Alex Smith knows emotions of playing against a former team

http://www.espn.com/blog/kansas-city-chiefs/post/_/id/17883/alex-smith-knows-the-emotions-of-playing-against-a-former-team

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Alex Smith was once benched, replaced as starting quarterback and eventually discarded by his former team, the San Francisco 49ers. He vividly recalls two years later the emotions he felt playing against the 49ers after he had joined the Kansas City Chiefs.

So Smith knows what backup quarterback Nick Foles will be going through Saturday night when the Chiefs play the Rams in Los Angeles. Foles was benched by the Rams last season as their starting quarterback and was released this summer. He signed with the Chiefs early this month.

“I’m sure he’ll be pumped up,” Smith said. “You want to go out and show those guys, for sure, all those guys. There will be a lot of emotions. The nice thing is it’s just a preseason game.”

The circumstances between Smith’s time with the 49ers and Foles’ with the Rams are different. Smith was the No. 1 overall pick by the 49ers in 2005 and he played eight seasons with San Francisco before being traded to Kansas City. Foles spent just one season with the Rams.

Smith eventually had to face his former team in 2014, his second season with the Chiefs. He was 16-of-30 for 158 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the Chiefs’ 22-17 loss. The interception was costly because it happened late in the game and ended Kansas City’s hope for a comeback victory.

“You’re just fired up,” Smith said. “You have a lot of emotions. You certainly don’t have a problem getting up for the game. You’re excited to get into the flow of it. Any QB likes that, to get into the flow, get into the rhythm of the game, especially when it’s a game like that, when you probably are jacked up a little bit pregame, and all week. It’s good to kind of get sweating and get hit.”

Smith is scheduled to play the first half in Los Angeles, so Foles might not get into the game until the third quarter. He’ll have to wait to play, which could give his emotions a chance to ramp up.

In the meantime, Smith and the Chiefs’ other quarterbacks have been playfully teasing Foles, telling him the Rams will be coming after him when he finally gets into the game.

Eventually, Smith said, the game against the 49ers became like any other. The focus shifted toward winning.

Getting to that point can be difficult.

“It’s just human nature,” he said. “As much as you try to block it out and focus on the details, there will be a little bit of that. I’m sure he’ll be looking forward to getting into the flow of the game, to kind of get those first few plays under your belt and kind of lose yourself in the game and let that stuff get out of your head.”

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Practice-Report-818-Gurley-to-Make-Preseason-Debut/1e6c97ab-467d-4694-88d6-3e20b45765a1

HAPPY TRAILS TO A LEGEND

Many of you may know Lawrence McCutcheon as the Rams’ No. 4 all-time leading rusher. From 1973 to 1979, McCutcheon went to five Pro Bowls, racking up 6,186 yards on 1,435 and 23 touchdowns — finishing his time with Los Angeles No. 1 on the team’s rushing list. He’s since been passed by Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, and Steven Jackson.

But ‘Clutch’ has left a legacy within the Rams organization both on and off the field.

Overall, McCutcheon has spent 44 years in the NFL and 42 with the Rams. He joined the club’s personnel department in 1982 and has held various scouting roles ever since, most recently spending the last four years as a national scout.

And now at the age of 66, McCutcheon has decided to call it a career.

“McCutcheon has left an indelible mark on the Rams, as well as the National Football League,” said general manager Les Snead said in a statement. “The contributions he made as a player as well as a talent evaluator in our personnel department have been invaluable to this organization. We will miss ‘Clutch’ being around on routine basis, but he will always be an important part of our family.”

“I’ve had the opportunity to meet a lot of great friends with a lot of great personalities,” McCutcheon said after Thursday’s practice. “Had the opportunity to play with a lot of good football players. Just getting the opportunity to form some camaraderie and friendships – that’s what sticks out for me, most of all.”

As someone who has spend his entire life around the game of football, McCutcheon called the decision to retire difficult and very emotional.

“I’ve fought with it a lot. I went back and forth with it,” McCutcheon said. “I first started thinking about this last year. As I got closer and closer to making a decision, I started thinking, ‘Do you want to do this? Is this really what you want to do?’ I had an opportunity to sit down and talk with my wife about it. We planned on doing some other things, and experiencing some other experiences.”

McCutcheon wore No. 30 for the eight seasons he played in Los Angeles. Now, that number belongs to Gurley and McCutcheon said he feels he’s leaving it in good hands.

“He’s a superstar in waiting,” McCutcheon said of Gurley. “A very charismatic guy, a guy that’s level-headed and he’s a great, great football player.”

The same can be said of McCutcheon. We wish him the best in his retirement.

Rams defense has better things to worry about Saturday against Kansas City than former teammate Nick Foles

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rams-726311-foles-play.html

IRVINE – Not long ago, the Rams hoped Nick Foles would be the quarterback to lead them into preseason games such as the one they’ll play Saturday at the Coliseum. Now, Foles is the opponent.

Foles never made it to Southern California. Once the Rams’ presumptive quarterback of the future, Foles was benched last November and released last month, after the Rams made it clear they were ready to turn over things to Case Keenum and Jared Goff. Foles signed with Kansas City two weeks ago.

Foles is expected to be the second quarterback in the game, and perhaps play one full quarter, when the Chiefs play the Rams at the Coliseum on Saturday night.

