Good post. You captured a lot of what I saw.

There was also a subtle sense of double entendres.

Like the scene where she walks in on him bathing. She says what’s that and indicates with her head in a slight gesture, seemingly aiming at his body. He gets a startled look then goes oh I get it…and so he lifts up what she was “pointing to” and says, that’s a watch. And she says “you let that little thing tell you what to do?” It was funny.

I notice reviewers are missing things. Like there are reviewers who actually think she was molded of clay and brought to life by Zeus. They don’t realize that’s a lie she was told (the truth being more clear when she says to Ares, “good bye brother”).

And one review that says Trevor initiates their lovemaking. No he doesn’t. She gives him a frank and clear “come hither” look…he was about to leave till seeing that.

It’s amazing isn’t it btw that little Buttercup of The Princess Bride is the same actress who plays General Antiope, Diana’a Aunt, in Wonder Woman (obviously Robin Wright).

Jared Goff sorry to see Greg Robinson go

Michael David Smith

Jared Goff sorry to see Greg Robinson go

The only player on the Rams who was a higher draft pick than Greg Robinson was sorry to lose Robinson as a teammate.

Rams quarterback Jared Goff, the first overall pick in last year’s draft, said he always enjoyed playing with Robinson, the second overall pick in the 2012 draft who was traded to the Lions this week.

“When I woke up and saw that at first it was a little shocking,” Goff said. “But part of the business, man. It sucks. But Greg was a good teammate, a good friend and wish him the best.”

Protecting their investment in Goff is perhaps the Rams’ highest priority in building their roster, and so if they thought Robinson was ever going to become the kind of offensive lineman they thought he’d be when he was chosen second overall, they would have kept him.

Gary Klein @LATimesklein
Jared Goff and Todd Gurley said they were surprised by the Greg Robinson trade. http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-goff-gurley-robinson-20170616-story.html …

Rams shift focus to contracts for Aaron Donald, others

Alden Gonzalez

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/34068/rams-shift-focus-to-contracts-for-aaron-donald-others

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The roars reverberated through the facility. Sean McVay informed his players on Wednesday afternoon that he was cancelling the Thursday morning practice, the final session of his offseason program, as a reward for all the hard work they put in over these past nine weeks. They were suddenly free to go, on their own until they all reconvene for training camp in late July, and the room had a last-day-of-school excitement to it.

But the Los Angeles Rams’ front office still has work to do, because some key contract situations remain unsettled.

Aaron Donald, the game’s best interior pass-rusher, is dissatisfied with what he will earn over these next two years and is seemingly striving to be paid among the game’s best defensive players. But there’s also primary cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who was slapped with the franchise tag again and can’t sign an extension after July 15. And inside linebacker Alec Ogletree, a free agent at season’s end whom the Rams badly want to extend. And, perhaps, Lamarcus Joyner, a slot cornerback and free safety who is under contract for one more year and is very much a part of the Rams’ long-term plans.

Aaron Donald is a priority for the Rams, but decisions regarding cornerback Trumaine Johnson and linebacker Alec Ogletree could complicate contract talks. Marc Piscotty/Icon Sportswire
Donald didn’t attend the three weeks that included organized team activities, but did rejoin the team for this week’s mandatory minicamp and spent the two days conditioning on his own. Rams general manager Les Snead said on May 22 that he was “very hopeful that this thing will get done” with Donald. But he stated Thursday that there is “nothing new” with those discussions.

“Aaron Donald is a priority for us,” Snead said. “That’s about all I can say.”

Donald was not made available to speak with the media upon returning, but coaches and front-office executives have offered effusive praise in recent days. New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, never one to hyperbolize, called him “an elite player” with “a great attitude” after practice on Wednesday and said, “I can’t say enough good things about him.” While addressing hundreds of fans during the Rams All-Access event at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Thursday afternoon, COO Kevin Demoff called Donald “the epitome of what you want your players to be.”

