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August 20, 2014 at 10:43 pm #4474
RamBillParticipantRams Camp Report: Day 17
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/10722/rams-camp-report-day-17
EARTH CITY, Mo. — A daily review of the hot topics coming out of St. Louis Rams training camp:
The Rams wrapped up the training camp portion of their preseason with a spirited practice in front of some special guests Wednesday afternoon. The football teams from Ferguson, Missouri-area high schools McCluer and McCluer North attended the practice before and after having their own practices in the indoor Rams Park facility. What they saw was a long, hot workout, but they also provided a little jolt of energy that certainly helped the Rams through the workout.
On the field, the Rams continue to make strides toward getting four key starters back on the field. Left tackle Jake Long continues on his trajectory to play against the Browns on Saturday as he took the bulk of the reps at his usual spot. Defensive tackle Michael Brockers again took most of the reps with the first-team defense at his spot and said he’s expecting to play against Cleveland. Guard Rodger Saffold went beyond the individual work he did Tuesday and participated in some team drills by taking snaps at both guard spots. And linebacker James Laurinaitis, who has been out with an ankle injury, even got back in some seven-on-seven drills, though he has yet to play in 11-on-11. Laurinaitis spoke after practice and confirmed that the injury is to the same ankle he had offseason surgery on, but that the issues are unrelated. He says he’s feeling good and if there had been a regular-season game anytime recently, he’d have played. The Rams have taken a cautious approach with all four players.
The Rams receivers had a bit of a rough go during one-on-one drills as wideouts Kenny Britt and Austin Pettis dropped what should have been easy completions. Tight end Jared Cook had no such issues and came up with a nice grab on a deep, back-shoulder throw from quarterback Sam Bradford in team drills. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson made a nice play on a deep pass on the next snap but was not pleased with himself when he didn’t come up with the interception. Otherwise, the day was pretty nondescript as the Rams slogged through another long, hot practice.
As is custom, the Rams closed training camp with their usual “dizzy bat” races for all of the rookies and team interns. All participants pick up a ball and run 10 yards, drop it off, run another 10 yards and then do 10 spins with a wiffle ball bat. The catch is that the veterans can distract all participants by any means necessary, including dumping water and Gatorade on those spinning. It’s a lighthearted and fun way to call it a camp.
Aside from the high school teams taking in practice, the Rams had another special guest Wednesday: newly minted Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Aeneas Williams.
Wednesday’s practice was the final day of training camp open to the fans, but the Rams will be back at it Thursday afternoon for their final practice before traveling to Cleveland on Friday.
August 20, 2014 at 10:47 pm #4475RamBillParticipantRams report: Camp wraps up as team supports Ferguson-area prep squads
• By Joe LyonsThe Rams closed out training camp Wednesday afternoon with a dizzy-bat relay race involving the club’s rookies and interns.
At the 50-yard line, the relay runners were required to spin while leaning over with their head on a bat. At the same time, the veteran players are there to taunt them and to add water to the race.
“Yeah, that was interesting. Probably one of the best,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “What happens is, the guys run out of water in the beginning. They get too excited and run out of water. But we have a good rookie group.”
Fisher continued; “All in all, from a camp standpoint, I thought we got a lot accomplished. We have a challenge ahead of us right now because typically break-camp week is a distraction. Even though camp’s a little different, than it has been in the past, we are breaking camp and now we have to go on the road. So we have to get focused and go into a tough place to play against a team that’s going into its preseason home opener.”
The Rams will travel to Cleveland to take on the Browns Saturday night.
RAMS REACH OUT TO FERGUSON-FLORISSANT SQUADS
The football teams from McCluer and McCluer North worked out and watched practice Wednesday at Rams Park.
The other high school from the Ferguson-Florissant School District, McCluer South-Berkeley, was invited but had a scheduling conflict. The Bulldogs are expected to visit Rams Park soon.
Last weekend, the Rams quietly provided tickets for all three teams.
The high school teams open the season this weekend and the teams from McCluer, McCluer North and McCluer South-Berkeley have been practicing in parks.
Before practice, the Rams went to the sideline to welcoming the McCluer Comets. Later in practice, the McCluer North Stars actually helped out by providing crowd noise for a drill near the Rams’ end zone.
