Rams rookie mini-camp

zn wrote:

it starts tomorrow.

The roster has 51 players, 4 of whom are named Davis (Drew, Justin, Kevin and Matt).

— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) May 11, 2017

51 players are in as per Hammond

==

from CROMWELL21

Eight draft picks
13 UDFAs
Thirty tryouts

Rams Rookies Arrive for Minicamp

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Rams-Rookies-Arrive-for-Minicamp/75751bb8-3d71-435d-8024-e6958941842a

This weekend, the Rams will host over 40 first-year and tryout players for their annual rookie minicamp. The players arrived at LAX from all over the country on Thursday before heading up to the team facility at Thousand Oaks to get situated. After getting fitted for a helmet and finding their locker for the first time, therams.com caught up with a few of the rookies for their first impressions. Here are some of their best quotes.

TE GERALD EVERETT

Now that you’re in L.A. and at the facility, has it started to feel like you’re an NFL player? Definitely, man. It’s a surreal feeling right now. The draft’s over with, so just ready to get Day 1 under my belt, like I said. And just see the rest of the tight ends, and the rest of the offense, and the team as a whole. Just see how I fit in with the rest of the guys, and develop that chemistry. I see that they just finished up with Phase I, so a lot of guys aren’t here right now. But it just feels good to be here.

We just saw you talking with Tyler Higbee, what does it mean to you to start getting that partnership established? It means the world, just understanding what coach McVay likes to do with the tight ends, and understanding what he did with Jordan [Reed in Washington]. I just want to see what Tyler and I can do — the combination.

WR COOPER KUPP

How excited are you to be a Ram? I can’t tell you how excited I am. I can’t express it in words to just be able to play this game for a little longer. And anytime you get the opportunity to do what you love, you’ve got to be excited about that.

With a lot of time between the draft and minicamp, what’s been going through your mind? It’s just been to get here. You get drafted, you’re ready to go. You end up having to wait two weeks before you can strap back up and get out on the field. So it’s been nice getting settled, getting used to the area. There are great people here. I’ve loved the last couple weeks in this area, so I’m ready to go now.

WR JOSH REYNOLDS

From when you were drafted to now, what’s been fueling you to get ready? Just getting better. It doesn’t take too much to fuel me. I love football and I love the game, so that’s pretty easy to get hyped up for what you love.

Having visited with the Rams in the pre-draft process, what did it mean for this team to draft you? Oh man. From my visit — after my visit, I was hoping the Rams would take me. So coach ‘Yarbs’ [WRs coach Eric Yarber] is a great guy. I like the energy he brings and all that. So it’s going to be fun in the meting rooms.

LB SAMSON EBUKAM

How exciting is it for you to be here as a Ram? It’s sort of really starting to sink in. Yes they did call my name, but just being here now, I feel like I’m ready to go. It feels good to be out here and out the house in Portland — it’s Cali, man. You can’t go wrong with that.

How do you feel about Wade Phillips being your defensive coordinator? I mean, that’s an OG, man. I’m kind of intimidated by him a little bit. But I’m excited about it. He knows exactly what he’s talking about. Whatever he says, I’m going to soak it in and do exactly what he needs me to do, because that’s what it takes to win. You’ve got to be able to trust your coach, and the coach has to be able to trust the athlete. So that’s what I’m trying to do.

DL TANZEL SMART

What’s this experience like for you, arriving for minicamp? Oh, it’s a blessing. I’m just excited. They picked me to come to work, and that’s all I’m about is work. And I’m just excited man, I can’t explain.

What was it like to get to know DL coach Bill Johnson in the pre-draft process? It’s real good. I love him. He’s an excellent coach. And I’m a big D-line guy, so all the D-line coaches and all the past players I’ve talked to, they really love him. They’ve said I’m going to be excited.

FB SAM ROGERS

What was it like to put your helmet on for the first time? It’s a dream come true. Like I said, it’s a blessing to be here. And I’m just honored to be part of this organization and I can’t wait to get to work tomorrow. So I’ll be really excited.

How tough was it to wait to get started after being drafted? Yeah, it is tough. In the plane ride over here, just antsy to get things going. And then the drive over here, you hit the whole L.A. traffic — got a taste of that. But it was good, I can’t wait to get going.

First Rookie Minicamp Highlights(00:58)

The Rams 2017 rookies hit the practice field for the first time. Go inside their first workout.

http://www.therams.com/videos/videos/First_Rookie_Minicamp_Highlights/50c6de0f-ebf4-4826-ba80-5ca759edc75b

Small-schoolers Everett, Kupp could be big catches for Rams

From AP

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2017/05/12/small-schoolers-everett-kupp-could-be-big-catches-for-rams/101619860/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatodaycomnfl-topstories

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Tight end Gerald Everett played at two junior colleges and a university that dropped its football program before finishing up at a school that had never produced a drafted NFL player before him.

