OTAs … w/ a good re-cap article (posted 6/23)

Rams OTAs: Veterans collide with youth movement and more observations

Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/4546063/2023/05/24/rams-practice-rookies-quarterbacks/?source=emp_shared_article

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — When a team has been so top heavy with veteran players for as many years as the Rams have been, small juxtapositions to that really stand out.

For example, it’s been a while since they’ve started from “Step Zero” in developing a quarterback: A rookie specifically they have drafted, with the intent that he’ll mature into a reliable backup. Their starters and even previous backups have most recently been veteran players.

So we haven’t necessarily considered a detail like Stetson Bennett having never played football with an earpiece in his helmet, which connects to the play caller (in this case Sean McVay). College teams use signs and hand signals from the sideline, and, well, Bennett has played a lot of college football.

“I can just tell you that it’s (faster),” said Bennett of the transition to the NFL, “those D-linemen are coming. The hashes are a little bit different, so that makes for a shorter throw to the field but a longer throw to the boundary, and the routes are a little bit deeper here.

“The first day, I was kind of freaking out about the play calls. Stumbling over my words, a little bit. It’s weird to hear the play call from the earpiece, it’s just completely different from … what we did in college. But he was very helpful, ‘you’re good, you’re good.’ I’d have to ask him, like, twice.”

Doses of perspective like that are everywhere — reminders about the youthful state of the Rams’ current roster. There are so many rookies in this 2023 group, for example, they have to take a charter bus from their hotel/apartment cluster to Cal Lutheran every day instead of the usual 10-person van.

That will mean more hands-on coaching, at “Step Zero” instead of one, two, three or nine. Some drills look different. The all-rookie group of specialists get timed from their stance on the sideline to assembly of the kicking unit, establishing a new rhythm together. The younger quarterbacks, minus Matthew Stafford as he enters his 15th season, jog through the exact footsteps of a run fake down to the millisecond, because the Rams do it in a specific manner and they simply don’t know the precise movement of that run fake yet. Instead of automatically repping through the drill as more experienced quarterbacks have over the last few years, they break it down. Talk about it. Walk through it, jog through it, talk about it again.

The drilling is more down-to-the-studs because missing a step in the development process, for any of their dozens of rookies, might mean never recovering.

“We want to be able to maximize every single day,” McVay said. “When we’ve had the continuity that we’ve had in years past, you can really say, ‘Hey, these guys have played a lot of snaps (so) let’s make sure that we’re smart and cognizant of (finishing the season) in the middle of February. How do we get them ready to go by the time training camp starts and what’s the best way to supplement that?’ Whereas, you get better at football by being able to play it — especially with a lot of guys that haven’t done that. Really, this is the closest thing since 2018 in terms of actually doing some real team work.”

More from Rams OTAs

Note: Per the Rams’ policy, media with access to practice cannot report formations, personnel groups, deployment of personnel, starting lineups, unconventional plays, the number of reps players take at certain positions, etc.

• Neither Aaron Donald nor Cooper Kupp were present as this phase of OTAs began, but both were out for family reasons. Both players have been present for at least part of the voluntary workouts.

• Rookie fifth-round receiver Puka Nacua seems determined to take on a large mental workload right away as installation unfolds.

“Puka has done a nice job. He’s gotten some reps really in all three groups,” said Stafford, smiling. “Every time I look up, he’s running around somewhere.”

At one point Tuesday, McVay even pulled Nacua aside and worked with him individually on his release off the line of scrimmage.

• Fourth-year starting receiver Van Jefferson gave me a little bit of a scouting report on who to keep an eye on through OTAs, and Nacua was one of the young players he mentioned.

“He has come in and taken ownership of the playbook, and tried to learn the best he can,” Jefferson said. “You can just see how it (translates) on the field. He’s been having a great two days that he’s been out here.”

• Offensive guard Logan Bruss, the Rams’ third-round pick last season, is back to practicing although the staff will still be cautious with his knee. McVay said he had a full workload Monday, and was more limited Tuesday. They are also being more cautious with Joe Noteboom as he returns from an Achilles injury suffered last year. All other offensive linemen appeared to be full participants in Tuesday’s workout.

• Bennett noted that he has not taken any reps in 11-on-11 drills yet, and that is to be expected considering he is still learning the playbook. The Rams need to immediately get to work installing their second- and third-team offense (and execute competitive reps against a very inexperienced defense, so they can also grow).

