Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › Player vids & articles: Quick, Will Herring, Davis, Donald, Saffold, Watts
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October 8, 2014 at 4:59 pm #9412
RamBillParticipantGet to know more about St. Louis Rams wide receiver Brian Quick. (5:08)
http://www.rams-news.com/under-the-lights-rams-wr-brian-quick-video/
October 8, 2014 at 4:59 pm #9353RamBillParticipantRyan Riddle joined Kevin Wheeler on 101ESPN to discuss Austin Davis and the phenomenal performances he’s had, fixing the mistakes that come with a young team, the up and coming talent we see with Aaron Donald, and a preview of the Rams/49ers. (10:29)
October 10, 2014 at 9:19 am #9414RamBillParticipantCasey Phillips talks with newly signed Rams linebacker Will Herring.
http://www.rams-news.com/get-to-know-new-rams-lb-will-herring-video/
October 10, 2014 at 10:20 pm #9444
znModeratorHerring excited for opportunity with Rams
By Nate Latsch
http://stl.scout.com/story/1462355-herring-excited-for-opportunity-with-rams
ST. LOUIS — There were good things and bad things for Will Herring about being out of football for the first time since seventh grade. He was excited to spend more time with his family, but watching the NFL go on without him for the first time in eight seasons was tough.
“I still knew I wanted to play and I knew I could play,” said Herring, who signed with the Rams this week to contribute on special teams and be a reserve linebacker. “So I’m excited to be here. I know these coaches, these scouts, know what they are doing when they are evaluating and they wouldn’t have brought me on board if they didn’t think I could help this team, so I’m just excited to help out.”
Herring, 31, has made his living on special teams since the Seattle Seahawks selected him in the fifth round of the 2007 draft out of Auburn. After four seasons with the Seahawks, he played three years with the New Orleans Saints, including being there special teams captain in 2013.
The veteran linebacker’s reputation preceded him at Rams Park, coach Jeff Fisher said following Thursday’s practice. The organization thought he’d be a good fit to fill the role of recently released second-year linebacker Ray Ray Armstrong.
“He could be plugged in any place on our special teams, our big four because he’s done everything,” Fisher said. “He’s got the respect. He automatically walks in and has the respect of the room because people that played against him know. They know what he’s capable of doing. He understands hard work and he’s going to prepare himself.”
The 6-foot-3, 241-pounder said he got a phone call on Monday to come work out in St. Louis on Tuesday.
Herring said the Rams worked out four players, running them through drills, and later that day signed two of them, Herring to the 53-man roster and Marshall McFadden, a first-year player out of South Carolina State, to the 10-member practice squad.
Herring signed with the Dallas Cowboys this offseason but his contract was terminated after the team expressed concerns about a previous injury.
“There’s no hard feelings against them,” Herring said. “I got there and they were concerned about a knee injury that happened seven years ago. I hadn’t missed time since I came back six years ago. I was kind of taken aback. But honestly it wasn’t meant to be. This is where God had me in store and so I’m just thrilled to be here.”
Herring said he was one of about 10 players who worked out for the Tennessee Titans a few weeks ago, but the team only signed one. So the veteran linebacker had to wait for his next opportunity.
His opportunity here also reunites him with Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who was Herring’s defensive coordinator in his first season with the Saints.
“A lot of the terminology is the same,” Herring said. “We’re still running some of the base stuff. There are some new stuff mixed in, so I’m still learning some of the new stuff, but it definitely has helped in the transition.”
The veteran will be counted on right away to contribute on special teams, something he did well in 2013 in his final season with the Saints. He ranked second on the squad with 12 special teams tackles, forced a fumble and also recorded an interception.
“That’s what they’ve communicated to me,” Herring said. “They want me to come in and help out on the core four special teams. That’s kind of what I’ve made a living doing for the last seven years and I’m just excited to be where I am and do what I’ve done.”
Herring has the right mentality to succeed in that spot.
“Everybody has got a job in here,” he said, “whether it’s to be the starting quarterback and the guy that touches the ball every time or if you’re a guy that may not get a lot of credit and you just have to grind like these guys in the trenches, these o-linemen, and special teams guys we take a lot of pride in doing the dirty work and the behind the scenes opening up running lanes for some of our talented returners. But it’s been a lot of fun, though.”
October 11, 2014 at 11:16 am #9454znModeratorNiners Digest: Quick becoming a factor for Rams passing game
Chris Biderman
http://sfo.scout.com/story/1462347-quick-becoming-a-factor-for-rams-passing-game
Believe it or not, the Rams have the league’s sixth-ranked passing offense with third-string quarterback Austin Davis at the helm. A big reason has been the development of receiver Brian Quick.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – One of the criticisms of the Rams in recent seasons has been their inability to draft and develop receivers.
