Agamemnon wrote:

Good job, collecting all the tweets, zn.

Thank you!

I made it easy by previously collecting all the twitter links (end of post here): http://theramshuddle.com/topic/some-dedicated-threads-on-individual-players/

Vincent Bonsignore‏ @DailyNewsVinny
Watching #Chargers Melvin Ingram & Joey Bosa work together on same side of line of scrimmage is impressive. Just blew up a #Rams run play

Joe Curley‏ @vcsjoecurley
Rams O struggling in the third-down 11 on 11 drills. I’ve counted eight straight incompletions.

Was at nine straight when the period ended.

Paul McRoberts makes a really nice catch from Goff under heavy coverage to open the two-minute drill segment.

Dani Klupenger‏@daniklup
Two-minute drill happening now. Using the full field on this drill. Rams offense up first.

Robey-Coleman (@slotgod23) with some good reps out there against Chargers third down plays.

==

#Rams two minute continues https://t.co/2hjITJEwf8

— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) August 6, 2017

#Rams two minute continues https://t.co/2hjITJEwf8

— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) August 6, 2017

Goal line series for Jared Goff and #Rams https://t.co/8FqDGeKei6

— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) August 6, 2017

==

Joe Curley‏ @vcsjoecurley
On the first snap of the goal line drills, Goff hits Kupp for a 7-yard catch and run for a TD.

Goff is strip sacked on next snap. Chargers player pulls his hand away like he wasn’t supposed to touch the ball, as well as Goff.

Goff hits Pharoh Cooper on a slant for a TD pass on next play.

Rich Hammond‏ @Rich_Hammond
Goff threw a TD to Kupp in red-zone drill, then got the ball stripped by Joey Bosa on the next play. Then threw a TD to Pharoh Cooper.

Rams’ defense getting a few tipped passes in 11-on-11 drills. EJ Gaines mentioned this the other day, as a Wade Phillips emphasis.

Chargers’ defense seems to be abiding by this “don’t go to the ground” rule. The Rams’ defense…less so.

===

Joe Curley‏ @vcsjoecurley
Goff hits Highbee for a short TD. Mannion hits Nelson Spruce for a 5-yard TD pass. Spruce also drew a holding flag on the Chargers DB

On the other side of the field, Chargers QB Mike Bercovici scrambled for a TD and was picked off by LB Kevin Davis.

Another nice run by Todd Gurley, who flies around left end untouched for a score

Rich Hammond @Rich_Hammond
Again, not going to be make a lot out of no-tackling drills, but Todd Gurley has made some real nice runs today.

==

.@JaredGoff16 ➡️ @Ty_Higs19 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ub4gbF8BFC

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 6, 2017

==

Joe Curley‏ @vcsjoecurley
And now the best player in the stadium, Johnny Hekker, takes the field for punting drills. First one goes 46 yards for a fair catch.

Aaron Donald’s holdout stems from NFL’s unfair rookie-wage scale

RYAN KARTJE

link: http://www.ocregister.com/2017/08/05/kartje-aaron-donalds-holdout-stems-from-nfls-unfair-rookie-wage-scale/

In July 2011, as a heated standoff over a new collective bargaining agreement continued into its fourth month, NFL owners and the players association found themselves at one final impasse over how to pay rookies.

Owners wanted first-round picks, whose contracts had ballooned into the tens of millions, to be under team control for at least five years. The players association agreed that rookies shouldn’t be among the league’s highest paid, but demanded a quicker route to free agency.

The players blinked first. As Cam Newton waited to sign his deal as the No. 1 overall pick, the NFLPA agreed to a wage-scale system that would keep him under team control for four years and $22 million — less than half the guaranteed money that the Rams handed to Sam Bradford the year before.

Still, the owners wanted more. In a Washington Post editorial, Packers president Mark Murphy wrote that “the system is so bad that some teams no longer want picks in the top part of the first round.” In a months-long PR battle, they pushed this message relentlessly, “No other business operates this way,” Murphy said, “and no other union gives its entry-level hires such privileges.”

By the end of the month, the two sides struck a deal. First-round picks would sign four-year deals, with a team option for a fifth year. The lockout lifted. Players went back to work. Soon, some would realize how much they lost.

Five years later, Rams training camp opened in Irvine with standout defensive tackle Aaron Donald conspicuously absent. At the start of his fourth year, Donald was already the NFL’s preeminent interior lineman and arguably one of the league’s best players. But due to the wage scale agreed to by the union, he’s set to earn just $3.2 million in 2017, 34th-most among NFL defensive tackles.

The Rams are under no obligation to change that. In April, the team exercised Donald’s fifth-year option, ensuring he’s under team control through the 2018 season. For another year, they’ll still have him at a major discount, at just under $6.9 million. After that, they could use the franchise tag — another 2011 addition to the CBA — to keep him away from unrestricted free agency.

“Six years is so far beyond the average career span,” says longtime agent Leigh Steinberg, who once called Warren Moon, Troy Aikman, and Steve Young clients. “Essentially, (Donald) is being paid for half of his career based on draft position, not on accomplishment. This system has no incentives. It doesn’t distinguish between a major star and someone who just happens to be sticking around.”

