Alden Gonzalez…Notes (8/2):

http://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/lar/los-angeles-rams

Best play from Rams camp: Sure-handed rookie Cooper Kupp ran a deep “in” route, went up to grab the football, and Trumaine Johnson basically just ripped it out of his hands. This is an important year for Johnson, who is playing under the franchise tag again and realizes he’ll probably be elsewhere next year. He wants to prove he’s worthy of being paid like the top cornerbacks.

Overheard from Rams camp: Sean McVay attended Super Bowl XXXIV, when Kurt Warner’s Rams narrowly defeated Jeff Fisher’s Titans. He lived in Atlanta at the time, and his grandfather, the former 49ers exec, got McVay tickets for his 14th birthday. 17 years later, he replaced Fisher as the Rams’ head coach. “I think you appreciate just what a small world this business is,”McVay said.

Rams injury report: WR Tavon Austin and OLB Samson Ebukam both missed practice because of hamstring injuries that aren’t considered serious. OLB Robert Quinn had an excused absence. DE Dominique Easley (knee) and RB Lance Dunbar (knee) also didn’t practice.

With Dominique Easley out for the year, and Aaron Donald holding out, it’ll be Ethan Westbrooks, Louis Trinca-Pasat and rookie Tanzel Smart who will get a longer look with the first team. “It’s tough,” Michael Brockers, the only starting Rams defensive lineman at practice, said of losing Easley. “We work so hard; we push each other every day. You’re missing a guy like that who drives you, drives that competitiveness in you and brings it out of you, and you hate to lose that.”

OLB Robert Quinn is excused from practice today. It was scheduled before training camp. Rams will be in pads again, with three members of their starting front seven — Quinn, Dominique Easley and Aaron Donald — not on the field.

Agamemnon wrote:

Ok, but the original plan was Easley, Brockers, Donald. Now it is Westbrooks, Brockers, (T-P, Smart). So when Donald comes back, what will it be?

Right.

Original:

DE Easley NT Brockers 3-T Donald

Donald out:

DE Westbrooks NT Brockers 3-T Easley (until AD returns)

Easley out:

DE Westbrooks NT Brockers 3-T T-P/Smart (until AD returns)

I think it remains that way with Donald back. Westbrooks is the DE.

I think the confusion comes from the fact that the reporters only really care about who replaces Easley at 3-tech, I don’t think they thought much beyond that. But it is true as I said that this new configuration now puts Westbrooks permanently at DE.

…

Rams coach Sean McVay smiled when asked if he’s hopeful of seeing Aaron Donald any time soon. “I’m hopeful to see Aaron Donald at any time,” he said. Still no word on when he will show up, however. He was also asked at which point Donald’s absence becomes a problem. Here’s what he said …

Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0684565958798349465-4

Rams will monitor final cuts for defensive line help (as they will with running backs, with Lance Dunbar’s status uncertain). For now, though, they will try to fill his void from within. Ethan Westbrooks, Tanzel Smart, Louis Trinca-Pasat are options to fill in. With Aaron Donald still holding out, those three will get a lot of snaps. It’s times like these that the Rams miss having someone like Eugene Sims.

Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0684476306326294700-4

Rich Hammond @Rich_Hammond
Tavon Austin and Samson Ebukam missed practice with hamstring injuries. Robert Quinn was out with a pre-excused, non-injury absence.

===

Joe Curley @vcsjoecurley
Rams in pads again today

Your #Rams No.1 defensive line, for the moment: Trinca-Pasat (steps in for Dom Easley), Brockers, Westbrooks. #RamsCamp

McVay says Tavon Austin has a mild hamstring injury. Will be monitored day to day.

McVay is asked if AD will be seen soon. Replies, “I hope to see Aaron Donald at any time.”

Asked about Kurt Warner, Sean McVay says he attended Super Bowl XXXIV with his dad. Was a birthday present. Sat on Rams side. – at Crawford Field

Higbee and Spruce just attempted to get Gurley with a water bucket. 30 put a move on and dodged it. “You can’t catch me. I’m too fast,” TG

===

DR RAM

Man, Jamon Brown has put on some weight.