That is where the addition of quarterback Brett Rypien, who signed with the Rams on a one-year deal this spring, makes sense. Rypien previously worked in a McVay/Kyle Shanahan system-adjacent offense while in Denver and while the play names and combinations change from offense to offense in this coaching tree, the general ethos is the same. Rypien, then, is able to get those groups the work they need while the Rams onboard Bennett and undrafted free-agent Dresser Winn. Rypien can also communicate different elements of this offense’s language when Stafford is working on another field, and the three younger quarterbacks split off with coach Zac Robinson.

“Brett is a pro’s pro. He knows how to go about it,” Bennett said. “He also already texted me like, ‘if you need any DoorDash or Uber Eats suggestions, I got you. …

“Little things like that, it helps. I mean, this is brand new for me.”

• All of the young defensive backs brought a high level of energy Tuesday, but second-year cornerback Derion Kendrick’s urgency especially stood out. He led off drills and sprinted through the ends of sideline-to-sideline footwork and ball-skills reps. When the defense ran sprints after the “Mamba” period near the end of practice (including McVay), Kendrick ran an extra one.

• There isn’t really any live football taking place through this part of OTAs. However, a few defensive backs still made plays where they could: Cornerback Richard LeCounte and safety Jordan Fuller both had interceptions, and cornerback Cameron McCutcheon showed impressive length with an outstretched pass breakup about midway through the day.

• Rookie defensive lineman Kobie Turner, the Rams’ No. 89 overall pick, is bigger than I thought he would be after draft analysts billed him as a smaller-profile player. On the edge, outside linebacker Michael Hoecht is listed at 310 pounds on the official roster but appears to have leaned out a little.

Rams OTAs: Puka Nacua’s learning curve, Cooper Kupp returns, DBs’ energy and more

By Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/4587189/2023/06/06/rams-practice-puka-nacua-cooper-kupp/

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — It’s hard to shake some of the deja vu at Rams OTAs this spring when watching a versatile receiver in a No. 17 jersey run all over the field with the first-team offense.

Rookie fifth-round pick Puka Nacua has stood out in each of the three practices the media has been able to view this spring, because of his significant workload despite his age as well as the plays he has made — and he’s impressing the coaching staff, too.

“It’s been really impressive, how quickly he has gotten up to speed,” said head coach Sean McVay after Tuesday’s practice. “He’s really conscientious.”

No. 1 receiver Cooper Kupp has not previously been at OTAs, and on Tuesday Ben Skowronek and Van Jefferson did not practice (Jefferson had a rest day and Skowronek had some “soreness” in his foot, according to McVay). So there has been ample opportunity, and need, for a receiver to step in and take on a larger-than-normal workload. Nacua has done exactly that, and the coaching staff has openly tested him with more responsibility each week.

Yet … anyone who has followed this team in the McVay era knows how tough it is to crack an actual featured role in his offense as a rookie receiver. The last player who did that was Kupp, though other rookie receivers have been contributors since Kupp’s standout first season in 2017. So much goes on behind the scenes, too — film study, weight room, recovery, etc. — so how can we know when the excitement over a player is simply because they’re excelling as a fill-in during the spring, or they’re the real deal?

“I referenced Puka, I think that is one of the things he has done so quickly — you go from thinking about the lines on the page to the reason we are running the concept,” Kupp said. “You go from just what the picture says to what the ‘why’ is behind the picture. I think that’s the biggest difference — when you can get to the ‘why.’”

One example: The Rams’ skill players and quarterbacks worked on red zone concepts on one end of the field, with no defenders and at a slower pace, in the early portion of practice. McVay led this group as they set up different route stacks and formations intended to spring certain players loose. He took extra time to explain to Nacua and others why the spacing on certain routes needed to match a certain timing count in the quarterback’s progression, and clarified what exactly about one specific concept manipulated the limited area at the goal line. Several minutes later in red zone 11-on-11 drills, this time against defenders, Matthew Stafford hit Nacua on the concept he had just worked on for a touchdown.

“He’s pretty special,” Kupp said. “If he can stay on a trajectory, he’s going to be a very good football player in this league. I love the way he attacks each day. He’s got a great feel for the game, (for) leverage, running routes. … He’s asking the right questions. That’s the big thing. As he gets more reps, over and over as he gets to see these things, he’ll just get better and better.”