“He couldn’t be a better person, human being, leader,” Demoff said. “… There’s a lot of time to get this done, but there’s an urgency on our part because you want to reward players like Aaron.”

Demoff was referring to the fact that Donald has two years remaining on his contract, which makes something like this tricky. Without an extension, Donald would cost just over $10 million towards the cap over these next two seasons. Replacing that with a contract that would rank among the highest for defensive players would significantly increase that figure. It’s why J.J. Watt is the only one among the five highest-paid defensive players to sign his deal two years before free agency — and his six-year, $100 million contract wasn’t agreed to until early September.

The game’s highest-paid defensive player is Denver outside linebacker Von Miller, who signed a six-year, $114.5 million contract with $70 million guaranteed last July. After Miller are a couple of defensive tackles: Ndamukong Suh of the Dolphins (six years, $114.375 million with nearly $60 million guaranteed) and Fletcher Cox of the Eagles (six-year, $102.6 million contract with nearly $63.3 million guaranteed). Fifth on the list is Watt, whose deal was completed in 2014 and is probably no longer an accurate comparison.

“Aaron deserves to be paid among the elite players in our game,” Demoff told fans at the All-Access event. “That’s never been a sticking point for anybody in our organization.”

“When he’s here, he’s a happy guy,” McVay, the Rams’ first-year head coach, said of Donald. “He loves football. He wants to be here, he wants to get something worked out. And I think with respect to his representation, what he’s done for this organization, we’re optimistic that we can come to a deal that’s fair for both. … I think we’re optimistic that something’s going to work out.”

The Rams have been very open about their interest in working something out with Donald, but closed about their desire to extend Johnson.

The sixth-year cornerback is to make $16.742 million under his second consecutive franchise tag, placed on Johnson because the Rams couldn’t afford to lose him and were uncertain about extending him. Snead had expressed a desire to wait until after the offseason program concluded to make sure Johnson was a fit for a Phillips system that asks its cornerbacks to play a lot of man coverage. It’s over now, and he still sounds non-committal.

Asked directly about whether he would explore an extension with Johnson before traning camp, Snead said: “We’re going to continue to sit and discuss — because his situation is based on all the people we have, whether it’s Aaron, Ogeltree, Tru — and navigate those waters.”

Snead nonetheless likes Johnson’s size, which makes him especially effective in press coverage and against the run. McVay believes he “fits in any system,” which Johnson tends to agree with.

“I can play man, I can play off, I can play zone, I can play waterboy,” Johnson said. “I can play anything y’all want to play, man.”

But Johnson would seemingly command a contract similar to the five-year, $69 million deal Desmond Trufant signed with Atlanta this offseason. His high salary for 2017 gives him little incentive to accept much less. But the Rams are also wary of the fact that Johnson hasn’t necessarily performed among the elite cornerbacks in the game.

He is now one of 11 defensive players who are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents at season’s end. And the highest priority in that group is Ogeltree, a captain last season. The Rams have about $4 million in salary-cap space, but are set up to have about $42 million in cap space in 2018, fifth-most in the NFL.

In other words, they have the ability to sign their players long term.

It’s just a matter of making it all work.

“When you have a 53-man roster, you have to be able to juggle a few balls in the air,” Snead said recently. “It’s not just one person; it’s a team. All of those variables we have to work through.”

Gary Klein

from: http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-greg-robinson-traded-20170615-story.html

McVay said he decided to cancel the final day of mini-camp to reward players for their work during the off-season program. “To see the excitement on their faces when we said, ‘Hey, man, enjoy your break, be safe and it starts today.’ The roar in the room was quite a response.… We’re by no means a finished product, but I think if you talk about maximizing the off-season program and getting what we wanted out of it from our team I think we accomplished that and that’s why we wanted to do that for those guys.” … Rookies report for training camp at UC Irvine on July 26. The first workout is July 29. McVay said he would vacation in Cabo San Lucas and Europe. “I will try to get away because I think it’s important to try to kind of just get refreshed, recharged. Take better care of myself. I’m a little bit heavier than I’d like to be right now. … It will be nice to get away and then kind of just work on football a couple hours every now and then, and that’s what I’m looking forward to. And being able to live out here and kind of enjoy the area is really nice too because you feel like you’re living on vacation.”