“I don’t think it will be weird,” Rams safety T.J. McDonald said after Thursday’s practice at UC Irvine. “It’s just part of this league, part of this game. Sometimes guys go, and you wish them the best of luck, but we’re competitors when we get out there on the field.’’

The Rams, long in search of a franchise quarterback, thought they’d found the answer in March 2015 when they traded quarterback Sam Bradford a couple draft picks to Philadelphia for Foles, who then was 26 years old and only two years removed from a Pro Bowl appearance.

But like Bradford, Shaun Hill, Austin Davis, Kellen Clemens and others, Foles didn’t work out for the Rams. He began last season as the starter, lost the job to Keenum in November and finished the season with seven touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 56.4 completion percentage in 11 games.

After the Rams drafted Goff with the No. 1 overall pick in April, Foles did not attend the Rams’ optional summer workouts and he was released shortly before the start of training camp last month.

Not surprisingly, Foles didn’t remain unemployed long, as the Chiefs signed him to back up Alex Smith.

For McDonald and the Rams’ secondary, this game is less about Foles and more about bouncing back.

Even though the Rams beat Dallas last Saturday, the first-string defense didn’t perform particularly well. The Cowboys didn’t play starting quarterback Tony Romo, and rookie backup Dak Prescott started and completed 10 of 12 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

Now the Rams’ defense gets another chance, albeit against the traditionally run-heavy Chiefs.

“It’s exciting to take another step,” McDonald said, “and get some more action and get the bad taste out of our mouths from last week. It’s always a great opportunity to go on the field and gel as a defense.”

GAME UPDATE

Coach Jeff Fisher said Keenum will start at quarterback Saturday but indicated that Goff will get a couple series with the first-team offense, then play into the second half with the second-team offense.

Running back Todd Gurley, who did not play in last Saturday’s victory over Dallas, is scheduled to play against the Chiefs, but likely only a series or two, Fisher said.

Defensive end Robert Quinn, who traveled to Rio de Janeiro this week to watch his sister, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, compete in the Olympics, returned to practice Thursday but likely will not play Saturday.

Camacho-Quinn competed for Puerto Rico and had one of the top times in qualifying heats in the 100-meter hurdles, but on Wednesday, she tripped over a hurdle and did not reach the final. Quinn, his wife and his parents traveled to Brazil.

“It was her moment,’’ Quinn said. “I couldn’t have been more proud of her. I really wanted to see her in the finals, because I think she had a shot, but it was unfortunate.”

VeteranRamFan

Good size crowd, maybe 800-1000 but I’m not good at math so I may be exaggerating. What I really enjoy seeing at these practices, this is my fourth one, is the families. Dad’s with their kids, small kids, medium kids, large kids. Love seeing the kids and I love seeing parents with all their Ram gear on and the kids having matching outfits. There was even a couple of Pop Warner teams there. It was fun listening to the coaches and Dad’s talking about football, “Hey, we do those drills!” or “Maybe we should use that drill?”.

Weather was warm, no, hot is more like it. High 80’s, maybe low 90’s. Clear skies but off in the distance to the north you could see the smoke over the mountains from the fire in the Cajon pass. Pray no one gets hurt or killed. Possessions can be replaced.

My plan this camp was to focus on the lineman and the DB’s. That is so hard to do with the vantage points we have. I set up in the end zone bleachers and was treated to the 1×1 of the wide receivers and DB’s. Two lines, one on each side of the hash marks. QB’s rotated so I couldn’t see who was throwing while I was focusing (literally, had my camera) on the match ups. Now I had the big scissor lift blocking part of my view to the right so my area of focus was on my left or the QB’s right. Line of scrimmage was about the 5-yard line. Here is what I saw;

P. Cooper was lining up on the left side. Saw him make a move at the line, sprint to the back of the end zone, cut left (outside) and then immediately reverse direction to the middle of the end zone. It was fast, crisp and left the DB, who I didn’t see his number, in the dust. Nice move. Didn’t catch the ball IIRC.

K. Britt is a pro. He needs more targets. Leaping high to make the catch then coming down in bounds. Joyner playing him tight when they were matched up. One series Joyner leaps high and breaks up the pass. Nice D.

A. Hill, the son of former Ram TE David Hill and nephew of local CBS sportscaster Jim Hill is trying hard. He just doesn’t have the speed, the moves, the hands. He knows he has to impress and is maybe trying too hard? He had a drop in the end zone against Mike Jordan that upset him greatly. Later on, during 11×11, he made a great leaping catch on the far sideline the caused some cheers from the crowd. He seemed rejuvenated after that. Did catch a couple more during 11×11. He will be lucky to make the PS.

B. Quick knows he is on the bubble. During the first series of drills, he ran a simple out curl. The ball hit him in a bad place, his hands. Dropped. I have a picture of him after that walking around with his hands on his hips and his head down. Obviously upset with himself and like I said, I think he knows he may not make the team with all the younger talent at WR. He did redeem himself later by getting really open and a nice leaping catch then, fighting off Tru J. and using his size to score a TD. Doing what we expect him to do, fight for the ball, use his size and leaping ability. See the pics for this sequence.

B. Marquez got separation from Tru on one series but couldn’t hang on to an over throw. He also was WIDE open during 7×7. Blown coverage by either EJ Gains or #47 M. Roberson.