So on July 29, Donald exercised his only available leverage. He stayed home. According to the CBA, any player holding out must pay $40,000 per camp day missed. (Prior to the most recent CBA, fines ranged from $14,000-$16,000 per day.) Teams often forgive those debts when the player reports, but through the first week of camp, Donald is technically nearing $300,000 in fines. That’s already 20 percent of his signing bonus in 2017.

“I’m hopeful to see Aaron Donald at any time,” Rams coach Sean McVay said last Wednesday. “I think that’s something that we’re constantly striving to get a solution.”

The Rams maintain that talks with Donald’s agent are ongoing, and the team does have a history of preemptively paying valued players. But the issue at hand isn’t about the Rams so much as it’s about a system that traps young stars under bargain, team-controlled contracts, with little to no leverage to lean on.

“(The rookie wage scale) is completely unfair,” Steinberg says, “but it’s not supposed to be fair. It’s supposed to take money away from rookies and move it to proven, productive starters. That was the design from the union.”

But that design has done far more harm than help, decimating the league’s veteran middle class and leaving its young stars massively underpaid relative to the value they bring in five years of team control. Using Pro Football Reference’s Approximate Value metric, a recent analysis from Football Perspective revealed that half of the league’s Approximate Value last season was provided by players on rookie contracts.
From the first round of the 2014 draft alone, a treasure trove of stars will play this year for bargain deals that defy logic. Along with Donald, fellow Pro Bowl players Jadeveon Clowney ($7 million), Khalil Mack ($5.9 million), Mike Evans ($4.65), Anthony Barr ($4 million), Taylor Lewan ($3.6 million), and Odell Beckham ($3.3 million) are in position to be massively underpaid in 2017, before being paid only slightly better during their 2018 option year.

Each member of that vaunted group is set to make less than half of what the Rams will pay Tavon Austin this season.

While players drafted outside of the first round aren’t beholden to a fifth-year option, their leverage is also limited. To be eligible for unrestricted free agency, players must accrue four years of service time. To earn that fourth accrued season, players must report 30 days before the regular season kicks off. This year, that deadline is Aug. 8.

If Donald had been drafted in the second round, he would have had to return to camp by Aug. 8, or else face the prospect of being a restricted free agent next season. Since he’s already under team control for 2018, this isn’t likely to apply to him, short of a two-year-long holdout. But for others, it’s creates a no-win scenario.

That’s the reality players have been forced to face since agreeing to the CBA in 2011. The even harsher truth being that the rookie-wage scale isn’t likely to change anytime soon. The old system and its exorbitant rookie contracts are “too unworkable” to completely do away with the rookie-wage scale, according to former NFL agent and salary cap expert Joel Corry.

Eliminating the fifth-year option is a possibility, Corry said, but given the sheer size of the NFL player pool, even that could be a tough sell, given the concessions it would likely require from the union.

“Is it worth making something a priority that affects 25 guys, and you have an 1,800-player union?” Corry said. “The rank-and-file does not care about a player option.’

The CBA will be up for renegotiation in 2021. But even then, the status quo will more than likely remain, as young stars continue playing out rookie deals that pay only a fraction of their worth. Even if Donald’s saga ends with a new contract, there are still dozens of young players who will smile and take their below-market deals without protest, trapped under team control, mostly powerless, for the entire first halves of their careers.

For Donald, the Rams’ most valuable asset, there’s little he can do now but wait and wonder why he hasn’t been paid. He has the system — and the 2011 CBA — to thank for that.

“It’s unfortunate for him,” Corry says. “If he’d just been a second-round pick, he’d probably be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL right now.”

the Professor camp report Day 6…some follow-up

In one of the 11 on 11 sessions, the offense starts off at the 1 and has to work their way down field. The 2s were eaten alive by the D. After a short gain, Spruce flinchrf on the line of scrimmage for a false start putting the offense back at the 1. The Defensive players claimed they had safeties on three of the next four plays. Justin Davis never made it out of the backfield. The next play Mannion would have been sacked. Don’t have in my notes what the last one was. Our second team oline could not handle the D.

In other drills the second team offense looked ok. Everett, McRoberts, and Spruce looked good and Mannion displayed some arm strength. He had some nice crisp passes. Early on Mannion floated a pass over Kupp.

In my mind the star of the day was #37 De’Mard Llorens, a rookie running back that I never heard of. He scored a TD on a pass from Mannion (not sure if this was in 7 on 7 or 11 on 11). After the second team offense was chewed up by the D in the start at your 1 yard line, it was the third teams time to play. Llorens got the edge and had a nice run. At the end of practice, the rams practiced a two minute drill. On back to back plays, Llorens got the edge going right for a big pick up, and then gets the edge going left and takes it to the two.

Ryan, a WR we signed after the free agent camp, looked good as well. He had a nice sideline catch from Goff early on where the throw was a bit off. He looked good with the 3s, but took a big hit after a catch in the start from the 1 part of practice. He walked off the field with a limp. However he got back on the field later and made a leaping catch in the end zone for a TD to end practice.

Wade Phillips see opportunities for others with Aaron Donald holding out

By Gary Klein

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-training-camp-20170804-story.html

This is Wade Phillips’ 40th NFL training camp, so there isn’t much the Rams’ defensive coordinator has not seen or experienced.

One of the NFL’s best defensive linemen holding out?

Not, apparently, a major reason for concern.

Another projected starting defensive lineman lost for the season because of a knee injury?

There are other possibilities.

Phillips, 70, clearly is not fazed by those issues even as he works to install a new hybrid 3-4 scheme.

