Training camp … news & notes (w/ big final article)

Rams risers, question marks, predictions, camp MVPs as team enters preseason

Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/4752179/2023/08/10/rams-preseason-risers-fallers-predictions/?source=emp_shared_article

IRVINE, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams broke down training camp this week, and now the real roster answers will start to take shape.

Here are some closing thoughts, quotes, question marks, hot takes (gasp) and predictions as they move through the next few weeks of the preseason:

Camp MVPs/established standouts

Matthew Stafford: It wasn’t just that Stafford was healthy for his first full spring OTAs and camp with the Rams this year that gets him an “MVP” vote from me. It’s also because it was abundantly clear day in and day out to those at practice that Stafford was teaching and fully communicating with deeper parts of the roster well past Cooper Kupp and the first-string players.

Aaron Donald: Donald may be entering his 10th NFL season, but he has faced new wrinkles at practices (not just because he’s playing alongside largely inexperienced teammates as the Rams rebuild their defense). In order to introduce more “game-like” situations for the younger defensive linemen and also their counterparts on the offensive line, the Rams are sliding double- and triple-teams over to Donald like he’d experience against an actual opponent. He noted good-naturedly that it makes him “kind of mad” but that it’s realistic to what he’ll see in the season and motivates him to study and practice even harder.

Tyler Higbee: I have only seen four of the veteran tight end’s eight total training camps (including this one), but of those this was his best. Higbee especially looked quicker in short-area opportunities like red zone or goal-line sequences. It’s a good time for him to have a great camp: There are several younger players breathing down his neck (such as Hunter Long, who was included in the trade that sent star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to Miami, and rookie Davis Allen — though neither practiced at all in camp because of soft-tissue injuries). Higbee, 30, is also in a contract year and working with a new tight ends coach in Nick Caley.

“I want to be great,” Higbee said. “So I try to push myself and always feel like I should be doing something to reach greatness, or try to.”

Demarcus Robinson: Robinson isn’t an “established” player specifically with the Rams — he signed as a free agent this spring — but he is one in the NFL after six seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and one with the Baltimore Ravens. The Rams’ pro scouts used to track Robinson when they would advance either Kansas City or one of their opponents who was playing the Chiefs, and his combination of steadiness and explosive-play ability always stood out to them.

In Rams camp, Robinson immediately popped as a receiver and when blocking in the run game. He has also been praised behind the scenes by teammates and assistant coaches for how well his personality fits with the group.

“I’m gonna bring it every day, and show I have just as much energy as the young(er) guys,” he said. “It’s been a fun ride. … Being in the league eight years, it’s not easy. You won’t get the ball all the time. Even now, I may not be the No. 1 or No. 2 receiver. But at the same time, (it’s about) going out and showing that you can do it, and that you want to do it, and you want to be able to help any way you can.”

Honorable mention: Inside linebacker Ernest Jones, cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon.

Previously unestablished risers

Kyren Williams: Williams, who was hurt for much of his rookie season in 2021, was outstanding in both the run and pass game in camp. As a runner, Williams looks confident and concept-multiple, and he didn’t miss many opportunities when the ball was thrown his way.

Quentin Lake: The second-year safety made multiple plays on the ball throughout camp, and played safety and dime linebacker (an important sub package in the Rams’ defense, as noted by defensive coordinator Raheem Morris).

Puka Nacua: Nacua does not communicate or play like a rookie receiver, especially not one selected in the later rounds of the draft. He’s been in the mix often since OTAs began, and coaches and personnel people are excited to see if his touted yards-after-catch ability manifests when defenders are making real contact with him.

Tutu Atwell: When star receiver Kupp suffered a hamstring injury and was sidelined a few days into camp, Atwell didn’t blink. Unlike the more speculative praise coaches have given Atwell in previous seasons, this year there’s more substance to their comments: He can now play each of the receiving positions in the offense and exhibits confidence and control in each of them. Whether it was in the “X” (filling in for Van Jefferson on Jefferson’s rest days), the “F” (a signature Kupp role) or anywhere else, Atwell impressed.

Earnest Brown IV: The third-year defensive lineman appears to have grown into his frame since his rookie season, and while he is relatively inexperienced compared to the linemen who departed the team in free agency, Donald mentioned Brown as someone who has taken a step forward.

Byron Young: The third-round rookie outside linebacker was already working his way into the rotation opposite position leader Michael Hoecht, when fellow rookie Ochaun Mathis hurt his knee (he will be out for a few weeks). Young’s opportunities appeared to increase after that, and he’ll have a chance to put it all together in the preseason.

Brycen Hopkins: Hopkins has had his moments every now and again in his three seasons so far with the Rams, but has never consistently gotten a ton of snaps. The Rams are an 11 personnel team, but Hopkins had a strong camp and if he continues to play well he could at least make a case for more playing time.

Question marks

What happens to the loser of the left tackle and center battles?

Joe Noteboom and Alaric Jackson are competing at left tackle while Coleman Shelton and Brian Allen are competing at center.

Whoever loses the left tackle battle could take on a new role as the game-day active “swing” player, so depth at either tackle spot and guard, in a pinch. But keep in mind, Noteboom, now healthy after an Achilles tear last season, is the more veteran player who got a contract extension in 2022. Would the Rams really take the ego-punch of moving a player they invested significant contract dollars in into a reserve role? Or … would they perhaps find another starting role for him at another spot? Especially if, over the next few weeks, Noteboom shows he can compete elsewhere? More on that in a moment …

Meanwhile, Shelton can play guard or center while Allen has largely just played center with the Rams. Both have experience with Stafford, but Shelton’s relative durability and position flexibility may make him a more viable starter. I can still see the Rams keeping Allen as a backup center, even if he doesn’t win the job.

