– Mike Singletary has seen some talented defensive players in his day. So when he says Aaron Donald stands out, that really means something.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kid like 99. I’ve never seen a kid like that.”

Hacksaw_64

notes from camp 8/9

Special teams work was big today. Fisher was hands on with the special teams unit. He was working with the speed guys lining up outside in punt coverage.

Hekker made some nice angled punts. Tavon was returning. Couldn’t tell if Pharoah Cooper was working back there with him today.

Hekker showed of his arm on a bullet sideline throw to….wait for it. #60 Eric Kush who made a nice catch RAC. He also threw a nice deep touchdown pass over the middle to the back of the endzone. Hekker may have the third best arm on the team, behind Goff and Mannion…

Brian Quick started off in drills by making a half hearted one handed drop on a ball he should easily catch. His woes continued by going up and getting his hands on two apparent TD passes that he was unable to come down with. You could here the resounding “thud” as the ball bounced of his not so soft hands. Sometimes you play like you practice. It looked like he got a lot of reps today with the 2’s. He may be moving down the depth chart.

Tavon looks great. Our db’s can’t cover him if they lay off him or he gets out of his break off the LOS. He still has some trouble with good press coverage. Not to knock him because he does stand out as our best receiver, but Tavon looks like a real liability blocking in the run game.

Mike Thomas had a couple uncharacteristic drops today. He did redeem himself after his last drop by running a great route and making a TD catch. Showing off his great hands, reach and balance to secure the ball before going out of bounds. Don’t worry he’ll be fine. This cat is so smooth. He just looks natural at all phases of the receiving game. He reminds me a little of Isaac Bruce when he was a rookie. We can only pray he can turnout to be anywhere close. I’ll take a young poor man’s Bruce for now…

Bradley Marquez got mixed time with ones and two’s. He does go all out all the time. Not a lot on the day that I noticed except for one great adjustment he made for a completion on about a 20 yard out to the wide side of the field. Goff got the ball out fast and on a rope but it was one of his rare off target throws that was behind Marquez. Bradley was able to reach back and haul it in. Sometimes you need your receivers to make you look good. He did just that.

Pharoah Cooper got a lot of time with the 1’s. In fact the starting receivers on the first series were Britt(wide), Cooper(Inside), Tavon(slot) one one side and I think It was Mike Thomas lined up wide on the other side of the field. Of course it was a clear out play that Keenum dumped to Tavon underneath.

Nelson Spruce may be moving up a notch. He split time with ones and two’s. He continues to get open in space somehow. He hauled in a nice grab on about a 25 yard toss by Keenum that took forever and all his strength to get there. But it just did drop in over the top. He is making a real push to make the final 53.

Duke Williams I have to say looks like he is taking this whole thing seriously. I noticed him giving max effort in drills. He seems to really stepped up his game that final notch. He was giving a 100 percent all the way to the end. Looked more focused and I didn’t see him not get to a ball in drills. The other day he kinda “hot dogged” a reception just going for the one handed highlight catch. It was questionable if he secured the ball for a catch before going out of bounds. If he goes up with two hands he probably wouldn’t have had that problem. There was none of that for Duke today. I’m guessing he got an earful from the coaches when reviewing tape. Its real nice to see Duke taking this opportunity serious given his past issues. I think the veteren support of guys like Tavon in combination with the tougher competition along with some marked success when he does everything right is going a long way to further his development. The question is. Can he keep his head down and keep up this new behavioral tact for the duration. If he can I think it will pay dividends. I don’t see Britt or Quick being long term solutions. If he can master the playbook and show that he can willingly block in the running game i think he has a chance to replace Quick. That is of course unless Quick somehow shocks me and has the breakout season we have all been all too patiently waiting for. I’m pretty sure the main reason Quick gets another chance is that he is probably our best blocking WR in the run game. I’m rooting for Duke.

Todd Gurley seems to be our new addition to our WR group. They split him out wide again. I think he needs some work making the right read on his routes. Goff threw the ball right to the spot where it looked like Gurley should have broken of his route. But he ran down the sideline oblivious. Gurley in drills looks like he has stepped up his game in pass protection. Which is great to see. Not that he was bad last year, but imo its something he needs to master. I like the idea of being able to keep Gurley in the game on third down. I’m not so sure I like him being lined up as a WR leaving no one to protect the QB. I much prefer him releasing out of the backfield after getting a chip block on the blitz pickup. Our biggest area of improvement needs to be converting on third down. Putting Goff, Gurley, Higbee and even Spruce on the field at the same time on third downs could be the gamechanger the Rams have desperately needed. Face it Fole/Keenum, Cook, Quick, and then inserting Benny as your 3rd down pass blocking back(telling the defense your gonna pass) wasn’t exactly putting the fear of God in NFL defenses.

