Rams preseason 8/15 – 8/19, practicing w/ the Raiders

Rams host Raiders: Byron Young’s best days yet and more from joint practice

Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/4781661/2023/08/16/rams-byron-young-raiders-joint-practice/?source=emp_shared_article

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Midway through training camp, Los Angeles Rams rookie outside linebacker Byron Young moved into the starting defensive rotation.

Now, Young is doing what he can to stay there — and the coaching staff is both testing his physical readiness and mental toughness, and encouraging him to try new things.

Young played a little more than 20 snaps in their first preseason game Saturday, which was “strategic,” said defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who wanted to assess Young’s situational awareness when he was tired.

“When he was fresh and healthy and ready to go, he looked awesome,” Morris said Monday, smiling. “When he was tired, he looked tired.”

“Just consistency,” coach Sean McVay added Wednesday, of what he’s hoping to see from Young as he gets his “NFL legs” under him. “Consistent get-off, being aligned right. Getting in the proper stance to be able to execute your technique within the framework of the call, based on the situations.”

Young, who was a third-round pick, responded to those snaps (and the clear challenge from the coaches) with his best two days of practice yet: Monday, and Wednesday’s joint session with the Raiders. On Wednesday, his speed popped a couple of times with multiple pressures in 11-on-11 drills, and it also seemed like Young’s energy stayed high even with a heavy workload on a hot day.

“I felt great,” Young said after practice, “felt like I had some good rushes and (was) getting off the ball well. … The preseason game, that conditioning, I liked the way they did that. I need to prepare my body for the regular season. The way they do that conditioning, I loved it. Next game I hope they do the same thing.”

Further, Young was working on several different types of pass rush moves Wednesday, including speed-to-power combinations, speed-and-leverage combinations and spins.

“In OTAs, I was kind of using the same moves,” Young said. “My coach (Joe Coniglio) challenged me over the break we had for a month. He said, ‘Byron, I want to challenge you to bring some more moves to the table. Don’t keep doing the same thing, change it up a little bit.’ … So since we’ve started camp, I’ve just tried new moves.”

Young’s favorite pass rush move is the ghost rush, where he fakes a long-arm against the lineman and then drops the arm and dips low without contact while bending around the outside. It takes a lot of speed and craftiness to execute well. Young tried it a little in the spring and at the beginning of camp, but over the last couple of weeks has been working on the move more so behind the scenes. He hopes to re-enter a better (and more well-conditioned) version of it into his arsenal in the coming weeks.

“I think that’s the best part about these things,” McVay said. “When you look at anybody that is successful at their craft, these are the times, without being reckless, to try some techniques and fundamentals to add to your tool belt. … That’s exactly what we want. We want guys who aren’t afraid to try that stuff.”

More notes and observations from the first of two Rams/Raiders joint practices:

• A light skirmish broke out in the latter third of the day, during 11-on-11s. Rams running back Cam Akers was finishing a run after the play was whistled to a stop, as the running backs are instructed to do. Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby chased Akers down and tried to swat the ball out of his hands, and the two players exchanged swings at each other as teammates rushed to intervene. Akers was kicked out of practice by McVay, while Crosby remained on the sideline but out of the scrimmage for the rest of the day (there would have been nowhere for him to go except the boiling-temperature buses sitting in the parking lot).

“I’ve never gotten that far down the field, to be honest, so, um, I’m not really sure what the rules are down there,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said dryly. “I’m usually sliding way before that. I don’t know what happened there, but joint practices get that way a little sometimes. I don’t have much experience in that area.

“I thought everybody did a great job today, the rest of the day was fine (and) event-free. I don’t have enough energy for all of that, to be honest with you,” he added, laughing. “But more power to those guys.”

• Receiver Tutu Atwell again stood out Wednesday. He had a long catch over his shoulder but also caught a tough ball amid some contact on an out-breaking route and drew a flag in the process.

Atwell has expanded what he’s able to do within the Rams’ offense through this spring and summer. McVay went so far as to say that he is “playing big” — a significant compliment toward the smaller-framed, third-year wideout.

“He is super smart. … I think he’s playing physical at the catch point, too,” McVay said.

Stafford looked sharp in 11-on-11s, including a long period where he did not miss a throw except for a drop by Brycen Hopkins. He also threw a nice ball to tight end Tyler Higbee down the right sideline and hit Van Jefferson on a tough crosser through traffic (that usually goes to teammate Cooper Kupp) over the course of the practice.