“I’m pleased with where we are right now,” he said Friday.

Phillips, coach Sean McVay and the rest of the staff will get a better read on where the Rams stand when they hold a joint practice with the Chargers on Saturday at the StubHub Center in Carson.

The Chargers feature veteran quarterback Philip Rivers.

“They’ve got a great passing attack — have for a long time,” Phillips said. “It will be great to see how we do against a team like that.”

Rivers won’t have to worry about evading a rush from Rams lineman Aaron Donald.

Donald, seeking to become one of the league’s highest-paid players, has been absent since the start of training camp because of a contract dispute. The fines are mounting — $40,000 per day — but there is no timetable for his arrival.

Phillips said he had not been in contact with the three-time Pro Bowl selection.

“I don’t want to get into his business,” Phillips said. “He knows that we’d love to have him here.”

In the meantime, Phillips said, it’s a good opportunity for others.

“What they can do is certainly different than Aaron, and so we try to fit our defense into what our players can do right now,” Phillips said. “When he gets back it’s a great addition.”

Donald participated in an April minicamp but was absent from organized team activities and did not participate in practice drills during a mandatory June minicamp.

Phillips is confident that Donald will blend seamlessly if, or when, he returns.

“He’s such a good player — and he did really well in the mincamp and stuff,” Phillips said. “Whenever he comes back I think he’ll pick right up.”

Phillips also said there were “possibilities” for replacing injured end Dominique Easley, including playing tackle Michael Brockers in that spot.

Training Camp Report: Observations from Day 6

Kristen Lago

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Training-Camp-Report-Observations-from-Day-6-/def90e52-74c1-45c5-ac80-6b2fb2a5d0e9

It was business as usual on Friday afternoon as the Rams returned to UC Irvine for practice after their day off yesterday. Day 6 of training camp was the team’s third in full pads and was characterized by high intensity drills and good spirits coming into the weekend.

When the Rams take the field tomorrow, it will be in a joint practice with the Los Angeles Chargers. But for now, catch up on our top takeaways from Rams Camp Day 6:

TOP TAKEAWAYS

1. Filling gaps

Coming into Day 6 of training camp, the Rams have had to face a variety of injuries. On Tuesday, the team lost defensive end Dominique Easley to a season-ending injury. They have also gone without wide receivers Tavon Austin and Josh Reynolds, as well as linebacker Samson Ebukam for the last three days – after each suffered minor injuries earlier this week.

“I know he’s frustrated right now because he is a guy that wants to be out here, he’s a great competitor,” head coach Sean McVay said of Austin’s injury. “It’s a little bit of a setback, but the way we look at it is a setback is a setup for a comeback. We’re not going to blink, we’re just going to worry about what we can control and that’s him doing a great job with his rehab every single day.”

And while dealing with injury is often a large part of the game, McVay has been forced to confront this issue early on. With Austin out, wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods have seen a majority of the first team touches, while there has been greater emphasis placed on throwing to the tight end.

On the D-line, defensive ends Ethan Westbrooks and Louis Trinca-Pasat have fit in well alongside defensive tackle Michael Brockers. The defensive line looked strong today, holding their own against the O-line and remaining in high spirits despite the loss of Easley.

“Well, all of our D-line, they’re all working hard,” defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said. “Most of them can play at any of the three positions. So, we’ve worked all those guys. I wouldn’t say one guy over the rest of them so we’ve got some possibilities.”

2. Tight ends making plays

Tight ends Gerald Everett and Tyler Higbee have been making their names known as potential playmakers as well. McVay is known for getting the most out of his production from the tight ends and this year has proven no differently.

Specifically in Day 6, we saw a lot from the two tight ends with both recording a variety of impressive grabs throughout the afternoon. At one point, Everett jumped high above his defender snatching the ball right over linebacker Kevin Davis’ head into the end zone.

Higbee showcased his maturing chemistry with quarterback Jared Goff, logging several receptions during the 11-on-11 and one-on-one portions of practice. The big-bodied tight end has looked solid on the passing game and strong in his ability to block for other receivers on the line throughout training camp.

“I’m out here everyday trying to get better, whatever they ask me to do is what I’m trying to do,” Higbee said of McVay’s tight-end friendly offense. “You come out here and get to beat up on each other everyday so it will be good to get after another team. I’m so ready to go.”

3. Looking forward to tomorrow’s practice:

The Rams will take a break from practicing at UC Irvine tomorrow as they travel to face the Chargers in the first of two joint practices. While the Chargers have based their training camp just five miles from the Rams in Costa Mesa, their first matchup will take place at the StubHub Center in Carson.

The padded practice is scheduled from 4:30-7pm and will feature about four team periods switching between 7-on-7 drills, red zone work, two-minute drills and other scripted and non-scripted situational work.

“We’ve got it laid out, because we’re going to be StubHub it’s going to be an interesting setup,” McVay said of tomorrow’s practice. “While our offense will be doing a team-run kind of segment of practice if you will, then our defense will be doing red zone and we’ll flip-flop with that. I think it will be a great opportunity for us.

Joint practices like these will give the Rams a much-needed change of pace during training camp and will provide an important piece in preparing for the regular season.

