camp reports 8/22-8/23 … vids, articles, Cooper, Gaines, etc.

Pharoh Cooper catches praise as one of receiving corps’ ‘top guys’

By RICH HAMMOND / STAFF WRITER

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/cooper-726681-rams-reed.html

IRVINE – Pharoh Cooper was 5 years old when Andre Reed played his final NFL game, so the Rams rookie receiver grinned Monday and admitted to a lack of first-hand knowledge of Reed’s career.

“I was a little young,” said Cooper, who certainly knew Reed, the Hall of Fame receiver, by reputation and highlight videos, and had the good sense to listen when Reed offered some on-field advice.

Reed, who played most of his Hall of Fame career with the Buffalo Bills and retired in 2000, attended Rams practice Monday at UC Irvine. Reed briefly addressed the group of receivers at the start of practice and then, after a drill, gave Cooper some individual advice.

“He just called me by my name, pulled me to the side and said, ‘When you run your route, stay low,’ Cooper said. “He saw me run a route and raise up a little, so he said, ‘Stay low all the way through your route, so it gives the (defensive back) no time to guess and it helps your quarterback a lot more.’”

Kenny Britt, the team’s most veteran receiver, walked by during Cooper’s re-telling of the Reed exchange, laughed and said, “He’s learning, he’s learning.”

So far, so good. Cooper, one of the Rams’ fourth-round picks in this year’s draft, has enjoyed a strong training camp and put himself in position to be a regular contributor once the season starts.

In two preseason games, Cooper has only one catch for 11 yards – albeit for a touchdown – but he has been targeted just four times. That, and solid practice work, apparently was enough for Coach Jeff Fisher last week, who referred to Britt, Tavon Austin and Cooper as “our top guys” at receiver.

That’s solid praise for a rookie fourth-round pick, and Cooper said that while he didn’t make too much of Fisher’s words, he also took some motivation from them.

“Of course,” Cooper said. “You always come in here to compete and win a starting job, so when I heard that in the media, it was great to hear that. But I still have to come out here and compete. It’s easy to get a job, but you have to keep the job. I’m just going to keep competing and working hard every day.”

Cooper made a nice 25-yard reception over the middle on a pass from quarterback Case Keenum on Monday. Part of the knock on Cooper, coming out of South Carolina, was that he wasn’t big enough – he’s listed at 5-foot-11 – or physical enough to make tough plays in the NFL.

That remains to be seen, but in Saturday’s preseason victory over Kansas City, Cooper showed why the Rams used a draft pick on him.

Early in the second quarter, Cooper went in motion, lined up in the slot then ran a short route. He turned and caught a Keenum pass, then sprinted and dived for the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown. It was only one play, but a notable milestone for a progressing rookie.

“It’s smoothing out a lot more,” Cooper said. “Everything is going slower. The play calls and the lining up, seeing defenses and getting the ball into my hands, everything is slower and it’s picking up and getting way easier.”

Cooper also has contributed on special teams, with a 25-yard punt return in the first preseason game plus two kickoff returns for 70 yards.

The Rams almost certainly will stay with Austin as their primary punt returner, but Cooper’s straight-line speed could make him an intriguing option on kickoffs, assuming he can adjust to NFL speed.

“That’s exactly what it is: faster,” Cooper said. “They’re coming down full speed. College, sometimes (defenders) didn’t know what they were doing. They were just out there running. Here, they know what they’re doing. They criss-cross when they run down. They’re coming to take your head off.”

GETTING HEALTHY

A number of Rams players who missed Saturday’s game – and most of last week of practice – returned to the field as participants Monday.

Mark Barron reclaimed his spot as a first-team outside linebacker, while tight end Tyler Higbee, safety Maurice Alexander and running back Aaron Green returned in more limited roles.

Receiver Nelson Spruce remains out, as does receiver Bradley Marquez, who hurt his ankle Saturday.

The Rams, not entirely pleased with their cornerback play, gave an increased number of first-team reps to cornerback E.J. Gaines, who missed more than a week of practices with a hamstring injury. The Rams continue to rotate Gaines, Lamarcus Joyner and Coty Sensabaugh opposite Trumaine Johnson.

REAL LIFE

Defensive lineman William Hayes, who did an admirable job of convincing viewers of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” show that he believes in the existence of mermaids, had a special fan at practice Monday: a woman who dressed up as Ariel, a character from the movie “The Little Mermaid.”

Hayes greeted the woman and took photos and, of course, cameras documented the entire exchange.

Rams players bracing for cuts

Alden Gonzalez ESPN Staff Writer

http://www.espn.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/30283/rams-players-bracing-for-cuts

IRVINE, Calif. — The deadline to trim rosters from a maximum of 90 to 75 players is now a week away, at 1 p.m. PT next Tuesday. After Monday’s practice, Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher was asked if he had a particular message for the players on the bubble.

“There’s really no need for a message,” he said. “If they don’t realize that there’s a cut-down after the third preseason game, they’re probably not smart enough to play and help us play.”

(At least two Rams players didn’t know where the sun rises and sets, but that’s a different story.)

Fisher is mainly focused on getting reps for those on-the-bubble players. That was a problem this past Saturday, when the Kansas City Chiefs dominated the time of possession. And it will probably be a problem this coming Saturday in Denver, because Fisher is motivated to get his starters additional snaps, with some of them even playing past halftime.

In seven days, 15 players will be gone from his roster. And four days after that — on Saturday, Sept. 3 — rosters will be pared to 53 for the regular season.

“Some of them maybe get an opportunity with other clubs,” Fisher said. “And then some of them will come to the realization that their childhood goal is over, and I need to go on with my life.”

Some additional notes from Monday’s practice …

•Offensive tackle Rob Havenstein, who is on the physically unable to perform list because of a foot injury, took part in some light drills off to the side. Havenstein can’t practice with the team until he is off the PUP list. Players who finish the preseason on the PUP list must sit out the first six weeks of the regular season.

•Tight end Tyler Higbee, linebacker/safety Mark Barron, strong safety Maurice Alexander, running back Aaron Green and offensive tackle Isaiah Battle all practiced, after missing Saturday’s game because of injury/illness. The Rams went through drills without pads, however.

•Hall of Famer Andre Reed was in camp and gave a pep talk to the wide receivers.