Fisher: Goff likely to open season as No. 3 quarterback

Fisher: Goff likely to open season as No. 3 quarterback
Posted by Zac Jackson on September 2, 2016, 12:33 AM EDT

Rams rookie quarterback Jared Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, started Thursday night’s preseason finale.

After the game, Rams coach Jeff Fisher praised Goff’s work and the progress he made through the preseason but Fisher said Goff, who’s just 21, is not yet ready for real game action. Asked if he was confident Goff could be the primary backup to starter Case Keenum in the regular season, Fisher said Goff would likely start the season as the team’s No. 3 quarterback, which means he could be inactive on game days early in the season.

“I think it’s going to take a bit more time,” Fisher told reporters. “That’s not to say he can’t be a No. 2 or start, but if we were starting right now, I’d probably have Sean [Mannion] as the No. 2. Because it’s all about being patient with [Goff].

“He’s not frustrated or anything. He took some hits. He got hit pretty hard last week, and Sunday was a tough day for him, which you guys didn’t see. But he did everything he needed to do.”

In another press conference give-and-take Fisher said Goff “is not ready, but he’s really made significant progress.”

The Rams gave Goff some reps with the starters throughout training camp, but the plan since the spring has been to start Keenum.

Mainstream Media: Defeat Trump by Attacking His Supporters

First they come after you, then they target your family and business relationships

By Ken Kurson • 09/01/16 8:00am

It is no secret that the mainstream media has decided that the threat presented by a possible Donald Trump presidency is so grave that it has suspended even the illusion of objectivity. Writing in The New York Times, media columnist Jim Rutenberg granted permission to his fellow journalists “to throw out the textbook American journalism has been using for the better part of the past half-century, if not longer, and approach it in a way you’ve never approached anything in your career.”

The Observer and others have detailed the ways in which traditional media companies and even tech companies have colluded to maximize negative coverage of Trump and minimize negative coverage of his opponent, Hillary Clinton. But it doesn’t end there. As Rutenberg described, many journalists feel the need to “move closer than you’ve ever been to being oppositional.”

That opposition has extended into new and uncharted territory. In the coordinated effort to stop a dangerous candidate from obtaining, to use Rutenberg’s breathless description of the stakes, “control of the United States nuclear codes,” the mainstream media has taken not just to bashing Trump but to extracting a price even from those who support him.

There are a hundred examples, but here are just a few headlines that tell the story:

Daily Beast: “Trump’s Doctor ‘Overmedicated’ Patients Who Died in His Care”
Washington Post: “The contractor that designs Ivanka Trump’s clothes does not offer a single day of paid maternity leave”
New York Times: “Peter Thiel’s Embrace of Trump Has Silicon Valley Squirming”
Let’s look at each of these. While I don’t doubt that self-identified right-wing sites would look into the record of Hillary Clinton’s doctors, it’s much harder to imagine a site like Daily Beast, which fancies itself a centrist outlet (and is even edited by my old Rudy Giuliani speechwriting buddy, John Avlon), expending that kind of investigative energy on Hillary’s non-political professionals. The message is clear: If you associate with Trump, we will rummage through your past.

The attacks on Trump supporters extend even beyond Trump relatives to include, bizarrely, the relatives of supporters.

As for The Washington Post story, the message was equally clear. While children of presidential candidates have long been considered off limits by the mainstream media, the Post clearly smelled danger in the crossover appeal of a successful, presentable working mother. Ivanka Trump (who, for the thousandth time, is married to the Observer’s publisher) runs a company that is not only among the 10 percent to provide paid maternity leave, but also offers unlimited vacation and sick days and flexible work schedules. So the Post attacked a company that Ivanka’s company does business with, only they implied that Ivanka was responsible for that company’s business practices. The Post later attached an editor’s note and clarified the story to “indicate that Ivanka Trump has no direct managerial role in G-III Apparel Group,” but the damage had been done and the misleading headline remains to this day. Plus, there’s the original URL of the story—which is important in search engine optimization. It has not been corrected and still gives the false implication that Ivanka herself is not providing paid maternity leave.

Then there’s the Peter Thiel story. His actions in supporting Trump supposedly have his industry peers “squirming,” according to The New York Times. Yet Clinton supporters who represent industries in which she is unpopular are portrayed as principled and loyal Democrats. Consider that Politico reported “Clinton haunted by coal country comment.” Clinton said, “We’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.” Local officials sent a letter to Sen. Joe Manchin saying, “Bill and Hillary Clinton are simply not welcome in our town.” So how come not a single supporter of hers, including Sen. Manchin and Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, is said to be making West Virginia “squirm”?

Where are the mainstream investigations of Hillary’s doctors? Or the business practices of Chelsea Clinton? How is it that none of Hillary’s supporters has any industry “squirming”?

The attacks on Trump supporters extend even beyond Trump relatives to include, bizarrely, the relatives of supporters. Buzzfeed did a whole story on whether Josh Kushner’s business would be hurt by the fact that—can you follow this?—his brother’s wife’s father is the presidential candidate. Is that the standard? Has there been a single article anywhere about the business prospects of Marc Mezvinsky’s siblings? The writer of the Buzzfeed story—the talented reporter Nitasha Tiku, who worked at the Observer and was happy to cash checks signed by Jared Kushner when she did—contacted several colleagues of Josh Kushner to determine whether they’d still be comfortable doing business with Kushner’s investment firm, Thrive Capital. The Trump-opposing tech investor Chris Sacca is characterized by Tiku as saying, “The Trump connection might have affected Thrive directly.” The message from the MSM is clear: Support Donald Trump, and you—and maybe even your family—will be ridiculed, investigated and ignored.

The Observer itself provides another good example. Our traffic and users have grown more than five times since January 2013, from 1.3 million unique users reading 3 million pages a month to 6 million unique users reading 17 million pages a month. This information is easily available. And yet, from the time this contentious, ornery campaign took shape, our documented-to-death Trump connection has been revealed in the way the Observer itself has been covered.

Politico wrote about us, “The paper’s editorials, which had largely ceased having influence…” I showed the reporter data proving that many more people read our editorials today than read them five years ago and I asked him to explain how he reached the conclusion that they had “largely ceased having influence.” He told me, “My editor wrote that line.” He said he’d get back to me if he got an answer. He never did. Esquire‘s hit piece on Jared Kushner called the Observer “a once venerable newspaper” without even pretending to offer an explanation of what made it venerable in the past or why it’s no longer so, despite the increased revenue, readership, staff, investment in journalism or other facts I would have been happy to provide had anyone asked.

The Daily Beast wrote that, “Kushner and the paper’s editor in chief, Ken Kurson, were the object of controversy and staff protests and resignations.” Got that? Staff resignations with an s, as in plural. Actually it’s been one staff resignation, a writer who was not the “top reporter” (he was No. 2 on a three-person team) that CNN crowed about in its headline. Given the constant turnover throughout the Observer’s history, long before Trump ran for president, it’s striking that CNN would devote a headline to this boring-as-hell non-event.

There’s another tactic employed by the mainstream media that’s inversely related to punishing Trump supporters—rewarding Hillary supporters.

Then there’s just the general anti-Observer snark. It’s been a fact of life, especially since our beloved longtime editor Peter Kaplan left the paper in 2009, but has been dialed to 11 since Trump began his unlikely ascent in American politics. A telling example involves a trifling story we ran, in which New York Times editor-in-chief Dean Baquet said “Fuck You” to a reporter he thought had used racist language. To me, it was the exact kind of funny and revealing little insider story that Kaplan would have loved (and I don’t claim to speak for him, despite the generous way he fed me advice even though I didn’t start here till four years after he left). Nonetheless, some media types, eager for any opportunity to celebrate the Observer’s demise, pounced. The Times‘ own Willy Staley, for example, tweeted out the story and insightfully commented, “The Observer has become so fucking weird!” Staley did not know at the time that Baquet himself praised the story, calling it “Perfectly fair.” It has been fun to watch the media simultaneously declare the Observer totally irrelevant but also responsible for electing the president of the United States.

At least Gawker was less circumspect in its disapproval of what takes place here. In lambasting our paper’s endorsement of Trump in the Republican primary (we also endorsed Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary, which understandably generated far less coverage), Hamilton Nolan wrote “The New York Observer, which was once a good newspaper, is endorsing the owner’s wife’s dad for president.” That’s at least funny, and it acknowledges by stating as a fact that the Observer was once good that the idea that Observer is no longer a “good newspaper” is Nolan’s opinion, rather than trying to hide behind fact-ish-sounding writing like “once venerable” or “largely ceased having influence.”