Cooper Kupp set a barrel of NCAA receiving records, but he did it far away from the national spotlight at Eastern Washington.

These two products of smaller schools have been united by the Los Angeles Rams, who hope they’ll grow up to become major targets for Jared Goff.

Everett and Kupp went through their first workouts Friday in the opening session of rookie minicamp with the Rams, who used their top two draft picks on pass-catchers with plenty to prove at the highest level of football.

“There’s nothing like football, nothing like it,” said Kupp, whose finger was already heavily bandaged after a minor injury. “These are the kinds of things I live for.”

Despite their small-school backgrounds leading to the usual pre-draft questions about their achievements relative to their level of competition, Everett was chosen in the second round by the Rams, and Kupp was taken in the third. Along with free-agent receiver Robert Woods, the youngsters are the most important skill-position additions to the roster that produced the NFL’s worst offensive numbers last season.

“You don’t want to mess up,” Everett said. “You want to move 100 miles an hour and do the right things every play. But it happens, especially being in rookie minicamp and the first day out here. So I think I had a couple of errors, but not too many for my first day. Tomorrow I’ll be better.”

Goff was in the Rams’ training complex while his new teammates worked out under Sean McVay and the rest of Los Angeles’ new coaching staff. McVay also put the players through 90 minutes of meetings before two-a-day workouts.

“Cooper Kupp showed why we like him so much,” McVay said. “(He’s) savvy. He’s a polished route runner. Good, aggressive hands.”

Everett is used to learning new offenses after the lengthy collegiate road that led him to South Alabama, but the size and scope of McVay’s scheme have left him expecting to spend plenty of time studying in the next few months.

“I came into a completely new offense, so it’s a change of pace,” Everett said. “But I felt like I handled it extremely well and cut it loose today. I caught some deep balls, and I felt like I was moving pretty well.”

Everett and Kupp both overcame questions about their pedigrees with strong performances at the draft combine and private workouts. Both players are eager to show they’ve got the football sense to compensate for any physical shortcomings.

“Anytime you come out there and you try to ‘prove something,’ you’re trying to be more than you are,” Kupp said. “If you’re trying to prove something, you’ve got a weight on your chest. There’s no room for error. I’m just going to come out and be who I am. I’m just going to play football. I know I’m a great player, so I’m going to come out and just let that show, and that’s going to be enough.”

Kupp is 17 months older than Goff, who went 0-7 in his first season as the Rams’ starter. The rookie already knows his new quarterback from offseason workouts because they are represented by the same group of agents.

The Rams are hoping Goff grows up along with Everett and Kupp during the long weeks and months of workouts ahead of September’s season opener.

“It was very clear, the tenacity (Goff) has, and the desire he has to win,” Kupp said. “That’s going to show. That’s something that’s been going on with no cameras here. That’s been going on during off days. He’s going to be putting this team in the best position to win.”

NOTES: Former UCLA CB Ishmael Adams was expected to join the Rams as an undrafted free agent, but they waived him Friday after he failed a physical. … Los Angeles also waived former Auburn G Alex Kozan due to a non-football injury. … The Rams added former Utah DB Dominique Hatfield to their rookie group. The Los Angeles native played at Crenshaw High School.

WR Cooper Kupp impresses at Rams rookie camp

By Joe Curley

http://www.vcstar.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2017/05/12/wr-cooper-kupp-impresses-rams-rookie-camp/101618654/

If there was one aspect of the opening day of the Rams rookie camp that will stick in the mind over the summer, it was Cooper Kupp catching pass after pass.

It’s easy to see how the third-round pick out of Eastern Washington became the FCS’ all-time leading receiver.

“It was a lot of fun,” Kupp said “It’s been a while since being able to strap back up. …There’s nothing like football. Nothing like it.”

It didn’t matter which of the three quarterbacks the Rams invited for a weekend tryout — Matt Davis, a rookie out of Southern Methodist; Bryan Scott, a rookie out of Occidental; or Dylan Thompson, who was with the Rams last offseason — was delivering the ball, Kupp found himself on the receiving end.

“He’s still being Coop,” said linebacker Samson Ebukam, who played with Kupp in college. “He’s still catching balls and making people look silly, so I’m not really surprised at all. That’s just what he does.”