Benny looks like a new back hes in great shape. Did you guys realize that Benny ran a sub 4.4 forty (I think it was 4.39) at Middle Tennessee St. That’s smokin’ for a guy his size.

” Cunningham was one of the state’s top performers in the sprinting events. At the 2009 TSSAA State T&F Championships, he took gold in both the 100 meters, with a time of 10.6 seconds, and in the 200 meters, at 21.86 seconds. In addition, he competed in the 800 meter run event and was a member of the 4x100m relay squad. He also recorded a 4.39 40-yard dash in practice.”

The only reason he didn’t get drafted was because he had a pretty bad knee injury. He was on everyones radar.:

Check out the 1:55 and 3:24 mark.

I think I would use Benny to spell Gurley during the season for more for as entire series than just on third downs. I think the Rams are going to try and limit Gurley’s workload more than you think this year. Which is fine by me Benny looks like he has finally fully recovered and got his “jets” back.

Kendricks had one real nice catch from Goff. Then later dropped a ball that hit him right in the hands. Seems like he has at least one of those every practice. Its a little alarming after his not so sure hands last season.

Hemmingway was finally in pads today but he was getting limited reps. No routes. They definitely have him throttled back. He had a trainer in tow with him all practice. Seemed to be really working on stretching out his calves. I have to surmise he’s coming off some kind leg/tissue of injury. He was really putting in the extra work before and after practice. Last week UDFA Benson Brown got most of his second and third team reps. Its too bad because Brown really doesn’t nearly as talented. But hey you need bodies in camp. Hemmingway did get a couple chances to show off his pass blocking skills in a one on one drill against a blitzing LB. I missed the first one but ramsman told me it wasn’t good. His second try he was up against a blitzing LB lined up on his outside shoulder. It looked like he beat bad coming of the snap but he made a quick adjustment and absolutley stoned the oncoming blitzer. He wasn’t getting anywhere near the QB once he got locked up.. Hopefully he heals up because being so raw he can’t afford to get behind on reps.

Harkey and Justice Cunningham both each had snot knocking wham blocks in the run game.

Keenum overall wasn’t horrible but I wouldn’t say he was good either. He gets the majority of his completions on checkdowns and underneath routes. And I think that is actually smart, because he has some real arm limitations. In fact Greg Williams pretty much ignored covering his receiver on the wide side of the field. Keenum had Thomas flaked out wide left and Williams decided to cover him with a Safety cheating toward the middle and about 20 yards of the receiver. Daring Keenum to loft one out there. Thank God he didn’t dare. I think Case had two picks today. A couple more that should have been. One was an easy pick six for any decent NFL db on one of the floating out routes to the short side of the field.

Goff got ended up getting first team reps towards the end of practice with Keenum moving down to the second team. He looked crisper at the LoS and getting his plays off.Threw a nice deep ball that landed in the corner of the endzone. Thomas stumbled on his break and couldn’t get to what should have been a TD. He moved the offense real well once again in the two-minute drill. Moving the chains by getting yards in chunks.

The defense looked like they had the upperhand today

Aaron Donald had a stripsack return for a TD>

Marcus Roberson continues to fly under the radar at TC. He had tight coverage all day. Didn’t see a ball thrown his way for good reason.

Ogletree looked like he was having trouble coming off blocks in the middle. Got completely engulfed and taken out of the play a couple times.

Greg Williams was yelling at his defense like it was the Super bowl.

Mike Singletary was watching the defense and taking notes on every play from a view behind the middle of the defense. He would get down in his LB stance before each play. I think he primarily was focusing on MLB.

We All Thought the Voting Rights Act Was a Permanent Victory. We Were Wrong.
Lessons from the newly insane state of North Carolina, and the Rev. William Barber.

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a47489/north-carolina-voter-suppression-local-level/

Here in the shebeen, we often remind new patrons that, when it comes to things that it really wants to do, the conservative movement—and the Republican Party for which it is the primary lifeforce—has taken to heart Stalin’s order to the Red Army when Operation Barbarossa kicked off in 1941: Ni shagu nazad, Not One Step Backwards.

Recently, there have been a number of stunning victories in various courts that are aimed at curtailing the various state-level voter suppression schemes that sprung up after Chief Justice John Roberts declared the Day of Jubilee in writing the majority opinion in the Shelby County case. In all cases, it seems, federal appeals courts have had enough of pretending that voter suppression laws have anything to do with protecting anyone’s right to vote and everything to do with restricting people’s right to vote through regimes that best can be referred to as Jim Crow 3.0.