There’s another tactic employed by the mainstream media that’s inversely related to punishing Trump supporters—rewarding Hillary supporters. Not just any Hillary supporters, but those brave Republicans who are putting country ahead of party by supporting Clinton.

Search for “Republicans back Hillary” in Google and you get “There are now dozens of big-name Republicans supporting Hillary” (Washington Post), “The Republicans Who Support Hillary Clinton Over Donald Trump” (The Atlantic), “Which Republicans Are Against Donald Trump? A Cheat Sheet (also The Atlantic), “At Least 110 Republican Leaders Won’t Vote for Donald Trump. Here’s When They Reached Their Breaking Point.” (New York Times), “Here are the Republicans Voting for Hillary Clinton Over Donald” (Time), and “The Biggest GOP Names Backing Hillary Clinton—So Far (The Daily Beast).

Enter “Democrats back Trump” and you get a story from The Hill from January and a Toledo Blade story.

The simple explanation would be that tons of Republicans back Hillary while few Democrats back Trump. But that narrative defies the reality of a Republican primary that drew record numbers of new GOP registrants and set a new record for votes cast, unlike the Democratic contest. And with the candidates roughly tied in the polls (the LA Times, for example, has Trump up by three points), there’s no way a “wave” of Republican Trump rejecters cannot be equaled by roughly the same number of Democrat Hillary rejecters. Unless the polling is drastically undercounting Hillary supporters (most think it’s more likely to be undercounting Trump voters, who have been shamed out of telling a pollster they support such a “dangerous” candidate), there have to be at least as many Trump Democrats as there are Hillary Republicans. But the media isn’t interested in finding them.

What’s even more surprising than the media suddenly cheering someone like former Bush aide Paul Wolfowitz, who was universally loathed by the MSM up until the moment he announced his support for Hillary, has been the way the press issues valentines to Republicans no one has never heard of. How did Maria Comella, a press aide to Chris Christie, merit 1,200 words and a “First on CNN” feature on air simply by declaring her support for Hillary?

Republican candidates have long complained about the bias in American media. Most of the time it’s nonsense. John McCain courted the favorable opinion of The New York Times so aggressively and for so long that it was almost fun to see him crying about how tough it was to run against a media darling like Barack Obama in 2008. Mitt Romney, who really did suffer from poor coverage, mostly had himself to blame—secret tapes about 47 percent freeloaders may have been reported by Mother Jones, but they weren’t manufactured by Mother Jones. And the alleged bias can sometimes work to a Republican’s advantage. When George W. Bush called New York Times reporter Adam Clymer a “major league asshole,” probably as many people admired the future president’s authenticity as chastised him for his uncouth remarks.

What’s different here is the dropping of even the pretense of objectivity. In unilaterally determining that Donald Trump is unfit even to be covered objectively—to the point that he must be disqualified by any means necessary—the mainstream media has set a dangerous precedent.

Mainstream Media: Defeat Trump by Attacking His Supporters

OCRamRe

Just got back from practice. It was my 11th practice this year. It was the most spirited one to date. Here’s a couple of highlights:

After individual position drills the team did some 11 on 11. You could here the players taking jabs at each other. The defense took some liberties with some extra contact that you don’t normally see in intra squad practices. Specifically, Terrance Magee helmet was knocked of on a run play. It was the 3’s vs 3’s, but there was a lot of talking going on. Once the period was over, they continued the 11 vs 11 on a different part of the field. After a few plays Cooper caught a ball over the middle and was hit high by Mo Alexander. Cooper was immediately checked by the medical staff and was definitely woozy. He went to the locker room and didn’t return. The offense wasn’t happy. The intensity continued and really started to come to a head when Benny Cunningham caught a ball in the flat and was hit but didn’t go down. He continued to run looking back at the defender saying something when out nowhere came Alec Ogletree who then laid him out. Pushing and shoving began. There was a big scrum which was broken up. On the very next play Gurley took the handoff and was met by a trio of defenders, one being Alec Ogletree, who then threw him to the ground. Gurley was on the bottom of a huge pile of players. The whole team ran to the scrum. Tavon Austin was throwing hay makers at guys with helmets on (not very smart btw). Jeff Fisher wasn’t happy. He started yelling at the entire team. He made everyone sit on the ground. Told everyone to shut the F*** up. They stretched for several minutes. He then brought the team together. Said a few words, then they continued practice.

I don’t think Alec Ogletree watched last nights episode of Hard Knocks or at least the part about no one touches #30. He seemed especially focused today. I don’t know if the pressure of being the new leader is getting to him or he’s just trying to set the tone for the defense, but he was locked in today. I don’t think he’s happy with the way the defense has played so far.

The offense today consisted of a lot of running plays in the early part of practice, then a lot of short yardage passing game and check downs. It must have been the script for practice, because every throw was 5-10 yards or a check down.

For those who believe Jared Goff is the #3 QB you may want to go to practice sometime. He took half his reps with the 1’s today including all the reps during a walk through period.Sean Mannion maybe got 5 live reps today. As was the case the last two practices I attended.

One other thing on Goff. He’s light years ahead of where he was practice #1. He has made steady progress!!!. Maybe not fast enough for some, but progress non the less. You see the flashes everyday. We just need to be patient. He’ll get there. Let’s see what happens Saturday.

Coples is running with the 3’s on a consistent basis. I don’t think he’s going to make this team. Just my gut feeling!

Higbee is good. He’s been good all camp. Trying not to get too excited about this guy, but he catches everything thrown his way. He even makes contested catches unlike our former tight end who now plays in Green Bay. He caught a TD today in the red zone. He has a knack for getting open there.

Havenstein did individual drills today. He worked off to the side while practice was taking place. He looks to be making progress.

Aaron Donald is a beast. He gets consistent pressure. There are times where its hard for the Offense to practice the plays because he’s in the backfield constantly.

Gaines is our 2nd best corner. We NEED him to stay healthy. Joyner isn’t an outside guy. Needs to play in the slot.

McDonald wasn’t very good early in camp. He seems to be playing much better now.

Barron was back at it today. Looked to be fine.

There’s plenty more to talk about… I’ll save it for another post, another day!!

Goff? Needs work with the ones?

Keenum? Be patient with Goff.

Mannion? Mr. Good Problem to Have looked good against Dallas, see what you have in him.

My own view is you stick with the plan. That means either Goff or Keenum. I can see an argument either way for either one.

Fisher on Troy Hill: (On CB Troy Hill’s performace)

“He did a nice job, not only on defense, but also on special teams. He’s a talented young man who can really run.”

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from the wiki

College career

As a senior in Oregon, Hill finished seventh on the team in tackles with 71. Hill was awarded with a second-team Pac-12 all-conference choice and 14-game starter ranked second in the league (1.46 avg.) in passes defended and 11th nationally. Hill was arrested on December 16, 2013 and suspended from the team after he pleaded guilty to menacing; he was later reinstated to the team.

Professional career

Cincinnati Bengals
On May 8, 2015, the Cincinnati Bengals signed Hill as an undrafted free agent. On September 5, 2015, Hill was waived. The next day on September 6, 2015, Hill was signed to the practice squad. On December 5, 2015, Hill was promoted from the Bengals’ practice squad. On December 24, 2015, Hill was waived.

New England Patriots
On December 25, 2015, the New England Patriots claimed Hill off waivers from the Cincinnati Bengals. On December 30, 2015, Hill was waived.

St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams
On December 31, 2015, the St. Louis Rams claimed Hill off waivers from the New England Patriots.

===

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/profiles/troy-hill?id=2552693

TROY HILL
5’10”
182LBS.

PRO DAY RESULTS

40-yard dash: 4.55 and 4.52 seconds
Vertical jump: 34 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet, 2 inches
Three-cone drill: 6.92 seconds
20-yard short shuttle: 4.18 seconds

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

Ultra-competitive, quick-twitch athlete. Stays low and smooth in backpedal and can throw his hips open quickly from retreat to turn and run. Gobbles up combo routes from zone coverage without busting. Plays with improved instincts and readiness. Reads quarterback’s eyes and is eager to make a play on the ball. Can overlap and make plays outside his area. Was third in nation in 2014 in passes defensed with 19. Takes good angles on the throw and gets hand and arm into framework of the receiver at point of catch to knock throw away. Transitions quickly from coverage into tackler against loose wideout or runner. Has adequate play speed and is an explosive leaper. Will come up and hit with as much force as he can muster.

