reporters on camp, 7/31 (Wagoner, Simmons, etc.) + vids from camp

Todd Gurley gets some individual work as Rams open camp

By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/19873/todd-gurley-gets-some-individual-work-as-rams-open-camp

EARTH CITY, Mo. — St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley was back on a football field Friday afternoon after about nine months.

Although Gurley isn’t fully recovered from a torn left ACL suffered last November, he’s healthy enough to do some individual drills. It’s the closest thing to actual football he’s played since the injury. When asked about the simple act of being back on a field with his teammates, Gurley lit up.

“It is [exciting],” Gurley said. “Instead of just being over there with the trainers, just being with the guys and getting those 15 minutes in [is great].”

Gurley said he spent most of his time in St. Louis between the end of organized team activities and the start of camp aside from a quick vacation. He said he visited with his doctors about two weeks ago and got positive reports on his progress.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Gurley still has some work to do to get back to full speed but he’s moving well.

“Todd did a great job on the conditioning test,” Fisher said. “He’s not 100 percent. He’s not ready to play in a game right now but our feeling was and the decision was based on the importance for him to be able to participate not only in the walk-throughs but also in the individual stuff. We’ll just kind of add things as we move forward.

“We’re very, very encouraged as to where he is right now.”

The Rams started camp relatively healthy, though they had a few players that were limited by minor issues. Aside from guard Cody Wichmann, who is on the physically unable to perform list with a calf ailment, end Chris Long and safety Mark Barron also sat out. According to Fisher, Long has some back tightness that kept him out but he should be back in a couple of days. Barron (knee) did some work on the side and Fisher estimated his return at a “few” days.Fisher was extremely pleased with the shape his team returned in as everyone passed their conditioning tests and some of the injured players have worked their way back. That includes safety T.J. McDonald, tight end Alex Bayer, tackle Greg Robinson, guard Rodger Saffold, running back Isaiah Pead and receiver Brian Quick, all of whom did a lot of work. Quick (shoulder) is easing his way back into team drills but all looked to be moving around well and ready to go.

Fisher offered the line of the day when asked whether he was concerned about his players as they took some time off between organized team activities and the start of training camp.”We were in touch with them,” Fisher said. “I failed them from the standpoint of I talked to them about wave runners and four-wheelers and jet skis and driving fast and all those things and I forgot to talk to them about fireworks. Fortunately we dodged that bullet.”Fisher is notorious for making a point of educating his players on the pratfalls of the offseason and has even done studies on which positions are more likely to get in trouble during the down time. Guess he has one more activity to add to his lecture list next year.

Quarterback Nick Foles had some good moments early in practice, especially considering it’s the first day of camp. He was getting the ball out quick in team drills and hit Tavon Austin on a nice throw down the seam in seven-on-seven. Foles said he’s not thinking about his contract status and made it clear he’s allowing his agent to handle his business off the field.

One new twist for practice: Music. The Rams have dabbled with music at training camp practices in the past but never as loud or as present as it was during team drills Friday. Foles said he was supposed to be in charge of the playlist but was apparently too busy (that pesky football thing got in the way) to put a list together. He said he’d need some time before he can put his list together but it will likely feature a little more Florida Georgia Line rather than the Fetty Wap that blared on Friday.

Bud Sasser, the receiver the Rams drafted in May, attended Friday’s practice. Sasser is a guest of the team this weekend. The Rams released Sasser in June after he was unable to pass the team’s physical because of a medical condition. But they also signed him and paid him his signing bonus and made it clear there could be a job for him with the team if he wants it. Sasser is spending the next couple of days observing various jobs to see if there’s a role that might fit him. Classy move by the Rams.

The Rams return to practice Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET. They will have their first padded practice on Monday at 11 a.m. ET, a special-teams workout which is not open to the public.