“I think number one is just what a great experience it is for our quarterbacks in general,” offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur said. “From seeing the same defense that Coach Phillips has all throughout OTAs, throughout the first part of training camp, to just experience some new looks and I know that obviously Gus Bradley – the Chargers’ defensive coordinator – plays a similar system to some teams that we’re going to play this year, so I think it’s going to be invaluable.”

FIELD-LEVEL OBSERVATIONS

– Over the weekend the Rams signed two wide receivers, Justin Thomas and C.J. Germany, while waiving fullback Zach Laskey. The team also signed wideout K.D. Cannon earlier this morning.

– Former Rams tight end and Super Bowl champion Roland Williams was on hand at today’s practice. He could be heard cheering on the tight end group throughout the afternoon.

– During the red zone drills, Goff threw a nice short ball to Woods who ran straight into the end zone, dodging his defenders for a would-be touchdown.

– Goff had an interception in the second half of practice, getting picked off at the goal line by safety Lamarcus Joyner.

– The Nickell Robey-Coleman covering Woods saga continued as the two former USC players have gone one-on-one throughout the majority of practice. Today the corner forced an incomplete pass on a perfect throw from Goff during the 11-on-11 drills.

– Kupp had an impressive grab on a straight shot from Goff right through the gap between two defenders. The receiver jumped high into the air to pull that one in for the reception.

– The defensive line continued to put the pressure on the quarterback. At one point during practice, outside linebacker Connor Barwin exhibiting his impressive skills on the blitz, spinning past the offensive line for a would-be sack on Goff.

PLAY OF THE DAY

Today’s play of the day came during the tail-end of practice while the team worked on 11-on-11 drills. Wide receiver Shakeir Ryan rose up high into the end zone for a touchdown grab off of a Dan Orlovsky pass.

Not only did the wideout provide the play of the day, but he also gave practice some much needed comedic relief, breaking out the moves for a signature touchdown dance. After the play he was greeted by a majority of the offense who were quick to congratulate his impressive catch.

PRESS POINTS

After practice, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips spoke to the media about working with McVay. Catch up on his most interesting point and check out his full interview below.

WADE PHILLIPS:

On his working relationship with head coach Sean McVay: “I’m there if he needs me, but he’s really sharp. I mean, he’s a lot smarter than I am, so it doesn’t take him that long. He’s got 40 years worth of knowledge and I have 40 years worth of experience, maybe that’ll help a little bit.”

the Professor camp report Day 6

First time I went to practice this year. The covered bleachers were a big improvement over last year. I will post this in sections. The first section will be on the drills prior to the offense vs. defense. The second section will be on the 7 on 7 and 11 on 11 drills. I may make a third post about post practice.

I want to point out that these are my takes and as I have never played I may be missing a lot of important details. Last year I focused in on QBs and WRs. Today I looked at ST and Oline a bit more so I won’t have too much to say on one on one drills for the WRs. This first post is just about what the drills were as they were not competing against anyone.

First set of drills. All three QBs throwing to Woods (one QB at a time). Later all three QBs practice taking snaps from under center and turning to hand off. Interestingly Blythe was practicing with STs punt blocking group (punts were sent via jugs so he was not needed to snap to the punter). Parker Collins was snapping to Orlofsky.

The ST punt return drill had a return man and three blockers up front. They would set up to block and clear a lane for the returner. Two players were out there to provide targets for the blockers. They carried a pad in front so that the drill was contact but minimal contact. Keep in mind that Reynolds, Thomas, and Austin were out. The three players acting as return men were Cooper, Shakier Ryan and Brandon Shippen. Ryan bobble the first or second punt he fielded but contained it on the second grasp (not terrible if it was a KO, but could end up as a fumble if the gunners are on him right away on a punt).
The blockers would rotate around and become the putting team to be blocked. Not much to report on how they did, but here is who was out there: #37 De’Mard Llorens rookie running back from Northwestern State. I never heard of him but I will be mentioning him a lot in this summary of practice. #41 Linard Tillery another rookie RB (he dropped a punt that did not have the distance to get to the return man), Justin Davis rookie RB (noticing a theme?), Johnson (rookie DB), Price (rookie LB), Blythe (2nd yr C), Smart rookie DT, Purcell 3rd yr DT (first w/team), Longacre, and Fox.

While these drills were going on, a coach was throwing about 15 yard passes to the WRs. The passes were thrown to WRs coming directly at the coach.

After these drills, the offense stayed on the field where the fans first enter the practice field area and the defense went to the far field. The Olineman practiced close to where the fans first walk in and near the hospitality area (basically in the end zone of that side of the field). Around the thirty or so yardline the QB lined up with 3 WRs, a TE, and a back. A coach hiked the ball to the QB and they would play against air. First team was Goff with Woods, Kupp, Cooper, Gurley and Higbee. The second team was Mannion, with Spuce, McRoberts, Shippen, Everett and Brown. Each team got about 5 plays in a set. There was no third team for this drill.

As I was watching this drill, I only watched a bit of the oline practice. The oline was playing three olinemen vs two oline lining up as defenders. Sometimes it was GCG, other times it was CGT or TGC. One of the times I was looking, Kromer came in after a drill and gave Pace Murphy advice. It looked from a distance like he was talking about his footwork. After the coach walked away, Hav came in and started talking to Murphy (and hit his chest). From his body movements, it looked like he was giving advice on hand placement but it may also have been footwork as well. My notes have question marks next to both of those concepts so I am not sure. Nonetheless, I am please to see him helping Murphy out. The oline then started working on a drill I just did not understand. It was a one on one blacking drill. The olineman would spin and then try to still block the defensive player from behind (by keeping their body in the defensive player’s way and blocking the path to the QB, runner, etc.). I get the idea of learning how to be useful as a blocker when one is out of position, but I did not get the spin move aspect. Maybe so that the player knew where the defender was in advance? It was a drill I do not remember seeing the rams practice last year (or back in the early 1990s). That said, I did not spend a lot of time focusing on the Oline during practices last year.

