With First OTAs Complete, Noteboom Feels Good About Progress

Kristen Lago

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/With-First-OTAs-Complete-Noteboom-Feels-Good-About-Progress/3be08b1c-80cd-42df-b236-50c357334426

In April, left tackle Joseph Noteboom was one of over 400 college prospects eager to make his dreams a reality by becoming a professional athlete. Now eight weeks later, a lot has changed for the TCU product.

Not only was he selected by the Rams in the third-round of this year’s draft, but he has also completed his first set of OTAs in the NFL — marking a significant transition for the 22-year old.

“[It was] pretty awesome,” Noteboom said. “The main difference has been being on your own. You’re not babied as much, so you have to be more accountable and responsible. But you learn quick. It’s the NFL — you do everything you can to stay here.”

The three-week session was the left tackle’s first taste of playing in the league, something he says has been “pretty on par from what I thought” heading into it. And although the Rams’ high-speed offense is admittedly more detailed than his college scheme, Noteboom has been fortunate to learn from a talented group of linemen.

Last season, the club’s offensive line was ranked among the best in the league and features one of the top tackles in the game in Andrew Whitworth. As he did in 2017, the 13-year veteran has made a point to take the younger players under his wing.

“He’s really a laid-back guy, but really experienced,” Noteboom said. “He has these little details he can tell you about that no one really knows [and] he’s so willing to help us. It’s not like a waste of his time, he’s glad to help. Usually he comes up to us and tells us stuff.”

But it’s not just the mentorship from the older vets that has surprised the rookie tackle. For Noteboom, one of the most exciting aspects of OTAs was getting to observe and learn from head coach Sean McVay.

“I knew he was a good coach from what he did last year, but seeing him, he knows every position — their techniques, their footwork, everything like that,” he explained. “Just really impressed with him and seeing in person what a great coach he is.”

And now that Noteboom has a feel for both the coaching staff and roster, he is hopeful that during the rest of the offseason his progress will come more steadily.

“Just knowing the playbook front to back and knowing exactly what to do, so I don’t have to think about it so much,” Noteboom said of his offseason goals. “Just work on my technique from here on out.”

They skipped #9 apparently.

-=–

10 Observations from OTA No. 10

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/10-Observations-from-OTA-No-10/0a35e842-8cbb-4b37-b354-02defb4253ba

Team insider Myles Simmons shares his top 10 observations from the last Rams OTA practice of the spring.

1) The Rams finished their OTAs with a lighter and shorter session on Thursday. The club began practice with special teams drills, specifically working on kick returns under the new league rules. As that was happening, quarterbacks were practicing handoffs with centers and running backs on the facility’s second field.

2) At the start of individual drills, quarterbacks made quick passes to skill players — wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends — who then had to sprint past a pair of tackling dummies.

3) On the other field, linebackers were working on deflecting passes with one hand while in one-on-one coverage. During the drill, Cory Littleton intercepted a throw with just one hand instead of deflecting it to the ground.

4) Legendary Rams wide receiver Torry Holt once again was on the field as a coaching intern, covering those in his position group during individual drills. He was playing the role of cornerback as receivers were running slant routes. At one point, head coach Sean McVay rushed the passer while Holt played the role of defensive back.

5) The first-team offense and defense went head to head in 7-on-7 for a move-the-ball drill in a two-minute situation. The offense started deep in its own territory needing just a field goal. In the first series, Los Angeles’ offense got in position to get three points with quarterback Jared Goff hitting wide receiver Brandin Cooks over the middle.

6) With the second-team offense in the same scenario, quarterback Sean Mannionalso put the team in position to kick a field goal with a bullet pass over the middle to wide receiver Pharoh Cooper.

7) In the second series for the first-team offense and defense, Goff connected with wide receiver Robert Woods over the middle to start, then wide receiver Cooper Kupp over the middle to continue marching down the field, and finally a short pass to Cooks on the right to advance into field-goal range. Goff spiked the ball to stop the clock and end the drill on a good note for the offense.