Much of that criticism was pointed at wideout Brian Quick, who was taken with the first pick in the second round in 2012 and had just 29 receptions in his first two seasons. But that criticism might be taking a sharp turn given Quick’s play over his last two games.
Quick combined for three touchdown catches in losses to the Eagles and Cowboys, setting a new career high after having two in each of his first two seasons. His yardage is also up significantly, averaging 80.5 per game after posting 18.9 in 2013.
“To me, he’s just playing with a lot more confidence and knowledge of the game,” 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. “More aggressiveness, going to get the ball, feeling comfortable knowing the routes he’s running. Being in the same system now since he’s been there. I see a damn good receiver.”
The Rams invested seven draft picks in receivers since 2010 and await their first 700-yard season since Torry Holt in 2008. Last year, tight end Jared Cook led the team with 671 yards and five touchdowns.
Of course, the main problem in St. Louis has been the Rams’ quarterback situation. For the second straight season former No.1-overall pick Sam Bradford suffered a torn ACL ending his year prematurely. Last year it happened in Week 7, this year in the preseason.
But being forced to play with reserve QB Austin Davis hasn’t prevented Quick taking steps toward realizing his potential St. Louis saw when drafting him. Davis has excelled at throwing the ball down field, compiling a 122 passer rating on passes longer than 10 yards. Quick has been a recipient of 12 of those 26 completions.
But it isn’t just Quick who stands out to Fangio in St. Louis passing game.
“The whole receiving corps is very impressive and a versatile group,” he said. “They’ve got two really fast guys in (Chris) Givens and (Tavon) Austin. And then you’ve got Quick and (Kenny) Britt, who are size guys. They’ve got good receiving tight ends. It’s a good receiving group.”
Even with Davis, who came into the season as third on the QB depth chart, the Rams have the league’s sixth-ranked passing attack, averaging 284 yards per game.
“He understands the offense, this is his third year in the system now,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said on a conference call this week. “This is his first opportunity this year to play with the supporting cast. He’s trusting them, they’re making plays for him, and he’s got a good feel for what he’s doing. He’s got some mobility, he can extend plays, move around the pocket, you need to be able to do that these days.”
The last time the 49ers faced a backup quarterback, the Cardinals Drew Stanton burned them in a loss Week 3 with a pair of third-quarter touchdown passes.
Facing a backup quarterback can be a disadvantage for a defense without a strong sample of game tape to pull information from.
“Fortunately, he’s played the last three games for them. And he came in the first game, too, at some point,” Fangio said. “So, really we’ve got as much tape on him as we would have if the other guy had still been the quarterback.”
San Francisco has strung together a pair of strong defensive efforts since that game against the Eagles and Chiefs, allowing just one touchdown pass – a bubble screen to Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce (De’Anthony Thomas’ touchdown in the third quarter last week has since been ruled a rushing touchdown).
Quick has done the majority of his damage in the middle of the field, where he could line up against rookie nickel corner Jimmie Ward. At 6’4″, quick shares a similar stature to Brandon Marshall, who beat Ward for three touchdown’s in Week 2’s loss to the Bears.
But Ward has shown incremental improvement since that game, his second in the NFL.
“(Ward) took ownership of those plays. They were tough plays,” Fangio said. “He’s not the first guy that’s given up a play to that guy in particular, especially in that part of the field. And he learned from it and moved on.”
October 11, 2014 at 11:37 am #9455RamBillParticipantAustin Davis set for toughest test yet
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12517/austin-davis-set-for-toughest-test-yet
EARTH CITY, Mo. — St. Louis Rams quarterback Austin Davis has been one of the team’s most pleasant surprises in this young season.
Pushed into starting because of an injury to veteran Shaun Hill, Davis not only held the fort but played well enough to earn the starting job on a more permanent basis. Through three starts and four games, Davis is completing 67.8 percent of his passes with 1,129 yards and six touchdowns. And, over the past two weeks, Davis has put together back-to-back games with at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in the air, the first to do that since Kurt Warner in 2001.
Davis deserves plenty of credit for faring well in those games but it’s worth noting he’s been doing it against Tampa Bay (30th in the NFL in pass defense), Philadelphia (29th) and Dallas (18th). Obviously, Davis has helped skew those numbers as well but he and the Rams have yet to face a defense as imposing as San Francisco’s second-ranked unit.
The Niners enter Monday night’s matchup fourth in the league in pass defense, allowing just 205.6 yards per game in the air, and fifth in run defense, surrendering just 77.2 yards per game on the ground.
In other words, this will be a big step up for Davis and the Rams and it’s only the beginning of a stretch in which the Rams are set to face other top defenses such as Seattle, San Diego and Kansas City, all of whom rank in the top 12 in the league.
“We don’t look ahead,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “But, four of our next five are in the division and so we’re going to find out a lot about ourselves. That’s not only Austin but everybody on both sides of the ball.”