Today Is a Great Day for Voting Rights

One of the more resounding defeats for this new trickeration came last week from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, which parked the heinous new voter ID law passed by the legislature in the newly insane state of North Carolina about eighteen miles east of Cape Hatteras. Just as a reminder, this is what the Court said about the law in question:

“We cannot ignore the record evidence that, because of race, the legislature enacted one of the largest restrictions of the franchise in modern North Carolina history. The court seems to have missed the forest in carefully surveying the many trees.”

This decision, and similar ones in Texas and Wisconsin, were greeted with the appropriate huzzahs. However, remember, ni shagu nazad.

Not one step backwards.

Texas Won’t Be Suppressing Any Votes Today

Almost immediately after the decision came down from the appeals court, the battlefield shifted to the homeground of various county officials. Those of us old enough to remember that Bull Connor isn’t a Kevin Costner baseball movie remember well what happens when Massive Resistance filters down to local yokeldom. And, as NBC News points out, local yokeldom remains up to the task. And, to give local yokeldom credit, it at least is being honest about its motivation. There’s no more mock horror at imaginary voter-fraud.

But now the battle over voting in the Tarheel State is shifting to the local level—amid concerns that the court’s decision could let county election officials impose new schemes to limit access to the polls. Indeed, Francis De Luca, the head of a leading conservative think tank in the state, is publicly urging counties to do just that, saying making voting harder is just “partisan politics”—and that’s fair game.

Thank you, Francis DeLuca, for making John Roberts look like the faker he is. Anyway, the skids were well on their way to being greased.

One result of the decision is that counties must now draw up new early voting plans providing 17 days of early voting. That has voting rights advocates worried that some counties could take the opportunity to cut early voting sites and reduce hours, even as they add the additional seven days—with the potential result that access for some voters could end up being not much better than it would have been under the GOP law. The state’s local election boards are all controlled by Republicans. By state law, local election boards comprise three members: one Democrat, one Republican, and one member of the governor’s party.

Luckily, for the moment anyway, and thanks to leaders like Reverend William Barber, the shebeen’s official preacherman, the people of North Carolina have wised themselves up. On Monday night, there was a wild meeting of the Guilford County Board of Elections in Greensboro. As the News & Record reports, a potential bag-job regarding early voting was pretty much shouted off the table.

Hundreds of people packed the commissioners’ meeting room Thursday, filling every seat and lining the walls. Before the meeting began, a handful of residents approached the dais to plead for a public comment period. “There’s a lot of us that have children at A&T and UNCG and want to speak on our children’s right to vote,” Rabbi Fred Guttmann said. “What you’re doing is basically tearing at the fabric of American democracy.” But Board of Elections Chairwoman Kathryn Lindley declined to provide time for audience members to address the board. “If you want to have a press conference,” she told Guttmann, “please do that outside of this meeting.” Without a chance to voice their concerns, audience members grew restless, allowing board members only a few minutes to speak before erupting in chanting, clapping and shouting. Eventually, the crowd linked arms and began singing, “We Shall Not Be Moved.” Security officers, along with Lindley, pleaded with the crowd to be quiet, to no avail. Eventually, board members pushed back their chairs and debated behind the dais as the crowd chanted, clapped and demanded to be heard. After nearly 10 minutes, a small group of reporters and interfaith leaders approached Lindley, who stated, “We have voted, and the plan is in place.” The leaders, including Guttmann and the Rev. Julie Peeples, quieted the crowd so Lindley could announce the board’s decision.

What came out of the meeting is a compromise plan that revived an extended early voting period and provided more polling places, whereas the original plan floated in response to the circuit court decision would have targeted likely Democratic voters with limited early voting and the closing of convenient polling place in and around UNC-Greensboro and North Carolina A&T.

As DeLuca said, just partisan politics, right?

As approved, early voting will begin on weekdays from Oct. 20-26 in the blue room of the old Guilford County Courthouse, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Thursday, Oct. 27, the county will open 24 additional voting sites from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. until Saturday, Nov. 5, when hours switch to 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday voting will take place only on Oct. 30, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The plan will not take effect until it is approved by the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

The lessons here are many and varied. First of all, the importance of paying attention to local offices—and, indeed, voting in local election and running candidates for them—cannot be overestimated. (Corollary: The federal courts remain a deal-breaking issue if you live in a battleground state.) Second, a lot of the pushback came from Barber’s Moral Monday movement, which is to say, outside formal political institutions. This, I might add, is the way you conduct a political revolution.

And last, no political victory ever is permanent. We all thought the Voting Rights Act was a permanent victory. We were wrong. Ni shagu nazad, Stalin said, and after millions died and his country was devastated, his side won.