• Rams offensive lineman Joe Noteboom, who was competing at left tackle before moving into the competition at right guard late in the week, went through individual drills but did not fully practice Wednesday.

“He’s dealing with a little something right now,” McVay said, declining when pressed to share more details. “He won’t be practicing the rest of the week.

Noteboom tore his Achilles last season and was still rehabbing into OTAs but went through a full training camp. He did not play in Saturday’s preseason game. The Rams have still not publicly determined what their “best five” offensive line combination will be, but Alaric Jackson has taken over the bulk of the left tackle reps, and Tremayne Anchrum was back at right guard, where he started camp before Noteboom eventually began rotating with him.

“It’s a constant learning thing, we’re trying to figure out what we’re gonna be good at, what our certain guys are good at,” Stafford said. “I thought they did a nice job setting their pads in the run game, had some nice creases in there.”

The offensive linemen had a pretty mixed day overall. They were not consistently winning one-on-one drills against the Raiders’ defensive linemen and pass rushers early in practice, and there were some clear misses in pass protection in team drills. Stafford did get pressured some around the right side when Crosby was still participating pre-skirmish (right tackle Rob Havenstein and Crosby spent some extra time together after practice). Stafford joked that it might not always be what it looks like … or sounds like.

“For the most part, I had some time back there. Now, Crosby is a heck of a player and was in the backfield a few times,” he said, “I’ve got to go watch the tape. Anytime he gets within five feet of me he’s yelling ‘SACK’ in my face, so I have no idea if those are real. I mean, I’m not just an absolute statue back there, I can move a little bit. But, so I’ve got to go check it out and look at it. … Fun guy to practice against.” (For the record, Crosby would have sacked Stafford twice, by that math).

• Rookie cornerback Tre Tomlinson was thrown into the fire often against star Raiders receiver Davante Adams, who was back practicing fully after missing a little time, among other cornerbacks who had the tough matchup. Adams, for the most part, looked every bit of his elite status.

But Tomlinson, who is 5-foot-9 yet plays mostly on the outside for the Rams, kept attacking. In the full-field, two-minute period at the end of the day, Adams smoothly won a long catch down the left sideline with Tomlinson in coverage. But a few plays later, Tomlinson broke up a would-be touchdown attempt to Adams in the back left corner of the end zone.

“In these types of settings, it’s great for us as coaches and our players to go out and compete,” McVay said. “One of my favorite things was, they were going to make a couple plays, but I liked the way (Tomlinson) finished.”

There was also a scary collision on a deep throw by Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo early in the day, between Adams, Tomlinson and safety Jordan Fuller. The pass was incomplete, and Adams’ helmet popped off from the contact, but he was able to return to practice. Garoppolo hit Phillip Dorsett for a touchdown on a similar concept a few moments later.

• Backup quarterback Stetson Bennett was challenged frequently by the Raiders’ defense, and his play continues to fluctuate. Bennett did have two excellent throws in separate 11-on-11 periods. The first was an off-platform missile to Demarcus Robinson up the middle of the field, but it was followed by a botched snap and then an interception. The second was a precision throw down the left sideline to Ben Skowronek.

• Rookie offensive lineman Warren McClendon missed OTAs with a knee issue, but his workload has gradually increased through training camp. After making his preseason debut, he’s now fully in the mix with the second team and playing both tackle spots with the reserves (one of his best reps of the day came in pass protection as a left tackle).

• The Rams’ defensive line is under scrutiny after a less-than-ideal first preseason game against the Chargers. On Wednesday, Kobie Turner and Michael Hoecht (who was playing outside linebacker) combined to “sack” (no contact allowed) Garoppolo and drew a lot of praise from coaches on the sideline.

• A couple of the second-team defensive backs made splash plays late in the day: Cornerback Cameron McCutcheon and safety Tanner Ingle broke up consecutive passes by Raiders backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell. However, O’Connell got a nice ball to receiver Kristian Wilkerson, which, in a live game, would have been a catch-and-run touchdown, and had time in the pocket later in the series against the reserve defensive line and pass rushers to get a throw downfield to receiver Cam Sims.

• Rookie kicker Tanner Brown was kicking on the “skinny poles” Wednesday, meaning the portable field goal setup that is much narrower than the official posts. At the end of the two-minute period, Brown missed a kick wide left that would also have been missed on a regulation-size set of goal posts. He then hit a kick over the top of the left pole and barely missed a third kick left (both would have been good in a game).