More observations, notes and takeaways from the last day of OTAs access, before the Rams begin minicamp next week:

(Note: Per the Rams’ policy, media with access to practice cannot report formations, personnel groups, deployment of personnel, starting lineups unless confirmed directly by a coach or player, unconventional plays, the number of reps players take at certain positions, etc.)

• Tuesday marked Kupp’s first full day back at the Rams’ training facilities, after spending a few weeks away while he and Anna, his wife, welcomed their third child. Kupp was not a full participant in the practice and instead worked on the side with athletic trainers. He had the tightrope procedure last winter to fix the high ankle sprain that ended his 2022 season, and between the recovery and his time away, the Rams are cautiously onboarding him back into live action.

“I’m feeling really good now,” Kupp said. “You don’t know until you really get out here doing football stuff, really putting your ankle through the stuff that is required of playing football. You can’t simulate this stuff. … I feel, right now, as we’ve been pushing it pretty hard, I feel really good. I’m itching to be out there. It’s a good place to be, now, where I’m asking for more and wanting to do more and feeling like you’re getting held back versus (them) pushing you to do more.”

• Kupp and Stafford are in the process of outlining a series of practices before training camp because the two are not currently able to get live reps together.

• As previously written, the Rams have boosted the size of their offensive line at some positions and they’re also moving a few players around (especially on the interior). Tuesday, Tremayne Anchrum played left guard while rookie Steve Avila played right guard. McVay confirmed that the Rams are experimenting with Anchrum and Avila at either starting guard spot.

“(We’re) figuring out that ‘best five’ combination,” McVay said, “(and) there’s still so much football to be played and so many things to be evaluated. But I like the way that both of those guys — they were playing on the opposite sides last week, they flipped this week. It’s only going to make us that much more versatile.”

• McVay also added that it will be “awesome” to have 2022 starting left tackle Joe Noteboom back to practicing fully (he is limited as the Rams continue to slowly onboard him following last year’s Achilles injury), but he left Noteboom’s specific position up in the air.

• Receiver Sam James worked on the side with athletic trainers throughout the practice. New addition Tyler Johnson, a three-year NFL veteran signed by the Rams last week, is immediately working into the rotation (and wearing No. 14, for now).

• Inside linebacker Ernest Jones drew a lot of praise throughout practice from coaches and teammates and made two plays on the ball. The first, a pass breakup, showcased mental acumen, because even though practices aren’t currently live-speed, making the play required Jones to match and then jump a short/quick-game route close to the line of scrimmage. The second was contested between offense and defense — what the defense argued as an incomplete ball thanks to Jones’ coverage in the corner of the end zone, the offense argued as a catch by second-year running back Kyren Williams.

• McVay spent a lot of time in the pre-practice stretching period with centers Coleman Shelton and Brian Allen and then carried that conversation over to new offensive line coach Ryan Wendell and assistant coaches Nick Jones and Zak Kromer. Shelton and Allen have been able to simulate the “starting” language with both the first and second teams, respectively, because they both have starting experience.

• The early energy from the secondary carried into a really competitive red zone 11-on-11 period, where the reserve defense made several plays against quarterback Stetson Bennett and the reserve offense. Arizona State rookie cornerback Timarcus Davis broke up a Bennett pass, and then Bennett was intercepted by North Carolina State rookie safety Tanner Ingle. Another safety to potentially keep an eye on through minicamp and training camp: Mississippi State rookie undrafted free agent Collin Duncan, who in jersey No. 33 and measuring in at 6-foot and 210 pounds, brought more “former Rams players” deja vu to the day.

• Stafford calmly took matters into his own hands for the side of the offense when he and the first team subbed back in. He hit Nacua and tight end Tyler Higbee on back-to-back touchdowns. Right tackle Rob Havenstein ran up to Nacua to celebrate his score, and accidentally knocked over the much-smaller player.

• Bennett then got the reserve defense back in the next round: He threaded a pass through three defenders and into the waiting arms of Williams in the end zone.

The throw and catch were so slick that several defensive players celebrated the offensive play. Second-year cornerback Cobie Durant turned to the spectating media and said admiringly, “Hey, that’s Stetson Bennett.” Donte Deayon, a former Rams cornerback who is now a Bill Walsh Coaching Fellow with the team, jotted a note down on his clipboard and side-eyed the media as well, saying, “That’s a play.”