For Davis, though, it might be the biggest leap considering he’s been present but hasn’t played against a defense as physical and talented as what the Niners are bringing to the table. Even without suspended star pass-rusher Aldon Smith and injured lynchpin linebacker NaVorro Bowman, the beat simply goes on in San Francisco where the Niners plug someone else in and he produces.
And even without Smith and Bowman, the Niners still boast dominant mainstays like lineman Justin Smith, linebackers Patrick Willis and Ahmad Brooks, and safety Antoine Bethea.
“I think they’re probably the best all-around defense we’ve seen so far,” Davis said. “The secondary’s really good. They’ve got probably the best linebacker in the game in Patrick Willis. Everyone knows what he can do. They’re really good up front. Huge, huge challenge for us and I think we’re ready for it.”
For as long as Jim Harbaugh has been in charge in San Francisco and employed Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator, there hasn’t been much guesswork when it comes to figuring out what San Francisco wants to do defensively. The Niners still work from a base 3-4 defense which goes about its job without much pomp and circumstance.
It’s a simple concept but the Niners do what they do extremely well at all levels. That means very little blitzing (their 14.9 percent blitz percentage is second-lowest in the league) and relying on the defensive front to generate pressure.
“Their system’s outstanding,” Fisher said. “They plug people in. They’ve always had great depth. They don’t give up a lot of big plays. They keep things in front of them and they’re very good against the run. So, it’s going to be a huge challenge for us to find a way to run the football because we’re going to need to do that to keep their offense off the field.”
Davis has made a strong impression in his first three starts but his long-term future as the starting quarterback will come into focus more as more of the top defenses line up across from him. It begins on Monday night.
October 11, 2014 at 8:04 pm #9471RamBillParticipantAaron Donald ready for expanded role
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12562/aaron-donald-ready-for-expanded-role
EARTH CITY, Mo. — St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams wasn’t shy about his praise for rookie defensive tackle Aaron Donald when asked about him Saturday afternoon.
Williams pointed to Donald’s ability to quickly acclimate to the NFL game in the first four weeks and his professional approach as reasons he’s been impressed. Apparently, he’s been good enough to merit an expanded role against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night.
“He would be a guy that I hope you guys have a chance to take a good look at this week,” Williams said. “He’s had a really, really good week of practice. Looking forward for him to get a chance to have opportunities to play the way we want him to play. It’s the same way he played in college. He’s a very quick, instinctive player. He feels very comfortable in what we’re doing. This week for whatever reason, it felt like the light came on a little bit more for him, even a little bit more.”
Through his first four games, Donald has been coming off the bench as part of the team’s defensive line rotation. He’s averaged right at 25 snaps per game in those appearances, mostly in pass situations.
Donald has fared well enough in those limited opportunities that his getting more chances was a matter of when, not if. According to Rams’ coaches review of the game film, Donald has been one of the team’s most productive defensive linemen and clearly the most productive among the interior group. Their reviews have Donald down for 20 tackles, the team’s lone sack, four quarterback pressures and four quarterback hits.
Clearly, Donald has been better than just a situational role player and from the sound of it, he’ll soon be used as such.
“I feel like I’ve been improving each week, getting better, getting better, getting more comfortable out there,” Donald said. “Come game time, things are slowing down out there for me so I’m excited about this week. I’m ready for it. This is what I’ve been working for. It’s my time so I’m just going to try to get out there and fly around.”
Beyond his early production in games, Donald has also left a positive impression with how he carries himself in the locker room. According to Williams, Donald is one of the first players in and last players to leave in nearly every situation. Donald regularly arrives at Rams Park up to two hours before he’s supposed to so he can watch extra film, a practice he began at the University of Pittsburgh and has brought with him to the NFL.
“It’s fun to be around him and you guys don’t get a chance to see it as much as I do, is that he’s the first one here in the morning,” Williams said. “He’s the first one in the meeting room. He’s out here on the practice field before the guys set the practice up. He takes this thing seriously and it’s fun to be around that kind of a guy. Hopefully success wise, he gets a little bit of success and he’ll only prosper.”
October 12, 2014 at 2:02 am #9485RamBillParticipant
Rams notes: Rams rookie Donald impressing Williams
• By Joe LyonsRams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams likes what he’s seen of rookie defensive tackle Aaron Donald and saw positive work from the first-round draft pick in practice this week.
“His acclimation to the pro game, he’s done a tremendous job,’’ Williams said following Saturday’s workout. “He’s had a really, really good week in practice. Looking forward for him to get a chance to have opportunities to play the way we want him to play. It’s the same way he played in college. He’s a very quick, instinctive player. He feels very comfortable in what we’re doing. This week, for whatever reason, it felt like the light came on a little bit more for him.
