Hacksaw (from the RFU board) camp report Day 2:

Practice seemed far more organized than last year. The drills were run at a crisp rate and the players were getting in and out quick and like they’ve been doing it for years. Much faster pace. The coaches are clearly picking up the tempo.

TA made a nice reverse of field off an end around which showed again how dangerous he can be in the open field.

Goff can really put zip on the ball and it looks effortless. He was still throwing into some very tight windows where the D was able to affect the play. Not sure if he was late or his receivers couldn’t get separation.
Orlovsky is a tall skinny kid who uses is whole body to go deep. Made a few plays in 7 on 7.
Mannion showed some horrible footwork, especially when chucking bombs. His mechanics aren’t that great imo.

Not as much from the running game which I assume is because there weren’t wearing any pads. I did see Gurley hit a hole after a nice cut and might have been gone.

The D seemed a bit ahead of the offense which is to be expected this early pre pads. Still even without AD, the D has got some horses.

Dani K is even easier on the eyes in person. She’s stunning for a bandwagon Pat’s fan… lol

The Rams generosity in the VIP tent with comped ice old beverages and food made for a wonderfully distracting event.

For those who plan to attend but haven’t yet, the team has placed shade tents in the stands so it is a very comfortable event for everyone. The crowds are a bit smaller this year so the in and out is easy. I recommend buying your parking passes in advance to save $4, and park on the westerly corner of the parking structure up Mesa Dr so you will be closer to the practice field.

Hope to have a more in depth report after the pads go on.

Agamemnon wrote:

Maybe Demoff can get involved this year and stop the 2 year slide on poor performance in getting and making contracts. imo

I hear ya.

It’s your view, if I recall right, that Demoff got lost in the move stuff and the relatively green Pasteroos (sp?) then fumbled a bit.

Sick action shot from @hiroueno808 featuring @Trujohnson2 & @nspruce22 #RamsCamp #Rams #HornsUp 🤘🏼🐏🏈 https://t.co/8VUO9IjidV pic.twitter.com/4C8qAU7vHu

— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) July 31, 2017

Rampage2K- camp report Day 2:

My quick observations from camp today.

Love the new covered bleachers!!! Felt 20 degrees cooler then last year. … A real nice set up. No wonder parking went from $10 last year to $14 this year…lol

I’d say there was a few thousand fans there….it seemed most of the bleachers were full.

Not much to really gleam from a day two practice with just shells, but it seemed very fast paced and high energy compared to last year.

Goff looks night and day different from the kid I saw last year at camp…throwing lasers and taking some WR’s aside to give them a coaching or two. Missed a few throws and held on to ball too long on a couple times but like I said, it wasn’t a hitting type practice where the Oline has a chance to really block. Goff was connecting very well over the middle and the out routes also had a couple nice long balls… Threw a comeback that would have been picked by a QB with a lesser arm….got it in the tightest window possible.

Woods looked great.

Cooper dropped a couple passes…. One easy one and one contested. Other then that he looked pretty good. A little bigger then expected.

Didn’t see much of Reynolds.

Everett looks really good…caught everything

Higbee looked good also.

Harkey dropped an easy one.

Tavon had a nice run where he juked the entire defense on his way to like an 80 yard TD.

Gurley was wearing the short shorts….guess he’s trying to be trendy or just showing off those thighs I guess. Looked in great shape and quick as usual. Hauled in a nice deep pass down the sideline from Goff vs a linebacker..although he did bobble an easy one too though…. Could be a big year for Gurley in the passing game.

McVay as usual was full of energy and spent most of the time with the offense.

I didn’t see Wade on the sidelines during the 11 on 11’s ???

Defense looked good. DB’s were swarming. Was impressed by Aarion Penton…..he looked good yesterday. I can see why Wade was very happy about the secondary, looks like a pretty good group right now.

Quinn looked healthy…thank god.

The poster Oldschoo found this.

VeteranRamFan camp report Day 1:

Let me start with my usual disclaimer;I am just a longtime fan of the Rams and I have played, coached and watched football for a very long time so some things I know, but by no means am I all-knowing. These are just my observations for those that can’t attend.