First warmup 11 on none, Goff looked perfect.

Everett looks beefy, and Higbee is long.

ery fast paced, Rodgers running with one’s on this series. Lots of plays to Gurley.

QB drills. Goff looks much more deliberate, and fundamental. Huge improvement from last year, and his mechanics were never really bad. Footwork wasn’t great however, and his feet look great so far.

OL, doing drills, mostly fundamental. Not only coaches teaching, but player teaching, interaction as well. Pulling drills, and schemes currently.

Daniel Jeremiah, and Gregg Rosenthal really talking up Cooper Kupp, and Todd Gurley. They are both saying that Gurley looks massive, even compared to last year. Goff is really starting to spin it, looks like he’s warm now.

Also, Gurley even splitting out, getting much more looks as a receiver this year.

Flying through reps, McVay is everywhere.

Haven’t seen a drop yet. Running about 80% through drills.

Really focusing on details, WR’s and TE’s looking balls all the way into hands. I love it.

Just ran a nice twins crossing route to Kupp, which will be uncoverable. He is so smooth. His routes are so polished. Wow.

mcVay said to keep your eyes on our secondary. They have been unleashed.

I can’t help but think of Denver’s secondary when Son of a Bum was coaching. Our new DB coach, Aubrey Pleasant , came in very highly regarded.

Sorry guys. I had to take off. Family emergency. Everything is OK. I’ll try to make it back another day. Not many people reporting on twitter, not a big crowd today. The traffic at this time of practice is brutal. If it was earlier, or later, it’d be fine.

If people do go, and tweet, please use #RamsCamp

===

Myles Simmons @MylesASimmons
Nice PBU from Tru Johnson on a deep ‘in’ route from Kupp in 11-on-11. 18 went up to grab it, had it in his hands, and 22 just ripped it out.

Near pick six for CB Kevin Peterson in team drills (vs. 3rd team O), but doesn’t come up with it. Does push ups on the sideline to make up.

===

#Rams coach Sean McVay was pleased with Jared Goff's work in burry up, spread it out three-minute offense drill to end practice

— Vincent Bonsignore (@DailyNewsVinny) August 2, 2017

===

First play of full team practice: Goff on the rollout, hits Cooper Kupp. #RamsCamp pic.twitter.com/WGZYewLDRY

— Matt Okada (@FantasySensei) August 2, 2017

Benoit is one of the few nationals who actually watches multiple games of the teams he comments on. So his insights are always interesting. Here are some of my favorites.

On passing downs, Donald can play all over. (Last season, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams even used him regularly as a nose tackle in 3-3-5 nickel fronts.) Donald’s initial movement is too explosive, no matter where he aligns.

*

Tavon Austin a quality gadget player. Question is does he have the patience to run slower developing routes from the slot?
Austin lazy on too many deep routes. Can’t afford that as an undersized speedster.

*

TG3II (Todd Gurley’s) change-of-direction ability is the most subtle of any runner in football. @TG3II excellent football IQ. He’ll do well in LA’s expansive offense.

*

Blaine Gabbert similar style of QB as Goff, but Gabbert played scared in the pocket and couldn’t function. Goff has been strong.

When young QB plays in a bad O (like Goff did in ’16) you want to see how willing he is to hang in the pocket. That sheds light on future.

*

#Rams believe they stumbled into a secret treasure moving @NFLBOUND_jBrown from guard to RT. Love his hand strength and feet.

*

this is one of the 4 or 5 fastest all-around defenses in football

*

@robhavenstein78 also expected to benefit from position change. Moving from RT to RG, where his balance should be better.

VeteranRamFan camp report Day 4

Day 4 of training camp. It was hot today and humid and as you all have now heard rain and lighting came rolling in.

Small crowd today. Good for us, easier access to choose camera spots. So, first day in pads and boy, were these guys hungry for some hitting! We watched Coach Bones and his punt formations with gunners and the cover guys fighting it out. FYI, Nelson Spruce and Pharaoh Cooper were both involved with special teams as was Kupp on returns. I sort of think that Spruce and Cooper are fighting for the same spot, the one with the special teams skills will win out.