Trade of Greg Robinson illustrates a new way of thinking by the Rams

VINCENT BONSIGNORE

link: http://www.ocregister.com/2017/06/15/the-trade-of-greg-robinson-and-the-domino-effect-preceding-it-illustrates-a-new-way-of-thinking-by-ther-rams/

The writing was on the wall well before the Rams traded Greg Robinson to the Detroit Lions early Thursday morning for a sixth-round draft pick.

So we won’t give them too much credit for acting decisively and wisely in completing the trade, which puts to rest the inglorious three-year Rams career of a player of whom so much was expected after he was selected second overall in the 2014 draft and yet so little was delivered.

The former Auburn star was supposed to lock down the left tackle position for the Rams for the next decade and anchor a young, dominant offensive line.

But it didn’t take long to figure out Robinson simply wasn’t up to the task. And it took even less time for him to play his way out of the Rams’ present and future.

He was billed as a dominant run-blocker with the athletic ability and size to develop into a premier pass-rush protector. The former was never the case and the later never materialized. The fact the Rams could get a draft pick for him given all his underachieving is a coup, not that a sixth-round pick will ever make up for the major swing and miss they took drafting him.

All the more egregious given how current All-Pro linebacker Khalil Mack was there for the taking at the time.

But what’s done is done.

In the bigger scheme of things, the Robinson trade, the domino effect that preceded it and the thought process and imagination behind it bodes well for the club moving forward.

There is a different vibe with these Rams under new coach Sean McVay, one that reaches above him into the general manager’s office, below him to his assistants and around him with the players.

“Aggressive,” is how Jamon Brown explained it from the player’s side.

Brown is the main beneficiary of the Robinson trade given the wide open path it clears for him to win the starting right tackle job. But he’s also a prime example of the new, aggressive approach from the Rams.

Although Brown played tackle in college at Louisville, he’s strictly been a guard in his first two seasons with the Rams. And he fully expected to continue that role this year. That is, until new Rams offensive line coach Aaron Kromer decided to give Brown some reps at right tackle during an Organized Team Activity practice last month.

“It was like, literally right there on the practice field,” Brown remembers, laughing. “Like, hey, take some reps at right tackle.”

To call it a whim would be underestimating Kromer and McVay. They knew Brown’s history as a tackle and had a pretty good idea he could at least provide average play at the position if given a chance. But there was some method to the madness in how Kroemer approached Brown about the possibility.

As in, right in the middle of a practice without any heads up.

“It’s OK to make guys uncomfortable sometimes this time of year,” Kromer explained.

And even more beneficial to see how they respond.

Brown immediately took to the position and was a mainstay with the first team the rest of OTA’s and minicamp, which concluded Wednesday when McVay canceled the final practice as a reward for a job well done this offseason.

“My thought process was just to show them I could be versatile, that I could play any position,” Brown said, “I knew new players were being brought in. Guys were being shuffled around. So I just wanted to make as positive an impression as possible.”

That’s exactly what happened, apparently.

“I guess coach was pleased,” Brown said, smiling.

That doesn’t mean Brown is guaranteed to be the starting right tackle when the Rams open the season against the Indianapolis Colts the first week of September. Or that Kroemer and McVay won’t ultimately decide to flip Rob Havenstein back to right tackle from right guard after making the switch from tackle to guard to start OTAs.

But with the left side of the line now solidified with two-time All-Pro tackle Andrew Whitworth coming over in free agency and Rodger Saffold at left guard, the Rams can now focus on getting the right side figured out.