D. Williams, only saw one series with him. Shielded Tru with his body and made the catch at the goal line.

D. Richards, #12 made a nice move on T. Hill, was open for the over the shoulder throw but didn’t manage to hang on.

T. Austin didn’t do much of these drills that I saw but he did have a nice play during 11×11. Screen pass to the right, turns up field and lights his jets. Breaking away from all pursuers, Joyner comes full speed with a great angle to intercept the speeding Austin. Just as Joyner was within arm’s reach, Tavon takes a half step, cuts back to the middle of the field. Joyner never saw him again. Nice effort by Joyner, great move my Tavon. I posted that Joyner was still looking for his socks after that juke.

That was it for WR drills. I was hoping to use my zoom lens from the end zone to capture the linemen during 11×11 but the offense was moving towards the far end zone so all the players not participating were standing on the field and blocking my view. So I move to the south bleachers as far down as I could so I could get some good shots with players’ numbers. It worked out pretty well. Now I did focus almost exclusively on the line of scrimmage so I really didn’t see the end result of the plays ran. But that was the whole idea, watch the line.

Battle didn’t play, was taken out due to injury earlier in practice. Pace Murphy took his place.

G. Rob had some good and some bad moments. He was going up against Sims.

C. Wichmann was at LG for the ones. Again, some good, some bad.

T. Barnes center did a good job from what I saw. Maybe the best of all the lineman not named Saffold.

J. Brown at RG. A. Donald 99 made him look bad but he really wasn’t. Everyone looks bad against Donald, but one series Brown did get all out of positon, his feet were not under him, reaching for Donald. Would have been a sack.

D. Williams was at RT for the second string. He did well! He was going up against Morgan Fox so that may be the reason.

R. Saffold against W. Hayes. Saffold is solid. Best multi position player on the team IMHO.

T. Gurley had a nice blitz pick up. Actually was able to take out two rushers by pushing his man (A. Ayers) into the other moving around to the outside (C. Lynch). Play would have resulted in a sack because G. Rob let Sims beat him with a speed rush.

There was a little scuffle between Chase Reynolds and Darreon Herring. They were so close, wrapped up tight, looked like they could have been dancing a slow dance. Not much more than that and some jaw jacking. It really didn’t even attract the attention of the other players. It must have affected Reynolds as he wasn’t performing well after that. Came to the sidelines after one series, Tavon was yelling his name to get his attention and Reynolds didn’t even acknowledge Tavon.

I can’t recall much more than this. Take a look at the pics and hopefully they loaded in the correct sequence so you can get a feel for the action. Maybe some of you with more football acumen could add some analysis from what you see.

from Jared Goff’s progress, Denver D’s role in QB battle and moreSteve Wyche

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000686915/article/jared-goffs-progress-denver-ds-role-in-qb-battle-and-more?campaign=Twitter_atn

… a look at Jared Goff’s progress heading into the second game of the preseason …

On the surface, it might seem that Rams quarterback Jared Goff didn’t show much in his team’s 28-24 preseason-opening victory over Dallas, especially since Cowboys rookie QB Dak Prescott, a fourth-round pick, showed out as his team’s starter.

Let’s do everyone a service here and dig a little deeper.

Start with Goff’s second throw of the game (his first was a dropped pass). Goff was drilled by Cowboy’s linebacker Derek Akunne on a blitz, in which Akunne came from Goff’s right, untouched. Goff admitted he didn’t see him, even though Akunne came from his front side. It was a cleverly executed blitz that left Goff exposed and his left (non-throwing) shoulder bruised after getting taken to the ground. On the Rams’ next series, Goff returned with 3:37 remaining before halftime and the ball on his own 13-yard line — not much time to march into scoring position. This is the type of situation in which coaches love to see how young players perform — and if they possess the proper mettle.

Poise, clock management and football IQ all convened. Goff was fully exposed.

Goff’s first pass, a quick out to rookie draft pick Mike Thomas, was dropped. On second down, he connected with rookie tight end Tyler Higbee, who already is Goff’s on-field BFF (and camp roommate). On third-and-3, a 14-yard completion again to Higbee. Goff and the offense were in a groove. The 21-year-old QB later would say his first series was a bit of an eye-opener, but at this point, it felt like he was playing football again.

Later in the drive, Goff completed two more passes — one a 14-yarder to Higbee. Two plays later, he drilled a beautiful pass inside the red zone on a post route to impressive rookie wideout Pharoh Cooper, who couldn’t hang on after taking a nice pop from J.J. Wilcox.

On third-and-10 from the Cowboys’ 37, the drive stalled when Goff was sacked. He knew he was doomed quickly, and wisely took the temporary loss. Other than showing composure and field presence on the drive, Goff also learned something — and we learned something about Goff.

He told me that, during the second drive, the Cowboys showed the same blitz look that they used on the previous series — in which he was sacked. Goff adjusted the protection, checked into a safe play, checked into hot passing routes and got the ball in play.

It might seem simple, but it’s growth. Mental progress is what coaches want to see more than anything right now with Goff, and they’ve steadily seen it over the past few weeks.

I was told by someone with ties to Goff that he works best when he learns his own way and at his own pace, not when things are forced. The Rams have taken this approach and, according to some coaches I have spoken with, he is learning quickly and shaping into the player they hope that he will be.

The Rams publicly are slow-playing Goff’s development and downplaying expectations in the short term. I still believe that he is on track to start Week 1 against the 49ers.