Will John Johnson III’s arrival change anything for Jordan Fuller, Lake or Russ Yeast?

Johnson’s snaps were limited in his first practice back with his old team Tuesday, as expected since he didn’t have spring OTAs. As those snaps increase, his role in the defense will become apparent. He and Fuller started alongside each other through some of 2020 but is it a given that they will again three years later? They could, but that won’t be clear until a few more practices unfold. Second-year safeties Yeast and Lake had strong camps. Fuller entered OTAs as a team leader poised to take over the No. 1 spot. Unlike the younger players, though, he is in a contract year where he’s scheduled to make $2.785 million thanks to the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement’s Proven Performance Escalator (PPE) clause. Fuller earned that bonus because he averaged 55.3 percent of defensive snaps since his rookie season (a year in which he started; Fuller was then a team captain in his second season). This is also a year in which the Rams are blatantly going as cheap as possible on mostly the defensive side (outside of Donald’s contract; seriously, take a look at the discrepancy on Over the Cap). Fuller’s contract appears as a small outlier within the current financial structure of the rest of the Rams’ defensive roster. On the other hand, if Fuller cements his status over the next few weeks as the sure No. 1, his 2023 cap number is relatively low within the context of the safety position overall. One counterpoint the front office could pose: The current cap number is comparable to a little more than two veteran minimum deals, of which the Rams have used to sign multiple free agents this spring, including Johnson at about $1.08 million.

It’s fair to wonder what ripple effect adding Johnson could have for all of the younger safeties, but nothing can be definitively assessed or should be assumed yet because the group is still taking shape after signing him this late into camp. As the Rams get him up to form and continue to evaluate all of their safeties through the preseason, the position group overall — from the eventual starters, to the depth players — bears monitoring.

Which ‘sleepers’ could become preseason darlings*?

My guesses on a few players: Defensive tackle Kobie Turner, receivers Lance McCutcheon (for the second year in a row), Austin Trammell and Xavier Smith, punter Ethan Evans, inside linebacker Kelechi Anyalebechi, safety Tanner Ingle.

*I would also say players such as Nacua, Young or other relatively unknown rookies could be listed here, but among the players who have taken on significant roles in training camp it’s unclear how much they’ll play in preseason games.

Hot takes and predictions

Caveat: This could all change as the preseason unfolds … as we saw in 2022, anything can happen. Anything!

• There are two possible directions, in my opinion, that this offensive line could most likely take: Jackson, Steve Avila, Shelton, Tremayne Anchrum, Rob Havenstein. Or, Jackson, Avila, Shelton, Noteboom, Havenstein.

And yes, the latter is an eyebrow-raising combination — and would be quite a plot twist — especially after we didn’t see Noteboom getting any right guard reps until the later part of camp (fans in attendance at those practices also noticed). But the Rams extended Noteboom in 2022 … so if you’re the team, would you open up competition at another spot through the preseason to see if he can win it? Or would you just play him at swing tackle/the extra player in jumbo sets?

When the Rams started camp, it seemed like they had two real competitions along the offensive line, left tackle and center, because Anchrum and Avila were very clearly in the lead at the guard spots. Could it be that by solving one of those two battles they will create a third competition? We’ll get more clarity in the coming weeks.

• Derion Kendrick is still recovering from a hamstring issue and missed all of training camp, but I don’t believe that he’s out of the running for a starting job depending on how the next few weeks go — in part because none of the players who filled in for Kendrick at one of the two outside cornerback spots seemed to seize full command of it, though rookie Tre Tomlinson and third-year player Robert Rochell both got opportunities. Meanwhile, Cobie Durant is playing at the “star” and would be the third starting cornerback across from Witherspoon and (insert winner of CB2 preseason competition here).

• My best guess (as of now) on the receiver order: Kupp, Jefferson, Atwell and Nacua, Robinson, Ben Skowronek, Tyler Johnson. And if they keep eight receivers (hard to imagine), either Xavier Smith or Austin Trammell could stick as return specialists. It is perhaps more logical that they keep fewer receivers in the initial cutdowns and then bring one or more back as games actually start.

• This isn’t a so much a “take” as a question: While rookie kicker Tanner Brown has had some positive moments and also some misses through camp (as to be expected), are the Rams really prepared to field an all-rookie special teams unit in 2023, or will they keep a close eye on veteran cuts around the league?

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Jourdan Rodrigue

I just think “unproven” is the right word for the other CB spot just because Kendrick has not played yet this summer. Still, they lack length and we’ll see about the rest of the coverage quotients when the games start.

I wish more people remembered that the only times Floyd’s productions dropped while with LAR was when he blew out his ankle (2021) or knee (2022) and played through both. I thought he was outstanding during his time here. There is a really significant size, length and experience difference between what the Rams had in him and what they are trying to do now. Now, that isn’t to knock anybody – let me be quite clear. It’s rookies, mostly. And they are not long. The quality the Rams have gone with is clearly speed. We will see how that goes, and again, to be clear, I’m not sinking anybody before they even get started. It’s just different.

…needing to show real competition is the step before we can say anything definitive about a potential move for Noteboom, so that’s why I offered a few possibilities of the steps that would have to occur first such as possibly (not definitely) opening up a new competition in the first place…we just won’t know until the preseason continues, this article frames possibilities based on clues and not definites as we can’t possibly know results before process first occurs ??
Wendell is a great coach, from everything I see and hear, but ultimately it’ll come down to the higher ups on the team making the call with what you *hope* is a large amount of tape and context including feedback from him. We’ll see what happens, like I said, just outlining informed potential scenarios and questions, not writing the law ??