8) After three OTAs already this week — and mandatory minicamp coming up next week— McVay did not have the first-team offense or defense participating in 11-on-11 drills. Instead the second-team offense and defense participated in a move-the-ball drill. Safety Marqui Christian nearly had an interception on the first play, jumping a route.

9) Also in 11-on-11, Mannion connected with tight end Temarrick Hemingway on a shallow crossing route to the right. With the offense already inside the red zone, Hemingway caught the pass with a couple yards of the end zone then reached out and broke the plane for a touchdown.

10) As Holt was leaving the field, quarterback Luis Perez told Holt he would hit him with a pass at the back pylon. The ball went into the air, Holt went on the run, reached up to catch the pass one-handed, and got two feet in. It was a fitting end to a good week. And, yes, Holt’s still got it.

from: NFL’s best defenses: Who got better, worse, and who’s next up

Matt Bowen

http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/276290/top-defenses-whos-better-worse-and-new-one-to-watch

Despite the three months that remain until kickoff, a handful of NFL teams are vying to stay in the conversation among the league’s best defenses long before they play a single snap in 2018.

During the offseason, these teams took steps via pricey free-agent acquisitions, trades and the draft to make marked improvements to their defensive personnel; moves that aim to bolster the championship aspirations many of them already had.

Here’s a look at where things stand for the top five defenses from last year, from roster additions and subtractions to how much better or worse each got, as well as which other team might crack the top five by the season’s end.

…

One to watch in 2018

Los Angeles Rams

Major additions: CB Marcus Peters, CB Aqib Talib, DT Ndamukong Suh, S Lamarcus Joyner (re-signed)

Major losses: CB Trumaine Johnson, DE Robert Quinn, LB Alec Ogletree

2018 outlook: The Rams took a win-now approach in the offseason, opting for the veteran trade market and free agency to add key pieces to Wade Phillips’ defensive unit. Yes, the lack of proven edge rushers and second-level defenders should be brought into this discussion. I get it. However, with the additions of cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib via trades — along with placing the franchise tag on versatile safety Lamarcus Joyner — the L.A. secondary looks legit. That’s a ball-hawking unit, a physical group with the ability to play man coverage, challenge routes and finish. Love it. Lock those receivers down and let the boys up front hunt the QB. Plus, with the Rams landing Ndamukong Suh in free agency, L.A. can pair the veteran defensive tackle with All-Pro Aaron Donald. That gives L.A. two disruptors in the middle of the defense who can also put those linebackers in a position to run free. Read, react and track the ball. And with Phillips pulling the strings in the game plan, the Rams can cater to their strengths to create turnovers, pressure and positive field position. The way I see it, this is a unit with the talent and the upside to make a sizable leap in 2018.

…

wv wrote:

Allz I know is the pieces are all in place for Goff. OLine, Weapons, Defense, Coaches — its all in place. He’s set up better than any QB since the GSOT days.

So…we shall see.

w
v

I will be looking at some of these benchmarks to see how he’s doing. He doesn’t have to pass all of them (my theory is, Goff is a slow learner. He’s smart but you can be smart and a slow learner.)

* As mentioned, better performance in games against tough opponents (teams with both good offenses and a top 10 defense). Particularly in the final half-quarter of those games. His %Pass Completed in Close Games stat was 51.9%, which ranked 26th. He is even worse with this stat: %Passes Completed, Late & Close. With that he was 45.3% which ranked 31st.

* Long passing. 31 yards and over, he threw 3% of his total attempts in that range(which is low), and completed 33% (which is okay). 11-30 yards, he threw 27.7% of his total attempts in that range (which is high) and completed 46% (which is low-ish). Interestingly, if you look at a related but different stat, the Rams do quite well. That’s Big Play Passes of 25 Yards or More (the difference is with this one, you count YAC, well with the first stats I gave, it’s all ball in the air only). On this stat the Rams ranked 5th in the league.