I will talk about the 7 on 7 and 11 on 11 in the next post.

In between the 7-7 and 11-11 drills, the rams practiced field goals. Initially Zuerlein was just kicking FGs with a holder (not sure if he had a snapper or just a coach snapping to him). One of the first two or three kicks was wide left. I don’t believe there were any other misses. About 10 years behind the goal posts was the raised platform so that the team can film from above. I am not sure if the platform was dead center between the goal posts or not (it looked pretty much like it) but Zuerlein hit it about three or four times and the kicks were pretty high up. He definitely still has a strong leg.

I am skipping over the 7-7 and 11-11 play to just mention a few things. First, we actually had refs on the field (at least one on the goal line). I do not remember seeing any refs at practice last year. If anyone has attended any of the practices this year, did you noticed any refs? I want to know if this was a one day thing or if we are having refs at practice often this year.

At the end of practice, the rams went into a 2 minute drill. After the ones had their drill, the 2s came on the field to do theirs. Standing about 20 yards behind the offense was Kromer talking to Sullivan and Whitworth. I liked that our two new vet oline players were talking with the oline coach after their practice was done. That said, I don’t know what they were talking about, it could have been that candlesticks are a good wedding present. I would have liked it more if Saffold was out there too. Someone pointed out to me that he was hanging with Gurley.

When practice was over, a lot of players stayed on the field to practice. Right in front of me Gurley was working alone on popping a single person blocking sled. He was working on getting momentum going up and back. All three QBs stayed and practiced with WRs. Orlofsky was throwing to Shippen, Ryan and #13 who was not even listed on the roster handout. When I looked at the roster tonight I saw that he is Germany. Canon is 3 and Thomas is 9. I am not sure I saw either of those players today. Mannion and Goff were throwing to the TEs (I noticed Harkey and Wilson). I also noticed Havenstein and Brown working together. Quite a few other players were out there as well. The DBs left the field to sign autographs for some of the kids. I will mention one other interaction between players and the fans. Just before a red zone drill, a fan called Tru over. He seemed to know Tru as they talked for a bit and then Tru took a few pictures with the fan’s 3 year old son. When I was leaving practice, the son went over to where the DBs were signing. In order for a kid to get autographs in these sessions, they need to have won a token from a drawing. Although the boy did not have one, the dad called Tru again and that was enough to get the staff to let his son in

Rams Head Coach Sean McVay– August 4, 2017

(On what he is hoping to see going into tomorrow)

“I think a good, competitive day. I think it will offer a unique opportunity to be able to compete against somebody other than ourselves. It’s about that time where camp starts to get a little monotonous, so I think it will be a great opportunity for us to compete against a great team with a lot of good players and really for offense, defense and special teams to see a different system. Anytime you’re able to do that, it always provides a good measuring stick, you want to be smart and being able to get all our coordinators on the same page. I think it’s going to be set up for a good practice where we’ll get a bunch of good situational work and it’ll be great for both teams.”

(On how concerning WR Tavon Austin’s injury is)

“I know he’s frustrated right now too because he is a guy that wants to be out here, he’s a great competitor. The unfortunate injury that caused him to really miss the majority of the offseason program and now this – it’s a little bit of a setback, but the way we look at it is a setback is a setup for a comeback and I think he has a good mindset about it. We’re not going to blink, we’re just going to worry about what we can control and that’s him doing a great job with his rehab every single day and making sure from a mental standpoint he stays ahead of the game. But, you would definitely love him to be out here to be able to get those reps and continue to figure out the ways that he’ll fit and the way that we’ll try to utilize him in this offense. In the meantime, there’s nothing we can do about it except for just take it a day at a time.”

(On how long he thinks Austin’s injury could linger)

“It’s a day-to-day thing. Talking with (Director/Sports Medicine and Performance) Reggie (Scott), hamstrings are always things that you want to be mindful of and be very careful with, especially when you are bringing back an athlete like him. His game is so much predicated on explosion and quick twitch and those sometimes can be really tricky, so it is kind of a day-to-day thing right now.”

(On WR Josh Reynolds injury)

“Yeah, he had a minor thing with his quad. He’s day-to-day, as well. We’re expecting him back in the next few days, but you just want to be smart, especially with some of your skill players with any of those minor tissue injuries, especially in their lower half. That’s something that we can’t afford to have setbacks and he’s a guy that he’s making good progress and we’re hopeful that he’ll be back in the next few days.”

(On if he talked with Chargers Head Coach Anthony Lynn about the joint practice tomorrow)

“Absolutely. We talked going back a handful of months and early in the offseason program when we were going to try and get these practices set up. We want to get a bunch of good situational work and then I know that (defensive coordinator) Wade Phillips has talked to (Chargers offensive coordinator) Ken Whisenhunt and (offensive coordinator) Matt LaFleur with (Chargers defensive coordinator) Gus Bradley and ‘Bones’ (special teams coordinator John Fassel) with (Chargers special teams coordinator) George Stewart, so they’ve all connected and we know what we’re trying to get out of it. I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for us to get some good looks and go against a team that’s right down the road.”