WEAKNESSES

Skinny, lanky body that could take pounding in trying to tackle NFL running backs. Shows slight stutter step when transitioning from backpedal into change-of-direction mode. Reads receiver’s eyes, but needs to improve with turning to find ball and finish with interceptions. Feisty, but lacking play strength to consistently disengage from big blockers on perimeter. Has to hit low or he needs help to bring down big receivers and running backs as a tackler. Took on 160 yards worth of penalties over last two seasons. Suspended at end of 2013 for violating unspecified team rules and missed bowl game that season following arrest for domestic incident in which he punched a wall and yelled during a dispute with a girlfriend. Plead down to misdemeanor menacing and was sentenced to three years probation. Was also ordered to complete anger treatment program at sentencing. Character must be combed through.

DRAFT PROJECTION

Round 5 or 6

SOURCES TELL US

“When you go back in his history, you find out that he’s always had a chip on his shoulder and that is what fuels him. He uses it to be a better football player. There are some maturity issues with him that concern me, though.” — NFC director of scouting

NFL COMPARISON

Jayron Hosley

BOTTOM LINE

Improved by leaps and bounds from 2013 to 2014 after becoming a full-time starter. Plays with competitive toughness and improving confidence in coverage. Hill has the athleticism and ball skills to be an NFL cornerback, but his slight frame is a substantial concern. Concerns surrounding his off-field character could hurt his draft stock.

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http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1737362/troy-hill

PLAYER OVERVIEW

A three-star cornerback recruit out of high school, Hill committed to Oregon over offers from Washington and Boise State, redshirting in 2010. He saw the field as a redshirt freshman (six starts) and recorded 43 tackles, seven passes defended and one interception. Hill was a reserve corner in 2012 and 2013 and didn’t start any games, but combined for 55 tackles, nine passes defended and one interception off the bench. He returned to the starting line-up as a senior and started 14 games, leading the team in passes defended (19), adding 71 tackles and one interception, earning Second Team All-Pac 12 honors.

Hill earned an invitation to the 2015 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

STRENGTHS:

Fluid body type with loose hips and agile feet…flexible lower body to smoothly change directions and shadow receivers…plays with good-enough speed and multiple gears, including initial burst…alert and aggressive play style with sink-and-drive closing quickness…stays nose-over-toes in press with patient feet…will break down in space with disciplined eyes and vision in run support and as a blitzer. Tough-willed tackler, staying low and striking through his target…plays fearless and not afraid to take chances…improved timing and ballskills in 2014, leading the Pac-12 in passes defended (19) – made the most of his opportunity to start as a senior…spirited competitor who hates to lose and works hard between games.

WEAKNESSES:

Lacks ideal size dimensions with below average height and lean body structure…out-muscled by receivers and lacks the growth potential to add much more bulk, lacking core power…grabby and attracts penalties – improved timing in 2014, but still has room for improvement…ankle-biter at times and launches too low on tackle attempts with poor finishing power…can be taken out of plays easily by blockers.

Lacks a great feel with his back to the ball and needs to better read receivers and get his head turned to locate the ball…route anticipation is rusty, guessing (and guessing wrong) too often…off-field maturity needs vetted – suspended for 2013 bowl game after arrested (Dec. 2013) on misdemeanor charges of menacing and fourth-degree assault during a domestic incident; also served a one-game suspension for a violation of team rules (Nov. 2013).

IN OUR VIEW:

A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Hill ran with the wrong crowd growing up and moved to California as a teenager to focus on football and education. He stayed out of trouble until the 2013 season when he was arrested and off-field decision making became more of a concern for future-type of prospect who flirts with trouble, but is not married to it.

Hill rebounded from his issues on and off the field as a junior, earning a starting role and holding his own – was tested often opposite Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. He has the short-area quickness and long-speed to mirror with the fearless, feisty attitude to match, but lacks the size and strength to compete with every type of receiver – NFL talent is there to stick as a nickel or dime corner if he stays committed to his craft and out of trouble.

===

from Who is CB Troy Hill and How Did the Patriots Just Steal a Stud?

http://www.patspulpit.com/2015/12/25/10666018/who-is-cb-troy-hill-and-how-did-the-patriots-just-steal-a-stud

Hill was rated as a top five cornerback in the draft, was a stout tackler, and was always in position to deter passes in an offensively explosive conference.

The 5’10, 180 lbs Oregon graduate ran a 6.65 three cone at his Pro Day, along with a fantastic 10’2 broad jump and a 34″ vertical. Hill was undrafted partially because he ran an unimpressive 4.55 40 yard dash, but mostly because of a domestic violence charge.

Hill pleaded guilty to “menacing” after punching a wall in a dispute with his girlfriend. He has since gone through anger management and is on probation for one more year. If he has grown from his errors and education, then he offers the Patriots some fantastic depth at cornerback.

Jeff Fisher –– August 21, 2016

(Opening remarks)

“We spent, as we always do the day after the game, looking at things with the staff – both sides and special teams. There’s a lot of good things that happened in this game, and obviously there’s a lot of things that need to be corrected. The positive things, one thing that’s encouraging from an offensive stand-point, is that, from a team stand-point, is that we’ve had seven drives that have gone into the red zone, and we’ve come away with seven touchdowns. That’s a significant improvement over where we were last year. Being realistic, it’s still preseason, but we’re accomplishing what we want to accomplish as we go into the games. I’m pleased with the run game. I was especially pleased with the second-half offense, the offensive line, the backup offensive linemen; they’re making a difference in there. I can see improvement there.

“It was fun to watch (QB) Case (Keenum) operate. It was fun to see (RB) Todd (Gurley) work, in his one and only series. We’ve been waiting to get (TE) (Temarrick) Hemingway back in the game. He made some significant plays for us, not only in the passing game, but in the run game. Overall, offensively, we’re progressing. We’re not where we need to be. I was pleased with Case. Once (QB) Jared (Goff) settled down a little bit, you can see things change. He got on a roll, and in a rhythm and we had the run game helping him. He made some big throws. Disappointed that we didn’t get (QB) Sean (Mannion) in the game, but we hope to get him some reps this coming week at Denver.

“On the defensive side, the defense has not given up any points in the second half the last two games. Is the glass half full, or is it half empty? I’d rather see no points given up in the first half than I would the second half, because your starters are playing the first half. But then again, we’re not game planning, per say. But, too many big plays, too many explosive plays, not enough plays on third down, not enough turnovers by our standards. And of course, the game itself was framed by time of possession. The defense was on the field almost 37 minutes. So, therein lies the problem with getting your offense some reps. We’re a little disappointed we didn’t get more offensive reps, but we made the most of them.

“Special teams, rough start last week on the first play, as we talked about. The Kansas City Chiefs are, not only very well coached, but they have a talented group of special teams players. There are three or four of their players that have been there for a number of years that we got to match up with. And when you talk about individual matchups on special teams, it was really good work for us. We learned some things; some of our younger players learned some things, because they were competing against some of their starting core group of special teams players. (P) Johnny (Hekker) didn’t have the best day yesterday. We’ll work this week. We didn’t necessarily get the ball placed where we wanted to get it placed, but we got a lot of quality work out of our special teams group, especially in the second half. Keep in mind, when you take a player that’s in a 10 or 12 play drive on defense, a linebacker for example, and then he’s got to line up and block on a punt return, or cover a kickoff, or those kinds of things, or a player participates on kickoff return, it puts stress on them. We evaluate based on that. We’ve got some younger players that can play in this league on special teams. Overall, probably the most encouraging thing about the night last night was the fans. The players were talking about it well after the game, how hard it was to hear there at the end. I got word back from (Chiefs QB) Alex Smith, that this is a preseason game, and this place is louder than some of the toughest places that he’s played. The fan participation, and support, and energy was great. We obviously know that’s only going to improve as we hit the regular season.”