* Throwing on the run. I initially thought he was good at this but as the season wore on he had his share of dirtballs with this.

from NFL executives grade every team’s offseason

Mike Sando

http://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/23696198/nfl-offseason-grades-all-32-teams-nfl-executives

More than a dozen decision-makers around the league contributed their thoughts to this team-by-team review. We took into account coaching changes, free-agency moves, draft maneuvering and shocking revelations that rocked two franchises outside the realm of football operations.

In the end, we tried to reserve the best grades for the teams that had made themselves demonstrably better through well-founded strategic planning, knowing full well there can sometimes be zero correlation between offseason work and in-season results.

—

Los Angeles Rams

Grade: A-

The Rams worked the system impressively. Acquiring Brandin Cooks, Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib by trade and Ndamukong Suh off the discard pile shielded those acquisitions from the formula for compensatory draft choices. When Sammy Watkins and Trumaine Johnson left the team for massive paydays, the Rams moved into position to receive two 2019 third-round comp picks. Well done.

That work and the Rams’ ability to maneuver their way into 11 selections in the 2018 draft produced high marks from executives, despite obvious risks.

“They asked Sean McVay about adding some risky players, and he said, ‘My defensive coordinator [Wade Phillips] has more swag than all of them,'” an exec said. “That is very empowering.”

Trading away credible veterans Alec Ogletree and Robert Quinn while embracing players such as Peters, Talib and Suh did not go over well with everyone. It was notable, too, that other core players, notably Aaron Donald, had not yet received extensions.

“I think of [Eagles GM] Howie Roseman and the dream team and I think Howie learned from that,” another exec said. “There is a difference between acquiring talent and building a team. I think they did more acquiring talent than anyone else. But I could very well see all the pieces work and them having a lot of success. Suh is fine — even people with the Dolphins will tell you he is just kind of his own guy, not a bad guy. I’m not sure I want Peters around Talib, however.”

Another exec called Peters misunderstood — good at heart, but emotional to a fault.

“They have Wade Phillips, so they should be able to rein that in the next two years and get the best from him,” this exec said. “Now, it could blow up, but if the purpose of these grades is to look at who acquired talent, the Rams have to be up there.”

One big question: Where will the outside pass-rush come from?

..

Bonsignore: Rams know it will take record-setting money to secure Aaron Donald, but they hold all the cards

VINCENT BONSIGNORE

link: https://www.ocregister.com/2018/06/05/bonsignore-rams-know-it-will-take-record-setting-money-to-secure-aaron-donald-but-they-hold-all-the-cards/

There are approximately 80,000 reasons why Aaron Donald will report next week to the Rams’ mandatory minicamp in Thousand Oaks – that figure representing the amount of money the best defensive player in the NFL will lose to fines should he skip the three-day camp.

But there are more than 70 million reasons why his reunion with the Rams might be a short one, and why we might not see Donald in uniform for a while. Maybe not even until the season opener against the Oakland Raiders on Sept. 10. Although there are major financial and free agency implications – not to mention risk – should Donald hold out for all of training camp only to report for the season opener without an extension.

But more on that in a bit.

The 70 million – probably more – represents the guaranteed money he’d endanger should he step foot on a practice field without a new contract and, heaven forbid, suffer a serious injury. That explains why he was a no-show during OTA’s and why he’ll likely be a limited participant at minicamp.

Donald is scheduled to make $6.9 million next season, all of which he’d collect in the event of a serious injury. But he stands to earn millions upon millions more in guarantees upon agreeing to an extension, which undoubtedly will make him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. That’s a fact the Rams don’t just acknowledge, they will gladly it make happen in order to keep the dominant defensive linemen in their fold for the foreseeable future.

Knowing that – and the Rams have been consistent in their acknowledgment of the financial commitment they’re willing to make – it behooves Donald to be as careful as possible between now and putting pen to paper to make it all official.

The real question, of course, is why a new deal hasn’t already happened in spite of the Rams’ repeated vow to do right by Donald, and what appears to be a sincere willingness on both sides to arrive at an outcome that leaves everyone smiling at the celebratory news conference to announce it.

At the risk of being a bit simplistic: it’s complicated.

And much more nuanced than, as new Rams cornerback Marcus Peters (and a whole bunch of Rams fans) would say: “Pay the man!”