Isiah58 wrote:

I enjoyed the episode immensely, as I knew I would as a fan of the show. But for some reason I was very unsettled by Goff not knowing where the sun rises. I can’t imagine Andrew Luck (or even Carson Wentz) not knowing this? Does that strike anyone else as strange?

Isiah 58

I wasn’t disturbed by it, more amused (though I didnt watch the episode, as you see I just gathered info on it to post here).

Let;s just say that 20-somethings never cease to amaze me. Very sophisticated in some arenas, and dirt ignorant in others.

Just be glad they didn’t ask him any questions about the constitution or things like that.

“Hard Knocks” spotlights Goff, shows how far he still has to go

Zac Jackson

Hard Knocks spotlights Goff, shows how far he still has to go

On the same day Rams coach Jeff Fisher told reporters that 2016 No. 1 overall draft pick Jared Goff will soon be getting more first-team reps, the annual “Hard Knocks” inside training camp show debuted on HBO and featured Rams camp.

Goff got the treatment from the show’s cameras and producers that you’d expect a top pick in Los Angeles to get. He’s the headliner, even before he’s the starter, and the first of the show’s five episodes started by showing how far Goff still has to go.

A montage of botched snaps, whether or not they were Goff’s fault, was followed by clips of Goff talking with coaches and trying to relay plays through the huddle. The show’s producers also carefully chose a clip of Goff on set with NFL Network after one practice saying he’s never been a backup quarterback at any level.

At one point cameras caught Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams telling Fisher and other Rams staffers that Goff has never huddled — “not in middle school, not in high school” — so it’s understandable that he’s getting used to both the verbiage of the offense and relaying it.

“Offenses in the NFL, you’ve got to have a f—–g catalog to call plays,” Williams said.

The HBO cameras were also on hand for a one-on-one session with Goff and quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke.

“Everybody is watching what you,” Weinke told Goff. “You can’t f—–g hide. It ought to give you chills.

“This doesn’t just happen. You don’t just say, ‘Hey, I’m No. 16, I’m the starting quarterback. That ain’t f—–g happening.”

Like happens on any good quasi-reality show, the struggles are followed with brighter moments. Cameras caught Goff getting extra post-practice work with wide receiver Kenny Britt, asking Britt for more reps to make up for poor throws, and later caught Williams telling his defense it needed to keep the offense out of the end zone for one play in an 11-on-11 situation.

Right on cue, Goff threw a touchdown pass.

“That was real,” cameras caught Rams defensive lineman Mike Waufle saying to his fellow coaches after one Goff pass. “He threw a strike. That’s a quarterback, man.”

‘Hard Knocks’ lesson No. 1: Rams coach Jeff Fisher will not be 7-9 (again)

By ESPN.com

http://www.espn.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/29996/hard-knocks-lesson-no-1-rams-coach-jeff-fisher-will-not-be-7-9-again

At his first training camp meeting with his team, Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher laid out the rules.

1. Be on time.

2. No visitors to the dorms at the University of California-Irvine.

Cut to the next day. Fisher calls wide receiver Deon Long, who broke rule No. 2, to his office. Fisher cuts Long from the team so beginning another season of “Hard Knocks,” the HBO reality series which will follow the Rams through training camp.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher has emphasized early in training camp how not following the team’s rules can prevent it from excelling.
After letting Long go, Fisher uses him as an example. He says that kind of behavior will lead to a subpar season.

“Little things are important, you follow me?” Fisher said. “I am not f—ing going 7-9 or 8-8 or 9-7, OK? Or 10-6 for that matter. This team is too talented. I am not going to settle for that, OK? I know what I am doing. We had some 7-9 bulls— this morning. Now, Deon’s gone. That is 7-9 bulls—. We don’t need it.”

Fisher knows what 8-8, or worse, feels like. In 16 seasons as a head coach in the NFL, he has six winning seasons, the rest were .500 or below. Now, he is leading the Rams back into Los Angeles 21 seasons after they left for St. Louis.

Fisher will do it with rookie quarterback Jared Goff, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft out of Cal. If the first episode of “Hard Knocks” is any indication, Goff will be one of this season’s stars.

Since the dorms at training camp were not air conditioned, Goff sent 60 fans to the offense and offensive coaches. Fisher was less than impressed.

“So the offense has fans and the defense doesn’t?” Fisher asked. “Great way to start off.”

Goff also struggled on the field. The rookie never called plays in the huddle in high school or college. His confusion with the pro-style offense showed with a variety of fumbles and incompletions. Later, in the quarterbacks’ room, assistant coach Chris Weinke let Goff have it.

