Getting Ready to Play
By Myles Simmons
It was a cooler day in Earth City as the Rams finished off their slate of open training camp practices at Rams Park on Tuesday. And after the session, head coach Jeff Fisher said the players are looking forward to getting games started on Friday.
“They did a really good job the last three days,” Fisher said. “They know, obviously, tomorrow is the day off for them. We come back and we have a little walk-thru. Then we will prepare for the Raiders and go out there and play a ball game.”
With the preseason contests, two of the frequently asked questions for all four contests is who will play and how much? Fisher said the coaching staff is still going through the process of making those decisions, but the focus of the first game will be more on younger players striving to make an impression.
“When you look at the roster and you start looking at the 51st, 52nd, and 53rd player, so much of it has to do with their ability to contribute on special teams,” Fisher said. “We’re going to give guys opportunities to do some things and show us some things on special teams. But at the same time, [we’ll be] mindful of the fact that if they’re playing every snap on defense, and then going out and covering every kick, that’s hard.”
The head coach said he thinks the team has gotten better at every position thus far through camp, but specifically mentioned Nick Foles as a player who has made a major impact.
“Nick’s had a really good camp,” Fisher said. “I’m just really proud of him and happy that he’s here, so it will be fun to watch him play a little bit.”
While the quarterback likely won’t be on the field much, Fisher said that Foles will get some snaps in against the Raiders.
“I think you’d expect a couple of series, something like that, and then we’ll start making changes,” Fisher said. “We want to protect him. We don’t want to get him hit.”
With such a young group on the offensive line, players like Rob Havenstein and Jamon Brown may see a bit more time than other members of the first unit. But the head coach said other younger linemen should be on the field more than the right tackle and right guard.
“We’ve got some younger guys that will probably play into the second half,” Fisher said. “I don’t know how much Rob and ‘JB’ will play beyond the other guys. I think you can expect to see them play three or four series.”
While the Rams’ next training camp practice will be with the Cowboys in Oxnard, Calif., Fisher has liked what he’s seen at Rams Park.
“It was a good camp overall so far,” Fisher said. “We still have a lot of work to do.”
MANNION’S DEBUT
One of the younger players who may get significant playing time is quarterback Sean Mannion. The rookie out of Oregon State said on Tuesday that he’s feeling pretty positive about his August.
“I feel like I’ve done a lot of good things so far in training camp,” Mannion said. “I just try to be accurate, just try to make good decisions with the ball. And I feel really comfortable in the offense.”
The signal-caller said his on-field comfort is in part a product of going through some of the processes before.
“I think the biggest difference is just it’s not my first time out here practicing with the guys,” Mannion said. “You kind of got that over with in OTAs. Come out here, hit the ground running, and now it feels like you’re just back playing football like normal.”
While he doesn’t quite yet know how much he’ll play, Mannion said he’s looking forward to getting on the field at the pro level.
“It’ll be exciting to get into a game atmosphere and get in there and just try to operate the offense, execute the plays the way they’re designed, and just have a chance to be out there as a team going against someone else for a change,” he said.
Speaking of Mannion, Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt of SiriusXM NFL were in attendance at camp today, and came away impressed with the Rams’ rookie QB.
.@Gil_Brandt & I impressed w/ @STLouisRams rookie QB @seanmannion4 at TC. Gil loves his accuracy & way Sean spins the football @SiriusXMNFL
— Alex Marvez (@alexmarvez) August 12, 2015COVER MAN
Defensive end Robert Quinn will be on one of the four regional covers for Sports Illustrated’s annual fantasy football issue.
When you get the cover of Sports Illustrated…
Posted by St. Louis Rams on Tuesday, August 11, 2015The other three players featured on the covers are Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch. Quinn’s cover will be delivered to SI subscribers in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan, per si.com.
But if you know anything about the Rams’ defensive line, having one of their own on the cover of a magazine will spur some razzing. And that’s exactly what RBN captured after Tuesday’s practice in the video below.
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