camp day 4 … 8/1

Rams Will Hold First Padded Practice on Tuesday

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Rams-Will-Hold-First-Padded-Practice-on-Tuesday/1f58ad00-046e-4820-8c69-060f1c25f7a3

For as many times as the words “Football is back” have been said, written, and tweeted going back to April, you’d think we might be in Week 7 by now. Of course, in reality players have only been in helmets, jerseys, and shorts since the start of Phase III in the offseason program.

That’s why upon saying Tuesday will mark the Rams’ first practice in pads, head coach Sean McVay declared, “Now it’s real football.”

“I think a lot of the things that occur, especially at the line of scrimmage, are definitely different based on just being able to get your hands inside and some of the fits and things that occur,” McVay said. “That’s how we play the game and that’s where really us as coaches get the best evaluation for what type of players that we do have and how they play when we put the pads on. And there’s a little bit more physicality, while also being smart protecting each other. So, we’re looking forward to it and I think the players are as well.”

McVay alluded to it there, but part of the reason padded practices are closer to “real football” is because of how it affects both both the offensive and defensive lines. Without pads, players can improve their technique with their hands and feet. But there’s no substitute for those padded reps — both for player improvement as well as evaluation.

But McVay mentioned on Saturday that skill-position players also have to make adjustments when the pads come on.

“Being able to do some different things and carrying those pads especially when you’re throwing the football or catching it — it creates a different reaction and guys have to get comfortable doing that because that’s how we play on Sundays,” McVay said.

And so that’s what they will begin to do on Tuesday. But McVay said he and the rest of the coaching staff will be aware of players being amped up to put on pads for the first time in about eight months.

“Part of being a pro is knowing how to practice smart and be able to practice fast, but also still protecting your teammates and being mindful that we’re all on the same team,” McVay said. “Certain periods we’ll pick and choose where we turn it up a little bit, but our guys have done a nice job of competing without the pads and we expect the same tomorrow when we put them on.”

McVay said L.A. will not do anything that’s fully “live” with tackling during Tuesday’s practice. But even when they do, getting in good work while making sure players stay as safe as possible.

“I think it’s that ‘thud’ and being able to fit guys up and things like that and protecting your teammates, but you want to try to keep guys off the ground where, some of those piles and things like that can occur where guys get rolled up on,” McVay said. “So, we want to try to avoid that, but still get it as much as a game like atmosphere as we can.”

Dani Klupenger @daniklup
1on1 in special teams drills might be the best way to start the first practice in pads. Getting after it from the get go.

===

Dale Douglass @DaleDouglass56
#RamsCamp Spruce and P Cooper working with special teams.

==

Rams24/7‏ @ngalarreta

ST 1 on 1 tackling drills going on rn.

Rodgers just blew by Higbee with a nice swim move in 1 on 1 ST drills #RamsCamp

Offense on our side now #RamsCamp

Spruce with a beautiful diving catch over the middle #RamsCamp

Goff with a laser over the middle to Kupp. Nice grab #RamsCamp

Easley being helped off by Reggie Scott #RamsCamp

Looks like an ankle injury. Easley wasn’t putting any weight on it #RamsCamp

===

Lindsey Thiry‏ @LindseyThiry
Rams defensive tackle Dominique Easley was assisted to a cart on the sideline and left practice during 11v11 drills.

===

First day of pads!!! pic.twitter.com/VoREzFVYID

— Dani Klupenger (@daniklup) August 1, 2017

===

Fan favorite Sam Rodgers with the subtle hand usage to create separation #RamsCamp pic.twitter.com/rQCjAki6Zm

— Rams24/7 (@ngalarreta) August 1, 2017

Vincent Bonsignore‏ @DailyNewsVinny
First day of pads for #Rams, first player down. DT Dominique Easley was carted off with an apparent leg injury during team scrimmage

==

Rich Hammond @Rich_Hammond
McVay didn’t have an immediate update on Dominique Easley or Tavon Austin, whom McVay said might have a minor “tissue” issue.

==

Gary Klein‏ @LATimesklein
Rams WR Tavon Austin also being evaluated after not finishing workout.

==

Myles Simmons‏ @MylesASimmons
A “Spruuuuuuce” chant breaks out after the WR makes a diving catch in 11-on-11. Was a bullet from Mannion.