• The quote (and joke) of the day came from Kupp, who noted that Bennett has really shown his athleticism in throwing off-platform or out of structure.

“I think he’s definitely the most athletic quarterback from Georgia that we’ve got on our team.”

Stetson Bennett has been DEALING at Rams OTA’s.

Bennett’s “athleticism” has reportedly stood out throughout OTA’s.

Cooper Kupp recently noted that Bennett has made some “really big-time throws” in practices.

The Rams rookie QB is impressing EARLY. pic.twitter.com/hUcuQOA8qt

— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) June 9, 2023

Dispatch from Rams minicamp –
Caught up with DL Bobby Brown III, who had insight on his own journey + a young and developing D-line.
Plus: Jordan Fuller 2/2, OL shuffling, kicker tech, news, more https://t.co/5OMeFf6QwI

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) June 15, 2023

Another strong day from Jordan Fuller. Byron Young stood out today, so did Christian Rozeboom, so did Kobie Turner, so did Logan Bruss, and while he’s still of course learning, Stetson Bennett throwing on the move is really fun to watch.

Much more detail to follow @TheAthletic

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) June 14, 2023

…

Rams minicamp: Young D-line developing rapport, rotating centers, notable plays

By Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/4611113/2023/06/14/rams-minicamp-observations-defensive-line/?source=emp_shared_article

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Third-year defensive tackle Bobby Brown III has been leading the line of his teammates during drills in Rams minicamp this week, a responsibility he doesn’t take lightly.

“I’m just trying to be the guy that (defensive line coach Eric Henderson) thinks I can be, knows I can be,” Brown told The Athletic after Wednesday’s practice.

In his words, Brown wants to be a dominant player — “if I’m not getting double-teamed, that’s disrespect” — but getting back on track toward that has taken work. He was suspended for the first six games of the 2022 season for violating the NFL’s PED policy.

“It’s been like staying focused, taking it one day at a time. Getting better (by) 1 percent every day,” Brown said. “No matter if it’s technique, or mentally … even if it’s attitude.”

Brown said that this offseason he has become more of a “student.”

“I’ve been willing to learn since I got here, and that’s been one of my biggest things, and now it’s even more,” he said. “I’m learning more. Even the smallest details, as simple as backing off the ball or whatever it could be, any little thing. Lifting weights, getting stronger, as strong as I possibly can, all of that.”

The Rams need Brown to take a step forward this season because the departure of A’Shawn Robinson and Greg Gaines in free agency left two gaping holes on the inside of the defensive line.

It wasn’t just that Robinson and Gaines really understood how to work off the dominating, versatile and often creative play style of star Aaron Donald — they also all understood how to flow together and complement each other.

“You want guys that play off one another,” head coach Sean McVay said. “It’s all predicated situationally, but I think you want to see some of the things that A’Shawn Robinson has shown where he’s been a really productive player the last couple years, Greg Gaines … I think it’ll really come to life once we put pads on, and you start to see us try to get into more realistic situations and settings. … We’re gonna find the best players, and it might be more rotations than we’ve been accustomed to.”

Most of the Rams’ defensive line room is either filled with rookies or relatively inexperienced players. But they all need to figure out how to flow with each other and with Donald (who was excused from minicamp for a personal matter). Brown said that work is done off the field.

The defensive linemen all have a group chat, they have been watching the NBA Finals together at each others’ houses, they often get dinner together and hit the town and they recently went paintballing.

“It’s more family-oriented than just being single, trying to get paid,” Brown said. “We all love each other, we all work, talk crap, it’s all love. When we’re on the field, we just feel like we don’t want to let the guy next to us down. We’re out there playing for each other.”

More observations from the last day of Rams minicamp:

(Note: Per the Rams’ policy, media with access to practice cannot report formations, personnel groups, deployment of personnel, starting lineups unless confirmed directly by a coach or player, unconventional plays, the number of reps players take at certain positions, etc.)

• The Rams are missing several tackles at the moment because left tackle Alaric Jackson was excused from minicamp for a personal matter, tackle/guard Joe Noteboom is being brought back to full participation cautiously after a 2022 Achilles injury, and right tackle Rob Havenstein is taking veteran rest days.

So others have had to fill those roles — including second-year guard Logan Bruss, who played right tackle Wednesday.