To the Rams and Donald’s camp’s credit, they’ve both kept a tight lid on negotiations. This hasn’t been a “he said they said” situation at all. That’s usually a good sign that a happy ending is looming.

But it also leaves everyone else to do some detective work.

In doing some peripheral digging around, there are compelling reasons emerging to explain a lack of resolution.

But also why most, if not all, the leverage tilts decidedly in the direction of the Rams, as they hold his rights for at least the next three years and assume even greater leverage and control should Donald hold out beyond Aug. 8 and into the regular season.

One factor that could be delaying things is the Khalil Mack dynamic playing out in Oakland. Mack and Donald were both selected in the 2014 NFL draft, and both have developed into dominant defensive forces as they each enter the final year of their rookie contracts.

Donald, by all accounts, is the better player. In a fair world, he’ll end up with the bigger contract. And no one would blame him if, as some in the NFL suspect, he slow plays a resolution waiting on Mack to come to terms first, thus re-setting the market and allowing Donald to go back to the Rams and demand more.

The problem is, Mack is in a much better position to wait out Donald’s situation and use that deal as the basis for his new contract. Mack was drafted with the fifth pick to Donald’s 13th in 2014, and the financial difference could not be more vast as a result. Mack will make $13.9 million to Donald’s $6.9 this season. So, as you can see, Mack is in a safer position to let this year play out and then use the free agency leverage of 31 other teams – and a potential new Donald deal – when negotiating with the Raiders.

It’s for those reasons – and others – that some in the NFL have speculated a new Mack deal might not happen before next year. If so, Donald could be in for a long wait – and assume incredible risk – if he puts too much credence on the Mack situation as it relates to his own.

But that isn’t the only factor holding up a resolution.

While it’s a given Donald will reset the market for defensive players, there hasn’t been a top-end deal done on that side of the ball since Von Miller’s 2016 contract with the Broncos. That means dynamics like total value of the contract and immediate and full guarantees – the guide posts and trail markers teams and agents typically follow to bridge one record-breaking deal to the next – are a bit outdated. Setting and agreeing to new ones adds to the difficulty.

What we do know is that Donald is almost certain to become the first non-quarterback to eclipse $20 million in annual pay. That would mean topping Miller’s $19,016,667 annual base salary and his $70 million in guarantees.

Would $21 million in yearly salary and $75 million in overall guarantees do it?

The conflict becomes: By how much is Donald seeking to set the new market, and is that a number the Rams are willing to pay? Keep in mind Brandin Cooks is on deck for a new contract and Todd Gurley, Marcus Peters and Jared Goff are waiting in the wings.

Keeping Donald in the fold while preserving room for all the others is of paramount importance.

But Donald plays a role in making that happen.

There’s been recent speculation within the NFL circles that Donald’s camp is looking beyond just a record-setting defensive contract while trying to lift him into the rarified air of top quarterback money.

That would mean somewhere between $23 million and $27 million in annual salary and upward to $80 million to $90 million in guarantees.

That would be unprecedented.

It would also explain a major delay in a deal being consummated.

Or, as one rival NFL executive suggested: “If this was just about being the highest-paid defensive player, it would have been done already.”

That said, it never hurts to ask, right? And if you’re Aaron Donald, there is still time to play with in order to get the kind of money – or close to it – you’re demanding without sacrificing anything of importance.

Although those days are rapidly coming to a close.

Whatever leverage he has comes to an end on Aug. 8, the deadline to preserve unrestricted free agent status at the end of the 2018 season or be downgraded to restricted. It’s a position Donald put himself in by holding out during training camp last year and losing an accrued season as a result. If he holds out again, he’d lose all rights to UFA at the end of the season.

And that means:

The Rams would preserve the right to use the franchise tag on him for 2019.

They’d also have the right of first refusal on any deal he agrees to with another team.

Or, in the event of not matching any offer, recoup a first-round pick.