(On if there’s an estimate on the number of plays each team is going to run)

“Yeah, we’ve got it laid out, because we’re going to be StubHub (Center), it’s going to be an interesting setup. While our offense will be doing team-run kind of segment of practice if you will, then our defense will be doing red zone and we’ll flip-flop with that. We’ll end up getting about four team periods where it’ll be separate, a couple 7-on-7’s – both red zone and kind of normal field stuff and then we’ll finish up with some two-minute and some unscripted move the ball stuff. So, really going to try to hit all ends of the spectrum where you get the major situations with some of the stuff on first, second down, your third down stuff and then you get your red zone, two-minute and kind of that unscripted to end it where we’ll all come together as a one spot drill. I think it will be a great opportunity for us.”

(On if the most important thing tomorrow is going to be coming out of the practice with no injuries)

“Absolutely. I think you want to be able to get that great work, but absolutely there is a premium on staying healthy and making sure that we get all of our guys through practice and really to that first game as healthy as we can. We know that in this game, injuries are inevitable and you have to be ready to adjust. Those are things that we’ve already had to do. Those are situations that you always want to try to avoid, but when they come up you’ve got to be ready to move forward accordingly.”

(On his secondary having a lot of energy and what he has seen from them thus far)

“Just that. They’ve got great energy, great communication on the back end. I think really our defense as a whole, they had a lot of good juice today. I thought anytime that they’re able to make plays you can see everybody gets excited for each other and it starts a good, competitive back and forth between the offense and defense, which I think we saw today. Really, from top to bottom I think those guys do a great job of playing with some enthusiasm and some energy and both their coaches embody that too with (cornerbacks coach) Aubrey Pleasant and safeties coach Ejiro Evero, those guys have done a great job and I think they all feed off of each other.”

(On if he sees TE Cory Harkey as more of a tight end or a fullback)

“I think it’s a combination of both. I think a versatile player like him – he gives you the opportunity to be able to run some of your one back stuff and your two back stuff and the more that you can do out of the same personnel grouping with players like him, the more flexible that it enables you to be offensively, so I would say that is it’s a combination of both. He’s learning the ‘F’ position, which is really both the fullback and the second tight end and (TE) Cory (Harkey’s) a smart guy that he can play on the line of scrimmage as our ‘Y’ as well. We try to teach guys in the offense, concepts and make sure that they understand both spots, so that we can be flexible with them.”

(On what he spent the day doing on the players’ day off)

“I’ve got (President of Professional Sports Representation Inc.) Bob LaMonte and Mark Schiefelbein – my agent and one of his guys that’s working with him here, so I had a chance to go to dinner with them last night, get caught up and he’s a guy that’s always really looked out for me. It offered an opportunity too for us to get a little bit more sleep and then kind of get ahead with some of the schedules and just moving forward towards the next few weeks and kind of how the first week went and how we want to set it up. So a little bit of relaxation, but also a little bit of trying to get ahead using that day off to be productive.”

(On if he’s received any encouraging news regarding DT Aaron Donald)

“Not to this point. Kind of still same as. Hopeful and waiting for some day when we get that good news, but in the meantime we move on and like we’ve said before – confident that he’s working hard while he’s not here and trust that when we do get that worked out hopefully he’ll be ready to go and there won’t be any setbacks. It’ll be good to get him if we’re able to come to that decision and get that thing done.”

***

Rams Offensive Coordinator Matt LaFleur– – August 4, 2017

(On if he ever recalls having 14 receivers on a roster)

“Well, we may have 14, but as you know, we have a lot guys out. I think the one thing that’s so important about the receivers is you have to keep those guy’s legs fresh – otherwise, they are going to go down eventually, so it’s all about saving that wear and tear on their legs.”

(On how difficult the process of determining who his “go-to” guy is going to be with so many first and second year players)

“Really, when you look at it, we’ve been down to about seven guys the last couple days. We just signed three today, so to expect anything out of those three guys that we just signed in the short term I think is a little unrealistic. You’ve got to give them a little bit of time to get acquainted with our offense and really learn our offense.”

(On how much ground WR Tavon Austin is going to have to make up when he gets back from his injury)

“It’s always a challenge because you need those reps. However, I think (WR) Tavon (Austin) is a smart guy, he’s played in this league a long time. It’s more or less the thing that you’re missing out on is just getting that timing down with your quarterbacks. So I think that’s kind of a big deal, but we have a lot of faith in his ability to bounce back and he’s very attentive in our meetings and when we’re out on the field, so he’s getting those mental reps. It’s just about getting back healthy, so he has a great season.”

(On what he wants to get out of tomorrows joint practice)

“Yeah, I think number one is just what a great experience it is for our quarterbacks in general for seeing the same defense that Coach (Wade) Phillips has all throughout OTAs, throughout the first part of training camp, to just experience some new looks and I know that obviously (Chargers defensive coordinator) Gus (Bradley) plays a similar system to some team’s that we’re going to play this year, so I think it’s going to be invaluable.”

(On how advanced he thinks Austin is with deep route and how much does he still need to learn)

“I think there’s always a lot to learn, but the one thing he has and the one thing that’s hard to coach is just that speed. He can flat out take the top off the coverage and that’s something that’s very important to our offense.”