Coach Jeff Fisher said Goff will be getting more reps with the first-team offense this Saturday against Kansas City. That only makes sense. Goff needs work with the crew he’s going to eventually play with. Fisher also got to see first-hand why it is important for the backup QB to get significant reps with starters during the preseason, after watching Dallas’ Prescott complete 10 of his 12 passes for 139 yards and two TDs in the first half against his defense.

Let’s not overblow this. The Rams were playing as basic a defense as they could play, but Prescott was comfortable and in total control with the personnel he’s been working with for weeks — because starter Tony Romo gets days off and projected backup Kellen Moore is out with a fractured ankle.

Prescott looked far more polished than Goff in the opener, but he also was playing with Dez Bryant and the best offensive line in the NFL. Not to take anything away from Prescott because he made a great first impression and eased some concerns about the Cowboys’ backup QB spot. If he follows things up with more impressive play, then Jerry Jones might have some insurance if Romo gets hurt — or at least a developmental heir.

With Goff drafted to be anointed the starter at some point, getting him as much time with the first-team offense as possible is a must. As we get closer to the regular season and the Rams begin to game plan, backup reps shrink.

Speaking of backup reps, Rams second-year quarterback Sean Mannion led the second-half comeback against the Cowboys, completing 18 of 25 passes for 147 yards with three touchdowns and a pick.

Rams coaches speak highly of him, but if they honestly thought that much of him, they would not have given up a boatload of draft picks to select Goff first overall. That said, if Mannion continues to play well, he could draw suitors elsewhere that could bring some compensation in a trade.

If that were to take place, it won’t happen before the 2017 draft period, according to someone with the Rams that I recently spoke with. If someone offers something too good for the Rams to turn down for Mannion, which is highly unlikely, they might reconsider. But if a team needed immediate help, quarterback Case Keenum would seem more likely a trade target.

I couldn’t see the Rams moving Keenum before the 2017 draft period, if at all. Goff is going to go through ups and downs and without a veteran in the quarterback room — and frankly, there isn’t a true veteran leader on the team — Keenum is the type of pro who is needed for guidance and to play if necessary.

off the net from Dick84

to make the transition easier, you can see the Rams adding some read-option elements to make it easier to Goff. Mike Nolan on Sirius radio recently mentioned that is *exactly* what he would do if he had another shot with Alex Smith.

LA Champ

Camp report from Wednesday August 17th….

I arrived to a clear, sunny and a very hot camp day to see defenders rotating through a turnover drill. The DB’s, LB’s and DL’s try to rip a football loose from various teammates. Greg Williams barking out commands. It was my first look at the Rams in person, and like last year, the image of these men is striking. TJ McDonald, Ogletree, Ayers, and, well pretty much every player looks physically imposing.

As I said, it’s a bunch of drills around the entire field. I walk from area to area. I’m looking for standouts. And I see one, it’s Greg Z. booming kicks through the goalposts. Our number 2 kicker, #1, doesn’t quite compare in leg strength. Finally I get to see the offense.

It was a bunch of players…RB’s taking handoffs from coaches. Gurley, Benny, and some #37…QB’s handing off…whistle blows and they’re off….

Wide receivers

In drills, it’s a bunch of passes from Goff, Keenum, and Mannion. Even a #2 gets a few throws in. I see Tavon, Thomas, Cooper, Quick, Britt, and North make catches. Everyone catches…Tough catches, easy catches…Nothing special. These guys are athletes. Players that impressed me were Thomas, Britt, Austin, Quick and Marquez North. Put the ball near these guys in a drill, in a tough location, and watch the crowd go, “oooh”… Duke looks pretty good too. Horn, the defensive backs come on over.

This is where it gets a lil competitive. Certain db’s on my side are Coty Sensabaugh, Joyner, #41. I also have the man known as Kenny Britt in line. There is a certain swagger about Britt. Confident and cocky. He does every rep hard. He always trying to get his feet down inbounds. True professional. And the best part, he usually wins. Sensabaugh, Joyner, whoever goes against Britt is in for a bad rep…And they know it. Marquez North is coming along too. Like, he’s picking up Britt’s energy, and he’s competing. After a while, the only db’s that stand out are Joyner, and Coty. Especially Joyner. I talked bad about those two after last game, but in drills, Joyner competes. He makes it tough. He gets his hands on some balls. Joyner LOOKS BETTER than every other player in one on one drills. Remember, one on ones are totally in the receiver’s advantage. You have to cover too much field. Most of the defenders try to “guess” the route. And they usually guess wrong. On the far side, I see #9 miss a pass, and pound his hand on the ground. He’s been playing up the, I want to compete angle…Hustling…I bet #9 plays Saturday….I catch Pharoh Cooper missing one..then next rep, he makes a corner of the end zone catch…He tells the defender about it. I look back across the field to see Mike Thomas diving in the end zone, laying out to catch a pass. Mike Thomas is a player. Then I see Duke Williams…..Duke is running a fade route, he holds the db back…like he literally holds him off with one hand, and makes a catch with the other. It was an impressive display of strength and coordination….The players celebrate with Duke by leaping up on him, twisting in the air…Horn….All in all, we have receivers…Who stood out…Britt, Thomas, Tavon, Quick, and Duke. North & Cooper can play too…But Cooper is not a natural catcher like Britt and Duke…Guys like that are made to catch red zone passes.