And in a worst-case scenario for Donald, it would also mean potentially playing the 2019 season at roughly $7.4 million should he fail to secure a new deal with the Rams or another team and the Rams simply re-upped him at 110 percent of his 2018 salary.
It only gets worse if he holds out of games before the drop-dead deadline to preserve at least RFA status – the 10th game of the season – as that means absorbing fines and losing weekly paychecks. He’d have to be extraordinarily confident he could convince the Rams to eventually meet his demands to go that route. But really, how realistic is that?

So, as you can see, the little leverage Donald has right now is evaporating pretty quickly.

It makes you wonder at what point he realizes he’s running out of cards to play. And how quickly $20 million and change in annual salary and $70 million or so in guarantees begin to look good enough.

Just can't get enough of @JaredGoff16 to @brandincooks 🤘#LARams pic.twitter.com/uZbJhpCkKU

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 5, 2018

10 Observations from OTA No. 8

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/10-Observations-from-OTA-No-8/e09c6f5a-9495-40d5-92a7-53d89f510605

1) Tuesday’s session began with a catch-in-traffic drill. Wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs each caught passes from quarterbacks before running between a pair of coaches using blocking bags to try to jar the ball loose. Essentially, the receivers had to catch the ball then turn and cover it up running down the field.

2) Rams legendary wideout Torry Holt — in town and at practice as a coaching intern — actually participated in the catch-in-traffic drill. He caught a few passes from quarterback Jared Goff at the end of the line of wide receivers. He then stayed with the WRs during individual drills, giving tips to the current players as they went through a footwork drill.

3) Quarterbacks and running backs worked on screen plays during an individual period. Centers were also with them, having to run out in front of the running back in order to block for him. That’s a test of athleticism for centers in many ways, as it’s not really the easiest thing to get in front of someone as fast as Todd Gurley.

4) Goff continued to display his solid chemistry with his receivers on Tuesday. Early in the first 11-on-11 period, the quarterback faked a handoff to his right, rolled to his left, then flipped his hips, set his feet, and launched a deep ball down the left side of the field to wide receiver Cooper Kupp. The Eastern Washington product got under the pass — which was perfectly thrown — and sailed into the end zone for what would have been a touchdown. It was a high degree-of-difficulty throw from Goff and he executed it well.

5) The signal-caller also connected on a long pass to wide receiver Brandin Cooks during 11-on-11. It was also a throw that came off of play action, but Goff stayed in the pocket for this one. It ended up as about a 60-yard completion for a touchdown.

6) Defensively, cornerback Sam Shields showed that he has a lot of speed in competing with Cooks. Shields nearly caught up with Cooks on the long touchdown, and stayed with him to deflect a shorter pass to the end zone on the left sideline during 7-on-7 a bit later in practice.

7) Wide receiver Josh Reynolds also made a nice catch during 7-on-7 drills, albeit on the scout offense. Reynolds used all of his 6-foot-3 frame to go up and catch a deep ball on the offense’s left from quarterback Brandon Allen. The wide receiver’s size is part of what could potentially make him an asset for Los Angeles in the red zone in 2018.

8) The Rams practiced kick returns with the new rules during their special teams period on Tuesday. With the new rules, only three players may be outside the 15-yard “setup zone,” which effectively means teams may only have one returner and two blockers for him set up deep. But in Thursday’s practice, L.A. displayed just how creative the club can be in utilizing those three athletes on a kickoff.

9) Running back Malcolm Brown made his mark in the latter stages of practice, making a number of catches in the red zone during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. One of Brown’s touchdown receptions came on a screen, which goes back to what quarterbacks and running backs were working on at the start of practice.

10) Finally, tight end Gerald Everett made a nice catch on a fade route on the right sideline in the end zone for a touchdown. Everett caught the pass over a defender and held on as he went to the ground. The tight end had a solid day, making a number of receptions.

nittany ram wrote:

jared Goff leads the Rams to a score more than 50% of the time he takes the field. This is second only to Tom Brady (and barely so).

“He’s got everything he needs to be great.”

Congratulations, @JaredGoff16! 👏

📺 @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/q3Qi7ska3U

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 5, 2018