(On if he’ll be a little bit more forgiving than he would otherwise because it will be the first time his guys will see a different look than they’re accustomed to)

“I don’t know if forgiving is the right word. There’s still expectations and standards and you have to go out and play like a pro. We expect those guys to go out and compete to the best of their ability and to perform well.”

(On if there’s anything in particular that he wants to see from QB Jared Goff)

“We always talk as a quarterback group about decision making, timing and accuracy and just the timing element. He’s got to learn that football is an imperfect game, when it is perfect it needs to be on time, when it’s not perfect, you need to find a way to get the ball out of your hands, whether it’s to a check down or whether it’s a throw away. That’s just something that we’re continuing to stress with him every day and he’s done a nice job. I was happy of the fact that we actually got a throw away today in practice.”

(On where he thinks Goff is at)

“That’s a tough question. I think that he’s done a really nice job, but I think if you ask any quarterback in this league, I don’t think they’re ever satisfied. It’s about daily improvement and I think he’s – we’ve been very specific about exactly what we want him to improve upon and once he shows mastery of that, we had something else to the list. That list is constantly going to grow until his career is over. It doesn’t matter if you’re (Patriots QB) Tom Brady. Tom Brady probably has that same process.”

(On if there are any other guys on the roster that can stretch the field vertically besides Austin)

“I feel like we’ve got some good speed. Obviously, not having (WR) Mike Thomasout here hurts because he’s another guy that can really take the top off the coverage, but I trust the speed of our other guys as well. They’re fully capable of doing everything that we ask them to do.”

(On if it’s concerning not having Tavon Austin and Mike Thomas out there)

“I don’t want to call it a concern because obviously as coaches, you better learn to adjust to your players that you have on the field. We’re going to play the guys that we have and we’re going to find ways to move the ball.”

***

Rams Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips – – August 4, 2017

(On how it’s going for him and his defense)

“It’s going pretty well. I’m pleased with where we are right now. It’s going to be great to work against another team to kind of see where we are working against someone else, but our guys work hard. I think they’re learning quickly. We put in about half of our defense, so we’re on our way and I’m pleased with where we are. We still got a lot of work to do. We’ve still got to get some things done, but I’m pleased with where we are right now.”

(On how DT Aaron Donald’s absence is effecting his coaching)

“Well, when (DT) Aaron (Donald) gets here, obviously it’s a great addition, but we’ve got to work other people certainly, guys get banged up during the season, it’s a good opportunity for other guys to come through. We work on what we work on. What they can do is certainly different than Aaron, so we try to put our defense in to what our players can do that we have right now, but when he gets back, it will be a great addition.”

(On if there will come a point that DT Aaron Donald’s absence will become an issue)

“No. He’s such a good player and he did really well in the minicamp and stuff. Whenever he comes back, I think he’ll pick right up.”

(On if he’s been able to communicate with DT Aaron Donald)

“That isn’t my job, especially when they’re working on contracts. It’s a business part of it, I don’t want to get into his business. He knows that, we’d love to have him here, we love working with him when he’s here.”

(On who he likes filling in for the injured DT Dominique Easley)

“Well, all of our D-line, they’re all working hard. Most of them can play at any of the three positions. So, we’ve worked all those guys. I wouldn’t say one guy over the rest of them, I think all of them are working in the three technique, several guys. (DT Michael) Brockers could even play it if we need to and (DT Ethan) Westbrooks, so we’ve got some possibilities.”

(On this being his 40th training camp and if training camp is the same or different each year)

“They’re all different. You’ve got different players and the schemes change, certainly for the players you have. Overall, we’re playing a 3-4 and playing a four-man rush on third downs, but you change what you do with the people you have. So we’re adjusting to that, but as long as they work hard and they’re trying really hard, I think they can improve and I think we can do that.”

(On his working relationship with Head Coach Sean McVay)

“I’m there if he needs me, but he’s really sharp. I mean, he’s a lot smarter than I am, so it doesn’t take him that long. He’s got 40 years worth of knowledge and I have 40 years worth of experience, maybe that’ll help a little bit.”

(On going against McVay’s offense everyday)

“He gives you a lot of problems defensively. Which is great for us, because we see all the problem things that come up. It’s not an easy offense. He knows what routes hurt which coverages and he knows the weakness of the coverage. So, he’ll test us in that kind of stuff. It helps you to play against those things, because you realize what the weaknesses are and you play those better. If they go into the strength of the coverage, we’re in great shape. We’ll get a lot tomorrow. I mean, (Chargers QB) Phillip Rivers can throw the football. They’ve got a great passing attack, they have for a long time. It’ll be great to see how we do against a team like that.”

(On if the secondary will surprise some people this year)

“Hopefully, the defense overall will give up less points than what we did last year. Part of that is the passing game. Stop, slowing down the passing game. Nobody really stops the passing game in this league. But, if you cut it down enough, you cut down on the number of points they score against you and that helps.”

Best of #RamsCamp LIVE Day 5

Check out the best moments and soundbites from James Laurinaitis and Kayvon Webster during Day 5 of #RamsCamp LIVE.

http://www.therams.com/videos/videos/Best_of_RamsCamp_LIVE_Day_5/771e99bf-fd32-4f94-a95e-f9e92bded7ff

Ramlock wrote:

So I’m flying home out of John Wayne airport on United.