“Your expectation is up here,” Weinke said, raising his hand to the sky. “I know you are a rookie; I don’t give a f—, to be honest with you. Everybody’s watching what you do. You can’t f—ing hide; you can’t. It ought to give you chills. You know how many football teams there are in the NFL?”

“Thirty two,” Goff answered.

“You know how many starting quarterbacks there are?” Weinke asked.

“Thirty two,” Goff said again.

“There’s 32, and you are wired to be the starting quarterback of this football team,” Weinke said. “But how does that happen? It doesn’t just happen through osmosis and ‘I am No. 16, so I am going to start.’ That ain’t f—ing happening. I am going to tell you that right now. It’s up to you. Some people can’t handle it. Some people can’t handle the position you play. They definitely can’t handle the position you’re in.”

Goff proves to be an intriguing, perhaps naïve character. He admits to coaches he does not know where the sun rises — “East,” he tells a teammate later. “Apparently it’s well known” — and his love for pop star Taylor Swift.

Here are some others with star potential for the final five episodes:

Tavon Austin: The receiver fails to eat lunch — he had two bananas — before practice and cramps up. Fisher berates Austin’s behavior during the 7-9 speech. At the end of the episode, Austin shows his playful side, taking a golf cart around the Cal-Irvine campus to play Pokemon Go.

Aaron Donald: The defensive tackle is billed as the best player in the NFL you have never heard of. He didn’t show a ton of personality, but gets plenty of admiration from coaches and players for his athletic ability.

Todd Gurley: The second-year running back does plenty of trash talking and is called “lippy but lovable.” He is also doing commercials for California burger joint Carl’s Jr.

Eric Kush: As the Rams’ center, Kush tells Goff how much pressure to apply to his rear end to make it clear he is ready for the snap. He also walks viewers through his wardrobe of tank tops and 36 pairs of socks. “The key is to never have to wash socks at training camp,” he said.

Mike Waufle: The former Marine is the defensive line coach. “We are going to blow up the NFL,” he told his linemen during a colorful speech.

Joe Curley ‏@vcsjoecurley
“I think he is a Pokemon… He sure is hard to catch.” – Les Snead on Tavon Austin. #HardKnocks

Joe Curley ‏@vcsjoecurley
Singletary on Donald: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kid like 99.”

Joe Curley ‏@vcsjoecurley
Singletary on Donald: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kid like 99.”

Joe Curley ‏@vcsjoecurley 3h3 hours ago Los Angeles, CA
We’ve found our Hard Knocks star. Eric Kush is hysterical.

Joe Curley ‏@vcsjoecurley 4h4 hours ago Los Angeles, CA
First Hard Knocks release comes in the opening minutes with Fisher’s phone call to Nick Foles. “I hope you land on your feet.”

Joe Curley ‏@vcsjoecurley 4h4 hours ago Los Angeles, CA
“We finally out here. Now we gotta win…. There’s too much to do out here.” – Rodger Saffold

Boras said the Rams have challenged Tyler Higbee by asking him to block DE William Hayes. pic.twitter.com/gAX7lOhclN

— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) August 10, 2016

—

Fisher says Tyler Higbee has the qualities needed to play in the open field, needs to continue working on blocking. pic.twitter.com/0rpn6GafkV

— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) August 10, 2016

http://www.rotoworld.com/playernews/nfl/football%5B
Tyler Higbee – TE – Rams
Sports Illustrated’s Greg Bedard reports Rams fourth-round TE Tyler Higbee is having a “great” training camp.
Bedard went as far to attach a Travis Kelce comparison to Higbee, noting the rookie’s “swagger, playing style, and the defense wanting to punch him in the face.” Kelce plays with a noticeable edge, and Higbee seems to be in the same mold. Higbee (6’6/249) would have come off the board before the fourth round if not for some serious off-field concerns. In a Rams offense devoid of playmaking pass catchers, Higbee has a chance to play a ton of snaps right out of the gate. But it’s worth noting, rookie tight ends face one of the steepest learning curves in the sport. Higbee is someone to target in Dynasty with an eye toward 2017.
Source: Greg Bedard on Twitter Aug 9 – 9:40 PM

off the net from ADonaldBeast

We destroy things, we are nasty, we have a chip on our shoulder, WE WANT TO F $$$ YOU UP!!!!

How many of you got chills when you heard this. Wow. Mike Waufle is officially my favorite ram coach. That was awesome. Watching this over and over again

off the net from bluecoconuts

Loved the extra work by Goff on the fades, he really showed off his redzone skills in the end.

Donald getting upset about Ping Pong was pretty funny.