We were anxiously awaiting the 11×11 to start. When they did we moved up to the bleachers for a better view. I was watching the O line and I think we have something in Jamon Brown. He wasn’t perfect but he did hold his own against Barwin. Whitworth did a good job on Quinn but Quinn also had his day beating our LT. A really good match up. Speaking of Quinn and Barwin, I saw Quinn on the right and left sides but only Barwin on the left. I’ll be posting some picks and you’ll see in one of them TE Higbee is blocking Quinn on the left and he has good leverage against him. If you remember from last year Higbee’s run blocking was suspect. This is a marked improvement from Higbee.

Sullivan was solid with the exception of one exchange explained later and I’m not sure it was his fault. Our guards were doing some pulling. Saffold was practicing and looked like a veteran guard. I guess he better.

You all know about Easley and his injury. I didn’t see it happen, only the aftermath. I thought it was an ankle.

Sam Rogers is a workhorse. A blue collar kind of guy. He is one tough SOB. Never backs down and is always giving 110%. I hope he makes the team just on his desire alone. I really think Harkey may be on the outs with the versatility that Rogers brings.

Only fumble of the day come on the center exchange with Mannion. There were no interceptions for any QB but I’ll tell you this. No need to worry about our DBs. They were covering very well. During the red zone offense, I think there were only two completions out of ten or so tries. Goff would have been sacked on one of those completions by Quinn but Quinn let off the gas.

Since I was watching the lines a little more, I missed some of the passes but Spruce laid himself out for one on a crossing route. That got a lot of the fans yelling SPRUUUUCCCE. Yours truly included. Our TE can jump! I made a comment to the guys that those type of plays is what Quick was supposed to do for us.

Overall a good practice with a good pace. First and second teams and sometimes the third string would get into position quickly for each of their series. Efficiency is the key to these practices and if is demonstrated constantly. I’m liking what I’m seeing and I wish I could express it better.

I don’t know if I can make practice tomorrow but I will try my best. Take care my brothers!

Rams Head Coach Sean McVay – August 1, 2017

(On if he called practice early because of the lighting)

“Yeah. We had some lighting close in the area. I want to always first be thinking about the players’ safety and with the amount of time that it’s going to take for us to be able to clear that and kind of where we were at in practice, we decided to call it.”

(On if he dealt with weather issues much in Washington)

“At our facilities it wasn’t because we had an indoor, so if that ever came up we were able to go inside. We did have to have a contingency plan in place in Richmond, Virginia because it did rain a lot and we would just go to a gym where you are getting the walk-thru setting. But we felt like we got a lot of our work in. There were still a couple of things that we wanted to get done, but just being mindful of the situation, we felt like that was the best decision for us to make.”

(On if he has an update on DT Dominique Easley)

“We will get an update on that later. He’s going to go get examined and we’re going to find out more specifically on what’s going on with him.”

(On how the offense looked with pads on)

“I think until you truly go back and look at the film, like you guys will hear me say over and over, it’s hard to really get an assessment of all 11 (players) that are competing on each side of the ball. I thought it was a good tempo that we had on both sides. I thought there were some plays that the defense made and then I thought the offense made some plays as well. One of the things you appreciated is that it was a good, physical practice – guys were trying to be smart staying off the ground and I think we were able to accomplish that while getting a good, competitive practice.”

(On how deep into camp you have to get to really tell if you are getting better)

“I think when you are in the early stages of camp, especially being mindful of the fact that we’ve got new offensive and defensive systems that we’re implementing – once you really get through your installs and get through kind of the major situations – the two-minute, the red zone and all your third down stuff – that is when you can really start to repeat things, let the players feel like they can just go play and it’s not as much thinking. So, I think a couple weeks into camp and then ultimately, those preseason games are invaluable to be able to evaluate guys. Looking forward to our practices with the (Los Angeles) Chargers that we’ll have coming up as well, competing against another team and offensively a different defensive front and defensively a different offensive approach.”

