camp day 4 … 8/1

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Rams will wear full pads in practice tomorrow, but McVay said there won't be any "live" (tackling to ground) periods.

— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) August 1, 2017

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The Rams are in pads tomorrow. No word on whether Sean McVay will also be in pads.

— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) August 1, 2017

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Rams Will Hold First Padded Practice on Tuesday

Myles Simmons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Myles Simmons‏ @MylesASimmons

Hey guys, #BetweenTheHorns returns…today! @DMarcoFarr1 & I will record the pod after practice. Any questions for us? Send ‘em

Hearing a few “OH YEAAAH!” yells as players finish stretching and get into STs portion of practice. #Pads

Samson Ebukam is kicking tail in this one-on-one special teams drill. Won three reps both as a blocker and tackler.

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✈️✈️✈️ to LA to cover the @RamsNFL for @SiriusXMNFL Training Camp Tour tomorrow! Excited to see everyone!

— James Laurinaitis (@JLaurinaitis55) August 1, 2017

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

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

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Rams24/7‏ @ngalarreta

ST 1 on 1 tackling drills going on rn.

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

Offense on our side now #RamsCamp

Spruce with a beautiful diving catch over the middle #RamsCamp

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

Easley being helped off by Reggie Scott #RamsCamp

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

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

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

— Dani Klupenger (@daniklup) August 1, 2017

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

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

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Rams24/7‏ @ngalarreta
Red zone 7 on 7 now #RamsCamp

Defense owning RZ rn. No completions yet.

Rain starting at #RamsCamp lol

Todd reverses field on a run designed right. Nice cut #RamsCamp

Goff throws a dime in RZ, Higbee drops it #RamsCamp

Barron with a nice breakup in front of Higbee #RamsCamp

Everett with a nice fade in the RZ on Isaiah Johnson #RamsCamp

Goff with a nice slide up in the pocket to let the rush pass him #RamsCamp

Goff rolls right to avoid Quinn from blindside. Hits Gurley on a swing for a TD

Orlovsky to Travis a Wilson in the back of the end zone to end practice

Guess we’ve been rained/thundered out. Players leaving the field. Tampa Bay deja vu? #RamsCamp

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

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

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

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

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Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer

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

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

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

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

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

— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) August 1, 2017

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#RamsCamp LIVE Day 4

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

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

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zn wrote:

#RamsCamp LIVE Day 4

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

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

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

[InvaderRam]

nice to hear on ebukam. hopefully he can help out with the pass rush too.

maybe even become a starter in the future.

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Five Observations from the First Day in Pads

Myles Simmons

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

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

1) Pads

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

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

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

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

2) Whitworth vs. Quinn

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

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

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

3) Special teams standout

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

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

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

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

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

4) Injuries

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

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

5) It rained in Southern California

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

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

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

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

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

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Training Camp Report: The Rams First Day in Pads

By Kristen Lago

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Training-Camp-Report-The-Rams-First-Day-in-Pads/73868320-cf0e-4b2e-bfa7-4e1e329fe696

Tuesday afternoon’s practice marked the Rams’ first day in pads this season and the team’s first padded work under head coach Sean McVay. The addition of full pads made for a more spirited environment, though the practice was called off about 15 minutes early due to rain and lightning strikes nearby.

The defense came out strong once again, taking control of much of Tuesday’s practice, but the Rams’ offense had its moments where it looked effective as well. Here’s everything you need to know from Day 4.

TOP TAKEAWAYS

1. A little rain won’t stop the Rams

Though Orange County is typically characterized for its sunny weather, today proved it does indeed rain in Southern California. McVay made the decision to cut practice short after a series of nearby lightning strikes and a slight drizzle during the tail end of the day.

“I want to always first be thinking about the players’ safety and with the amount of time that it’s going to take for us to be able to clear that and kind of where we were at in practice, we decided to call it,” McVay said. “Just being mindful of the situation, we felt like that was the best decision for us to make.”

Despite the weather, the Rams still got about an hour and forty-five minutes of solid work in. Post-practice McVay praised the team’s heightened intensity going into their first padded practice.

“I thought ‘Bones’ [special teams coordinator John Fassel] did a great job of getting it started the right way — it gets the competitive juices going,” McVay said of the energetic practice. “Once we got into some of our team periods you could feel it, it started right away and that’s what we wanted to see as a coaching staff.”