My favorite line was about Goff taking snaps from under center. “Your knuckle needs to be in his icehole, get in there” with Kush responding “That’s what I told him!”

off the net from Ramsblood

Loved the Hard Knocks show tonight.

Our D- line, and shout out to coach Waffle, is going to strike fear in most any offense. Can’t wait for Donald-newfreak, Quinn, Hayes and company to destroy teams.

Gurley’s frikin hilarious and super talented.

The UDFA’ s need to learn how to swim.

That yoga instructor is HOT!!

Jeff Fisher needs to invite me to his Montana Ranch in between camps.

Donald is yolked. Can play a mean ping-pong.

off the net from A55VA6

high praise from Mike Singletary on Aaron Donald: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a kid like 99. I’ve NEVER seen a kid like him.”

Also, the bit we saw of Gurley – he looked freaking quick. He has a chance to be scary good this year. And Goff threw a few beautiful balls in that goal line drill

Rampage2K

Quick observations from Monday’s practice. I mostly focused on the QB’s and WR’s….they were in shells, so there wasn’t a full padded practice, but there was plenty of pads thumping.

This team looks bigger and quicker then last year.

WR’s look much better this year!!!

Groh is all over them….lots of coaching, barking and the occasional F bomb. I love it!!! A much needed shot in the arm to this group.

Goff has a rifle and very nice touch, in the one on one’s he looked great, but in the 11 on 11 he seemed to hold on to the ball way too long or just check it down.
Not too worried, it’s still very early…the defense has a huge advantage in shells anyway because the O-line cant go low and really block like the would in regular game.

Best looking QB in the 11 on 11 was Mannion…by far the most improved player on the team. Granted he was going against the 3’s, but he was the only one looking deep and dropping dimes.

it’s clear Case has been named the starter as he got all the 1’s, Goff 2’s and Mannion 3’s…. the other kid never even got in.

Quick, didn’t have a good practice…drop and a fumble on an end around. He might not make the team with all these youngsters hanging around. Hoping he can bounce back.

Duke Williams is a big kid!!! He looks the part that is for sure..If he has speed and learns how to run crisp routes…look out.

Britt had a great toe drag TD vs Tru on a dime in the back of the endzone from Goff in the 1 on 1 drills…. He also had a ball bounce off his chest on a quick slant in the 11 on 11.

The defense was dominant, as they should be…D-line is relentless and the DB’s are all over our WR’s. No worries in that dept. Stay healthy and they should make noise this year.

Greg Williams is the carbon copy of Groh on the defense…constantly coaching and dropping bombs when he see something he doesn’t like.

There was a scrum that had the whole team trying to pull apart……couldn’t exactly see who was involved, but from my photographic evidence it looked like Reynolds was one of them.

Tavon and Joyner seemed to be jawing quite a bit with each other…TA took a short out route that Joyner just missed on and would have gone to the house with…Fantasy owners better take him earlier then his ADP is or you might miss out on a late round gem on him this year, they seem to be involving him much more this year.

It’s clear from what they showed in practice that this offense is going to be up-tempo and quick striking…. I like it.

I got lucky and picked some great spots to head to as most of the action was on one of the two fields. crowd was nice and light maybe 1-2K mostly all one the side with the action.

Goff stayed late and worked out with Cooper and Thomas on some redzone routes Gurley stayed late and worked on jugs machine, Quick and Marquez also stayed on field and worked out together along with Mannion and some of the young RB’s…

All in all, it was a pretty good day of practice, no injuries.

You can tell this team is ready to hit somebody else…Saturday should be fun!!!

Practice Report 8/8: Austin Never Stops

By Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Practice-Report-88-Austin-Never-Stops/81d772d2-8872-47d7-9b20-7f7ef7c91543

If you come out to watch a Rams training camp practice, there’s one distinct voice cutting through all the noise in support of the offense. He proudly sports No. 1 instead of his regular No. 11 during each session, but there’s no mistaking his identity.

Wide receiver Tavon Austin is as high energy and competitive as they come when he’s between the white lines. He has a rare ability to extend plays and make something happen with his shiftiness — even when it looks like he has no place to go. But even when he’s observing his teammates in one-on-one matchups with defensive backs, or watching the second and third offense in team drills, Austin is constantly shouting words of his encouragement. Or leaping up to celebrate a great catch. Or talking trash.

“That’s always been me,” Austin said Monday. “It keeps me on my toes and helps me motivate my teammates around me.”

Listed at 5-foot-8 — Austin claims he’s actually 5-foot-9 — the wide receiver is like a ball of energy. It’s almost as if he’s not physically capable of just standing still for very long.

“I’ve oftentimes joked about this. He’s got two speeds: One’s fast and the other’s sleep,” head coach Jeff Fisher said. “When he’s not sleeping, he’s going fast and that’s how his personality is.”