There, now that we got the legalize out of the way, let’s begin…

Weather at camp was perfect! Cool breeze blowing at UCI. Shade canopies provided by the Rams were a welcome relief from the sun. I only stayed under them a little while. Couldn’t get the right angles for my photo shoot otherwise.

Tru Johnson got a lot of the boo birds going when he came out of the locker room. He knows this is going to happen and puts it behind him. I wonder how long he’ll be able to ignore those type of fans?

The tempo of camp practice is very much upbeat as compared to last year. No wasted time or motions. The assistant coaches are hustling their butts off out there. Camp only run for two hours and there was one break in between those two hours. Coach McVey was very much involved with the offense today. At one point stopping a play before the snap during the 11×11 to chew some butt. Too far away to make out what was said or even who it was directed to but his body language spoke loud enough. I didn’t see Son of a Bum out there. Bones was doing his thing early on. You can just see the passion in his work.

Now for my big announcement. I tweeted that we had a good combination in QB/WR/TE and @Dogersrf was kind enough to post my tweets. What I really wanted to say was that THIS group is going to light the NFL on fire! Guys, they are already clicking. I would add Kupp to the mix also but Woods and Goff are definitely on the same page and Higbee and Everett will be solid! Dare I say this combo will be better than anything Brady and company has ever had? I feel very strongly about this group even after one practice witnessed. I just can’t say enough about them.

Malcom Brown had a remarkable one-handed catch down the left sideline during passing drills. I got a great shot of it that will be posted with a link. Kupp missed a sure one right in his hands on a crossing route. Very rare. He redeemed himself during 11×11, getting behind the DB’s (Tru and Joyner) on a great route and took it to the house. Josh Reynolds has some soft hands and is aware of his surroundings on an out route that Myles Simmons tweeted about. Got pics of that too!

As much as the WR’s were catching, the DB’s were defending. Webster played Woods perfectly along the left sideline and go into position to break of the pass. Again, got some great pics of that too! Both were fighting for the ball. Tavon on a crossing route caught one from Goff and them got sandwiched by the unknown defenders. Remember, no pads, no contact. Someone didn’t get the memo. All the DB’s looked very good in warm ups. Fluid hip movement and eyes and hands in sync for sudden balls thrown their way. John Johnson is someone to keep an eye. Big kid and very agile.

Our QB’s are doing well. Heck even Dan O. launched a deep one on post route that the receiver had to wait on then used his body to shield the ball and brought it down between two closing defenders. Of course, I didn’t get that one on film. Guy standing next to me says “That’s a good quarterback! Who is that?”. I set him straight.

You have all heard Goff feels more comfortable out there. It shows. He knows what he is doing and is doing it well. Great progress from last year. He calls the plays, reads the D, makes his audible and it all comes together in an instant. Mannion is doing just fine. Threw a couple of ducks but is a serviceable backup but not a long term or starting caliber QB. Dan O. is Dan O.

Todd Gurley is hungry. He broke a couple of runs up the middle with some nice cutbacks. Found the hole/lane and took it. One run he had was blown dead but he was already in the secondary and took off for the end zone with Tru chasing him. Whistles start blaring to stop the play but Todd would have no part of it. Into the end zone he ran. The crowd gives him a big cheer for that. He was also catching passes on screens out of the back field. Brown was doing the same and even Aaron Green got in the mix if only with the second or third string.

Speaking of strings, first team WR/TE groups consisted of Woods, Kupp, Austin, Higbee/Everett.

Defense was a little tough to watch as was the offensive line. I will say this. Whitworth is a mountain of a man! Biggest guy out there by far! Second is Havenstien. I can’t really comment any further on their play as I was standing 50 yards away in the end zone.

I think I covered most of it. Let me get my photo’s uploaded and I start a new thread with the link to them.

Rams Head Coach Sean McVay –– July 30, 2017

(On how he thinks today’s practice went)
“It was good. Just like anything else it felt a lot sharper on both side of the ball from day one to day two. That’s what we talk about with our guys, always trying to improve. Like I mentioned yesterday, until we really go back and look at the tape, we’ll really get a good feel. But, I felt like we moved around better, competed better. Still have to try to always avoid the pre-snap penalties both on offense and defense, but it was definitely a step in the right direction for us.”