TE’s come over…Kendricks is built up man….Calves & Arms….Geez! Hemingway is a specimen too…I saw some drill where in one instant the TE would lay down after the catch, the other they’d run through the pass….I was disappointed that Higbee wasn’t practicing….But not surprised. Again, these are huge men, and he caught five passes last game. I know he’s still sore…Harkey was the only guy of note I remember with a drop, the other drops were by some player I couldn’t recognize…Again, defenders have little chance of success, and the ones who do just happened to guess right. Horn

Finally some scrimmaging…

Starters are the same…Keenum, Tavon, Britt, Kendricks, Gurley, somebody I’m missing….oh well, line was Robinson, Wichman, Barnes, Brown…and I’m sure it was Saffold…could be wrong… And the reason I rarely have mentioned line play is this, it’s very hard to see exactly who’s going hard, who’s really having to block. I want to preface my comments with, I don’t believe these men are playing all out. I mean, Donald isn’t really going hard. Brockers naw….Hayes & Simms….not really. Scrimmaging is watered down, the lack of intensity is startling… And I blame it on the size of these men… I could see where if some of these guys went at each other at 100%, injuries would be happening left and right…. So, Keenum hands off to Gurley, crowd goes wild….he’s fast man….Keenum throws one to the flat to Benny…Keenum throws another swing pass…Man…I didn’t see anyone throw a pass farther than 10 yards in “live” scrimmage…all day. Talk about vanilla…talk about some 7 & 9 bullshit… Look, I only know what I’d want practice to look like, and it seems we’re practicing to have problems scoring. Fisher yelled out, “:55 seconds on the clock…..”…1st team offense…they drove down to the 10 or so before time ran out….2nd team comes out. Same :55 seconds on the clock, one timeout…think Goff completed ONE pass…maybe two…but the thing is, he was locked on to his receiver to the left, play after play…I finally yelled out, “look to the other side!”…. You know, LA Champ stuff…My wife cringed, the crowd listened…Hell, I know Goff listened, he tried to look to the other side…My take, guys overwhelmed….Best arm on the team, but again, there are large and fast men out there…moving to do damage… I can see why he’s a little anxious…Maybe it’s some…I don’t know…but maybe they ARE installing some bits of the offense…Working on certain things…But to allow a young kid to constantly repeat bad techniques…and staring only to the left for 4 consecutive plays is BAD TECHNIQUE, allowing that seems counterproductive….Every pass in his :55 seconds was contested…Any NFL db is going to bait him, then pick him…My overall impression is, our offense is a work in progress…If the D-Line went hard, our offense would never move…I really want to see what the offense does against KC defense…Especially in the 1st quarter. Horn

We had a little more scrimmaging and it started getting heated, passes contested, big hits, and before the juices on these large men gets going, the final horn sounds. The linemen separate into a large group to stretch. The receivers break off and look like they’re catching passes from #2…Whatever it takes…

Final overview….I got to say I really enjoyed my time. I love football and the people it brings together…I met some ROD guys (what’s up @worldpeas ) & a RFU ( what’s up Elvis)….Beside being remind 3 times to stay off the fence and stop taking pictures (and NO, I didn’t have a damn camera!) I think the Irvine campus is great. Stuff for kids to do. I’ll be back. For the team, lots of work needed brothers. Not going to sugar coat it. I’m reminded of Hammer….Oh, he was negative. I’ll be gentle.

Offense…What can I say? It seemed that not many passes traveled over 10-15 yards…How can you score doing that? When do you practice long passes? Keenum is like the little guy on a high school team…I don’t think we’re using Kenny Britt effectively. And that guy is a stud…He should get 100+ targets. We are focusing on passing. Everything is in shotgun. No use working on running plays while going 75%. Our 2nd unit…Goff’s unit…looks like a mess…I can’t tell what’s wrong with it…but it’s outta shape. It’s funked up…I have a buddy named 3K…He coined a phrase, “Fisherball”. And Jeff Fisher is always fucking with the offense…Always over there…Like he knows what is going on…Maybe he does…But if the offense is ground to a halt, look at Fisher…then Boras, and then Groh….If Goff gets in the end zone this week, everybody can rag on Champ…But, I don’t see Goff leading the team to the end zone. Not this week. I don’t see Keenum either…I expect Mannion to though…Mannion is throwing to Duke, and Thomas, and North….Those guys could start for me and are not the average 3rd stringers….They’ll have the advantage…

Defense…Big ass men….but they don’t really hit. I expect these guys to play better, but still be behind opponents. I did see tighter coverage on the outside. I think I saw Troy Hill on the 2nd team….I did see EJ Gaines…Wearing all white gear….I don’t think I saw him move full speed all day. He was lined up with the starters…Cody Davis started…Mo may be hurt…Barron wasn’t out there either…#50…think that’s Lynch, replace Mark Barron. Say uh-oh…say it like Scooby Doo, ruh-roh….

