journalists at camp.. 8/9 & 8/10

Isaac Bruce, Jackie Joyner-Kersee make for star-studded Rams practice

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/20192/isaac-bruce-and-jackie-joyner-kersee-make-for-a-star-studded-rams-practice

EARTH CITY, Mo. — St. Louis sports royalty attended Sunday’s Rams practice.

Legendary Rams receiver Isaac Bruce and legendary track star Jackie Joyner-Kersee watched the Rams go through their paces for the two-plus hour workout in what was easily the hottest day of camp so far.

Bruce and Joyner-Kersee, who is from East St. Louis, Ill., �do some work for Mercy Sports Medicine and stopped by to watch the Sunday session. It was the first practice Joyner-Kersee has attended since the team moved to St. Louis in 1995.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher has long been a proponent of welcoming former players and coaches back to the building and, of course, had no problems with Joyner-Kersee coming by too.

“[Bruce’s] career speaks for itself and when we came in, the respect factor that we have for the former players whether they played one year or played 10 years or potential Hall of Famers,” Fisher said. “We want to make sure that they’re welcome. So you see a number of them over the years. … The door is open to everybody. Any former player that wants to come out to practice or come in the building and say hi, we welcome them.”

Bruce, who maintains his regular home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is spending his days running a gym he opened there as well as helping coach the Dillard High football team in his spare time.

— Defensive tackle Michael Brockers did not participate in the practice but missed for the best of reasons: He became the father to a baby girl.

— Among those sitting out the team portion of practice Sunday afternoon were running backs Tre Mason (hamstring) and Todd Gurley (knee), cornerbacks Brandon McGee (foot) and E.J. Gaines (foot), guard Cody Wichmann (calf), linebacker Korey Toomer (ankle), end Chris Long, defensive tackle Doug Worthington and safety Maurice Alexander. Tight end Brad Smelley also departed practice early for what appeared to be a hand injury.

— With no Mason and no Gurley, Benny Cunningham continues to get a lot of work with the first-team offense. Cunningham looks quick, decisive and completely comfortable in the confines of the offense. The Rams clearly will be a better team with Gurley and/or Mason but they have to feel like Cunningham is a really solid option as the No. 3 back and not just on third down.

— Former Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery also attended Sunday’s practice.

— The rotation at center started back at the top with Tim Barnes. As expected, offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti made it clear the Rams would like to see their centers in game settings before settling on a starter.

— Coordinator Gregg Williams had his charges working hard early and often, including a round of up/downs early in practice. Had to be tough given the 70 percent humidity and a heat index nearing triple digits.

— The Rams continued to have some issues with pre-snap penalties. It’s an area Fisher said is a point of emphasis but in the two practices since he mentioned how much better it had been in camp, it’s taken a turn for the worse.

— Some highlights from the practice: Quarterback Austin Davis connected with receiver Brian Quick for a long gain down the right sideline during team drills. … Undrafted cornerback Imoan Claiborne, who missed Saturday’s special teams practice, returned with a couple of interceptions in a three-play span. … Receiver Damian Williams made a nice touchdown catch over cornerback Marcus Roberson in the corner of the end zone during one-on-ones. The catch drew Bruce’s approval.

— The Rams are back at it Monday with practice set for 4:30 p.m. ET. It is the penultimate open practice for fans in St. Louis in this training camp.

Practice Report 8/9: Offensive Progress

By Austin Lankford

http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-practicereport/Practice-Report-89-Offensive-Progress/0e26a5f5-eaed-44a4-b8d3-16e2b22a8b29

The Rams took the field on Sunday in what was probably the hottest day of training camp so far, but head coach Jeff Fisher was happy with the way his team responded.

“They pushed right through it, which is impressive,” Fisher said. “We didn’t have to mention a thing and they pushed themselves through it and I was really impressed. They knew that we had to get through today and tomorrow, which are big days for us because then we start to taper off as we get closer to the preseason.”

Frank Cignetti also addressed media on Sunday for the first time since training camp opened and is pleased with the progress.

“We have a great staff and they do a great job teaching,” the first-year offensive coordinator said. “The players are doing an awesome job preparing and they’re bringing it out on the field. We’re getting great effort, we’re getting good execution, and every day you can see that we’re making progress.”

Cignetti also stated the offense is on its third time installing the playbook, and as the preseason nears, the players are becoming more comfortable. He specifically mentioned Nick Foles’ strong grasp of the offense to this point.