“We’re still trying to sort all that out,” Kroemer said.

But even that speaks well to the new Rams’ way of doing things under McVay, which seems much more progressive, imaginative and inclusive compared to previous coach Jeff Fisher.

The willingness to remain open-minded about positions and roles rather than locking themselves into one way of looking at things is a refreshing change.

Just moving Havenstein to guard illustrates that. One look at the 6-foot-6, 322-pound Havenstein and you immediately think tackle given the height and size.

From McVay and Kromer’s vantage point, though, they saw a better athlete than others may have seen — which enables him to get on defenders quicker than most would have suspected — plus a bright mind to handle the intricacies of the position.

“I think he’s kind of one of the rare exceptions where he’s such a sharp guy, things do happen a little bit faster inside and he’s got better athleticism,” McVay said.

And it didn’t hurt that Havenstein had to clean up a bit before taking a stroll to the altar a few months ago, resulting in a bit of a body transformation any groom would be envious of.

“We always joke with him because he lost a little bit of weight because he got married this offseason,” McVay said. “So, he had to look good for that.”

Point being, McVay and his staff saw something in Havenstein others may have closed their minds to, whether it was because he didn’t fit the prototype or look the part or out of sheer stubbornness.

More importantly, they had the guts to act on their instincts and at least give it a shot, making no promises in the process while reminding players this remains a fluid situation.

“You have to be ready for anything,” Brown said. “ Nothing’s set in stone right now, given how far out we are from the actual season.”

As for Robinson, his time with the club was being measured in months almost from the moment McVay was hired and he and the Rams locked in on and ultimately reeled in Whitworth in free agency.

Whitworth coming aboard immediately displaced Robinson and sent him over to right tackle on essentially a tryout basis.

But given the Rams’ decision to decline Robinson’s fifth-year option for 2018, he would have needed a breakthrough year to put himself back on their long-range radar. And even that would not have guaranteed any sort of future with the team beyond this season.

If, say, Robinson actually held onto the starting job he could have been looking at the kind of $8 million or $11 million dollar deals fellow top-two pick tackles — and disappointments — Matt Kalil and Luke Joeckel got from the Panthers and Seahawks after fizzling out with the Vikings and Jaguars.

There is little chance the Rams would have ever paid him that kind of money, especially given the direction their cap is headed and the big-time players currently up for new contracts and raises.

Brown has a cap-friendly $800,000 contract for 2018, so if he can lock down the job he becomes an asset on the field and on the payroll.

Meanwhile, the Rams get a draft pick and $3.2 million in cap relief this year.

It’s not much, but it’s something.

And in the grand scheme of things, it speaks to a new way of doing things under McVay.

Big Thanks To The @RamsNFL For The Chance & Making A Dream Come True For A Guy Out Of Thibodaux Louisiana I'm Very Appreciative!

— Greg Robinson (@G_ROB73) June 15, 2017

Thankful For The Opportunity That Has Been Bestowed Upon Me. Huge Thanks To The @Lions For Giving Me A Chance.. I'm So Ready To Get Rolling!

— Greg Robinson (@G_ROB73) June 15, 2017

Rams Head Coach Sean McVay – – June 14, 2017

(Opening remarks)
“I know you just spoke with (Rams C.O.O) Kevin Demoff, very excited as an organization to team up with United Way and all of the great things that they represent and be a part of helping this community.”

(On TE Gerald Everett and an impressive reception that he made in practice)
“I think you saw it, when he’s just understanding exactly what’s going on and he can just go play – that’s when you see his athleticism show up and that’s why we feel like he’s going to be capable of being a good player for us. I think just like a lot of these rookies, as they’re getting more comfortable with what we’re asking them to do, it allows them to play faster and not have to feel like they’re thinking so much. I thought that play that you saw was a great example of that.”