Players that popped. Kenny Britt. I have been tooting Quick’s horn. He’s like the padawan, Kenny’s the Jedi…No shit, Kenny is the real deal, The guy that reminds me of Kenny the most? Duke Williams. future pro, on this team or the next. he’s just better than the db’s that are sticking him. Strong man. Just like Britt.…Also watch out for Roberson & Hill to make some plays this weekend. Hell, look out for that Joyner & Sensabaugh tandem to really make amends. Joyner is a little guy…But he’s a try hard guy…He’s still getting beat though…But I respect him….Watch out for Mike Thomas…He’s always diving on the ground. Catching passes. He’s exciting to watch in person. I really like him more than Cooper. Cooper is not bad…shifty player…but not a stud. You know who also looked good? Marquez North…He pops. Dude made some really nice catches in drills. I see him getting some time. The #9 guy from U of Arizona…The guy off hard knocks, the one that was mad he didn’t get in the game…Look for him to play a lil….Don’t know about him. He competes hard…Or rather, reacts hard…Slams fist to the ground on every missed play…every single one. Look for that on the next hard knocks….he makes me think he’s acting…lol…Look for Tavon…I think they’re going to Britt & Quick this game….More than Tavon…But if Tavon gets one, he’s going to try to go to the house…He did that in the scrimmage today. Flew across the field. He is fast. Quick is considerably smaller than Britt now..IDK…Look for him to get considerable action on Saturday too. Last player that popped to me was Kendricks. He saw a lot of action in the 11 on 11’s. In fact, besides the backs, the TE’s received the most targets. Kendricks, Hemingway, and that Justice Cunningham. Benny’s big brother…Naw, that guy looks good. Our TE’s look good.

Players that pooped…Well, QB’s….they didn’t throw the ball…Maybe they don’t want to do that in front of the fans…You know…Spies…Put that camera down! I’m sure Pete Carrol & Bruce Arians send down spies in all white Rams gear…because…you know the Rams are SOOOO GOOOOD!…. ahahhahahahah But if Keenum is going to get any better, shouldn’t he like, you know, press the ball downfield a lil? In practice? I couldn’t imagine Brett Farve down here…He’d go crazy. Mannion & Goff have pretty decent arms too…Maybe this was swing practice Wednesday? Can’t say anyone really did badly. Just the lack of intensity, but I understand. Too many huge men. Goff…man…IDK….

My wife’s Facebook page notified her that a year ago today, we went to the Oxnard camp to watch the rams. Missed the fight by one day last year..dagnabit..Caught the Chase Reynolds fight.We saw Reynolds get an uppercut in. Is he feeling pressure????…I think I’ll go to practice again next week. I hope I can get better doing this, just like our Rams need to continue to get better on the field.

Agamemnon wrote:

In today’s press conference, Fisher indicated that Battle’s situation was not serious. He still might play against KC.

Yep

‘Hard Knocks’ Episode 2, in which the Rams get all Spruce-d up

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/remote-726042-dummy-ridiculousness.html

The existence of dinosaurs and mermaids, the prospects of an injury caused by a remote-controlled robotic tackling dummy and the ridiculousness of allowing players to drive dune buggies on a college campus – you couldn’t see that accident coming? – could be the immaterial takeaway from Episode 2 of the HBO docuseries “Hard Knocks” focused on the Rams.

But those kinds of things are beginning to come off as just colorful distractions from the real storylines that have ramped up as exhibition games are played, cuts have to be made and, in case of rookies Nelson Spruce and Austin Hill, careers could be launched or crushed in one otherwise historic Saturday night.

Spruce, the 23-year-old possession receiver out of Westlake High who broke the Pac-12 career receptions record at Colorado, ended up with the Rams as an undrafted free agent. But from the HBO airtime he caught for his second-half performance at the Coliseum against Dallas, a 28-24 come-from-behind win in which he caught six passes for 51 yards and a touchdown, the viewer could better understand how social media got behind Spruce as that game unfolded.

As his highlight reel played out, and we heard ESPN’s Jon Gruden call him “my sleeper on the Rams,” and teammates start chanting his name during the game and in the locker room, and family members embraced him afterward, the contrast shots came from the brooding Hill.

The receiver out of Arizona and son of former Rams tight end David Hill who also signed as a free agent earlier this month, didn’t get into the contest at all against Dallas. The HBO cameras and microphones caught him upset on several occasions as he stood on the sidelines, saying how ticked off he was, even as his team was engineering the “comeback” in the exhibition game.

Does that kind of media help or hurt Hill’s chances going forward? Especially since it came out (in the news, not on the HBO episode) that Spruce injured a knee in that exhibition and could be out a couple of weeks.

Another tug-o-war for a position – and a number – was played out between rookie safeties Brian Randolph and Jordan Lomax.

Randolph, a former standout at Tennessee known as “Rhino,” was pestering Lomax to trade numbers with him. Randolph said he felt he was owed No. 37, which he wore his entire career, but was now stuck with No. 43.

With the NFL Films mike and camera nearby, Lomax said he would consider trading numbers – for $10,000. Randolph tried to negotiate with him but was still wearing No. 43 when he played Saturday, and then tore his ACL. Two days later, the Rams released Randolph (news not included in the episode). Lomax, and his No. 37, lived to see another day.

Perhaps the Randolph release had more to do with his position coach identifying him in a scene as a “N.A.F.” during an earlier practice (you’ll need to watch the episode to get the specifics on that abbreviation, but it’s not good).

As for what else emerged in this second of five episodes for the series that runs through Sept. 6:

• Rams coach Jeff Fisher said last week that he got a call from his mother, unhappy with the language she (and everyone else) heard him use in Episode 1.