“That’s where he was comfortable, he played a lot of that position at Wisconsin,” McVay said. “You don’t minimize how difficult the transition from tackle to guard really is, he did a really good job. I think it’s something to be able to look at.

“Ultimately, it is our job to be able to find the best spots that accentuate these guys’ skill sets, where they’re most comfortable and where they’re most valuable for our team.”

• As they have through much of the spring, the Rams continue to rotate their centers with quarterback Matthew Stafford. He may start out 11-on-11s with Coleman Shelton, and finish the last drill of the day with Brian Allen.

“We’re kind of rotating a bunch of guys in there,” Stafford said with a chuckle, referring to the offensive line in general. “We’ve had some new guys in at tackle this week. I know, at some point, we’ll settle into what we want to get to. I’m lucky to play with both of those guys. They’re really great centers. Great command of the offense, what we’re trying to do. Professional snappers of the football.”

• Cornerback Tre Tomlinson (hamstring) and receiver Ben Skowronek (foot) didn’t practice. Receiver Cooper Kupp went through individual drills with teammates, but not 11-on-11s. McVay said he expects all players to report healthily to training camp on July 25.

• Remember the play safety Jordan Fuller made against receiver Tutu Atwell on Tuesday? He did it again Wednesday, on the exact same route concept for Atwell. He also broke up a shorter pass intended for Atwell later in the day. The throw, from Stafford, drew a few impressed whistles from the sideline.

• In red zone 11-on-11s, Stafford hit receiver Van Jefferson with a dart of a throw through the middle of the field into the back of the end zone. Jefferson toe-tapped inbounds as he secured the catch.

• Robert Rochell broke up a deep pass intended for tight end Tyler Higbee, but the offense argued that it was clear pass interference and said Rochell would have been flagged were officials present.

• Undrafted free-agent cornerback Tyon Davis made a nice play on a Brett Rypien throw intended for receiver Demarcus Robinson.

• Inside linebacker Christian Rozeboom had an interception on a short underneath throw by Stafford.

• Running backs coach Ron Gould is in his first season with the Rams, but his veteran coaching style has been on display. Gould pulled rookie Zach Evans aside during 11-on-11s and, with one hand on his helmet in a comforting fashion, talked Evans through a concept and spent extra time with him.

• Players can’t hit each other, tackle, truly block or pass rush. But still, sometimes successful pressure is apparent. The combination of outside linebackers Daniel Hardy and Michael Hoecht, plus defensive linemen Jonah Williams, Kobie Turner and Marquise Copeland/at times Brown, were in high spirits after a few red zone pressure designs would have likely led to a sack or broken play for the offense.

• There is a ton of structure, design and discipline that goes into every Rams practice (they literally “walk through” every practice rotation and emphasize the point of certain drills and exercises, so that every segment of it moves fast and efficiently). But with such a young defense, it’s quite clear the Rams have encouraged the linebackers and defensive backs to build confidence early. One way to do this is to allow them to make plays on the ball if they see an opportunity and it’s within their technique and the structure of the play or drill. The benefit is twofold: Energy spikes up early in the practice and sustains through the end.

“It’s been great,” Stafford said. “Our guys on the back end, and really up front as well, are doing a really nice job. Rah (defensive coordinator Raheem Morris) has got a bunch of good stuff going in and they’re doing a nice job of executing it … playing within their technique and using their instincts.”

• Rams backup quarterback Stetson Bennett is, of course, still learning the ropes. But especially when he’s throwing on the move or out of structure, he has become appointment viewing. In red zone 11-on-11 drills with pressure looming (again, quarterbacks can’t get hit, linemen can’t really block, pass rushers can’t really rush), Bennett rolled to his right and flicked a pass across his body and into the outstretched arms of tight end Brycen Hopkins in the back of the end zone.

“When the ball is in Stetson’s hands, the game makes sense to him,” McVay said. “He’s got a good feel for being able to get through progressions quickly, he can feel space on the back end … he feels open areas, he can get through things quickly. And you love the athleticism. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but I like his demeanor.”

• Another new sight for the Rams’ special teams: Coordinator Chase Blackburn appeared to have brought in some motion-capture equipment for the kicking unit and had it running during parts of Tuesday’s practice. That’s the first time I’ve seen a special teams coach do that here. They’ll be able to measure things like alignment, kick height off the foot, angles, trajectories, spin, etc., with the equipment and adjust accordingly.