Quarterback Jared Goff gets plenty of work

Rams QB Jared Goff – Rookie Minicamp – May 6, 2016

(On how the first day went)

(On if today was confusing at all from a terminology standpoint)

(On the newness of the terminology and what the adjustments are like)

(On how he would describe the emotion of participating in his first practice as an NFL player)

(On if he considers himself fluent or conversational in the new terminology at this point)

(On what the rookie orientation has entailed thus far)

(On if he feels like a lot of the stuff he was doing at Cal translates to the pros)

(On how he knows that he’s ready for the media attention that the LA market brings and football at the same time)

(On how hard it is as a player to kind of dial it back as they adjust to the pace of a professional practice)

(On how he handled getting all of the quarterback reps at practice today)

(On if he looks to start inserting himself as a leader on a day like today)

(On how the reception has been from the veteran players)

“Great. I haven’t met too many of them. We haven’t been mixed up with them yet. I met a few and it’s been great. I got a bunch of texts from a bunch guys – that’s been really cool. I’m excited to finally work with them, eventually.”

Jared Goff gets off to stylish start as Rams rookies begin two-day minicamp in Oxnard

RICH HAMMOND

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/goff-715106-rams-field.html

OXNARD – On day one, Jared Goff appeared to conjugate all his quarterback verbs correctly.

“The way they say it, and it’s absolutely right, it’s almost like learning a different language,” Goff said Friday, shortly after the Rams’ recent No. 1 overall draft pick completed his first (and quite informal) pro practice. “I felt like I picked it up as I went along, and it got better.”

The Rams started their two-day rookie minicamp for 27 players who either were drafted, signed or invited on tryouts. Most of the work is off the field, with introductory and informational meetings, but players also got on the field Friday for approximately two hours to show their wares.

Major analysis would be pointless. There was no tackling, and players ran at half speed and spent much of their time working with coaches on positional drills. Coach Jeff Fisher roamed around and took a good look.

Mostly, the afternoon seemed to have symbolic significance. Players wore Rams uniforms on a field in Southern California for the first time since 1994, and the practice marked the start of the Goff era.

Goff, presumed to be the Rams’ quarterback of the future – if not the present – looked the part. A basic, meat-market evaluation indicated that Goff comes as advertised, with great footwork, a quick release, a good, accurate arm and plenty of confidence. He didn’t seem overwhelmed by the moment.

“It’s just a lot of fun to be able to get back out here with the guys and enjoy football again,” Goff said, “and get out of the whole pre-draft process and be able to actually play again.”

Goff took snaps out of the shotgun formation, as he did almost exclusively at Cal, but also spent significant time working with coaches on under-center snaps.

If there’s any question about Goff, this is it, whether his skills can translate to a pro-style system. But Goff looked fine in under-center snaps – which basically is to say he didn’t fumble or trip over his feet – and said his acclimation to the Rams’ playbook, which he has had for only a week, has been smooth.

“There is a lot that translates,” Goff said. “Most of the (shotgun) stuff translates, almost all of it. Then there’s under-center stuff that I’m picking up as I go along.”

Goff’s experience this weekend is markedly different than other mini-campers, because he’s essentially the only one guaranteed to be on the roster at the start of the season. For Goff, this is about learning and growing. For the other two dozen players, it’s about making an impression.

Fourth-round picks Tyler Higbee (tight end) and Pharoh Cooper (receiver) and sixth-round picks Temarrick Hemingway (tight end) and Mike Thomas (receiver) participated, as did a score of lesser-known prospects with dreams of being on the sideline for the Sept. 12 season opener against San Francisco.

“I thought everyone looked fine today,” Goff said. “You can’t really tell until you watch it on film, but I felt good about what I did and from what I saw on the field, it looked pretty good.”

Most of the cameras, unsurprisingly, were trained on Goff, who said he’s mindful of the scrutiny. The real competition won’t start until Goff joins incumbent quarterbacks Case Keenum, Nick Foles and Sean Mannion in full-team practices, but Goff said he wants to be seen as a leader immediately.

Next month, Goff will join full-team offseason workouts. The speed, intensity and attention will increase, but Goff said he won’t get caught up in “all this,” as he smiled and gestured toward TV cameras.

“You want to be the guy you are, the person you are, and be the leader of my rookie class, per se,” Goff said. “I’ll just work as hard as I can to make everyone buy in, and be the best player I can be.”

Goff’s debut couldn’t have been more picturesque. Sunlight gleamed through ominous-looking clouds, and nearby rain didn’t make its way through Oxnard.

As Goff and the rookies worked out on the field, wedged between a golf course and a hotel, a handful of veteran Rams lingered and worked out at the team’s makeshift weight room as music blared. None seemed to pay much mind to the field, where their quarterback of the future took his first NFL steps.