(On OL Greg Robinson and what they haven’t seen from him at right tackle)
“I wouldn’t say it’s anything that we haven’t seen. We’re continuing to evaluate that position. I think we’ve seen good things from Greg at times. We’ve seen some good things from (OL) Jamon Brown. But, what we’re looking for up front is just consistency. That’s both in the run-game and in protection and being reliable and accountable. I think anytime that you’re able to develop that continuity up front, that’s going to help us as a whole. That’s what you’re really looking for from all linemen. I think at times those guys have represented that. That’s what we’re striving to find from all five of our starters when this thing gets rolling.”

(On if he feels Robinson still has a role and a chance to start on the team)
“Yes. As we continue to evaluate guys this offseason, especially when you don’t have pads on, you always are mindful of how much you put into it. I think it was a great opportunity for us as a coaching staff to get around Greg, see some of the things that make him a special talent, and then continue to develop and move forward.”

(On bringing the whole team together in the middle of practice and if it was scripted and what was said)
“Some of them are, and some of them aren’t. I think we always have to be ready to adjust and adapt. Always mindful that it’s always about the team. I think we’re doing a great job coming together – offense, defense and special teams – want to continue to preach those themes. Some of those situations might be kind of just sudden change where we say, alright, we’re explaining what the next period might be if it’s kind of off the script to force guys to adjust like they would in a game. Each circumstance and each example of that is kind of a little bit different.”

(On how Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips teaches and implements his system that allows it to be successful so quickly)
“It’s a credit to his teaching. He tries to make things simple, make sure the players understand it. That enables them to play fast. One of the things that I think he would be proud of is that it seems like a lot of these players that he’s coached always seem to play their best when they’re working with him. I think that’s a great example of coaching – putting your players in good positions to be successful. He’s done that and that’s why we feel good to be able to have him as our defensive coordinator.”

(On DB E.J. Gaines and RB Lance Dunbar not on the field)
“It’s a situation with E.J., just had a soft tissue thing, just being smart with him going into this little break. No need to push it right now to make sure he’s ready for training camp. Kind of the same thing with Lance, want to be mindful of the injury he had a couple of years ago. We know he’s capable of being a good player, we want to make sure that we’re smart about that. Really, the goal for a lot of these guys is to make sure that by the time training camp rolls around, they’re ready to roll. If they’re not involved with the physical reps, they’re locked in and staying mentally into it, so that they can get that opportunity to kind of just learn from those reps that they’re teammates are getting.”

(On if he feels everybody will be ready for training camp)
“Yeah, that’s the anticipation right now. Feel very fortunate that as of this point we haven’t had any injuries that are going to affect guys’ ability to be ready. That’s a blessing and we feel good about that.”

(On his message to WR Tavon Austin and what Austin can do to get himself ready for training camp)
“I think he’s done a good job of controlling what he can control and that’s working and doing as much as he could with the limitations that he had with the wrist. I think he’s done a great job in meetings, where he knows exactly what’s going on. Then, when you get to those physical reps, as soon as he’s able to with (Head Athletic Trainer) Reggie (Scott) and the training staff, catch footballs from a quarterback and do some of those things that you’re going to do, the better. He’s a guy that’s real conscientious, he’s going to get himself ready to go. I think that’s some of the things he can do in the meantime to kind of give himself a jump start so the first time catching live routes and things like that instead of just the Juggs (machine) or a tennis ball machine isn’t going to be once we report.”

(On how Austin will fit in the offense)
“I think we have ideas of the way that we want to utilize him. I think he’s done a lot of great things on tape, but until you’re actually able to get out on the grass with him, watch him do some of the things that we’re asking him to do, it does make it a little bit more difficult. But, we’re certainly projecting him to be a big part of our offense. How exactly we use him is to be determined, but we have discussed those things as a staff. We’ll get a chance to see that early on in training camp.”