==

Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer

Best play from Rams training camp, Day 4: Nelson Spruce dove across the middle during 7-on-7 work to catch a Jared Goff pass, prompting a small “Spruuuuce” chant from the crowd. He was an undrafted free agent who sat out his rookie year, but there’s still some excitement about him.

http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0684188429260427596-4

Rookie report, from Day 4 of Rams training camp: TE Travis Wilson, the former Utah QB who’s fighting for a roster spot, used his 6-foot-7 frame to turn in a highlight reel catch, reaching high over a defensive back to haul one in and stay inbounds in the back of the end zone.

http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0684203406293733876-4

==

Storm clouds hovered over UC Irvine. Rams shut down first padded practice 15 minutes early. Lot of red zone work. pic.twitter.com/v3vVlj5XRn

— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) August 1, 2017

zn wrote:

#RamsCamp LIVE Day 4

Dani Klupenger, Myles Simmons and D’Marco Farr talk all things Rams Training Camp following the first full day of pads.

http://www.therams.com/videos/videos/RamsCamp-LIVE-Day-4/c540590c-4ac2-4d2b-a7d3-598044da8dfe

A lot of praise for Ebukam’s performance in special teams drills.

Five Observations from the First Day in Pads

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Five-Observations-from-the-First-Day-in-Pads/7e1b90ff-dc43-4ebc-a1a6-35e320efa80f

The Rams had their first practice of the summer in pads on Tuesday afternoon, bringing more energy to training camp. Here are five observations from the session.

1) Pads

After three practices without them, the Rams put on pads for the first time since New Year’s Day to begin the month of August. As head coach Sean McVay termed it on Wednesday, practice began to fee a bit more like “real football,” even though the plays weren’t “live” with defenders tackling to the ground.

“I thought it was a good tempo that we had on both sides,” McVay said following Tuesday’s session. “I thought there were some plays that the defense made and then I thought the offense made some plays as well. One of the things you appreciated is that it was a good, physical practice – guys were trying to be smart staying off the ground and I think we were able to accomplish that while getting a good, competitive practice.”

One position group that immediately benefits from having the pads on is the offensive line. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth said practice becomes “less frustrating” when this day comes.

“When you don’t have pads on, it’s very hard to get a hold of guys. It’s very hard to hit, punch, and shove, and do all the things we need to do to be successful moving people,” Whitworth said. “It’s really hard to do with loose shirts and jerseys on. So I think for us, it starts to kind of settle in to real football, and we get to do what offensive linemen do.”

2) Whitworth vs. Quinn

Speaking of the Rams’ new left tackle, today was the first time we’ve seen him go against outside linebacker Robert Quinn in pads. It’s a matchup of elite players that’s fun to watch, particularly in one-on-one situations.

“It’s fun. Obviously for me, it’s probably the quickest guy you’re going to play in the league — he’s as fast as fast gets. So I think it’s a lot of fun,” Whitworth said. “For me, it’s a chance at my age, really, to keep up with a guy with that kind of quickness. I think it only helps me, it only makes me better. And it gives me the opportunity for me and him to work together.”

In today’s one-on-one matchup between them, Quinn won the first rep with a spin move and Whitworth washed Quinn up and out of the pocket on the second. As Whitworth said, each player should make the other better throughout camp.

3) Special teams standout

For the last few years, special teams coordinator John Fassel has put together a “compete” drill for the first practice with pads. This year was no different.

Two players — usually of similar size — line up against one another. One player has to get to a tackling dummy about 15 yards away. The other player has to stop his opponent from reaching that dummy. There are just about no other rules. Rush to the dummy, or block for the dummy.

“You’re looking for guys that can run,” Fassel said of this drill a year ago. “I love to see guys that use the techniques we’ve been working on all OTAs — which have been unpadded — and the last two days. And that’s all we’ve done, is we’ve worked on the techniques that hopefully will help them out today.

“So who’s doing the right thing, who’s fighting and scrapping, who shows that they can run, and who’s also being smart about not committing penalties and those types of things,” he continued. “They stand out.”

Who stood out on Tuesday? Rookie outside linebacker Samson Ebukam. He dominated the three reps he had in the drill — both in rushing the dummy and blocking for the dummy. Ebukam has flashed a bit over the first few days of practice defensively. But this was a solid sign that the Eastern Washington product has some strong special teams skills.

4) Injuries

Both wide receiver Tavon Austin and defensive tackle Dominique Easley exited practice due to injury and did not return. After the session, McVay said that both were being evaluated and that he did not have a firm update.

For more on both players, check out our full story here.

5) It rained in Southern California

The Rams ended practice a bit early on Tuesday for an unexpected reason — it was raining in Southern California.

You may have heard it never rains here, but alas, rain it does.

But the more concerning aspect were the lightning strikes. Once club officials noticed those, it was time to get off the field about 10-to-15 minutes early.

“We had some lighting close in the area,” McVay said. “I want to always first be thinking about the players’ safety and with the amount of time that it’s going to take for us to be able to clear that and kind of where we were at in practice, we decided to call it.

“We felt like we got a lot of our work in,” McVay added. “There were still a couple of things that we wanted to get done, but just being mindful of the situation, we felt like that was the best decision for us to make.”