(On RB Todd Gurley’s performance today at practice)
“Todd did a nice job. I think when you look at just the running back position as a whole, one of the things that makes him special is his ability to break tackles, so a little hard to get a true evaluation of what a special player he is until you get in those game situations. But, I think in terms of doing all the little things the right way and being a player both in the pass and the run game and being mindful in protection – I think he’s done an excellent job. He’s definitely setting the standard in that room for sure.”

(On the importance of building relationships and communication with QB Jared Goff and Gurley)
“I think that’s the start of everything. First off to develop any foundation, you want to start by building relationships. That’s one of the things that we as a coaching staff really value and we want to embody that and the players have been receptive as well. It takes a two-way deal to have great communication and I think those guys have done an excellent job. They’ve made it easy for us as a coaching staff to do that.”

(On QB Sean Mannion’s performance thus far and if there’s anything he can do to truly challenge the starting role)
“Sean’s done an excellent job. You can see that Sean’s a conscientious guy where he was really working on some of the little things from the offseason program and he was able to translate it from where he built on what he did in the offseason as opposed to starting over. I thought yesterday was one of his really good days. I thought he built on that and had another good day. It’s just like we’ve said with everything else, we’re always constantly evaluating these guys. But, I think he and Jared, both had good days today.”

(On if when he brought in QB Dan Orlovsky, because he was looking for a veteran)
“Yes, we were. When you have two younger players like we do. Dan’s a guy that’s been around some great ones, playing with Peyton manning. He’s been with (Lions QB Matt Stafford) for the last couple years in Detroit. He’s a pro’s pro. I think having a veteran leader in that room where he can explain some of the experiences he’s had different than a coaching prospective, but from a player prospective. He’s got a little bit of experience in a system very similar to this. He worked with (Rams offensive coordinator) Matt (LaFleur) when they were in Houston together early on in Matt’s coaching career. So, I’ve never met Dan before this week and just being around him, he’s definitely going to be a benefit to that room.”

(On what he saw on tape from yesterday’s practice that he wanted to work on today)
“Yeah, I think you want to be mindful of it. There’s always a handful of things, but what you try to do with each position is kind of pick out that point of focus, point of emphasis for that given day, because if you emphasize everything you kind of emphasize nothing. So, with each individual position group, we picked a couple things out and for the most part, from just seeing it out here at practice, it seemed like guys especially on offense, did a nice job translating that.”

(On using TE Gerald Everett and TE Tyler Higbee together)
“Well, I think when you just look at it, Tyler (Higbee) is a little bit bigger guy, got a great catch radius, but I think they’re very similar, where they’re both functional athletes. Tyler’s had a little bit more experience just based on going into his second year playing on the line of scrimmage, but I think when you just look at the first couple of days, the comfort level that you see in Gerald Everett and just moving around and getting lined up and just executing his role responsibility on the given play, he’s much more comfortable. When you can do that, you can play fast and that’s when I think you’ll see his athleticism. Every time he does something wrong I always give him, I say, ‘I don’t know, would Jordan Reed or Vernon Davis have done on that?’ But he’s done a nice job to start camp and we’ve been pleased with Gerald so far.”

(On the move from offensive coordinator to head Coach and appreciating how good the defense is)
“You can. It’s a little more difficult for me than I thought. But no, it’s exciting because ultimately it’s about the team and that’s what we talk about with our guys all of the time. I think what we’re striving to see is just great competitiveness on both sides of the football and I thought our defense had a great day yesterday. I think when you look at it just seeing it firsthand right now watching it live, it seemed like it was a good balance back and forth between the offense and the defense today. It was a better day, but absolutely as a coach, it’s about winning football games and any time you have a great defense, you give yourself a chance.”

(On having to suppress the offensive coordinator in him)
“I think naturally that’s always your natural reaction just based on being involved in the offense so much, but being around these guys defensive guys, getting a familiarity with kind of what (Defensive Coordinator) Coach Wade (Phillips) is going to do on that side of the ball with his scheme. It’s been fun for me to learn and kind of give an offensive perspective on some of the things and I think they’ve done a great job making it difficult for the offense.”