(On if he can stress situational football enough in practice)
“I don’t think so. Really, when you go through it with your coaching staff, there’s so many different things that come up. As long as you’re mindful and we’re kind of educating both coaches and the players on how we want to handle these different things and be on the same lines of communication. I think it gives us a chance to handle them in a manner that some of these great teams around the league seem to do year in and year out. We always talk about stressing situational awareness and being situational masters. That’s something that’s going to be a continuous focus for us moving forward hopefully for years to come.”

(On the thought process behind moving OL Rob Havenstein to guard and OL Jamon Brown to tackle)
“Initially when you look at it, you get a player like (T) Andrew Whitworth and then you get a chance to see (OL Rodger) Saffold play at the guard position, feel really good about the left side of our line. Then, when you have Rob (Havenstein) playing that right guard position, I think he’s kind of one of the rare exceptions where he’s such a sharp guy, things do happen a little bit faster inside and he’s got better athleticism. We always joke with him because he lost a little bit of weight because he got married this offseason (laughs). So, he had to look good for that. I think you’re continuing to evaluate that right tackle position with Jamon and Greg. These are both young, developing players. I know Greg has had a little bit more experience, but Jamon is a guy that’s played tackle. I think he got better as the offseason progressed. We’re encouraged to see where these guys are at by the time we hit training camp.”

(On DT Aaron Donald and if all of the business is behind him)
“Well we certainly hope so. It’s always good to have (No.) 99 (DT Aaron Donald) around, he’s a big part of what we want to do moving forward. He’s been a special player for this organization. Anytime you’re able to see (No.) 99 is a good thing for us. As far as the contract negotiations, those are things that will remain in-house. We feel good and we’re optimistic about that.”

***

Rams Offensive Coordinator Matt LaFleur – – June 14, 2017

(On the offense employing all of the receivers on the offense during practice)
“Yes, the more guys you have to throw to, the less the defense can really take away one of your targets. The idea is to get five guys that can go out there and are a threat on every play.”

(On WR Tavon Austin)
“Well, the one thing that everybody knows is that he can run. One thing that this offense is predicated on, we need guys that have speed to help create some of these explosive plays that we want to try to manufacture in the pass game – especially off our play-action and keepers. We’re excited to have him back into the fold. I think he’s done a great job paying attention while not being able to get the physical reps, but getting the mental reps. Also, he’s been very engaged in our meetings. Can’t wait to get him out here in training camp.”

(On how he has seen QB Jared Goff come along from the start of the offseason program until now)
“One thing that Coach McVay always talks about is daily improvement and daily excellence. That’s been the biggest thing with him is just get a little bit better each day, become a little more consistent on a daily basis. By no means is he a finished product and I really think, for that matter, any quarterback in this league you have to work to progress and get better every day.”

(On Goff’s confidence and how much of a benefit it is for the left side of the offensive line to be solidified)
“I think any time a quarterback is comfortable with what’s in front of him, that’s one less worry on his plate. Let’s face it, it’s a pretty uncomfortable position for all of these guys that play in this league, in my opinion, I think it’s the toughest position in all of sports. You’ve got an entire defense ready to take you out. If you’re comfortable with the big guys in front of you, I think you have a better chance of focusing on what your job is and the intent of the play, on each play.”

(On if he gets the sense that Goff has that comfort level)
“Yes. Again, each rep for him is a learning experience. You’re talking about a young guy that’s played seven starts in this league, so he has not seen everything that every defense is going to throw at him yet. But the less you have to worry about the offensive line, the more comfortable you would feel as a quarterback.”

(On if anything he has seen from QB Sean Mannion has surprised him)
“I can’t say that anything really has surprised me. We got a chance to study him coming out of the draft. Obviously, he had a great college career. I think he’s the all-time (career passing) leader in Pac12 history. At the combine, just interviewing him. He was one of the more impressive interviews I’ve ever had there. He’s come from a system, you know, a pro-style system, so he’s had reps in doing a lot of the stuff that we’ve asked him to do. But, I think what’s most impressive about him is how he attacks each and every single day. He’s going to put the work in. He’s an extremely detailed guy, which is exactly what you want in a quarterback.”