(On what he is hoping to see out of QB Jared Goff from year one to year two)

“I think the biggest thing – anytime that you are a quarterback you always talk about playing with great decision making, timing and accuracy, especially in the pass game and I just want to see a great decision maker that’s a great distributor of the ball. We feel like we have some good playmakers on this offense and almost want to operate as a point guard and whatever the situation dictates, you’ve got to understand how that affects what that decision making is. Usually when you see great quarterbacks, you see great decision makers and I think that’s what we are always striving to improve on with really all of our quarterbacks.”

(On how hard it is to cultivate chemistry when you are talking about offensive linemen)

“It is. You always talk about quarterbacks having a rapport with and chemistry with their receivers, but I think it is the same thing with a tackle and guard working together, guard and center and being able to stay healthy with all five up front, the calls, the communication, it’s important. I think the more experience that those guys are able to gain together and if we’re fortunate enough to stay healthy I think that’s how you establish that chemistry. But just like anything else, it’s with experience and with reps.”

(On if he told Goff that he has to take the offensive line out for a steak dinner)

“Hopefully I don’t have to tell him to do that. I think he will probably do that at some point. Those guys do a lot of great things for him and hopefully that’s going to be the same thing to be the same thing to come for a few years.”

(On if there is any update on WR Tavon Austin)

“Same thing with Dominique, we’re going to get it checked out and it looked like it was just a minor tissue issue with something in his leg and we will find out more specifically with the severity of that and how long that will affect him.”

(On if there is any update on the DT Aaron Donald situation and if Easley going down concerns him)

“Well, I think when you talking about two very good players that are potentially unavailable, that’s a concerning thing. But again, we’ve got guys that need to be ready to step up and that’s why you’ve got a 90-man roster right now and gives guys the opportunity in their absence. Aaron is not here for different reasons, but if for whatever reason, this is an extended absence for Dominique who has done a great job in Aaron’s absence then somebody else will be ready to step up and that’s what our job is as coaches and the guys that are on this roster is to step up and fill those voids. But certainly those are two very important players to us. We would love for Aaron to be here and we’d love for Dominique to get a good report where he is healthy, but if that is not the situation then we have to be ready to react accordingly.”

(On if he wanted to see an increase in intensity and if he saw that increase)

“Yeah, I think you do. I think you want to see guys being able – you kind of hear that pop If you will where we’re still staying off of the ground. You want to try to avoid those injuries where the pile ups occur and different things like that. But I thought the guys came out ready to go. You guys saw with our special teams period. I thought ‘Bones’ (Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel) did a great job getting it started the right way. That is something that he’s done over the last few years and I think it gets the competitive juices going and then once we got into some of our team periods you could feel it wasn’t like it took a couple plays for it to get going, it started right away and that’s what we wanted to see as a coaching staff.”

(On what role he expects RB Todd Gurley to play in this offense)

“I certainly think that when you have a player of his caliber, good coaches find ways to get their best players involved and he certainly is that. I think we want to be mindful of playing to our players’ strengths and with him being one of our best players we’re optimist about our ability to run the football, but we do want to stay balanced like we talked about. I think when you have a special player like Todd, you want to continue to find ways to get him involved, but also be mindful of the fact, ‘What is that fine balance between him being at his best and not wearing him out?’ That is something that we’re continuing to find out, but I think in terms of what he can control he has done an excellent job and all he does is continue to get better and kind of be the epitome of what it looks like for us.”

(On how RB Lance Dunbar’s injury affect Gurley’s involvement in the passing game)

“It does. I think what it has done is, with (RB) Lance (Dunbar) not being able to practice it’s allowed us to see Todd in maybe a couple more of those passing situations where you realize that, man, this guy is very functional in the pass game as well. But I think going into it, regardless of whether Lance is available or not, we always knew that Todd would be the lead dog and it is just kind of us figuring out what is that fine line between him being at his best, while making sure that he gets his touches necessary and then also being mindful of giving him, having somebody that can spell him so that when the fourth quarter roles around and to finish the game he feels good, as well.”