I’m wearing a royal blue Rams t-shirt with the white old Ram’s head logo.

I’m 6’3″ and 235, so bigger than most.

Halfway through our flight to Houston, the attendant is serving snacks and drinks. She’s mid -50’s, maybe 60 and has short blonde hair.

As she hands me a snack, she asks if I’m with the Rams.

I said no, just a fan and that I had been at practice yesterday.

She says well, I’m a St. Louis Ram fan and my son-in-law is Jeff Wilkins!

She had been to two Super Bowls and a Pro Bowl to watch her son-in-law!

I told her that every Ram fan that I knew called her son-in-law Money because he never missed when we needed one!

If you’re flying United between OC and Houston, look for Money Wilkins mother-in-law.

How can Chargers, other NFL teams reduce ‘alarming’ rate of ACL injuries?

JACK WANG |

link: http://www.ocregister.com/2017/08/03/chargers-search-for-clues-to-alarming-number-of-acl-injuries/

Inside the knee is a diagonal band of fibrous tissue, roughly the size of pinky finger. When it snaps, the course of an NFL season changes.

On football injury reports, few words are as dreaded as “anterior cruciate ligament.” ACL tears once ended careers. Even today, they often signal lost seasons.

Chargers offensive guard Forrest Lamp is one of the latest victims. On Wednesday, the second-round pick tore his right ACL, ending what would have been his rookie season four days into training camp.

He is hardly alone. Just this week, a number of players have gone down with similar injuries, sparking winces and groans across the league. On Tuesday, it was Rams defensive lineman Dominique Easley, suffering the third torn ACL of his athletic career. On Thursday, it was Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill and his injured left knee — one followed by a forebodingly inconclusive MRI.

But the Chargers have been uniquely unlucky in this regard. Since the start of the 2016 season, they have lost six players to torn ACLs. In addition to Lamp, the list includes: receiver Keenan Allen, running back Danny Woodhead, cornerback Jason Verrett, linebacker Nick Dzubnar, and defensive lineman Caraun Reid.

“It’s certainly a big cluster,” said Dr. Bert Mandelbaum, a Santa Monica-based orthopedic surgeon and ACL injury prevention researcher at the Kerlan-Jobe Institute. “There’s no question about it being a big cluster when you have that many ACL injuries on any one professional team. It’s alarming.”

An important caveat: Although Mandelbaum has worked closely with high-level athletes, including the Galaxy and the U.S. Men’s National soccer team, he has not directly examined any of the injured Chargers. Barring closer analysis on his part, he could not say whether or not the Chargers’ rate of ACL tears indicated simple bad luck or an underlying systemic problem.

But Mandelbaum also has spent nearly two decades studying how to prevent and reduce ACL injuries, a quest that began when he and other doctors saw a spike in knee injuries among female teenage athletes in Southern California. They realized that when the athletes were jumping, landing or decelerating, deficiencies in their hip caused the upper legs to turn in, excessive strain on the ACL.

In response, he developed the PEP program, which consists of warm-up and strengthening exercises, plyometrics and stretches in order to promote better posture and control.

This approach, Mandelbaum believes, could also benefit professional football players. Over the past three seasons, he worked with team doctors, including the 49ers’ Timothy McAdams and the Giants’ Scott Rodeo, to examine film of ACL injuries. In doing so, they found 68 instances of non-contact ACL injuries.

The study did not focus on ACL injuries that occurred as the result of a hit.

In March, the NFL Physicians Society awarded McAdams the Arthur C. Rettig Award for Academic Excellence for presenting the study, titled “Video Analysis of ACL Injuries in the National Football League.”

But why would professional athletes, who have access to some of the best training and rehabilitation resources, lack sufficient control in their lower body?

Mandelbaum said he thinks it’s a matter of emphasis. NFL players often work out on their own during the offseason, and may enter training camp in different physical shape. Once they report for training camp, teams are focused on moving into preseason preparation and fully-padded practices, leaving little time to correct deficiencies on an individual basis.

“They’re extremely fast, extremely powerful, and extremely strong,” Mandelbaum said. “But the problem is, the steering isn’t so good. We call that steering neuromuscular control.”

Mandelbaum said that he has helped some high school and college teams reduce the frequency of non-contact ACL injuries by upwards of 70 percent.

He believes his PEP program can translate to the pros, but it is unclear how widely these principles have already been adopted across the NFL.

“I never had the interaction with a team that said, ‘OK, come on guys, let’s go do this program,’” he said. “That said, I know for a fact that there are a number of teams who have sports medicine programs who are on top of these things and are getting their athletes and their teams to do portions of this program.

“So it’s not to say that no one does it. I think that as a league, the league doesn’t work like that. Every team for themselves.”

DR Ram, some follow-up:

—

DR RAM, wrote:

They are starting to design plays to get Everett the ball in space because he’s so elusive once he catches it. He looks beefy out here too. He should have played RB in college. He would have been a beast. He has the movement skills. Kupp is the other player that jumps off the field with his smoothness. He just stands out. Reminds me when I saw Marvin Harrison the first time live. Just smoother than everyone else.

And of course, Gurley’s burst, when he hits that gear.

The Tyler Higbee /Travis Kelce comp is real. They are almost identical in size, and athletically. If he can be that type of player, watch out.