Kupp caught so many passes that he showed some wear. A ring finger was wrapped up as he fielded questions from reporters.

“It’s nothing,” Kupp said.

Head coach Sean McVay said that, considering the offensive systems haven’t been installed, he didn’t want his skill players thinking much over the weekend. Kupp seemed to have trouble turning his brain off on the field.

“For me, I want to know what’s the guy next to me got?” Kupp said. “What’s the back doing? Because that gives me a better idea of what I’m going to see defensively and be able to make my route adjustments off of that.”

“The first thing you know about Cooper is, he’s a pro,” offensive coordinator Matt Lafleur said. “You can see that. He came in here not like most rookies do. He’s an extremely polished runner. He’s got great hands. He’s a precise route runner. You can tell that he works at his craft, each and every day. He does a great job.”

Kupp was the first name out of McVay’s mouth when he was asked for standouts from the morning’s first of two practices.

“I think it was always good to see some of those guys that we drafted that we’re counting on to be contributors show up,” McVay said. “I thought Cooper Kupp showed why we like him so much. (He’s) savvy. He’s a polished route runner (with) good aggressive hands.”

FULL ROSTER

Under Jeff Fisher a year ago, the Rams had 26 players into Oxnard for the rookie camp at River Ridge fields, notable as Jared Goff’s first days in a Rams horned helmet.

That number nearly doubled this weekend, when 51 rookies and young free agents came to Thousand Oaks looking to make a good impression.

That number includes eight draft picks, 15 undrafted free agents and 24 players on camp on a tryout basis.

Some Notes

Alden Gonzalez
ESPN Staff Writer

http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/lar/los-angeles-rams

Mark Barron has played a hybrid linebacker/safety position in the past, but will strictly be a linebacker for Wade Phillips. “He’s really instinctive,” Phillips said. “He’s got great speed, and we can utilize his coverage ability at linebacker. It gives you more options as far as things you want to do defensively. If you get a guy like that who can cover people, then we’re going to utilize that.”

Willowy rookie receiver Josh Reynolds says he’s at 193 pounds and wants to get somewhere between 200 and 205. “I think that’ll be a great weight for me to still be able to move the way I can and then for me to have more strength.”

New offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, on his impressions of Jared Goff: “I’ll be honest with you, I think he’s a little more accurate than I anticipated. That got me excited.”

New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, on working with Sean McVay: “He has a clear purpose of how he wants to handle the team, what he wants to do with them.” …

Rams rookie OLB Samson Ebukam, on his first impressions of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips: “I thought he was going to be a hard ass. Because he’s an old dude, you know what I’m saying? He’s an old dude, and I thought he was just going to be one of those hard-ass dudes that’s just like, ‘Do this, do this, do this.’ But he’s chill, man.”

TE Gerald Everett, the 44th overall pick, on his first day: “It’s a change of pace, but I feel like I handled it extremely well and cut it loose today.”

The Rams want Tavon Austin to be more of a downfield threat, so I asked Sean McVay if he’s seen anything on tape to indicate that he can become that. Here’s what he said …

Rams coach Sean McVay, on rookie camp standouts: “I thought Cooper Kupp showed why we like him so much. Savvy, he’s a polished route runner, good aggressive hands.”

Rams rookie safety John Johnson, a third-round pick out of Boston College: “I didn’t think the weather was going to be like this, but it’s not too hot, not too cold. It’s beautiful.” It really is.

May 13, 2017

Joe Curley‏ @vcsjoecurley

Sam Rogers had fun “flying around” this weekend

Rookie pass rusher Ejuan Price says he and Aaron Donald “do the same stuff,” just one @Pitt_FB product is better

Price working at Will right now. Will try to show his versatility coming up.

Price says Donald is one of the hardest workers he’s ever seen. Says he knew he would be great.

Price says Aaron Donald “hit me up” right after the Rams drafted him. Hasn’t want to bug him since. But he’ll see him Monday.

Ejuan Price says just call him Juan. Only his mother calls him Ejuan. – at California Lutheran University

McVay says he’s not sure how Tavon Austin was injured. “Either way he sustained it and we got it fixed.”

McVay calls Cory Harkey a great leader. Says he’s a valuable and versatile player. “But those decisions will be made at a later date.”

“We’re expecting some of these guys to contribute They need to earn it.” – McVay on the draft picks

Rich Hammond @Rich_Hammond

Sean McVay made it sound like Super Cooper Kupp was the MVP of the Rams’ two-day rookie camp. Also praised other draft picks.

Interesting that McVay noted Jake Eldrenkamp would have a chance to compete for center job. You hear McVay stressing competition a lot.