(On what he has seen from RB Todd Gurley and if anything has surprised him)
“I can’t say anything surprised me because you never want to go in with a bunch of pre-conceived notions with any of these guys. The one thing that’s been impressive is again, how he works on a daily basis. I really feel that way for the entire offense. We have a lot of high character guys that come out here and they love to compete. Ultimately, that’s how you’re going to get better.”

(On if he can pinpoint why it didn’t happen for Gurley last year)
“There’s always a ton of factors that go into it. I think for the running game in general, when you don’t have pads on, it’s a little more difficult to evaluate. Todd’s a big guy that’s capable of running through arm tackles and unfortunately when we’re out here, it’s touch football essentially. You don’t get to see that part of his game. I think the true test comes when we start playing these games in the preseason and into the regular season.”

(On what he saw on tape from last year that he feels he can fix to get Gurley going)
“I think as a whole, offensively, we want to have a strong marriage with our running game with our passing game, so a defense can’t just tee off on one. The idea is to have a balanced attack and keep the defense guessing. Any time you can soften that box, whether we’re getting two-high looks or what not, it’s going to give him a better opportunity to gain more yards.”

(On if he sees the ability in Gurley to be an elite back in this league)
“Absolutely. Without a doubt. I think, if you ask any coach in this league. He’s a big, powerful guy that’s able to stick his foot in the ground and break tackles. I’m really excited to see what he’s going to do this fall.”

(On how receivers separate themselves at that position)
“In our offense, first of all, we’re a conceptually based offense, so these receivers – whether you’re the X, or the Z or the F – you have to learn the entire play. It’s our job to try to put these guys in position to really showcase what they can do. When they are put in those positions, obviously, they have to come through for themselves and for us.”

(On having two fullbacks on the roster and how much of that position fans will see during the regular season)
“I think that’s on a totally gameplan basis. Obviously, we’d like to do a lot of our two-back stuff because again, you can marry a lot of the run-game with the pass-game with some of your play-actions and such. But, ultimately it comes down to how we feel is the best way to attack a defense.”

(On his expectations for the offense and how big of an impact one offseason can make)
“I’m really not in the prediction game. But, again, we’re trying to focus on daily improvement and get a little bit better each day. Ultimately, it’s going to come down to us taking care of the football and putting ourselves in position to win games.”

(On TE Gerald Everett’s progress)
“I think coming from where he came from, we threw a lot of information at him early and it was probably a little bit of information overload. But he’s done a great job, especially these last two weeks of really calming his mind and being able to go out there and execute what we’re asking him to do. I’m excited for his future. I think the tight end group as a whole has been one of our strengths coming out of OTAs.”

***

Rams Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips – – June 14, 2017

(Opening remarks)
“Father’s Day is coming up, there’s a book out about a father and a son in the NFL, it’s called Son of Bum – anybody want to get it for their dad, I think it would be a tremendous present.

“Defensively speaking, this minicamp and the OTAs, I couldn’t be more pleased with the guys’ attitude number one, and also the ability we have. I think we have a lot of talented players. They’re working hard to get better and I think we will show that in the fall when we start playing, start practicing together. We don’t make many mistakes and they’re real aggressive and they play well as a team. I’m really pleased with where we are right now.”

(On if there are tangible things he can take from this period of the season)
“Yes, the teaching process has started with us, especially in the first year. Like I said, gauge-wise I think we’re in good shape. The teams I have been with previously, in the first year I think we’re right there with those teams. Most of them, if not all of them have done real well.”

(On if there’s a key thing he teaches when starting with a new defensive unit)
“Well, the teaching process, number one, they’ve got to believe what you’re saying. I’ve been in it long enough that some people think I know what I’m saying and listen a little better, that helps. It’s mainly the players – how much they want to, and this group really wants to learn. They want to listen and try to get better. We feel like we can help them that way coaching.”