(On the level of concern regarding the secondary)

“We need to get better. ‘Mo’ (S Maurice Alexander) didn’t play in the game yesterday. I hope that we’ll get him back in this week. (S) Cody (Davis) stepped in, and Cody did a nice job at the safety position. (S) T.J. (McDonald) is coming on. He’s missed some offseason, but T.J. is coming on. ‘Tru’ (CB Trumaine Johnson) doesn’t like giving up balls, nor do we like to see balls given up on third-and-2 in press coverage for big plays. But he still made some plays there. The corner position still is up in the air on the other side. Be it Lamarcus (Joyner), be it Coty (Sensabaugh), or E.J. (Gaines). Now E.J.’s first time back, I was really pleased with what we saw out of E.J. He sprained an ankle out here in practice a couple days ago. Didn’t know if he was going to able to go, fought through it, went out and made some really big-time tackles. Just kind of reminiscent of the E.J. we had a couple years ago. That’s encouraging. We’ll continue to increase his reps, not only in practice, but also in the final two preseason games.”

(On when a player is out for as long as CB E.J. Gaines was, and what hurdles they have to overcome to get comfortable again)

“It’s the concern that you focus so heavily on rehabbing the injury, that how is the rest of the body going to respond once you get back to full speed. It wasn’t unexpected; you didn’t want it to happen. But he had a hamstring issue that set him back. The ankle sprain last week was just a freak thing that happened in practice. For all intents and purposes, he’s back now. The reps that he got, they’re live reps, they’re contact reps, they’re put your foot in the ground, plant, drive, and go make a tackle. Those are good things to see out of him.”

(On the performance of the defense line against the Chiefs)

“They made some big plays, what do you think the first thing we’re going to talk about is, and that’s going to be the defensive offsides. Those things completely overshadow the big plays that you make up front. Now we got some hits, we got some sacks, we got some hurries, some pressures, and made some tackles for losses. But, the defensive offsides just can’t be a part of what you’re doing. We’re glad it happened. We know why it happened. (Chiefs QB) Nick Foles is really good at it, at the hard count. Nick knows, he’s been here, he’s seen these guys. He’s pulled them offsides all through last year, through the OTAs, and training camp. He knows they’ve got a hair trigger, and he took advantage of it. It’s a good learning experience for our guys. We’ve got to emphasize it in practice. It’s a fine line too, because you can stand there and not get off the ball, and not get to the quarterback, or you can anticipate the snap and get a jump on an offensive lineman and get to the quarterback. You’re going have some, but yesterday, in my estimation, it got out of hand and it got frustrating.”

(On if there is an update on WR Bradley Marquez and DL Ethan Westbrooks)

“Ethan’s fine, he’ll be fine. He should practice this week. I suspected a little worse last night, but got really good news with respect to Marquez. Bradley may miss a week of practice, may miss a game, but considering where we were last might when we left the Coliseum, there was some concern, but today was a good day. It’s nice to get good news from the medical staff, the doctors and the trainers. Hopefully he’ll have a chance to come back this week, if not; it’s not going to be an extended period of time.”

(On if he will keep the same rotation with the quarterbacks in the third preseason game)

“We’ll talk about it later in the week; we haven’t talked as a staff yet. Traditionally, your 1s play a little bit longer, sometimes in years past; we have gone through the halftime experience and come back out. For some of the guys, that’s a first time thing. If you get used to just coming out and playing a quarter and sitting around, once the season starts, that doesn’t happen – you have to go through the halftime experience. Some of the guys will go through the halftime experience – I don’t know, at this point, how many of them will – but you’re going to see more reps from the starters. Our expectations are that (DE) Rob Quinn is going to play for us this week, which will be good. I know he’s excited about it. There will be some selected guys that we’ll keep their reps down, for whatever reason. You’re going to see them play a little bit longer. From a scheme standpoint, Denver – obviously they’re the world champs, they’re very well-coached, they can rush the passer, they can run the football, they play good defense – we may spend a little extra time giving the guys a chance just to be successful. Most important going into this thing is we want to continue to protect our quarterback.”

(On if QB Jared Goff has shown enough to prove that he can be the opening day starter)

“What I’ve been saying since day one is we’re going to be patient with him. (QB) Case (Keenum) is our starter. He’s progressing, he’s getting better. As he said, he’s learning from his mistakes, he doesn’t dwell on them. The fumble in the backfield yesterday was – he switched sides, he had an opportunity to convert the first down, he didn’t, he stayed to the left and then got tripped up. He’ll learns from it. Case is our starter right now and, again, patience is the word – you can put it in quotes – but we’re going to be patient with him.”

(On how DE Quinton Coples is coming along)

“What we’ve done is, Quinton has primarily been a left-side defensive player. Either a stand-up two-point rusher or a defensive end, we’ve moved him inside to defensive tackle. Now, that’s quite an adjustment considering where and how long he’s played. It’s new for him. He had some tough times last week against Dallas, a significant improvement last week on some of the contact drills and I thought he played much better for us last night.”

(On if he’s putting WR Pharoh Cooper on punt returner just to test things out or if he’s looking at him as the guy to return punts)

“(WR) Tavon’s (Austin) going to return punts for us. Tavon has done it before and he doesn’t necessarily need to do it. We also need to have a backup, at times, we may have two back there to create some problems. We need to be comfortable with the backup returner, so that’s why we’ve given him some reps there. Very impressed with his decision-making, his suddenness and he commits – when he commits he goes. He’s done it in college; he’s done the kickoff thing. I think we have one of the better kickoff returners over the last few years in the league, and that’s (RB) Benny (Cunningham). It’s nice to have a backup to go to. That’s why he’s getting those reps.”

(On how many more improvements he’s seen from the first team offensive line)

“They’re playing better. From Week 1, I thought (T) Greg (Robinson) played well again last night. They’re playing better together. If you pay attention in the second half, we’ve got guys all over the place. We’ve got Eric Kush playing center, then he’s playing left guard, (T) Andrew Donnal is playing right tackle, right guard. We’re moving people around just so we can be comfortable and they can have the reps. That basically is the case with, not necessarily the starters, but the backups. We need to give them reps, because as we go to the regular season, you have a limited number of players and you might have two or three backup offensive linemen. So if somebody goes down, someone needs to be prepared to play. The starting line, right now, I think, has done a pretty good job. You’ve got some big, solid, talented defensive players on that (Chiefs) defense. I thought (C) Tim (Barnes) did a nice job on (Chiefs DT Dontari Poe) holding his own, that’s a big man, a big run-stopper and he got on edges a couple times and (RB) Todd (Gurley) got some creases.”

(On how LB Alec Ogletree did at MLB and how the wide receiver group is progressing)

“First off, I thought Alec played well, he made plays. He understood, he probably got off on his own and studied that offense because we didn’t do a lot with him in preparation for them. He had a good feel of what was going on. I thought he was a little frustrated at not being able to get off the field because his job, as the middle linebacker and the leader of this defense, is to get on and off the field and get the ball back for the offense. I think he was a little frustrated there, but he’s progressing, he’s doing well. And the receivers, you saw production out of (WR) Kenny (Britt), Kenny made some big plays for us. ‘Coop’ (Pharoh Cooper) had the big catch for the touchdown. Tavon didn’t get much, just because the way the game went, we didn’t have snaps and we took him out of the game. (WR) Brian (Quick) needs to catch the football, your receivers have to catch it, not drop it. He’s had too many drops, so he’s going to have to focus on that. And then the younger guys, we just didn’t get a whole lot of reps with them just because of the number of snaps. We’re seeing progression and improvement outside on the practice field.”

(On if he puts any stock into guys making plays to win the game even though it’s a preseason game)

“Yeah, a lot has to do with – and I’ll flip over to special teams – because we have young guys on the sideline that realize how important it is and they’re asking to go in. they want to go in and make a play even though they’re tired. They want to win the matchup. And then, of course, there are things that take place in the end of games, from a game management standpoint, that you just can’t predict – and they’re fun, that’s what makes the preseason fun, because it’s a learning experience for all of us, me included. When you’ve got guys like (RB) Malcolm (Brown) that are just out there making plays and keeping drives alive, it’s fun to watch. Malcolm’s night last night out of the backfield was great. There’s a sense of urgency, it’s different, the roles will become reversed during the regular season because, right now, the starters and the veterans are rooting for the young guys. The young guys are going to be on the sideline now rooting for the starters (in the regular season).”

(On if he’s satisfied with the reps that Todd Gurley is getting and if he’ll increase them for the upcoming games)

“We’ll talk about that later in the week, but I was more than satisfied with his drive. That first drive was great, those were his first live reps since Week 15 last year, but he’s getting them on the practice field. There’s a play, it was a Kenny Britt play, Todd had a check-down to the right of our offense, Kenny Britt makes the catch on the short sideline route and runs down the field, Todd is one of the first guys that shows up when Kenny is tackled out of bounds. He’s in great shape, he’s running, he’s enthusiastic. I can understand him wanting to play more, but we’re going to be smart about the rest of the preseason with him.”