“We invited them over as our guests and it looks like they had a lot of fun,” Fisher said. “They participated in the one drill, simulating crowd noise, and we made a bunch of mistakes. I wouldn’t say they’re Seattle, but pretty close.”
Fisher continued: “It means a lot to us (having them here). We can all imagine what they’re going through in addition to everyone in Ferguson. It’s just very, very sad and we hope that things get worked as soon as they possibly can.
“But this is different. This is football players and football players. I went over to talk to them before practice and they heard nothing I said because they were looking behind me, watching the players walk by…. This will be something that I hope they’ll always remember.”
RAM-BLINGS
According to Forbes Magazine’s annual report, the Rams’ franchise value rank last in the NFL at $930 million. The Dallas Cowboys, at $3.2 billion, are No. 1 in the league.
A year ago, the Rams were No. 29, ahead of Bufalo, Jacksonville and Oakland.
As Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch pointed out, the Rams were valued at $200 million when they moved to St. Louis, meaning the franchise is 4 ½ times more valuable in 2014 than in 1995.
• The Rams waived/injured running back-special teamer Isaiah Pead, who suffered a torn ACL Saturday against Green Bay. He will revert to the Rams’ roster if/when he clears waivers.
Also, the Miami Dolphins waived former Rams tight end Fendi Onobun.
• Hall of Fame defensive back Aeneas Williams watched the Rams practice Wednesday.
• Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis returned to practice and took part in seven-on-seven drills while offensive lineman Rodger Saffold took part in team drills. Players not practicing Wednesday were linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Pat Schiller, defensive end Sammy Brown, cornerbacks E.J. Gaines and Brandon McGee and guard/center Barrett Jones.
• The local Pro Football Writers of America chapter presented plaques to James Laurinaitis and Chris Long as co-winners of the “Good Guy Award” for their excellent work with the media.
(Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.)
August 21, 2014 at 1:06 am #4485RamBillParticipantRams notes: Club waives injured Pead as training camp wraps up
• By Joe LyonsIn a bit of a surprise, the Rams listed running back and special teams player Isaiah Pead as waived/injured on Wednesday.
Pead, a second-round draft choice (50th overall) in 2012, suffered a torn ACL to his left knee while returning a first-quarter kickoff Saturday in the team’s 21-7 loss to the visiting Green Bay Packers. At the end of a 33-yard return, it appeared Pead’s foot got caught in the turf while he attempted to make a jump-cut. There was no contact on the play.
The Rams’ decision to put Pead on waivers allows any other team in the league 24 hours to claim the third-year pro. But that’s not likely given his injury status and 2014 salary ($757,100).
The 5-foot-10, 197-pound Pead starred at the University of Cincinnati, earning the Big East offensive player of the year award as a Bearcats senior. But he never reached that level in St. Louis. In two seasons with the Rams, he made one start and played in 25 games, rushing for 75 yards on 17 carries while catching 14 passes for 94 yards. In addition, he returned 14 kickoffs for 350 yards.
Pead was suspended for last season’s opener for violating the NFL’s policy on substance abuse but came on last season to earn a spot as a core special teamer.
PRACTICE SQUAD WILL EXPAND
The NFL and the NFL Players Association have agreed to expand practice squads from eight to 10 players for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
That could be significant for a young Rams squad that appears to be deeper than it has been in past seasons.
“It gives us an opportunity to develop two additional players,’’ Fisher said. “And everybody else, too. It adds players to the pool, the developmental pool, which will be good. Gives us some flexibility as far as decisions are concerned.’’
All 32 teams in the NFL will be required to cut down to a 53-man roster on Aug. 30. Released players will go through waivers and may be claimed by any NFL squad. Following the waiver period, teams will be able to sign unsigned players to their practice squads.
The NFL cutdown from 90 to 75 players is Tuesday, Aug. 26.
RAM-BLINGS
The Rams closed out training camp Wednesday afternoon with a dizzy-bat relay race involving the club’s rookies and interns.
At the 50-yard line, the relay runners were required to spin while leaning over with their head on a bat. At the same time, the veteran players are there to taunt them and to add water to the race.