• Aaron Donald had a rest day but will be back Thursday. Tight end Davis Allen (hamstring) got back onto the field after missing training camp, but Hunter Long (groin) is still out. Cornerback Derion Kendrick (hamstring) is still out. Kupp (hamstring) could be back next week for joint practices against the Broncos. Safety John Johnson III, who is getting onboarded gradually after not having OTAs while unsigned, got more reps in team drills with the second group.

The rook makin' a play against the vet.👀 pic.twitter.com/BARZFkr8ck

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 16, 2023

10 Observations from Rams’ first joint practice with Raiders: Tre Tomlinson tested at outside CB, Tutu Atwell making plays, and more

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/10-observations-first-joint-practice-raiders-tre-tomlinson-tutu-atwell?_debug=y&token=99ffc3fdc838d4e6077af99d50c663d3419f62d4f69c52690561e01a3448a37a&_version=Live

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Rams held their first of two joint practices with the Raiders on Wednesday, a session highlighted by defensive back Tre Tomlinson, wide receiver Tutu Atwell and linebacker Ernest Jones’ performances.

Here are 10 things that stood out from it:

1) Rest day for Donald: Defensive tackle Aaron Donald had a veteran rest day and did not participate in today’s joint practice. McVay said the team doesn’t go back-to-back days with him in terms of managing him, and they also thought tomorrow would be a better day for Donald to go because of the work and schedule they have for tomorrow.

2) Noteboom only does some individual drills: Offensive lineman Joe Noteboom did not participate in team drills during today’s joint practice because he’s “dealing with a little something” right now, per McVay. Noteboom will not be practicing the rest of this week, according to McVay, who also said he didn’t have any details beyond that.

3) More trial by fire for Tomlinson: Just as the Rams did in the preseason opener, rookie defensive back Tre Tomlinson was getting reps at outside cornerback and tested. Matched up with all-pro receiver Davante Adams during 11-on-11 drills, Tomlinson pushed Adams out of bounds before he could complete a catch. Adams got Tomlinson back a few plays later on a nice catch deep down the left sideline, then Tomlinson responded not long after with a pass breakup in the corner of the endzone.

4) Tutu making plays: Wide receiver Tutu Atwell had a couple of impressive catches during Wednesday’s practice, hauling in a deep ball from quarterback Matthew Stafford near the sideline and also connecting with Stafford on contested catch in traffic off a play-action fake.

5) Byron bringing the heat: The were a few instances of rookie outside linebacker Byron Young putting his speed on display and generating pressure against the Raiders offensive line and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

6) Jones making his presence felt: It was hard to miss Rams linebacker Ernest Jones, especially during 11-on-11 drills. At one point, he blew up a Raiders run play to the outside. Shortly thereafter, he charged up the middle for another run stop. He also got very good pressure on Garoppolo, but Garopollo – who, like all quarterbacks, was wearing a red non-contact jersey – got the ball out just in time to deliver a deep completion down the left sideline to Adams.

7) Ahkello says hello: Defensive back Ahkello Witherspoon during 11-on-11 had a strong pass breakup on a Garoppolo pass intended for Adams.

8) Rookies team up for stop: In 11-on-11, defensive end Desjuan Johnson brought the pressure on Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell, and defensive back Tanner Ingle quickly took advantage with a timely pass breakup that got the Rams defense fired up.

9) More pressure: Nose tackle Kobie Turner and outside linebacker Michael Hoecht worked together to generate pressure on Garoppolo that would’ve resulted in a sack.

10) Akers, Crosby removed from practice: McVay didn’t see what happened between Rams running back Cam Akers and Raiders outside linebacker Max Crosby during one part of 11-on-11, but the altercation after a play resulted in both being removed from practice before it finished – Crosby returning to the Raiders sideline and Akers going back into the Rams’ facility. McVay said that’s the rule if that happens.

“If you’re involved in it, you know, we’re just kind of no tolerance,” McVay said.

After both players were separated and removed, practice proceeded without any issue, and McVay said they were able to get accomplished what they needed to.

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
One-on-ones are pretty subjective. That said, Alaric Jackson and Coleman Shelton put together a couple nice reps. Crosby remains real tough for anybody on the right side to block.