(On what Malcolm Brown is doing well and what the guys up front are doing well to lead to his success)

“The group of offensive linemen that he’s running behind are talented and they’re pushing piles, they understand the schemes and he’s getting a crease. When he doesn’t get a crease, he creates space. One of the ways you evaluate young running backs – and all running backs, for that matter – is the yards after contact, we call them the violent yards. What happens after the first hit? You can see what’s happening with him, extending plays. You turn around and look and it’s second-and-one or it’s a first down, he’s running, breaking tackles, he’s got great balance, he’s a heavy runner. It’s not something that we didn’t expect, we saw a little bit out of him last year in the preseason. He’s worked hard and he’s deserving of the success that he’s had.”

(On if there’s anything he can do specifically to address the penalty situation from last night and if DB Lamarcus Joyner’s ejection was a result of a point of emphasis for the officials or was it a situation where he would have been ejected regardless)

“The penalties, yeah, we’re going to address them with the team tomorrow, each and every one of them. The defensive offsides, they’re obvious – you go when that little brown thing moves, you don’t go before that. We’ve got these penalties scattered throughout the game, some of them shouldn’t have been called, there were a few more that weren’t called that should have been called. It’s technique-type things that we have to improve upon. Speaking of Lamarcus, the ball went incomplete, he got pushed in the back, he turned around and then he got kind of punched in the face and then he retaliated and then there was a retaliation and they threw them both out. All I saw was the push in the back and then the Kansas City player hit him in the facemask and that’s when the tape goes off, so there’s nothing there. I’m okay with it because it is a point of emphasis, considering some of the unfortunate things that have happened in regular season games and in the Super Bowl two years ago. There’s no place for that stuff, sportsmanship is an issue and the league is addressing it. Hopefully everybody on our squad will learn from that, you just have to walk away.”

(On what he saw on Kansas City WR Jeremy Maclin’s touchdown reception)

“It was a good throw and good catch. Are you asking what happened specifically in the coverage?”

(On if there was a mix-up in zone coverage)

“When you get to know me, I’m never going to go there. They made the play, we didn’t.”

(On if he expects WR Nelson Spruce to practice this week)

“He’ll be out there, he’s got a chance to do some running, but I don’t think he’s going to practice this week.”

Case Keenum is preparing like he’s the long-range starter for the Rams

Vincent Bonsignore, Los Angeles Daily News

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20160819/bonsignore-case-keenum-is-preparing-like-hes-the-long-range-starter-for-the-rams

IRVINE >> With Hollywood as the backdrop and a juicy quarterback competition as the plot, Case Keenum arrived on set to discover the script he’s working off is decidedly different than the one everyone else is following.

We’ll soon find out what sort of rewrites are in order, but the script in Keenum’s possession doesn’t include Jared Goff winning the Rams’ starting quarterback job immediately after the opening credits.

Or in acts one, two or three for that matter.

As far as Keenum is concerned, the starting job he worked so hard for is his in the present, interim and future. And while everyone is assuming Goff will soon be handed the reins to the Rams, Keenum has the major say in the matter. “Soon” can mean a lot of things, depending on how Keenum plays.

“I’m preparing like I’ll be playing for 20 weeks, that’s what I’m getting ready for,” Keenum said. “I’m getting ready for the 49ers on (opening) night.”

As the Rams head to the Coliseum on Saturday to host the Kansas City Chiefs in their second preseason game, Keenum seems to have tightened his grip on the job he won upon guiding the Rams to a 3-1 finish to end last season after going 4-8 with Nick Foles as the starter the previous 12 weeks.

The fifth-year quarterback from Houston has been the superior quarterback to Goff thus far in camp, and while Goff has three weeks to change that narrative, you have to wonder why the Rams would risk sending him out against the 49ers on opening night and then the Seattle Seahawks the following week when Keenum gives them the best chance to win.

Rams head coach Jeff Fisher hasn’t declared who will start against the 49ers on Sept. 12, but he may have tipped his hand a bit when he indicated the organization will be deliberate in deciding when they’ll hand Goff the keys.

“We have a plan and the plan is basically, it’s all around being patient,” Fisher said. “You have to be patient with it.”

And if that means rolling with Keenum to start the season — or even longer — so be it. The concepts of fielding a competitive team and developing the future face of your franchise aren’t mutually exclusive. If the Rams believe they can simultaneously win games with Keenum as the starter while gradually transitioning Goff to the NFL behind the scenes, doesn’t that sound better than Goff learning on the job and the Rams taking their lumps as a result?

No one knows better than the Rams about trying to force the issue at quarterback when gut instincts say to do otherwise.

Looking back, financial implications and optics meant sticking with Sam Bradford longer than his play merited. And there are some in the organization who are kicking themselves for not pulling the plug on Foles earlier last year and making the switch to Keenum.

Keenum brought a swagger and fire missing from the laid-back Foles, and with his teammates following his lead they rallied to a strong final kick. Keenum’s superior intangibles weren’t lost on the Rams decision makers, but by trading Bradford for Foles and then giving Foles a contract extension, there were compelling reasons to stick with him.

If not good football justification.

Of course, had Keenum relieved Foles earlier and picked up an extra win or two, the Rams would have never been in position to trade up to the top pick in April’s draft and select Goff, the presumed franchise quarterback they’ve been chasing since Kurt Warner and the Best Show on Turf days.

Which brings us back to a quarterback competition that should be based on performance rather than draft status or story lines or the Rams trying to nail a big landing upon arriving back in Los Angeles.

For now, that would mean Keenum opening the season as the starter, then letting his play decide when and if the Rams make the move to Goff.

It’s a jumping off point Keenum is seizing.

“I’m in the best position I’ve ever been in,” said Keenum, who has never gone to training camp as his team’s starter, and in three NFL seasons he’s made exactly 15 starts.

And while he recognizes the presence of Goff and his long-range significance as the Rams as settle in their new home, Keenum isn’t in a hurry to play the obliging teammate.

If Goff wants the starting job, he’ll have to take it from Keenum.

And that’s as it should be.

“I don’t want anyone to do bad. I never do,” Keenum said. “I want him to do his best. And I want to do my best. I just want my best to be better.”

It’s not personal. Just business.

“In my mind, I’m not competing against him,” Keenum said. “I’m competing against the 49ers.”

That’s a script no one envisioned when Goff was selected first overall.

And it remains to be seen who has final edit, and when they’ll exercise it

FROM THE WIKI: An epinephrine autoinjector (such as EpiPen) is a medical device for injecting a measured dose or doses of epinephrine (adrenaline) by means of autoinjector technology. It is most often used for the treatment of anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death. It typically causes more than one of the following: an itchy rash, throat or tongue swelling, shortness of breath, vomiting, lightheadedness, and low blood pressure. These symptoms typically come on over minutes to hours.

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EpiPen Price Hike Has Parents of Kids With Allergies Scrambling Ahead of School Year

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/epipen-price-hike-has-parents-kids-allergies-scrambling-ahead-school-n633071

The cost of saving your child’s life has gotten a lot more expensive.

Parents getting ready for back-to-school season have another item to toss in the basket along with Trapper Keepers and boxes of pencils — and they’re facing sticker shock at the latest price increase.

Doctors and patients say the Mylan pharmaceutical company has jacked up the prices for an EpiPen — the portable device that can stop a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction — from around $100 in 2008 to $500 and up today.

That’s a hike of over 400 percent.

“Patients are calling and saying they can’t afford it,” said Dr. Douglas McMahon, an allergy specialist in Maplewood, Minnesota. “They’re between a rock and a hard place.”

Following a recall by Mylan’s chief competitor last year, the company now enjoys a near monopoly.

Because of aggressive marketing and branding campaigns, and lobbying for legislation that requires the product to be stocked in schools, they have a brand dominance equal to that of Kleenex, doctors say.

About the size of a fat marker, they are carried by many parents of kids with severe allergies wherever they go — ready to jam the gizmo into their child’s thigh to deliver epinephrine and stop anaphylactic shock from a potentially fatal bee sting or bit of peanut.

And because they have a stated expiration date of one year, parents refill them annually, incurring an additional co-pay each time.