(On how WR Robert Woods fits into the offense)
“He’s done excellent. He’s playing both outside and inside for us. He’s competing well in the run-game. Kind of like we talked about the other day, he’s been what we had hoped. He’s a complete receiver, not really limited in any of the routes he can run. You talk about a pro’s pro where you say something in the meeting room and he’s going to be able to translate it out to the grass. A conscientious guy that you can look at and say, ‘This is the example younger guys of what it looks like to work and do the little things the right way on a consistent basis’.”

(On if there is any update on DT Aaron Donald)
“There is no update right now. As far as the communication goes, there is ongoing communication and like I’ll continue to say, we are striving to work for a solution. In the meantime, guys are out here getting better. I have full trust and confidence that Aaron is working too. That is why, you know that he is going to be doing the little things the right way, so that hopefully if we can’t come to a solution to this, he will be ready to go.”

(On what it is about T Andrew Whitworth that has allowed him to have some of his best years in his mid-30s)
“Well, I think that he is the epitome of a pro’s pro – like you were kind of talking about with a Robert Woods. Doing the little things the right way all the time, a great example in terms of just playing the techniques, the fundamentals – I think it has been encouraging to see a guy that has had the level of success that he has had in Cincinnati and then asking him to do a couple things differently and how willing he has been to buy in to those techniques. But he has been everything and more and this is what I tell people, he is like a fine wine, he is just getting better with age.”

(On how much he is looking forward to getting Donald back so that his other interior lineman can learn from him)
“I think with any of the great players, that is the idea. If we’re able to get him back, you know he is going to be an example of what it looks like, but I think when you’ve got guys like (OLB) Connor Barwin, (DT) Michael Brockers – you are seeing (DT) Dominique Easley, (OLB) Robert Quinn, you feel good about the depth that we have up front. Those guys have done an excellent job kind of being leaders in their own right as well.”

(On if he has thought about what he will do if Donald doesn’t show up)
“It is a great point because as an NFL coach you always have to have contingency plans in place, whether it be a holdout or injuries it is the next man up mentality. We are hopeful that we will get something worked out, but if not, we feel confident in the guys that have stepped up in his absence. We are trying to get better every single day.”

(On if there is any update on DT Aaron Donald)
“There is no update right now. As far as the communication goes, there is ongoing communication and like I’ll continue to say, we are striving to work for a solution. In the meantime, guys are out here getting better. I have full trust and confidence that Aaron is working too. That is why, you know that he is going to be doing the little things the right way, so that hopefully if we can’t come to a solution to this, he will be ready to go.”

(On what it is about T Andrew Whitworth that has allowed him to have some of his best years in his mid-30s)
“Well, I think that he is the epitome of a pro’s pro – like you were kind of talking about with a Robert Woods. Doing the little things the right way all the time, a great example in terms of just playing the techniques, the fundamentals – I think it has been encouraging to see a guy that has had the level of success that he has had in Cincinnati and then asking him to do a couple things differently and how willing he has been to buy in to those techniques. But he has been everything and more and this is what I tell people, he is like a fine wine, he is just getting better with age.”

(On how much he is looking forward to getting Donald back so that his other interior lineman can learn from him)
“I think with any of the great players, that is the idea. If we’re able to get him back, you know he is going to be an example of what it looks like, but I think when you’ve got guys like (OLB) Connor Barwin, (DT) Michael Brockers – you are seeing (DT) Dominique Easley, (OLB) Robert Quinn, you feel good about the depth that we have up front. Those guys have done an excellent job kind of being leaders in their own right as well.”

(On if he has thought about what he will do if Donald doesn’t show up)
“It is a great point because as an NFL coach you always have to have contingency plans in place, whether it be a holdout or injuries it is the next man up mentality. We are hopeful that we will get something worked out, but if not, we feel confident in the guys that have stepped up in his absence. We are trying to get better every single day.”

Tavon Austin Reverse TD

Tavon Austin reverses then blazes past the defense for the score at Rams Training Camp.

http://www.therams.com/videos/videos/Tavon_Austin_Reverse_TD/f33defab-d8f1-40f2-a121-9b2e6d811086

Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
Rams NT Brockers has been texting with Donald: “It’s killing him right now. I know it is. He cannot wait until this contract thing is over”

Sean McVay, on being asked about Aaron Donald: “It’s understandable. I’m asking those (front office) guys too. What is going on? [laughs]”

McVay said there is “ongoing communication” between the Rams and Aaron Donald but didn’t elaborate.