(On if he feels this defense has top-five potential and what it needs to do to reach its potential)
“It’s hard to predict where you’re going to be, especially in the fall, the teams you play and so forth. I have a good feeling about this team, like I said. Again, we’re only in shorts and we haven’t done anything live game-wise, which we’ll get to. I feel good with where we are right now. Like I said, comparatively to the teams that I’ve gone to in the first year, I think they’re right on par with those teams and a lot of those teams did well.”

(On what about this group of personnel that he feels fits really well with his scheme)
“It’s just good players. We have some good players defensively. I think our secondary is stronger than what people think, I think they’ll show that. But, our front seven is going to be awfully strong.”

(On if more sacks should be expected from LBs Alec Ogletree and Mark Barronunder this new defense)
“Well, we expect more sacks from the whole team, the whole defense. That’s part of what we do pressure-wise. I think every team I’ve been with has been in the top five in sacks when I’ve been there. We kind of expect that. We’re going to have an attacking, hard-pressuring team that we feel like is going to get to the quarterback. A lot depends on the quarterbacks you play, obviously. Some of them don’t get sacked much but the pressure causes…I think we’ve got the talent 1-on-1 pass-rush wise to match up with some people and get a good rush.”

(On how CB Trumaine Johnson fits in with his defense with respect to General Manager Les Snead’s previous comments on waiting to make a determination on his contract)
“Trumaine’s done everything we’ve asked him to do so far, so I don’t have any problem with what he’s done. I think he’s a good athlete and he’s working hard to get better so I don’t have any problem with that.”

(On not having DT Aaron Donald on the field for most of the offseason and if he loses anything as a result)
“The elite players like Aaron Donald, you say, well you’d like to have them practicing all the time, but as long as you have them in the fall, I think, that’s when you want him.”

(On his impression of Donald so far)
“He’s an elite player. Besides his skills, he’s got a great attitude. He’s kind of a quiet guy, but he learns quickly. He knows what to do and how to do it, and he can do it out on the field. I can’t say enough good things about him.”

(On OLB Connor Barwin having one of his best seasons when Phillips previously coached him in Houston, and what of his skillset was he able to use back then that he hopes to utilize now with the Rams)
“Well, we played Connor Barwin at outside linebacker in the 3-4 (defense). Since that time, he’s been playing a 4-3 defensive end. The difference in that is a 4-3 defensive end plays against a tackle every play – every running play and pass play. When you’re playing a 3-4 outside ‘backer you’re only playing against the tackle on passes. So, I think it’s freed up a lot of players, outside rushers, to be better players and better rushers to me in the 3-4 (defense).”

(On if the same principal for Barwin having success as a rusher in a 3-4 defense applies for OLB Robert Quinn)
“Yeah, Robert Quinn same thing.”

(On if Barwin is the same player he was when Phillips coached him early in his career to now)
“Connor Barwin’s a great leader, number one, but also a tremendous football player. Like I said, I think he fits in even better as an outside ‘backer in a 3-4 (defense). He’s bigger and stronger than he was. He ran a 4.5-something at the combine when he came out, so he can run. But he’s a big, strong fast guy now. I’m looking forward to having him play this year.”

(On what makes his system ‘user-friendly’ where players can pick it up easily)
“We think we have a good teaching system that gets it done quickly. It’s not a simple defense. We want to make it as simple as we can for the players. The offenses are so complicated that you can’t say, ‘Well, it’s really simple.’ But, we try to teach it that way. Our teaching philosophy is, ‘Hey, this is simple. This is the way we do it. If they do this, we adjust here. If they do that, we adjust there.’ I just think it’s our teaching process of how we get it taught. It’s like a professor or high school teacher or whatever, you’ve got to get your information to them and they’ve got to know it.”