If Fisher intended to tone it down, he might have done so during shots of him in team meetings, but not when his mike was open during some captured sideline reaction during the Saturday exhibition.

Fisher seems to become more likeable as HBO and NFL Films also went back to the vault to show him as a young defensive coach for the Rams back in 1991. He admitted how back then, camp was just all about hitting with pads and scrimmaging in the heat, getting the players in shape. But since today’s players stay fit year around, Fisher said the focus now is more “on recovery.”

• A recent post on MMQB.com notes how “Hard Knocks” can turn viewers into consumers, as they see something they deem as cool (like Fisher’s sunglasses or center Eric Kush’s tank tops) and then go in pursuit of it.

Based on Episode 2, we’ll guess more NFL fans seek out the bold-lettered T-shirts that Will Hayes (“Stay Humble”) or Austin Hill (“Money In the Clutch”) wore, the TACKMA gear sported by defensive back T.J. McDonald, or the Roger Goodell portrait socks won by receiver Tavon Austin.

• Rookie QB Jared Goff may get a Darwin Award for his knowledge of sunrises and sunsets from Episode 1, but Hayes, a 31-year-old defensive end from Winston-Salem State, must have skipped some history classes based on his beliefs revealed that he doubts dinosaurs ever existed but is much more open to the idea of mermaids.

It seems as if Fisher tipped the NFL Films crew about this, which led to him going on camera to say with sincerity: “I just think it’s bull(expletive) to be completely honest with you. I just can’t fathom a T-Rex walking around here, something man has never seen.”

He’s then shown telling a teammate: “The government makes up that (expletive) up all the time. If you want to be ignorant and believe in that, great. That’s on you.”

• More Darwinism: No doubt receivers Brian Quick and Kenny Britt will end up on the DL if Fisher allows them to continue riding a dune buggy around the UC Irvine campus. Even with a GoPro camera attached to the windshield, they didn’t seem all that flustered when they managed to roll over in the car and somehow escape injury. Could they have negotiated with HBO to not have that footage used? It didn’t lead to any disciplinary action, but …

• Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones may have been kidding – and commissioner Goodell’s laugh tried to defuse it – but asking Rams owner Stan Kroenke before Saturday’s game if he had “any idea how bad we’re going to kick your (rear end) tonight” sounded a bit passive-aggressive in light of Jones’ help in getting the NFL owners to approve Kroenke’s move from St. Louis back to L.A. this past offseason.

• It’s seriously OK if we don’t have any more footage of a girlfriend/wife/mom/baby momma, along with the vapid commentary. As one said before Saturday’s exhibition, noting the Coliseum at near capacity: “This is way more fans than they would probably ever have.”

FYI on #Rams Jeff Fisher and Les Snead contract extensions: I'm getting more and more indication both are imminent

— Vincent Bonsignore (@DailyNewsVinny) August 17, 2016

I have so much footage of William Hayes talking about mermaids and dinosaurs on my phone it's not even funny.

— Chris Long (@JOEL9ONE) August 16, 2016

E.J. Gaines (hamstring) was cleared to practice at full speed today. Will play vs Chiefs on Saturday barring a setback.

— Jack Wang (@thejackwang) August 16, 2016

Jeff Fisher on Goff: "Every day there’s something he does better and different."

— Gary Klein (@LATimesklein) August 18, 2016

Goff with a 40 yd completion to Bradley Marquez in 7 on 7

— Gary Klein (@LATimesklein) August 17, 2016

#Rams WR Nelson Spruce and TE Tyler Higbee not in pads. Spruce (knee sprain) has a brace.

— Gary Klein (@LATimesklein) August 17, 2016

Though TE Higbee and RB Green were held out today, Fisher said neither has been ruled out for KC on Saturday.

— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) August 18, 2016

bubbaramfan

SOME FOLLOW-UP

After one pre-season game and attending one practice I’m not making any predictions on the Rams season. Its apparent to me there is a lot talent and players seem to be excited and buy in to Fisher and his staff. What stood out was the OL and DL. Great competition between the two, lots of pushing and shoving and angry words during drills, but all of them walking off together after practice. I think it bodes well for the Rams season if these two lines stay injury free.

* All 3 QB’s look good to me, they made mistakes, but all looked comfortable and confident. Sean Mannion impressed me the most. Can the Rams really have 3 capable starters?

* On QB snaps under C. They did this thing with a bunji cord tied around their waist, they lined up under C, and when the ball was snapped, a trainer 10 feet behind him, stretched to bunji cord, making the QB have a harder time setting his stance for a throw. Left me scratching my head as I had no idea how that drill helped the QB. Anyway they practiced that for about 20 min. Centers were, Barnes, Folkerts, Rhaney and Kush. QB’s rotated after every 3 snaps.

* I think Fisher wants all 3 QB’s comfortable running the 1st team offense, looked to me in all the drills they shared equal time with the ones.

* On Troy Hill. Very good 1st contact off the line, disrupting the WR from going into his route and sticks pretty good with his man, but had trouble with the bigger WR;s, Britt, Quick. Hill is going to move up the depth chart at DB. Gaines looked rusty, slow in his backpedle, but hell, this was his 1st practice in over a year.