“He’s just going fast all the time,” Fisher continued. “That’s what’s great about him He’s a really smart player, a very exciting, explosive player. He loves to play and compete.”

Austin’s also growing more into a leader. Heading into his fourth NFL season, that’s an important step in the West Virginia product’s development.

“I think a lot of people feed off my energy, so for the most part I’ve got to keep that up. I can’t just be loud one day and then the next day not say anything,” Austin said. “I’ve got to keep doing it. I’m one of the older guys on the team now. I love doing it, to be honest.”

But it’s not like Austin hasn’t been an energizing force on the past. It’s likely part of why he’s earned his teammates’ respect.

“It’s one thing to see him on the practice field and it’s another thing to see him in a game,” Fisher said. “On the sideline, when the defense is on the field, he’s rooting for the defense. He’s excited to have any chance to participate in special teams.

“He’s one of those guys who’s really unselfish from the standpoint of, as long as we get the ball in the end zone, he doesn’t care who does it,” Fisher added. “And that’s the important thing.”

Fisher described Austin as the kind of player who wants the offense to score on each play — especially if he has the ball. That’s part of why Los Angeles has been making a concerted effort to put the pigskin in his hands more often. So far, Austin says he’s noticed the difference in the schemes from offensive coordinator Rob Boras and passing game coordinator Mike Groh.

“I’ve been catching a lot of passes,” Austin said. “For the most part, our [two] coordinators have been doing a good job of trying to get me the ball.

“I appreciate it — just what I’ve been through so far,” Austin continued. “It’s going to get better from here. And it’s not just about me. I’m worried about the wins. So anytime I get to touch a ball, hopefully I can make something good happen with it.”

But Austin has noticed improvement all over the offensive unit, echoing comments defensive end William Hayes made last week about the men up front.

“I think it starts from the O-line, though. The O-line is doing a great job,” Austin said. “For all the receivers, we’ve got a couple more things we’ve got to get tightened down. but for the most part, I think it’s coming along — slowly but surely. We still have minor mistakes, but they are definitely correctable. That’s what we keep looking forward to.”

If Austin has anything to say about it — and he surely will — the Rams will fix those mistakes with an unreserved energy.

EXTRA POINTS

— After a day off, the Rams were back in full pads for Monday’s session. Fisher said the club will do the same for Tuesday’s 3:30 practice.

“I thought they handled things pretty well,” Fisher said. “We didn’t do a lot of running, a little shorter today. Tomorrow we’re coming back out in pads again and we’re going to have a couple of run periods that will also get very competitive.”

— Cornerback E.J. Gaines was in pads for today’s practice, but mainly did rehab work on the side. Offensive linemen Darrell Williams and Isaiah Battle also did not practice on Monday.

“We’re in a good place — we don’t have many issues physically,” Fisher said. “We’ve got a couple guys that are working their way back now and that should be up and available for the game Saturday.”

— Defensive linemen Quinton Coples and Ethan Westbrooks have mainly been working at defensive end and defensive tackle, respectively, this preseason. But on Monday, the Rams flipped that to have Coples at DT and Westbrooks at DE.

“Today was the first time [Coples] moved inside,” Fisher said. “We talked about it this morning. We kind of are going to flip a little bit and give Ethan Westbrooks some defensive end work and we’ll give Quinton some stuff inside, just as a rusher.”

— Finally, Fisher said that running back Todd Gurley should get a few reps in Saturday’s game against the Cowboys. But probably don’t expect to see the 2014 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year too much in that contest.

“He’ll get a few reps,” Fisher said. “I’m not going to come in and say he’s going to get 12 carries this week and 16 next week. He’s going to get some reps. I don’t know how much we’re going to do this week with him, but we’ll sit down in the middle part of the week and talk about playing time.”

Keenum listed as starter over Jared Goff for first exhibition game, but Rams aren’t naming regular-season starter yet

By VINCENT BONSIGNORE / STAFF COLUMNIST

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/goff-725101-rams-first.html

IRVINE – The Rams put a depth chart together for their game Saturday against the Cowboys – for whatever that’s worth. Predictably, all eyes were immediately drawn to the quarterback position, for which the name Case Keenum is listed first.

That’s neither a surprise or particularly newsworthy. It carries no hidden message, nor does it necessarily reflect where the quarterback position will stand one month from now or even two weeks from now.

As sure as Team USA will crush the field on its way to Olympic basketball gold in Rio, Keenum was going to start the Rams’ first preseason game ahead of rookie Jared Goff, the first overall pick in April’s draft and the future face of the franchise.