===

Rookie report from Day 2 at Rams camp: FB Sam Rogers put a fierce double-move on second-year linebacker Josh Forrest, easily slipping by him in a one-on-one situation. Also, TEGerald Everett made a nice sliding catch near the sideline during 7-on-7 work.

Alden Gonzalez, ESPN Staff Writer
http://www.espn.com/espn/now?nowId=21-0683489521198702094-4

===

Sean Mannion is letting the beard grow a little. Not enough time to shave during camp. "It's like steel wool." pic.twitter.com/KIOu6EP6Dh

— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) July 31, 2017

===

Practice ended over an hour ago. @MROGLETREE52 is still signing autographs.

This guy ❤️ #RamsCamp pic.twitter.com/miwqOM9l3u

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) July 31, 2017

Lindsey Thiry @LindseyThiry
Rams LaMarcus Joyner tells me he’s thrilled to be playing safety for first time since college and hopes to make the move from CB permanent.

Rams offensive linemen Rodger Saffold and Jamon Brown sign autographs for fans. pic.twitter.com/UX4ADuEmvu

— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) July 31, 2017

===

Stedman Bailey was in camp today. He has a major surgery in a couple weeks and is hellbent on returning to the NFL. pic.twitter.com/I6D1BKzmBr

— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) July 31, 2017

===

Vet @ConnorBarwin98 dropping wisdom on rookie @lightningstrk12 post #RamsCamp 🙇🙌 pic.twitter.com/wJtMnl7kjN

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) July 31, 2017

Myles Simmons‏ @MylesASimmons
Couple of nice plays in one-on-ones. Aarion Penton breaks up a pass on Travis Wilson. Sam Rogers puts on a nice move to get free & catch

Goff rolls out to his right delivers a really nice ball downfield to Kupp off play action during 11-on-11. Nice play.

Nice catch from TE Everett during 7-on-7. Had to slide toward the ground near the sideline to come up with it.

No pads, so take this with a grain of salt. But a Barwin spin move in 11-on-11 just looked real nice. #RamsCamp

Nice soft hands catch on the sideline from Josh Reynolds, pass from Goff, in 11-on-11.

Another nice sideline throw from Goff to Woods in 11-on-11. Those two have been sharp today.

===

Joe Curley‏ @vcsjoecurley
The Spruuuce chant is alive and well in Year 2 @nspruce22 – at Crawford Field

OL Kyle Turley (2003) and WR Ron Brown (1984-89, 91) are the Rams alums signing for fans today.

First fumbled snap of training camp… belongs to Dan Orlovsky.

Mannion finds Spruce on a post rout for a big gain during 11 on 11 drills. Crowd chants “Spruuuce!”

===

J.B. Long @JB_Long
Few times today I’ve seen Cooper Kupp adjust other WR’s alignment. I’d have to ask, but I bet he already knows playbook for all 3 WR roles.

Guess this @CooperKupp kid the @RamsNFL drafted is pretty sure-handed. #RamsCamp #TrainingCamp #HornsUp

Maybe he has that unique ability to slow the game down. Who knows?

===

Alden Gonzalez @Alden_Gonzalez

Jared Goff has a 158.3 passer rating in warmups. Here he is completing to Robert Woods.

Sam Rogers, the bowling ball of butcher knives, just put on the juke to end all jukes.

===

Ryan Kartje @Ryan_Kartje
Rams rookie fullback Sam Rogers juking Josh Forrest out of his shoes might be my favorite training camp moment, and it’s only Day 2

Jared Goff just delivered a beauty to rookie WR Cooper Kupp, while rolling out to his right. Can’t say we’ve seen that out of him before.

Andrew Whitworth is out here blocking three different guys on one play. He’s 35 years old.

===

Kristen Lago‏ @kristennlago
Becoming a familiar scene here at #RamsCamp. Sam Rogers is the first one out on field

Quite honestly just one of the largest people I have ever seen, #Rams lineman, Andrew Whitworth pic.twitter.com/GDF1oVWAHT

— Kristen Lago (@kristennlago) July 30, 2017

Aaron Donald doesn’t show up, and remains the topic of conversation at Rams camp

Dylan Hernandez

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-rams-hernandez-20170729-story.html

The first day of training camp is generally about hope and optimism, so let’s start with a positive note.