“I’ve got a bunch of texts from a bunch of (veteran) guys and it’s been really cool,” Goff said. “I’m excited to finally get to work with them eventually.”

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-path-to-the-draft/0ap3000000660586/Jared-Goff-

Goff Eager for Opportunity to be Franchise QB

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Goff-Eager-for-Opportunity-to-be-Franchise-QB/d100bc4e-af8f-47cd-ba32-1f94a5c5ae86#content-tools-share

In the pre-draft process, the Rams’ brass looked at Jared Goff and saw special, franchise-quarterback qualities.

That much has been clear for the better part of the last month — otherwise the club would not have executed a deal that sent six draft picks to the Titans in exchange for No. 1 overall and a pair of late-round selections.

For a team that needed to increase its offensive production, particularly in the passing game, trading up for Goff represented a unique opportunity to acquire prime talent at football’s most important position.

“Obviously, when the season was over, we just felt like the quarterback position needed to be addressed,” head coach Jeff Fisher said.

“We identified the quarterback that we thought solved the problem for us, [someone who] was a long-term solution,” general manager Les Snead said. “So we tried to go get him and we were successful.”

Now the job becomes making the prospect into a franchise quarterback — a process that appears to mean a lot to Goff.

“Again, it’s an honor for them to select me No. 1 and it’s something I’m not going to take lightly — to be, hopefully, a franchise quarterback,” the signal-caller said during rookie orientation weekend. “That’s something I’m working towards. And it’s something that doesn’t come overnight. I’ve got to work every day at it, continue to get better.”

Goff’s life became a whirlwind once he heard his named called in Chicago just under two weeks ago. With his extensive media responsibilities followed by a small celebration with family and friends that Thursday night, he only had a few hours of sleep before jetting to Los Angeles for his introductory press conference. Goff was able to catch his breath at home in Northern California for a few days, but then it was back to football.

And it was getting on the field for rookie camp that made the young QB’s new reality sink in.

“Today it started to,” Goff said on Friday. “Started to realize that you’re actually in the NFL. You see the horns on the side of your helmet, you know you’re on the Rams. And it’s really cool. I’m excited for all of the rookies, being able to meet them and build relationships with them. It’s great.”

While the rookies did not do too much on the filed over the weekend, many of Goff’s strengths still stood out both on and off the field.

“The arm strength, the release, the ball speed, acceleration. His footwork is all really good,” Fisher said. “That’s what we expected.”

“This was more of a mental exercise for him, from the standpoint of getting under center, calling the plays, calling out protections,” Fisher continued. “We dumped a lot on him, but I’m, obviously, not concerned about complete or incomplete passes because when his back foot hits, the time clock [in his head] says, ‘Get rid of the ball.’ And the receivers are under instruction [to go] half-speed. So it doesn’t time up well. But he was fine. He’s going to be good.”

Goff’s work ethic was also clear, as Fisher mentioned in his press conference on Saturday that he spotted the quarterback leaving the meeting room at 10 o’clock p.m. Friday night.

“He’s that kind of guy,” Fisher said at the presser. “He’ll spend the time. It’s important to him.”

Goff has likened learning his new playbook to studying a foreign language. But by all accounts, the process is going well.

“It’s nothing too crazy. There’s a lot of stuff that we did at Cal that translates. There’s a lot of stuff that I’m learning as well, but it’s really going smoothly,” Goff said, crediting offensive coordinator Rob Boras and QBs coach Chris Weinke. “I don’t see there to be too much of a problem picking it up. I feel pretty confident with it.”

It may help that the young quarterback is acclimating to the league with a number of rookie offensive weapons. And those players have also given him positive reviews.

“He’s the No. 1 quarterback — you can’t go wrong with that,” wideout Pharoh Cooper said. “We’ve been talking a lot through meetings and our down time, so we’re pretty cool. It’s just great to play with a great quarterback coming out of college being that he’s a rookie, too.”

“He’s a great guy. He’s very talented. And I’m looking forward to what’s in the future,” tight end Tyler Higbee said. “It’s exciting getting out there, catching that first pass from him. But I’m looking forward to a lot more.”

It’s the nascent stage of his career, but Goff does have his sights set on the future. And yet in order to accomplish his goals, he knows he must invest in himself and the team.

“I want to be, obviously, a guy who’s here for 10, 15 years,” Goff said. “But you have to work hard to get to that point. And I’m excited to do that. I’m excited to do that and hold myself to a high standard.”

“To be in Los Angeles, to be playing for the Rams — it’s the best-case scenario,” Goff added. 
“And it’s something that I’m very, very excited for.”