Tougher sledding than it already was on that right side vs Crosby during 11/11s

Ted Nguyen@FB_FilmAnalysis
Raiders still couldn’t connect deep but offense had some answers and moved the ball more efficiently. Meyers was particularly effective vs what the Rams were doing in 11 on 11. I think they got a lot from these practices to work with.

Logan Reever@loganreever
#Raiders defense bringing a better energy and effort today.

But Stafford still getting his with chunk plays. Pocket collapsing quick and d-line is forcing roll outs, but Rams O still completing balls. Pin point accuracy from Stafford again even on the run.

.

10 Observations from Rams’ second joint practice with Raiders: Aaron Donald in action, Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua making plays, and more

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/10-observations-second-joint-practice-raiders-aaron-donald-tutu-atwell

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Rams on Thursday held their second and final joint practice of this week with the Raiders this week, with defensive tackle Aaron Donald, quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receivers Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell’s performances among the highlights from the session.

Here are 10 things that stood out from it:

1) Donald back: After taking a rest day for the first joint practice on Wednesday, Donald was back in action on Thursday. He made his presence felt on a couple run stops in the backfield and also caused pressure on the interior that allowed defensive back Robert Rochell to break up Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s pass over the middle during team drills.

2) Havenstein leaves practice with neck stinger: Rams offensive lineman Rob Havenstein walked off the field during team drills and did not participate in the rest of practice after sustaining what head coach Sean McVay said was a stinger in his neck, based on the early prognosis. “I think he’s ok,” McVay said after practice.

3) Extensive time at right tackle for Bruss during 11-on-11: With Havenstein sidelined for the rest of practice, second-year offensive lineman Logan Bruss took his place at right tackle. It was valuable experience for Bruss, who was often going up against one of the NFL’s top pass-rushers in Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby.

“When Rob went down, he had to step in, and you’re going against one of the premier players in this league,” McVay said, referring to Crosby. “And so I think there’s some things that, you know, he’s continuing to gain confidence, there’s certain things that he’s done at a high level, and there’s things that we want to continue to see more consistency. So it’s like anything else, you just got to continue to work at it.”

4) Rochell coverage in 1-on-1: Defensive back Robert Rochell had a nice rep against Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, as Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo couldn’t complete the pass intended for Meyers in the corner of the endzone thanks to Rochell’s coverage.

5) Tomlinson coverage in 1-on-1 and 11-on-11: Defensive back Tre Tomlinson also had a nice rep in 1-on-1s, breaking up a pass by Raiders quarterback Bryan Hoyer near the corner of the endzone that was intended for wide receiver Isaiah Zuber. In one rep during 11-on-11, he broke up deep pass by Garoppolo.

6) Puka winning in 1-on-1: One of wide receiver Puka Nacua’s best reps of the day came in 1-on-1s, when he beat Raiders cornerback Sam Webb to take advantage of a perfectly-placed ball by quarterback Matthew Stafford.

7) Stafford side-arm: One of Stafford’s best passes of the day was a short side-arm completion to tight end Tyler Higbee as he was escaping pressure from Crosby. Stafford and Crosby had a friendly interaction after the play, perhaps in connection to Stafford’s comments after yesterday’s practice, when a smiling Stafford said “any time (Crosby) gets within five feet of me, he’s yelling ‘Sack!’ in my face.” Stafford also said Wednesday that “I’m not just an absolute statue back there. I can move a little bit.”

8) Toe-tap Tutu: Wide receiver Tutu Atwell made an impressive touchdown reception on a short pass from Stafford during 11-on-11, making a toe-tap catch in the back of the endzone.

9) Fuller’s pass-breakup and near-interception highlight stand near goal line for Rams defense: Defensive back Jordan Fuller had a strong end to Thursday’s joint practice. When the Raiders offense was inside the 10-yard line, Fuller on the same series had an impressive pass breakup in the endzone on a Garoppolo pass intended for wide receiver Kristian Wilson. A couple plays later, he jumped in front of – and nearly picked off – a Garoppolo pass over the middle intended for wide receiver Jakobi Meyers.

10) Fun end to practice: The Rams’ first-team defense and Raiders’ first-team offense got in one final play before the end of Thursday’s practice, a 4th down near the goal line with friendly stakes attached: Whichever side lost the rep had to do push-ups. Adams made an impressive catch in tight coverage on a pass from Garoppolo, but caught the ball out of bounds on the side of the plane, according to the officials.