(On if Goff is showing signs of improvement similar to the ones Redskins QB Kirk Cousins showed through his career)

“I think when you look at (Redskins QB) Kirk (Cousin) – really, I was just fortunate to be a part of when he started and when he got a chance to start. But he has been a good player for a handful of years. He was around a lot of really good coaches that kind of helped establish a foundation for him, but I think anytime that you are around these great quarterbacks, these guys are so conscientious, it is really important to them to be great and to be an extension of the coaching staff. He was one of the more motivated players I’ve ever been around in terms of how important football is and going about his business as a pro each and every day and that’s what we’ve seen from our quarterback room as a whole. I think bringing a guy in for younger guys like Jared and (QB) Sean Mannion, having a (QB) Dan Orlovsky in the room where he is able to say what (former QB) Peyton Manning looked like the way he prepared week-in and week-out. I think he’ll be instrumental in helping those guys find your weekly rhythm if you will and kind of what works for them. It is not the same for everybody, but all these guys – football is very important to them and nobody really needs to motivate them. They push themselves and those are the types of players that end up making you better and more accountable as a coach.”

Aaron Donald’s holdout becomes more pronounced after Dominique Easley’s injury

VINCENT BONSIGNORE

link: http://www.ocregister.com/2017/08/01/bonsignore-aaron-donalds-holdout-becomes-more-pronounced-after-dominique-easleys-injury/

COSTA MESA — First the dark clouds rolled in. Then the rain started. Off in the distance, the sound of thunder erupted to the west of the Rams practice field at UC Irvine. And finally, the unmistakable jolt of a lightning bolt to the north.

The Rams’ first day in full pads was finished soon after, halted by Coach Sean McVay’s concern for whatever potential havoc the looming storm might wreak on his young football team. So he hastily ordered his players off the field, sending them to the safety and comfort of their locker room before heading to the dining hall for a quick bite to eat and then some early-evening team meetings.

Beyond that, beds and a good night’s sleep beckoned.

The reality is damage had already been done on Tuesday. In spite of McVay’s careful precautions and his overly protective reaction to a storm that dissipated before ever reaching the Rams practice field.
Key defensive tackle Dominique Easley was taken by cart to the locker room after suffering a leg injury during full-contact 11-on-11 drills. His trek from the field to the sideline was with the help of two trainers tucked under each arm, unable to make it there on his own.

He was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Tuesday night. The Rams are holding their breath, especially with two ACL tears in Easley’s recent past

He isn’t an irreplaceable piece in the way an Alec Ogletree is, but he’s a productive rotation player who took advantage of the opportunity the Rams gave him last year after getting kicked to the curb by the Patriots. He had 30 tackles and 3.5 sacks last season and was eyeing an even bigger role this year, but all that remains in doubt now pending the seriousness of his injury.

But this isn’t just about Easley, now is it?

Almost from the moment the fourth-year veteran fell to the ground in obvious pain the whispers began swirling through the Rams’ large training camp complex.

The sentiment was obvious: So what’s really going on with Aaron Donald?

Nothing like an unfortunate injury to draw attention to a holdout involving not only the team’s top overall player, but the best defensive tackle in the league and quite possibly the best defensive player overall.

It’s been five days since Donald planted his feet in the ground in protest of the state of negotiations on a new contract. Four practices have now come and gone – and one key player has gone down – with Donald still holed up somewhere. He’s waiting, presumably, to sign an acceptable deal or for enough progress to be made on a long-term pact before agreeing to rejoin the Rams either in Irvine at training camp or at home base in Thousand Oaks.

For now, Donald’s holdout has seemed more of a nuisance than a reason to push the panic button.

By all accounts, the Rams are eager to lock him up in a way that happily keeps him in the fold for many years to come. Conversely, there appears no rancor or agitation on Donald’s end. His camp has been noticeably quiet thus far, and typically that indicates some level of contentment in these situations. If, say, the Rams were dead set against rewarding him with a new deal or their idea of fair compensation sat millions of miles away from his, you can bet someone would be popping off by now.

Nevertheless, every hour that passes, every day that comes and goes without Donald and the Rams finding financial harmony is an hour and day closer that this blows up in everyone’s face.

And that point was punctuated Tuesday when Easley got carted off the field, leaving the Rams dangerously thin at defensive tackle and everybody to wonder exactly where contract negotiations with Donald stood and whether a happy end game was in sight.