Tracy Bush, a 42-year-old mom and food allergy consultant, never goes anywhere without two EpiPens on her. Her son, age 14, carries another. She began doing so after he was diagnosed with severe allergies as a 2-year-old.

For the past 10 years, she has watched the price she paid for her refills rise higher and higher with no discernible improvement to the device or medicine.

In 2008, Bush said the price was $145.99. In 2010, it was $220.99, then jumped to $649.99. This year her pre-insurance costs were $1,118.08.

Despite the hikes, Bush was glad to have the device two years ago when her son had a bad reaction while eating some watermelon.

“He said it felt like a potato chip was caught in his throat. Then he got a look of terror on his face. His voice was totally different, it sounded like he had sucked helium. I was like ‘Oh my goodness, I’m going to have to use an EpiPen,'” she said. “I will never forget the look that I saw.”

In a statement, Mylan said that the prices have “changed over time to better reflect important product features and the value the product provides,” and that “we’ve made a significant investment to support the device over the past years.”

The company also offers coupons on its website that can reduce costs. This year, for the first time, Bush was able to use those coupons and her “good” insurance plan to bring down her out-of-pocket costs to zero. But not everyone can do the same.

“When epinephrine only costs a few cents, but they’re going up to $500, personally I don’t think that’s ethically responsible,” said Dr. McMahon.

And he understands better than most what costs are involved: For the past few years he’s been developing his own, smaller version of the EpiPen, and trying to get it approved by the FDA and bring it to market. He estimates that process costs about $1.5 million. In 2015, Mylan’s profits from the sale of EpiPens rose to $1.2 billion.

McMahon says his device will retail for about $50.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the former presidential contender and a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, told NBC News in a statement:

“The drug industry’s greed knows no bounds. There’s no reason an EpiPen, which costs Mylan just a few dollars to make, should cost families more than $600. The only explanation for Mylan raising the price by six times since 2009 is that the company values profits more than the lives of millions of Americans.”

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – – August 15, 2016

(Opening Remarks)

“So, here’s kind of what happens after the ballgame – yesterday was their day off, we had treatments in the morning and we had treatments in the afternoon, so got to visit a number of players and the medical staff. And then, on occasion, some will come in with bumps and bruises and things like that. They were off yesterday, coaching staff, as we mentioned yesterday, got a chance to look at the game and then today we went through the ballgame through all phases – offense, defense, special teams – with them. We had a real good recovery period this morning and then the nature of this practice today was to get them ready for the next couple of days. We shortened the field a little bit, worked in the red zone, we got a couple guys back – obviously (QB) Jared (Goff) practiced today, so there’s no concern there. We got (CB) E.J. (Gaines) back; (T) Isaiah Battle came back today. We got better; we healed up a little bit. We did make a roster move, (S) Brian’s (Randolph) got that ACL, so we signed Michael Caputo as a safety, just to come in. we worked him out a few weeks ago, he’s in good shape, so he’ll give us some depth – those are kind of the things you do in the preseason.

“We’ve got a couple really good practices set up for tomorrow and Wednesday – we’re going to come out in pads – we have to take this next step as a football team with pads and continue to install. So, right now I feel good about where we are. They’re going to go in, eat and go into installation meetings and we’re going to cut them loose later. That’s kind of where we are, we’re in a good place.”

(On if the running at the end of practice was just conditioning or a message to the team)

“No message. It’s something that we’ve done, traditionally, after the first preseason game and we’ll carry it through the preseason. What we ordinarily do – the last phase of it was penalties. We identify penalties and then whoever the victim was has to go over and back. What they’ve done over the years, as teammates, is they’ll join him. Fortunately, for them, we had two penalties in the game. We were the least penalized team in the preseason this weekend. It’s been a point of emphasis for us; we have to continue with it. And, as I mentioned, it’s a culture change and we just have got to keep the penalties down. If there’s those things that you look at in the ballgame, aside from the finish, aside from the comeback down 17 and winning the game – two penalties in the game, that’s good for the first preseason game. It doesn’t mean to say we’re not going to have 12 this week, because you have a different crew and you have different things that happen. What they’re doing is they’re carrying over the things on the practice field into the game and penalties have been an issue for us since we got here and we really want to keep the numbers down. So we’re off to a good start there.”

(On if he anticipated fewer players taking a knee in the end zone on kickoffs with the new touchback rule)

“Obviously, we didn’t get the kick that we wanted and we actually wanted to cover the first kick, so we asked (K) Greg (Zuerlein) to set that thing right around the goal line or just inside the end zone. We had a couple other touchbacks, but I don’t know, I haven’t looked at the numbers around the league. I would suspect that kickers are going to try to get that ball up in the air coming down around the goal line, tempting returners to come out and see if you can get a stop inside the 25. Because the additional five yards this year, based on the rule changes, is significant from a drive start.”

(On what he’s looking for QB Case Keenum to do in the preseason to hold onto the starting job)

“If (WR) Tavon (Austin) makes the catch, Case ends the game seven-for-seven and did everything he needed to do. That’s just what we want to see, he’s feeling good in the offense, he’s running the operation, you can see his movement skills. I think it was after the penalty we and on third-and-short, third-and-seven, he scrambled, didn’t get it and got down. He understands keeping drives alive. As we expand this offense through training camp, he’ll have a lot more opportunities to make those big plays. Again, I was pleased. I know all your attention is on Jared, but Case played good and so did (QB) Sean (Mannion), Sean’s numbers were really good. That room has gotten better. I’m happy with that right now and now it’s just a matter of Case leading this football team, Sean positioning himself to come in and back up if need be and then Jared just pushing himself to where he eventually becomes that guy for us.”

(On if it’s necessarily a bad thing for a No. 1 overall pick like Jared Goff to not start right away)

“No, we’ve done this before. We have a plan and the plan is basically, it’s all around being patient, you have to be patient with it. Certainly, as I said numerous times, it’s unfair to Jared, and to Case, and to Sean to say ‘alright, here’s the date,’ it’s not fair. They’re having fun, they’re learning, you take the pressure off them, you’re patient and I think, after Week 1, we could basically say that all three of them have gotten better. Now we just want to improve. Every week is different, the challenges that we’re going to face this week from the Kansas City defense – the little that I saw – they’re coming, they’re bringing it, the ball has got to come out, you have to run it. Each week is a challenge and that’s part of the process. I believe all three quarterbacks were familiar with and got what they expected out of the Dallas defense, but this is a completely different defense this week. And the difficult thing for them is that we’re installing all the way up until Thursday. So the first time they’re going to be able to see Kansas City is going to be maybe late Thursday (or) Friday. That’ part of training camp and that’s how it works.”

(On how T Greg Robinson graded out after the first game)

“Greg played well. It was good to see him. He was decisive – everybody has a mental error in a game, he may have one. He played hard, he finished blocks, his hands were good, his feet were good, he was consistent, his weight was down. He played well. As a matter of fact, that was one of the things that came out of our personnel meeting last night – that this may have been the best preseason game that Greg has played to date, which would imply that Greg’s getting better and he’s had a great offseason.”

(On when E.J. Gaines is expected to play)

“He was close (to playing against Dallas); today he was cleared to go full speed, so we’re going to give him a good week of practice. Barring any setbacks, he’ll play this week.”

(On his assessments of Gaines’ strengths)

“E.J. came in and prepared himself to play. He was in position to take advantage of an unfortunate situation that happened in the Cleveland game to (CB) Trumaine (Johnson). When Trumaine went down with the MCL, E.J. was the next guy up and E.J. kept the job all year. E.J. had really done a nice job for us prior to that in the slot, being that third corner and kept the job the whole year. Unfortunately, the role was reversed last year and E.J. went down and Trumaine stepped up. E.J.’s got the starting experience; we’ve just got to get this foot thing behind him. Typically what happens is when you’re battling, recovering, rehabbing, over the course of an offseason, one particular injury – which happened to be the foot – then you come out and you’re ready to go, then something else goes. That’s normal, that happens; we should have predicted it and probably could have. He’s got the hamstring thing behind him now, so we’ll see where he is.”

(On how Jared Goff looked today)

“Jared was fine. He got in there and made the throws. Made a couple big throws to (TE) Temarrick (Hemmingway), I think and felt good. Again, this was kind of ease yourself back into the week day, but it was good for him to be able to overcome the shoulder soreness and get out there and throw the ball around. I thought he was good”

(On how Goff’s shoulder is doing)

“It’s fine.”