“He has adapted well and you can see it every day out here,” Cignetti said. “Every time he gets another rep at a concept, he sees it better and he’s more decisive in his decision making process. Every day we are pleased with the progress we are seeing with Nick.”

Both Fisher and Cignetti are also glad to have Case Keenum back in a Rams uniform with the potential of winning the back-up role behind Foles.

“What we like about Case is the game isn’t too fast for him,” Cignetti said. “He processes information very well, he’s smart, he’s a rhythmic passer, and he’s very accurate. We ask our quarterbacks to run the offense and keep us out of a bad play and he can come to the line of scrimmage and recognize the defense right now and make the proper adjustments.”

Keenum’s transition back to St. Louis has been smooth because the offense hasn’t altered too much from last year when Brian Schottenheimer was coordinating the unit.

“The foundation was in place when coach Schottenheimer put an offense in here for three years,” Cignetti said. “We tweaked it a little bit, but the foundation of the terminology and the core concepts were in place, so there is a lot of carry over.”

Fisher said the Rams wanted Keenum back from the Texans after he was signed off St. Louis’ practice squad last year, but didn’t know what Houston’s situation would be.

“So we decided that the best way to get Case back would be to offer them a future pick,” Fisher said. “He’s productive and he understands the offense in his second year in it. He’s further ahead than he was last year, he can make all the throws, and he’s got that enthusiasm and the ‘it’ factor in the huddle.”

With Cignetti nearing the end of his first full training camp as an OC he said he isn’t shocked at the progress the team has made.

“I’m not surprised at all because I think we have a great group of coaches and players who are committed to being the best they can be and every day,” Cignetti said. “We see our guys come out here and give great effort and execute.”

Fisher also likes the state of the offense heading into the first preseason game in Oakland, once again noting his confidence in his young offensive linemen.

“Jamon Brown and Rob Havenstein are coming on, and Andrew [Donnal] is coming along,” Fisher said. “I’d like to get Cody [Wichmann] back out there and Demetrius [Rhaney] missed a lot of time last year due to injury so it’s been great for him too. We will wait and see how we fair against the Raiders and Cowboys in practice, but there’s no reason for me to think that they can’t line up and play.”

Fisher did say that one of the growing pains with young offensive linemen is learning to effectively communicate in the heat of a game.

“It’s the lack of reps and the lack of experience because if there’s a communication issue up front and you cut somebody loose, that’s a free run on your quarterback,” Fisher said. “So we have to make sure that doesn’t happen and at this point, they are getting their reps.”

SIGNING FORTSON

The Rams added defensive tackle Marcus Fortson to the roster late last week and he completed his first practice on Sunday. Fortson played in college at Miami and has been out of football since last August, although he did participate in this year’s veteran combine. He said he got the call from the Rams on Thursday and arrived in St. Louis that evening.

“I woke up Friday morning and had a full day of physicals, worked out and then signed,” Fortson said. “It was a major blessing, man.”

Fortson went undrafted in 2012 and was picked up by the Patriots where he spent time on both the practice squad and active roster.

“It’s all up to me at the end of the day,” Fortson said. “If I do what I need to do and work hard and put out good film, I should be good.”

DONALD’S ENCORE

Fisher said on Sunday that the 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year is looking for a strong second season.

“He has worked very hard the entire offseason,” Fisher said. “He started this offseason on a mission and he’s in great shape. He knows that every snap he has a chance to win and he’s motivated by that. He’s going to be good for us and very hard to block this year.”

BRUCE VISITS CAMP

Hall of Fame wide receiver and Rams legend Isaac Bruce was present for Sunday’s practice.

“His career speaks for itself we have a lot of respect for the former players, whether they have played a year or ten years or a potential Hall of Famer,” Fisher said. “We just want to make sure they’re welcome here and you’ve seen a number of them through the years. The doors are open to any former player who wants to come out to practice or come in the building and say hello. We welcome them.”

BROCKERS’ BABY

Defensive tackle Michael Brockers was absent for Sunday’s practice, but for a very good reason. His wife gave birth to a baby girl.

Practice Report 8/10: Williams Sees Big Potential

By Myles Simmons

http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-practicereport/Practice-Report-810-Williams-Sees-Big-Potential/7fb2ebd4-74f2-4f32-aff6-dbc17d52841c

Last year, the Rams’ defense came in with high expectations that took some time to live up to. But in 2015, the team is looking to translate 2014’s late success to a fast start. Having Gregg Williams back for a second year as coordinator has made a difference so far in training camp.