This goes beyond the Rams having the appetite to bite the type of financial bullet required to compensate one of the most destructive forces the league has seen in years. They understand what they have in Donald and, more importantly, that owner Stan Kroenke will have to pay upward of $70 million guaranteed and potentially more than $100 million overall through the life of whatever contract the two sides settle on.

That’s the reality of the market the Rams are dealing with given the six-year, $114,375,000 contract Ndamukong Suh signed three years ago with the Miami Dolphins. Suh plays the same position as Donald, only Donald plays it at an even higher level. It’s only fair Donald’s contract surpasses Suh’s, which would make him the highest-paid defensive player in the game.

It doesn’t matter that Suh got paid as a free agent on the open market after peddling his services across the entire league and pitting interested suitors against one another. That scenario naturally lends itself to an overpay, as teams begin one upping each other trying to land a coveted talent.

Nor does it matter that Donald is under Rams control for the next two years contractually and four years overall if you throw in the franchise tag tool, which the Rams could theoretically utilize in 2019 and 2020 to keep him around.

What matters is Donald has outplayed the value of his original contract and the Rams understand the fair need to reward him with a deal that reflects his stature as the best defensive tackle in the game.

And that Suh becomes the benchmark.

The question is – and the problem appears to be – how much is Donald looking to go over that market compared to how far the Rams are willing to go over it?

In a perfect salary cap world, this wouldn’t be much of an issue. The Rams would have written the check Donald is seeking before camp even started.

But the NFL isn’t Major League Baseball, where the Dodgers can absorb Yu Darvish’s contract into their fold without a care in the world. If it means paying whatever required penalty should it send them soaring over MLB’s stated team salary threshold as a result, so be it. There is built-in flexibility within baseball’s payroll rules to allow teams to spend whatever they want in pursuit of a championship.

It doesn’t work that way in the NFL, where the cap is the cap and no matter how creative you get in wording contracts or dispersing salaries and signing bonuses eventually you reach a line you can’t cross trying to fit 53 good football players under it.

The Rams are mindful of that reality, and as they scope out the future they want to lock up Donald in a way that leaves them enough flexibility to reward deserving players and also go out on the free agent market to add impact reinforcements as they see fit.

The number the Rams deem responsible to paying Donald while preserving payroll flexibility doesn’t yet work with what Donald is seeking, it seems.

At some point, one side will presumably blink. And on a day like Tuesday, when a key player at Donald’s position goes down, it’s fascinating to wonder who blinks first.

And when.

DTs on the roster (besides Brockers, Donald, & Easley):

67 Bryant, Omarius DT 6-3 315 22 R Western Kentucky (see this thread for a scouting report: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/roster-watch-starting-522-thru/ )
66 Jefferson, A.J. DT 6-3 280 24 R Mississippi State (see this thread for a scouting report: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/roster-watch-starting-522-thru/ )
71 Purcell, Mike DT 6-3 328 26 3 Wyoming (see this thread for a scouting report: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/roster-stuff-running-thread/ )
70 Sayles, Casey DT 6-3 289 21 R Ohio (see this thread for a scouting report: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/undrafted-free-agents-rams/)
92 Smart, Tanzel DT 6-1 290 22 R Tulane (see this thread for a scouting report: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/tanzel-smart/)
62 Trinca-Pasat, Louis DT 6-1 300 25 1 Iowa (known quantity, was on IR last year)

The Rams are down to just one member of their starting defensive line: Michael Brockers. Aaron Donald is holding out, and now Dominique Easley has a knee injury that will require an MRI. The depth behind them doesn’t look great, either. You have to wonder if something like this will give the Rams even more incentive to get something done with Donald, though it’s usually best to handle negotiations like this in a vacuum.

Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer

http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0684203406293733876-4

zn wrote:

#RamsCamp LIVE Day 4

Dani Klupenger, Myles Simmons and D’Marco Farr talk all things Rams Training Camp following the first full day of pads.

http://www.therams.com/videos/videos/RamsCamp-LIVE-Day-4/c540590c-4ac2-4d2b-a7d3-598044da8dfe

A lot of praise for Ebukam’s performance in special teams drills.