reporter tweets & article on special teams practice today + fassel interview vid

Fassel: “It’s a great way to evaluate guys”

St. Louis Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel spoke about the competitiveness of today’s practice, Greg Zuerlein’s improvement, avoiding penalties, and Michael Sam’s development after today’s special teams session.

Vid:

http://www.stlouisrams.com/videos/videos/Fassel-Its-a-great-way-to-evaluate-guys/c098a2f6-893b-4461-926d-82a82c46ea67

———

transcript:

Rams Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel – July 28, 2014

(On the entertainment of the one-on-one drill and if it’s fun for him)
“Fun is a strange word. It’s a great way to evaluate guys that are going to play NFL special teams. I think the guys love it as far as competitive mode but it’s a tough drill.”

(On what he looks for during the competitive drills and if it is based on how competitive they are)
“That last drill I think the biggest thing is guys willingness to compete because we didn’t script matchups. So they just called themselves out. There’s a couple of guys that probably went three or four times and we’ll probably see on tape that maybe some guys didn’t go or maybe went one time, so that’s part of it. But also, we’re looking for being better finishers and blockers as far as staying penalty free and then being better finishers covering kicks. That’s really what that drill was the last 15- 20 yards of covering the kick one-on-one-matchup.”

(On how much of a difference it makes to have players like LB Ray Ray Armstrong, LB Daren Bates and RB Chase Reynolds on special teams that have done it for a year now)
“Yeah it makes a big difference and it feels like they’re veteran veteran guys and really, obviously, they’re only in their second year. Last year there were some veteran guys that got beat out on a day like today by Ray Ray and Daren and Chase that’s where they made the team. So, the rookies and new guys this year were trying to do to them what they did last year to the guys that didn’t make the team. So that’s kind of the way it works and it’s a great way to see guys compete.”

(On how much better K Greg Zuerlein can be)
“You should ask him and he’ll probably tell you, a lot. He’s tweaked just minimally a few things, but we don’t want to change them at all because I keep saying that I was really proud of him, really the last three, four weeks of the season. I thought he was stronger the last month than at any point in his first year or even after and up until that point. So, there’s some things… we’re working off on kickoff, as well and on field goals. He knows his leg strength is dynamite and we’re working on putting it right down the middle every time so its good.”

(On Zuerlein’s improvement from year one to year two)
“Yeah, and it was significant and then year two the improvement from the beginning of the season to the end of the season was there, too, which was good.”

(On LB Daren Bates not getting his name called up by his teammates during the one-on-one competition drills)
“I’ve seen him do it and I know he can, so a lot of it was some of the new guys that we haven’t seen to see if they can do that. He did get one rep. We do have one part that was scripted that was earlier than this last period, but I know he can do it. I’ve seen him do it and it’s good to see guys that we haven’t seen to see if they can do it.”

(On what has he seen from DB Lamarcus Joyner just here in the early part of camp)
“What we saw on film, a little scrappy, tough, feisty guy. I mean to me that’s who we want on special teams – a guy that’s tough, not a real big guy, but he’s going to fight.”

(On double teaming Joyner during drill)
“We let a few things go just because we want it to be physical and see whose willing to kind of fight. But we’ll clean up some of the things that obviously couldn’t fly in a real game.”

(On what cleaning up special team penalties in games could do for WR Tavon Austin’s numbers)
“That’s one of the biggest emphasis for us in the return game – kickoff return and punt return-is being clean finishers, but not taking away the stinger that some of the young guys have on teams.”

(On if he’s watched Bates’ and Armstrong’s dance before kickoff and if he has ever seen it)
“I’ve seen on tape on Mondays every time and as long as their getting them inside the 20 (-yard line) then I don’t have a problem with whatever they want to do.”

(On his thoughts on the style of their dance)
“It’s a lot better than I’d do and the guys in the meeting room love it especially after we win. So yeah, hey I just let them keep going as long as their having fun and it’s good.”

(On DE Michael Sam’s weight loss and if he’s noticed an extra spring in his step)
“Yeah, I think he’s dropped probably about 15 lbs. and you can tell the difference running like we did today, 30 to 50 to 70 yards. That’s helped him a lot and then at the end of this last competitive drill he did a really good job as a blocker. I can see him being a good guy on punt return and kickoff return as a blocker as we continue to groom him covering kicks, which requires long speed which is something that he’ll develop.”