“Yeah, that was interesting. Probably one of the best,’’ Fisher said. “What happens is, the guys run out of water in the beginning. They get too excited and run out of water. But we have a good rookie group.’’
Fisher continued; “All in all, from a camp standpoint, I thought we got a lot accomplished. We have a challenge ahead of us right now because typically break-camp week is a distraction. Even though camp’s a little different than it has been in the past, we are breaking camp and now we have to go on the road. So we have to get focused and go into a tough place to play against a team that’s going into its preseason home opener.”
The Rams (0-2) will close out their preseason schedule with a pair of road games, Saturday at Cleveland and Aug. 28 at Miami.
• Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis returned to practice and took part in seven-on-seven drills while offensive lineman Rodger Saffold participated in “team’’ drills. Players not practicing Wednesday were linebackers Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Pat Schiller, defensive end Sammy Brown, cornerbacks E.J. Gaines and Brandon McGee and guard-center Barrett Jones.
• According to Forbes Magazine’s annual report, the Rams’ franchise value ranks last in the NFL at $930 million. The Dallas Cowboys, at $3.2 billion, are No. 1 in the league.
A year ago, the Rams were No. 29, ahead of Buffalo, Jacksonville and Oakland.
But the Rams were valued at $200 million when they moved to St. Louis, meaning the franchise is 4½ times more valuable in 2014 than in 1995.
• Hall of Fame defensive back Aeneas Williams watched the Rams practice Wednesday.
• The local Pro Football Writers of America chapter presented plaques to Laurinaitis and Chris Long as co-winners of the “Good Guy Award’’ for their work with the St. Louis media.
Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
August 21, 2014 at 1:53 pm #4501RamBillParticipant
Rams Day 17 Camp Report
Nate Latschhttp://stl.scout.com/2/1436657.html
ST. LOUIS — The Rams officially closed out training camp on Wednesday afternoon with a hot and humid practice session highlighted by the attendance of two area football teams from McCluer and McCluer North high schools.
You can read more about that here.The biggest news from on the field, as it has been much of the last week or so, was that players who have been injured recently took steps toward returning to regular practice action and possibly even being able to play in the Rams’ third preseason game, on Saturday in Cleveland.
Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis, who has been hampered by an ankle injury, was the latest player working his way closer and closer to a full-time return to the field. He took part in 7-on-7 work on Wednesday but was held out of the 11-on-11 team portion of practice.
“I don’t rest very well,” Laurinaitis said. “It’s not one of my attributes. I don’t like it. It felt good to be out there and I would assume we do a little more tomorrow and just keep phasing back in.”
Laurinaitis, who is entering his sixth season, said he feels good and actually feels like he has fresh legs, which is one of the positives to come from the veteran linebacker missing several days of practice time.
• In non-injury related news, the Rams waived/injured running back Isaiah Pead on Wednesday. Pead tore his ACL in the loss to the Packers on Saturday. The transaction does not mean that Pead is gone from the Rams. If he clears waivers, which is expected, he would rejoin the team and be placed on injured reserve.
• The NFL recently announced it has increased the size of the practice squad from eight players to 10. Fisher was asked about that after practice.
“It gives us an opportunity to develop two additional players and everybody else,” he said. “So it adds players to the pool, the developmental pool, which will be good. It’ll give us some flexibility as far as the decision is concerned.”
• Among the players who did not practice on Wednesday because of injuries were linebackers Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Sammy Brown and Pat Schiller and cornerbacks Brandon McGee and E.J. Gaines.
• Cornerback Darren Woodard returned to practice and, if he is available Saturday, would figure to get plenty of work if McGee and Gaines are out.
• There weren’t a lot of highlights from practice on Wednesday, but wide receiver Chris Givens snagged two nice passes during one-on-one drills. He burned Trumaine Johnson down the right sideline for a touchdown and then later beat rookie Lamarcus Joyner on a nice route downfield. Tavon Austin also got the better of Joyner during the one-on-one work.
• Phillip Steward, who is competing for one of the final roster spots at linebacker, had a nice interception of a pass intended for Alex Bayer during 7-on-7 drills. Rookie Greg Reid also grabbed an interception a few moments later.
• While training camp is officially over, the Rams return to the practice field on Thursday evening for their final session in St. Louis before traveling to Cleveland on Friday.
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