“When I was watching him practice, watching him prepare … it’s fun to be around him. … He’s the first one here in the morning. He’s the first one in the meeting room, He’s out here on the practice field before the guys set practice up. He takes this thing seriously and it’s fun to be around that kind of guy.”
Donald, a 23-year-old from the University of Pittsburgh who has 20 tackles and the Rams’ lone sack this fall, said he likes to arrive early to watch film.
“It’s something I did in college that helped me,’’ he said. “I’m not going to stop doing what got me here.
“I feel like I’ve been improving each week, getting better, getting more comfortable out there. Things have been slowing down for me out there, so I’m excited about this week. I’m ready for it — this is what I’ve been working for — it’s my time, so I’m just going to try to get out there and fly around.’’
NEW GUY IN TOWN
The newest Ram, linebacker Will Herring, has a little history with the club, but it’s probably something he’ll keep to himself.
In 2010, while playing for Seattle, Herring recorded his first — and only — NFL sack in a 20-3 Rams’ victory here. That same season, in the regular-season finale with the NFC West title and a playoff berth on the line, Herring picked off then-rookie Sam Bradford for Herring’s first NFL interception in the fourth quarter of a 16-6 Seattle victory.
“I’m not going to rub it in or anything,’’ Herring said earlier this week. “But that (interception) was a big moment for me, kind of early in my career. I was fortunate to make a play.’’
Herring, 31, signed with the Rams earlier this week to fill the void created when linebacker Ray Ray Armstrong was waived. The 6-foot-3, 241-pound Herring spent the first four years of his career in Seattle and the last three in New Orleans. Last year, he was the Saints’ special teams captain.
“My contract was up and I just never re-signed with them,’’ Herring explained. “I went through the offseason and thought I had a deal worked out with Dallas, (but) it fell through. I just told my agent I’d like to just sit tight … (but) I knew I still wanted to play ball.’’
Herring was one of four linebackers to work out for the Rams on Tuesday. That group also included Marshall McFadden, 28, who was signed to the Rams’ practice squad. McFadden played one game with Pittsburgh in 2012 and four with Oakland last year.
“I’m thrilled to be here, thrilled to be part of this thing Coach Fisher’s got going,’’ Herring said. “I played for (Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams) in New Orleans, so I know what to expect with him. Meeting with ‘Bones’ (Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel), he’s been great.’’
Herring played at Auburn and was the leading tackler in his final two seasons there, making the move from safety to outside linebacker as a senior. A fifth-round draft pick by Seattle in 2007, he has a reputation as a solid special teams player.
“I’ve kind of embraced that (special teams) role the last few years,’’ he said. “I’m excited to just come in and do whatever they ask of me.’’
Rams coach Jeff Fisher likes Herring’s versatility.
“He could be plugged in anyplace on our special teams … because he’s done everything,’’ the coach said. “He automatically walks in and has the respect of the room because people that played against him know. They know what he’s capable of doing. He understands hard work and he’s going to prepare himself.’’
Herring, who said he’s doing everything he can be ready for Monday night’s game with San Francisco, played some defense with the Saints under Williams in 2011.
“He fits in very well as a leadership locker room guy and he’ll fit in very well with his special teams play,’’ Williams said.
INJURY REPORT
After another full practice on Saturday, running back Zac Stacy is listed as probable for the 49er game.
“Feeling pretty good, got a chance to move around a little, just getting ready for Monday,’’ said Stacy, who left last week’s game with a strained calf. “The trainers did a great job. I’m ready to go.’’
Wide receiver Kenny Britt (knee) and defensive end Eugene Sims (groin) are also probable, with linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar (groin), center Barrett Jones (back), running back Chase Reynolds and defensive tackle Alex Carrington (knee) as questionable. Cornerbacks Trumaine Johnson (knee) and Brandon McGee (foot) have been ruled out for Monday’s game.
San Francisco has ruled out cornerback Tramaine Brock (toe) and have tackle Anthony Davis (knee/ankle), tight end Vernon Davis (back), center Marcus Martin (knee) and linebacker Nick Moody (hamstring) listed questionable. The 49ers’ probables are defensive end Justin Smith (not injury related), defensive end Tony Jerod-Eddie (shoulder), defensive end Ray McDonald (knee), defensive tackle Ian Williams (ankle), punter Andy Lee (ankle) and cornerback Chris Cook (quadriceps).
Brock and Davis have not practiced this week.
Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
October 12, 2014 at 10:08 am #9493RamBillParticipantCasey Phillips catches up with running back Trey Watts prior to the Monday Night showdown with San Francisco.
http://www.rams-news.com/trey-watts-on-the-rbs-we-feed-off-each-other-video/
October 12, 2014 at 10:13 am #9494RamBillParticipantRodger Saffold talks to the media after practice as the Rams prepare to face the 49ers on Monday Night Football.
http://www.rams-news.com/saffold-were-going-to-have-to-be-on-our-a-game-vs-49ers-video/
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