“There’s an understanding of how we go about doing things,” Williams said after Monday’s practice. “More familiarity for them, and more familiarity for me, too. So it’s been good to see that.”

With Friday’s game against the Raiders approaching, Williams is looking forward to seeing some of the team’s younger players in action. Aside from staying healthy, Williams said one of the most important factors of the first preseason contest is introducing players to stressful situations.

“Until you get into a live game, you don’t see live pressure, you don’t see live tackling, you don’t see live situations,” Williams said. “I need to see them handle stress. And that’ll be a good part of the game.”

No longer a rookie, Aaron Donald has impressed the defensive coordinator thus far in camp. Head coach Jeff Fisher said yesterday that the defensive tackle started the offseason “on a mission,” and Williams reiterated how good the Pitt product has looked.

“I really believe he just scratched the surface last year,” Williams said of the 2014 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. “He’s a rare person instinctive-wise. He’s a rare person intelligence-wise about that position. And he’s a rare person leverage-wise.”

“He’s going to have to stay healthy,” Williams continued. “That’s a tough thing to do in our business when you’re playing in the trenches the way he plays. But he’s got a good injury history in the past. So if he continues to stay healthy, I think you’ll see even more production out of him.”

Williams also gave plenty of credit to Michael Brockers — who became a father yesterday — for how he can handle double teams, freeing Donald to make plays in the backfield.

“‘Brock’ has his back on a lot of things on some of the things situationally that we teach,” Williams said.

Sticking with the defensive line, one of the factors that should aid in a fast start is be the health of Chris Long. But while the defensive end missed 10 games last year with a lower-leg injury, Williams said Will Hayes did an admirable job filling in.

“Will Hayes was our defensive-production leader on how we go about grading for the season,” Williams said. “He led in production on the intricate way that we go about disrupting the timing of opponents offenses. So Will got a chance to play more and he stepped in and did a good job.”

If that health can continue through the entire unit, the Rams’ defense can be one of the best in the league.

“We always think that,” Williams said. “I’ve had some really good defenses in the past. I’ve had some really good ones across the league in other teams. They have the makings of it, but, again, we have to stay healthy.

“And some of the offenses, hopefully they’ll cooperate, too, and not play as well,” Williams added with a smile.

BEATING THE HEAT

Though it was pouring rain around an hour and a half before practice was scheduled to start, the sun came out in Earth City and the Rams held their session outside. But it was a hot one, with temperatures hovering around 90 degrees.

With the high temperatures over the last couple of days, Fisher said the training staff has done a good job of keeping players hydrated.

“We’re monitoring everything from a recovery standpoint and [the players] came back really well last night, today,” Fisher said. “They know. Today, we were back-to-back padded days. Tomorrow we’ll take the pads off and start our preparation for the preseason.”

E.J. GAINES’ STATUS

Second-year cornerback E.J. Gaines was injured in practice early in camp, and Fisher said on Monday that there is still no clear update on him.

“The only thing I can say is that he’s seeing the specialist right now and we haven’t gotten any results yet,” Fisher said.

PREPPING FOR THE PRESEASON

As usual, Fisher said that the Rams would not be doing much game planning for the first preseason game against the Raiders. But there are tasks the team must complete before Friday night at 9 p.m. CT.

“We have to go through our pregame warm-up routine and go through all that stuff,” Fisher said. “Of course, then we have that unique opportunity to go out in between the two games, one and two, and practice against the Cowboys, so that will be a great experience for us.”

While the head coach added the staff will discuss playing time on Tuesday, don’t expect much from the starting units. But with a few players dinged up, there should be plenty of opportunities for younger players to make an impression.

“That’s always the case in preseason,” Fisher said. “If you got guys that are nicked that you’re going to hold out or that can’t potentially go, the younger guys get more play time and so that’s what we’re going to evaluate.”

ROBINSON’S PROGRESSION

Left tackle Greg Robinson has made plenty of progress since the start of the calendar year, having spent much of it at Rams Park recovering from surgery early in the offseason. Offensive line coach Paul T. Boudreau said Robinson is much further ahead of where he was last year.

“It’s like night and day,” Boudreau said. “And usually, the biggest transition for a lineman is between that first year and the second year — the offseason is invaluable. You can’t see them until April anymore, but the fact that he was injured [meant] he was here every day. He was watching tape and it was really good for him because he was in the building.”