(On what he wants to improve on defensively)

“It’s one of those things that happens in the preseason. Our defense is defending our run, they get used to the formations, they get used to the run concepts and then all of the sudden you play someone else who’s going to do a little different. Now you have to dwell on the actual individual techniques – the gap responsibilities, the run fits. That’ll be an emphasis for us. Great challenge this week, to work towards getting that fixed for the regular season, because (Chiefs Head Coach) Andy (Reid) loves to run it, Kansas City loves to run it and that’s what their offensive foundation is based on. It’ll be a really good challenge for our defense.”

Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher – August 9, 2016

(On practice today)

“Practice was good. I can’t ever remember where we didn’t have a good practice. There were some highlights in it and some things we’re going to have to correct. The two, two-minute drives that we had were extraordinary. It’s really, really fun once you get into that. And we’ll be doing that quite often as we move through camp – just putting offense and defense in different situations. It’s not only good for players, but it’s good for coaches because every scenario ends up being different. You can start with 1:10 and one timeout, down by a touchdown and you never know what you’re going to end up with. I thought the offense handled it really well, there was some cerebral things that took place in both drives.”

(On what it is about DT Aaron Donald that enables him to do so many things at such a young age when, in some circles, he’s not your typical defensive lineman)

“Aaron, he’s exceptionally strong and explosive. Then you add the instincts to it and he’s very, very smart. Aaron will watch the huddle break and he’ll look out and look at receiver splits and see where the tight end is and what the back’s depth is and pressure on offensive linemen’s stances and basically know where the ball is going. Because of that, he puts himself in position to make so many plays.”

(On how happy he is with the progression of TE Tyler Higbee)

“He’s a rookie in training camp that’s just getting better every day. He had to work through some injury issues through the OTAs, but he’s there. He’s been there every day. He’s making plays, blocking is something that’s improving that we need to continue to work on. As far as going down the field and catching the football and running after catch, he has got all those qualities to play in the open.”

(On how he felt QB Jared Goff did in the two-minute drills today)

“It was designed to give him a chance to work with the 1s in two-minute. He took the ball right down the field and got points and that was good – not necessarily good for the defense, but it was good for Jared and the offense. It’s always good to get him working with the other offensive linemen and get him a chance to work with (C) Tim (Barnes) from a communications standpoint, because Tim is so smart up front. Tim can take some of that load off him and let him play.”

(On if there was something he wanted to see TE Brian Quick focus on this offseason.)

“No different than anybody else, but we stressed improvement, the relationship with his new coach (wide receivers/passing game coordinator Mike Groh), different techniques, different types of routes. Somewhat of an offensive change that we went through and he’s done that; he’s making plays, he’s going up, he’s elevating, he’s staying healthy. He’s running all day long, which is good, he really conditions himself and put (himself) in a position to get ready for camp. Hopefully that will translate over into production in the preseason games.”

(On the decision to bring in Mike Groh)

“We made some hard decisions, not only during the season, but after the season was over – changes were necessary. So, we went out and tried to hire the best guys we could. It was an opportunity for us to be able to talk to Mike as a passing game coordinator. The Bears and (Head) Coach (John) Fox gave us permission and it really fit in because (offensive coordinator) Rob’s (Boras) expertise is in the run game and the play-action and protection. I just wanted to expand it a little bit in the passing game. Watching tape and having played the Bears and being familiar with what they were doing, in the passing game, was kind of the direction we wanted to go. It’s been great, he’s handled it really well and they’re working really well together. So hopefully it turns into production for us.”

(On if he’s had a chance to see the robotic tackling dummies on the field and what his thoughts are)

“Yeah, it’s kind of cool. We were aware of it, we were aware of the concept and the prototypes a long time ago and they just got the first two out, so we invited them out. There’s a place for it, there’s a place for it at our level and there’s a place for these things at all levels. In this day and age when we’re so concussion-conscious and contact-conscious, live contact between players, you want to reduce as much as you can – but you still have to have the contact. This is an opportunity to hit a bag that’s moving and a bag that moves around pretty fast. We had the demonstration right after the walk-thru and even got to drive it a little bit. It’s kind of cool. If I could get it to go upstairs, I could have them do bed-check.”

(On if Goff will continue to get playing times with the 1s)

“Yeah, that’s part of the process. As I mentioned, he’s getting walk-thru reps with the 1s. This is one of the first or second times he’s gotten live reps with the 1s, but that will increase.”

(On if the media can read into that, if a quarterback change is imminent)

“Read whatever you want. I’m going to start him when he’s ready to play. It’s all about the process and it’s about being patient.”

(On if the change in the rookie wage scale makes it easier for a guy to be able to come along slowly)

“There’s really no financial consideration entering into our decision.”

(On if that change plays into how a roster is constructed)

“I don’t think so. The higher you draft players, the quicker you want them to play. I don’t think it does – maybe at some other positions. You can rest assured that you’ve got a good deal for four or five years. If you’ve done your homework and you get the right guy and you’re efficient in the organization, you’re extending the contracts before they expire.”

(On if he typically doesn’t have tackling practices before games)

“We tackled today, we don’t tackle to the ground, but we form tackle every day on defense – whether we’re in pads or not, there’s some type of tackling drill that we do. We had 10 plays at the Coliseum Saturday that were live plays where we did tackle to the ground, but typically we wait. I, personally, always wait until the preseason. That’s the first thing that we address in the game is tackling. That’s always an issue, there’s always more missed tackles in the first preseason game than there are in the second and the third and the fourth because you just haven’t done it from a live, go to the ground standpoint.”

—

Rams Offensive Coordinator Rob Boras – Training Camp Post-Practice – August 9, 2016

(On how things have been going the past two weeks)

“Good! Obviously, we’re just going through the teaching process of everything, for all the players, and still installing the offense, and all the different situations that (Head) Coach (Jeff) Fisher is putting in. Each day, we just try to attack that day.”

(On how is QB Jared Goff doing, and what do you expect from him this Saturday in the first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys)

“Jared is getting better. Just like we hope everybody is getting better. Again, every day is a new day. A lot of the install that we put in today was the first time that these guys got to do it. Not just him, but for everybody. It takes guys two or three times running the play before they really feel comfortable with it, and you saw that across the offense today. So, Jared is handling everything well. Obviously, we want him just to relax Saturday night. It’s just kind of like when we started OTAs and we started training camp, everybody gets on edge, there’s a lot of expectations. The more that he can go out there and just settle in, like we saw him settle in at the coliseum during the family day, he’s going to play confident. We know he’s talented, so, him just doing what he does. And obviously everyone else just playing football around him.”

(On whether or not the coaching staff has formulated a game plan on usage on how much Jared is going to play Saturday against the Cowboys)

“No. Right now, we’re dialed in, tomorrow is the special teams practice, and then we’re doing install number nine, and then after that we’ll start talking about the Cowboys. Right now, it’s about the Rams getting better. And we’ll talk the playing time, we’ll figure out exactly what we’re going to do game-plan wise. We want to run plays that guys are comfortable with. But, we’re just focusing on, right now, the Rams getting better.”

(On if the mentality of the players have changed from last week to this week)

“Players are resilient, I don’t know if it’s changed much. You know, obviously, it was exciting to be in that Coliseum. I think that all of the guys felt that and they were prepared for that. And I think their excited to get back in there. They understand though they’ve got to deal with, today was win Tuesday. And then we’re back out here Thursday, it’s winning Thursday. And eventually, we’ll try to win Friday, and the next day. So, they know it’s out there. But again, we’ve got to make sure that they’re focused on today.”

(On what you’ve seen out of TE Tyler Higbee that has shown you he is a consistent player)

“Tyler really has handled everything well. It started fast, and I don’t know why, but you get to that point where you’re kind of waiting for that rookie slump, if you win for a couple of days, it hasn’t happened. He’s mentally tough. He’s handled the installation well. We’re putting him in some situations that he wasn’t asked to do in college, and handling it very well. Every day is a learning experience, and he’s going to see some things in the run game and protections that he’s got to improve, but he’s just a mentally tough kid that is determined to succeed.”

(On the kind of situations have you put TE Tyler Higbee in)

“Blocking (DE) Will Hayes. There’s not many Will Hayes. When you’re asked to block that, that’s different than what he’s had to do. You do that enough times, you better learn how to drop your pads and play a little stronger.”