The Rams’ workout Saturday outdrew the Chargers’.

Of course, the Chargers didn’t practice. They open camp Sunday.

Now, to reality, which was less charitable.

All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald remained a no-show on the UC Irvine campus because of a contract dispute.

On the first day of what was supposed to be the new era of Rams football, the most talked-about player in camp was the one who wasn’t there.

“Any time your best player’s not there, you always would feel better if he was,” coach Sean McVay conceded.

You think?

The Rams are coming off a four-win season, trying to change a hypercompetitive market’s perception about what they’re about.
.
They fumbled the football last month, when developers announced the opening of their permanent home in Inglewood would be delayed by a year. If being subjected to Rams football isn’t bad enough, their fans will have to endure three more years in the dilapidated Coliseum.

Now this.

In fairness to the Rams, there are reasonable explanations in both instances. Developers blamed the record rainfall for affecting the new stadium’s construction schedule. Donald is under the Rams’ control for at least two more seasons, perhaps more if the team places a franchise tag on him.

Except 12-loss teams don’t receive the benefit of the doubt.

Which was why there was a sign in the crowd with Donald’s picture that read, “Pay the man.”

The sign followed the Rams up and down one of the sidelines. It was there when Jared Goff was floating passes to receivers. It was there when Trumaine Johnson walked over to interact with fans who were taunting him. And it was there as players marched off the practice field.

Holding the sign was a Nick Galarreta, a 24-year-old fan from San Diego.

“I do get the economics,” Galarreta said. “I do get that fiscally it’s kind of hard. My gripe is with extending guys like Tavon Austin, who’s never been to a Pro Bowl.”

Austin was signed to a four-year, $42-million extension around this time last year.

“I think it reflects badly on management,” Galarreta said. “They put themselves in a situation to where they couldn’t give him the money he deserved when he deserve it.”

Even with a salary cap, creative solutions always exist. But there are presumably countless other fans who share Galaretta’s thoughts and feelings, which speaks to how the Rams’ brand is perceived.

As it was, the crowd at UC Irvine was significantly smaller and less festive than last year’s.

Donald is under contract this year for $1.8 million. The Rams have already exercised their option on him for 2018, which will pay him another $6.9 million. They can place a franchise tag on him in each of the three seasons after that.

The highest-paid player at Donald’s position is Ndamukong Suh, who signed a six-year, $114-million deal with the Miami Dolphins in 2015.

That’s a significant gap.

There are other players from Donald’s draft class who want to be paid, except they reported to their camps. Odell Beckham Jr. said earlier this week he wanted to be the NFL’s highest-paid player. Beckham is practicing with the New York Giants.

As a fourth-year player, Donald has minimal leverage. His power in this situation comes from the fact he is a great player — perhaps the best in football — on an awful team.

Goff is still unproven. Todd Gurley has to rebound from a down season.

Kevin Demoff, the Rams chief operating officer, pushed back against that idea.

“If you look at our team, we’ve always tried reward our players after their third year,” Demoff said. “We did it with Robert Quinn. We did it Johnny Hekker. We did it with Tavon. So if you look at our history, we’ve always tried to extend our players two years out [from free agency], if we have the ability.

“Aaron’s a special player. He’s going to sign a special contract.”

Similar to McVay and general manager Les Snead the previous day, Demoff wouldn’t speculate when Donald would sign.

“It does us no good to comment,” Demoff said. “If we say it gets done and it doesn’t, it’s bad. If we say it’s ominous … and it gets solved tomorrow … there’s no good outcome, right?”

At this stage of camp, with players not in pads, with the intensity level on the low end of the spectrum, Donald’s holdout isn’t affecting the Rams on the field.

Goff made light of Donald’s absence, joking that when the offense faced the defense in drills, “That makes our job a little easier.”

This won’t be a laughing matter for long.

McVay is a first-year coach. He needs his best player back and he needs him back soon. The exhibition season starts in two weeks.

As much as Donald could be hurt by a prolonged holdout — each day he misses is costing him $40,000 —the Rams could be hurt more.