“I thought it was a good tempo that we had on both sides,” he added. “One of the things you appreciated is that it was a good, physical practice — guys were trying to be smart staying off the ground and I think we were able to accomplish that while getting a good, competitive practice in.”

2. Injury update:

Though there was no live tackling featured in today’s practice, the addition of full pads did come with a few on-field injuries. Defensive end and projected starter Dominique Easley was carted off the field with an apparent lower leg injury while wide receiver Tavon Austin also left practice early, dealing with what McVay referred to as a minor “tissue” issue.

While the Rams have plenty of depth at wide receiver with 11 players on the active roster, an injured Easley would put a serious dent in the team’s defensive line. McVay did not have any immediate updates for the media as to the severity of the players’ injuries, but he did push a “next man up” mentality when addressing concerns of both players being out indefinitely.

“We’ve got guys that need to be ready to step up and that’s why you’ve got a 90-man roster right now,” he said. “If for whatever reason, this is an extended absence for Dominique who has done a great job in Aaron’s [Donald] absence, then somebody else will be ready to step up and that’s what our job is as coaches and the guys that are on this roster is to step up and fill those voids.”

3. The offense begins to click

After four days of training camp and the first in full pads, McVay’s new offensive system seems to be taking hold. The whole offense is communicating more cohesively as a whole and has been steadily developing over the last few days.

In today’s practice, quarterback Jared Goff looked comfortable in the pocket even when faced with oncoming pressure. The addition of left tackle Andrew Whitworthto protect Goff’s blindside has provided a huge benefit to the young quarterback. After practice the lineman complemented Goff’s progression and growing authority during training camp.

“It is fun watching him,” Whitworth said. “I feel like he’s a guy that this camp you can tell, from OTAs till now, his posture and his presence, and confidence — I think you can see that the lights are starting to turn on. He’s been dedicated to becoming a special quarterback in this league and he’s just got to keep that mindset going.”

And as for the offensive line, which has seen an assortment of changes, Whitworth is hopeful the players’ persistence and hard work will carry them to a successful season.

“I look forward to watching them progress and seeing the techniques that Coach Kromer’s teaching them,” he said in regards to the young line. “You’re going to have bad days, bad weeks, just days that are not as good as others, but it’s really the guys that are just stubborn enough and diligent enough where day in and day out they apply themselves and find a way to get better. That’s really the focus it takes at this level to be successful and that’s why there’s so few teams that can do it. “

FIELD-LEVEL OBSERVATIONS

– Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips was back at practice this afternoon after dealing with a personal matter back at home.

– During the special teams portion of practice, wide receivers Shakeir Ryan, Nelson Spruce, Brandon Shippen, Cooper Kupp and Austin took reps as returners.

– Speaking of the wideouts, Spruce had an impressive play during the 11-on-11 drills diving up the middle to catch a pass from Goff. He has become a fan favorite over the last few days, prompting a daily “Spruuuce” chant from the crowds.

– Quarterback Sean Mannion also had a productive practice throwing a bullet to Spruce during the 11-on-11 period after facing pressure in the pocket.

– Tuesday’s practice featured a lot of red zone drills working on coverage near the end zone.

– Tight ends Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett saw a lot of action today as McVay’s offense experimented with a variety of passing plays.

– Cornerback E.J. Gaines cut up the middle to stop a running play about halfway through the afternoon, showcasing his athleticism after recording an interception in yesterday’s practice.

PLAY OF THE DAY

The play of the day took us all the way back to the University of Southern California, featuring two former Trojans, wideout Robert Woods and cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman.

During the 11-on-11 portion of practice today, Robey-Coleman robbed his former college teammate of a square-out connection from Goff. After cleanly covering the receiver and prompting the incomplete pass, Robey-Coleman was met by a very vocal sideline and a series of high-fives from his fellow players and coaches.

PRESS POINTS

After practice Sean McVay took the time to address the media and discuss Goff’s budding chemistry with his offensive line. Catch up on his most interesting point after Day 4:

SEAN McVAY:

On if he told Goff that he has to take the offensive line out for a steak dinner: “Hopefully I don’t have to tell him to do that. I think he will probably do that at some point. Those guys do a lot of great things for him and hopefully that’s going to be the same thing to be the same thing to come for a few years.”

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