(On WR Pharoh Cooper not falling into a rookie slump)

“Coop is handling everything really well. We love what Pharoh can do. It’s great to get him back out and just, obviously Saturday night we’re going to try and get those guys going and just feeling comfortable, and not trying to overthink anything.”

(On being an offensive coordinator now, and how have things gone for him personally these past few weeks of training camp)

“It’s just like the players. Every day is a new day. This is my first time going through the training camp experience. I’d be lying if I say I’m still not learning, and that’s why we come out and practice. It’s a new day. Just like I challenge the players to try and attack that day and us coaches, we have to have that same sort of mentality. So, tomorrow is a new day and coach is going to put us in different situations. And then those team periods where it’s not scripted, you got to think and tries to make it as game-like as possible. Between the offensive staff and everything that’s going on, it’s been a great group to work with.”

(On the limitations when you’re practicing against each other and when you’re still installing the system)

“Well what we’ve tried to do is not change our rules. Offense, you need to know your rules. And if you start game planning specifically against Coach (Gregg) Williams’ defense and you change your rules, then you’re going to struggle to succeed when the game really matters. Again, it’s just teaching the rules, understanding what the foundation is, and they can always go back to that.

(On what do you see Saturday that you just can’t see out here on the practice field)

“Well, the speed. We try to get fast here, but for a lot of these guys, speed on Saturday, even in the preseason, it’s going to be a step higher than what they’re getting in practice. Then when we have the opener, it’s going to be a step faster. And a lot of these young guys are not going to really recognize how much faster the game is on Sunday, or Monday night in this case. It’s different, and it’s going to be different Saturday for them. That’s why you have preseason games, so those guys can understand how it changes.”

(On having two tight ends you’re comfortable with, is that something you’re looking for)

“Obviously, anytime, really, three with Cory Harkey, and obviously we’re bringing Temarrick (Hemingway) along, and all those guys in that group. The more guys that you can have do multiple jobs, so that they’re lining up as a tight end and maybe as a fullback. Or, they’re lined up as slot receiver. Hopefully we can dictate and it provides a little bit more versatility for us. So, we’re looking for that with all of these tight ends.”

Rams’ E.J. Gaines Making Progress In Return From Foot Injury

August 3, 2016

Rams’ E.J. Gaines Making Progress In Return From Foot Injury

IRVINE (AP) — Rams cornerback E.J. Gaines knows it could be a lot worse.

Such as last year when he injured his foot during the first week of training camp, had surgery and missed the season.

Or during offseason workouts, when he stood impatiently on the sideline in uniform but still not cleared to practice.

So this is definite progress with the Rams opening their 2016 camp at UC Irvine and Gaines finally cleared to play.

“I was just cleared last week,” Gaines said. “I’m pretty much 100 percent. The coaching staff is taking it slow with me, but for the most part I’ve pretty much been out here for all the snaps.”

Not all the snaps he would normally take. The Rams are being careful to ease him back, continuing to build his foot and leg strength as he regains any timing lost to an offseason on the sideline.

“We’ve been increasing his reps,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “We just have to see how he tolerates that.”

At Wednesday’s practice, the Rams suspected he was feeling the effects of early training camp and shut him down for the last part of the afternoon. They are being careful with his return.

The Rams need him to stay healthy.

Gaines, 23, started 15 games as a rookie in 2014 when Trumaine Johnson was injured. He went into camp last season in a competition with Johnson to start. Johnson won when Gaines was injured. The Rams used their franchise tag on Johnson ($13.9 million) to secure him.

Meanwhile, the other starting corner, Janoris Jenkins, signed as a free agent with the New Giants for five years and $62 million ($29 million guaranteed).

The Rams need another starting corner. If Gaines is the logical replacement, he still has to prove himself fully healed and ready to go.

“That’s no problem,” Gaines said. “I’ve always played with a chip on my shoulder. I think this is just another year I get a chance to go out there and showcase my talent.”

The 5-foot-10 Gaines came to camp listed behind Lamarcus Joyner and Coty Sensabaugh at right corner, but defensive backs are being rotated throughout practice. Sensabaugh got most of the snaps with the starters on Wednesday.

“Coach keeps saying there really are no starters and backups right now,” Gaines said. “Everybody is pretty much rotating to keep it competitive. I think that’s the best for everybody.”

The first preseason game is Aug. 13. The Rams opener isn’t until Sept. 12 in San Francisco. Gaines figures that’s plenty of time to prove he’s healthy and earn playing time.

“He’s coming on and making progress,” Fisher said. “He’s worked hard, came back and hasn’t missed a snap. We’re not giving him the snaps for a week or so that he would normally get, but he gives us the opportunity to have him be in a position to win that job back and compete there.”

Sensabaugh is a fifth-year pro signed in the offseason as a free agent. He started 15 games last season for the Tennessee Titans. The 5-foot-8 Joyner is in his third year with the Rams. He started six games last season.

Now the Rams look to see exactly where Gaines is in his comeback.

“I’m pretty much in good shape and ready to go,” he said. “They gave me a long time to rehab and get my strength back in my legs. It hasn’t been an issue for me to this point.”

Friendly Competition Helping Both Keenum, Goff Improve

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Friendly-Competition-Helping-Both-Keenum-Goff-Improve/bfce66da-bbd0-46e9-8e74-6075e72fee3a

It’s hard to train your replacement.

You can say that about any profession. Blue collar, white collar, sports — it doesn’t matter. When an individual sees someone is coming to take his or her job, usually an inherent defense mechanism arises. It’s a natural human instinct.

But there are exceptions to the rule, and the Rams appear to have one in their quarterbacks room. Even though Case Keenum is Los Angeles’ incumbent starter, he’s apparently embraced the role of being a mentor and guide to No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff.

Going back to OTAs, there appeared to be a mutual respect between the two QBs. That seems to have only increased as the two players began their first training camp together.

Keenum was particularly complimentary of Goff at camp check-in last Thursday.

“I really like Jared. I think he’s a great football player, but he’s a great person too,” Keenum said. “I’m excited to see what he brings to the team, to the quarterback room. He’s very, very talented. He came in that way. So I’m excited to see where he’s going to grow and what he’s going to be able to accomplish in this league. He’ll play for a long time.”

But it’s more than that. Keenum said he’s willing to be a resource for anything Goff needs when it comes to learning the offense and reaching his full potential, supplementing what the rookie receives from offensive coordinator Rob Boras and quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke.

“I’m going to help him when I can,” Keenum said. “I don’t want to overload it with stuff, but if he needs something, I’m definitely going to be somebody — whether my advice is good or what — but I’ll lend him some advice when I need to.”

For anyone in the position of Keenum, this is fairly unusual — a fact not lost on Goff.

“I didn’t know what to expect coming in, and it’s been far and away more than I could’ve ever expected from somebody like him — the way he’s helped me, treated me, and brought me in, helped me with anything,” Goff said. “If I’ve got a question, I’ll go to him and he’s going to help me.”

And even when Goff isn’t seeking out Keenum’s advice, sometimes the Houston product will be proactive in making sure the former Cal quarterback is picking up the offense properly.

“He’ll ask me little things to keep me on my toes — just stuff like that,” Goff said. “He’s been really good and really helpful, and one of the best teammates I’ve ever had.”

One of the best teammates he’s ever had? Yes, that’s atypical for one quarterback trying to unseat another. But it’s part of the culture head coach Jeff Fisher has tried to foster within the team.

“Well I’d like to think that it’s top-to-bottom and that’s important,” Fisher said of Goff’s comments on Keenum. “And it’s important around the league, but especially important here. They have grown closer together, they’re patient but focused. So I’d like to think that they all would talk about each other like that.”

But it also says something about Goff that he’s willing to take the coaching and advice of his peer. Even though competition can put a strain on a relationship, Keenum said all that’s made easier when you’re working with good people.

“And he’s good people,” Keenum said. “So we’re trying to make each other better.

“The way I’ve always seen it is, I don’t want him to do bad. I want him to do good,” Keenum continued. “When I’m competing with someone, I want my best to be better than his. And that’s just how I’ve been. I’m not wishing bad for anybody. I want him to do well, but I want to do well as well.”

And so when it comes to the Rams’ quarterbacks, it’s a friendly competition — emphasis on friendly.

“Anytime anybody’s doing well, it’s exciting for our team. It makes our team better,” Keenum said. “He’s doing well, it pushes me. I’m doing well, it pushes him. And I think that’s what competition is about — making each other better. And in turn, that’ll make the team better.”