* DB’s and WR’s spent a lot of time against each other. GW, Fisher, and several other coaches overseeing and a lot of yelling and arm waving. I was too far away to hear what was being said, but it was apparent both DB’s and WR’s were being coached up. They started the drill with 2 WR’s (like in the slot) and 2 DB;s across the line ( and NOT 5 or 10 yds off like in the cowboy game). Damn I was pleased to see that! A whistle started the drill and DB’s went right after the WR. Another whistle stopped the drill.the point of the practice? I’m guessing, for WR’s go get a step on DB off the line, for DB’s to jam up WR and disrupt the route. DB’s were playing TIGHT. They did this for almost 1/2 hr. Guys were dripping sweat and gulping Gatorade after, and Fisher and GW patting guys on the back Oh, the best DB in this drill? TruJo and Roberson. Best WR? Quick and Britt.

* Battle is big. He doesn’t look like your typical OLineman. No gut or fat ass. Guy just looks very athletic. Quick on his feet and very fluid looking. You can tell he’s very raw and unskilled at T though. Battle is going to start when he learns how to play. probably the strongest guy on the OL, maybe even the team (watch out Donald). Watching him put Simms on his ass was the highlight of my day, and Simms didn;t take it very well. If Simms gets cut it wouldn’t hurt my feelings.

* On Ogletree. Tree was very vocal all day in whatever drill they were doing. He looks to be taking a leadership role. when they were too far away and I couldn;t hear, I could see him waving his arms, pointing, a lot of huddling with 2 or 4 of the other lb;s. I liked what I saw from Ogletree both in his play and in his leadership.

Chiefs vs Rams: what to watch for.. NFL Network

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/0ap3000000686683/Chiefs-vs-Rams-what-to-watch-for-in-Preseason-Week-2

Hard Knocks, Ep. 2: Rams a perfect fit for Los Angeles

By Dan Hanzus
.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000686321/article/hard-knocks-ep-2-rams-a-perfect-fit-for-los-angeles%5B

Two episodes into the new season of Hard Knocks and it certainly feels like the right team is in Los Angeles.

The Rams are a pretty chill group. I wouldn’t call this a high-strung atmosphere. Quite the opposite, in fact. Everyone seems to be having a pretty good time at UC-Irvine. Yoga sessions, pool parties, bumper cars Pokemon hunts — it’s like a summer camp for young millionaires. No wonder poor Deon Long thought it’d be OK to bring a girl by the dorm room. This place is fun!

I want to be careful with my words here, because this type of observation on any team — especially in the NFL — could lead to one of the most deadly of all sports stigmas:

They’re running a country club over there!

I don’t think the Rams are running a country club over there. And I understand it is the job of NFL Films to show some of the lighter moments from camp life in the service of entertainment. But from my perspective on the couch things look loose.

Take, for instance, Jeff Fisher addressing wide receivers Kenny Britt and Brian Quick, who damn neared get themselves killed when their two-seater overturns at a high speed on campus. (This shocking moment was captured brilliantly by an NFL Films camera mounted on the vehicle.)

Fisher has no doubt seen the footage, which plays out like a deleted scene from Fast and the Furious 12: We’re Outta Ideas. Britt was moving when he loses control of the cart. We never see how Quick spills out of the vehicle, but Britt is extremely fortunate to escape injury.

Fisher refers to the veterans during a team meeting as “dumb and dumber.” Britt and Quick smile sheepishly during the surprisingly tame admonishment. It’s over in 30 seconds and life goes on.

The scene made me think back to All or Nothing with the Cardinals. You think Bruce Arians would have found this funny? If John Brown and Michael Floyd flipped their moped, something tells me they’d never see it again. “The b—- is mine now,” Brucie may say. (Get well soon, Coach.)

Jared Goff is a total Cali kid. He reminds me a lot of Mark Sanchez (another Cali kid) during his star turn on the Jets’ Hard Knocks season in 2010. Young, cocky, likable and a little bit goofy. Speaking of goofy, defensive tackle William Hayes doesn’t believe in dinosaurs and is confident mermaids exist. We’ll get into that in a bit.

Dreamers, meatheads, pretty boys and wandering spirits. Yep, this feels like Los Angeles. Welcome home, Rams.

Rampage2K

Went to camp today….

Few quick thoughts …

Goff had a rough day…. Started day off with the 2’s in the 11 on 11’s… Had one completiion to Hemmingway and one drop by Thomas(shocker) would have been diving catch though…would have been sacked several times with how long he took in the pocket and threw a pick in the endzone that looked like he and Quick were not on the same page..Didn’t look good at all and was not happy with himself. Finally got some reps with ones, fumbled first snap, then stumbled a play or so later…rallied late and threw a nice out route to Marquez.

Looked great in the 7 on 7’s though, threw lasers and hit every WR in the chest.

Tavon looked awful to start the day in punt return drills… Two out of three bounced off his chest.

Was a bit different practice then the one I saw last week…not a lot of time in 11 on 11 today… More individual drills.

Groh must have been former QB, dude was throwing some great balls in the WR drills.

C.Davis was starting FS all day.

Hit of the day goes to Jordan Lomax as he flat out leveled Austin Hill in the 7 on 7…. To Hill’s credit he held on to the ball and got up.

Kush was talking smack …….to a tackle dummy after he body slammed it in punt return drills..lol

Gurley is FAST.

Longacre has been killing it in camp….he looks to be much improved player this year.

Nobody else really stood out today.

It was hot as hell today..prolly hit 90 something out there.