It’s a point the Rams have made overtly and privately almost from the moment they turned their draft card in to Roger Goodell four months ago in Chicago and officially hitched their wagon to the former Golden Bear.

The message then and now is clear: Goff will eventually be the Rams starter, but they will neither rush it or put a timeline on it. His ascent to the throne will be an organic process rather than contrived.

Until Goff successfully completes that process – and make no mistake, it’s on him and him alone to make that case – Keenum is the starter.

Which brings us back to the depth chart, and the stir it caused when word started spreading that Keenum would be under center when the Rams first take the field against the Cowboys at the Coliseum on Saturday rather than Goff.

Upon doing some poking around, the advice I was given and the recommendation I will pass along is this: The depth chart for Saturday is so inconsequential at some positions, rather than digest it with a grain of salt, best bet is to taste it, swish it around and then just spit it out.

That is, unless you actually think T.J. McDonald, who has been running with the ones all camp, is really the third-string safety.

That isn’t to say Goff will absolutely be the starting quarterback when the Rams open the regular season against the 49ers.

Only that the Rams aren’t close to making a declaration one way or another.

Which makes sense, of course.

There is absolutely no upside to naming Goff the starter right now, even if the Rams believe he’s ready or just want convince themselves and others they nailed the top pick in the draft.

In fact, it would set up a potential downside so detrimental and destructive it could take months – if not longer – to climb out from under the rubble.

If you declare Goff the starter barely two weeks into training camp – only to find out he isn’t ready to command a preseason game let alone the bright lights of the regular season – the awkward walk back from that decision and ensuing drama could engulf the rest of the season.

Forget the firestorm it would create outside the organization, the damage inside the locker room could be devastating.

It’s hard enough as it is navigating across the treacherous waters of an NFL season, let alone sabotaging the voyage by poking self-inflicted holes into the bottom of the boat.

So the Rams will prudently wait to declare Goff the starter. The goal, of course, is that it’s a decision they’ll make just one time over the foreseeable future. The last thing they want upon handing him the keys to the car is a sharp, immediate U-turn back to the garage.

Not that it isn’t a fair question, wondering how long it will take Goff to state his case as the starter.

His first week of training camp offered just glimpses of a possible timeline.

There were obvious growing pains at the beginning of the week, when the bulk of his interceptions and poorly thrown balls were thrown. But he showed progress over the first six practices, including a strong day Tuesday on the first day of pads and a perfectly run two-minute drill during Saturday’s scrimmage at the Coliseum when he marched the Rams 65 yards in 1:34 for a touchdown.

It was a segment that revealed intangibles just as much as talent, such as game clock, play clock and timeout management and the leadership qualities essential to the quarterback position.

Like when fellow rookie Duke Williams dropped a perfectly thrown pass at the goal line as the Rams were closing in on the end zone. Rather than sulk or get angry, Goff immediately pulled Williams aside and told him to forget about the drop and that the ball was coming his way if he was open.

“I told him, right after he dropped it. I said I’m going to come right back (to you),” Goff said.

True to his word, two plays later Goff found Williams cutting across the end zone for a perfectly thrown touchdown pass.

It was a telling moment, and it left Rams coach Jeff Fisher praising the two-minute drill performance and Goff’s overall performance the first week of camp.

“He’s been doing a great job with his reads, and he’s been getting better every day,” Fisher said.

Behind the scenes, the Rams have expressed confidence Goff is progressing at an adequate pace and that he’s consistently flashed the skill set that convinced them he was the best player in the draft.

At his best, he’s been poised and timely while delivering accurate passes on the throws he’s been asked to make – most of them the medium to short variety.

His problems occur when he doesn’t set his feet correctly – more often than not when he’s lofted throws off his back foot – and balls sail on him. You can sometimes get away with that in college, but in the NFL, not so much.

While he’s thrown his share of picks over the first week, the organization believes the interceptions are the result of correctable mistakes rather than talent flaws.

It’s not enough to anoint him the starter yet.

But a month ahead of the season opener, there is plenty of time for that to happen organically rather than forced.

ramsman34

SOME FOLLOW-UP

we watched d line work get offs and one on one pass rush moves and Quinn looks very explosive and back to his flexible “Gumby” self. ADon also very explosive. there is some great competition and our depth there should be even better than last year.

VIDEO: Tavon Austin — "I'm definitely not no possession receiver. I'm trying to go to the house." @Tayaustin01 pic.twitter.com/kzXxd0s6Rh

— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) August 9, 2016

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VIDEO: Watch Aaron Donald explain why he feels this Rams defensive line "can go down as one of the best in history." pic.twitter.com/LquI8BGef2

— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) August 9, 2016