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znModeratorIn Jared Goff, Rams see a centerpiece for a contender
Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY
IRVINE, Calif. – When Jeff Fisher is done with all his work, when he leaves the temporary and transitional training camp facility the Los Angeles Rams have at the University of California, Irvine, he goes home and sleeps on an air mattress.
The head coach overseeing the franchise’s relocation to Southern California has sacrificed elements of his own move. So when the bed is deflated from the previous night’s sleep, he fires up the air pump and fills it up again.
He doesn’t have the time, he said, to secure fancier accommodations.
“I’m as settled as I possibly could be,” Fisher told USA TODAY Sports Sunday evening after the Rams’ practice. “I’ve got bigger things to worry about.”
At the top of that list is ensuring that quarterback Jared Goff, the No. 1 overall pick, proves them right.
Fisher and Rams general manager Les Snead shipped a haul of draft picks (Nos. 15, 43, 45, 76 in 2016 and first- and third-round selections in 2017) to the Tennessee Titans for the rights to pick the passer of their choosing. Now, the job security of both men rests in Goff’s selection – and his eventual appointment as the team’s starter.
“The one piece that we needed to stabilize our team was QB,” Snead told USA TODAY Sports before Sunday’s practice. “It’s a risk, I agree, but this was the time. It was one we needed to take.”
The way they see it, Fisher and Snead have amassed a solid group of young talent. They have beaten teams like the perennial powerhouse Seattle Seahawks, Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, and have posted a winning record in one of the toughest divisions in football in two of four seasons.
But they lacked consistency – something they think they can now get.
“What I like is that we have proven we can be competitive,” Snead said. “Now they’re tired being competitive. It’s time to go be contenders. We’re in that phase now. And then the next phase will be winning playoff games.
“We felt that when you look at the 30,000-foot view, yes, with all the pieces we gave up (in the trade for the No. 1 pick), we could have added good-to-very-good football players. But maybe we would still be doing the same thing – competing, but not quite contending – because of the instability at QB.”
In that hypothetical, that’s probably the best-case scenario.
With a 27-36-1 record in their four-year tenure with the Rams, Snead and Fisher knew they needed to produce more victories. Drafting a franchise quarterback, they believed, was the quickest way to do that.
That’s why in the days after the Rams completed the trade with the Titans, they rapidly set up workouts with both Goff and eventual No. 2 pick Carson Wentz. The Rams needed to do their homework. And the more and more they heard about Goff, the more they felt at ease with the decision to take him.
“We thought the guy was one of the best passers of the football that has come out in a while,” Snead said.
Goff told USA TODAY Sports on Saturday that shortly after the Rams picked him, he sought out Titans passer Marcus Mariota for advice. Mariota suggested Goff try an exercise in his downtime: Record himself saying a play call, play it back, diagram the play on a sheet of paper, and then visualize the progression.
It’s something Goff says is already sharpening his understanding of the offense.
“We were aware of those things before we took him,” Fisher said. “We were aware that he was going to do the extra. He has always done that. He was always very, very competitive and committed. Those things don’t surprise us at all.”
Added Snead: “That’s how greatness is built.”
That’s why Fisher and Snead are at peace.
znModeratorKeenum impresses during first day of full pads
KIRBY LEE/USA TODAY SPORTS Case Keenum showed he can handle being the No. 1 quarterback during the Rams’ first full day of pads Tuesday at UC Irvine.
By Joe Curley of the Ventura County Star
IRVINE — The Los Angeles Rams decided Jared Goff is their future at the quarterback position back in April.
But is he their present? That’s one of the biggest questions during the team’s first training camp in Southern California since 1994.
Case Keenum officially began the camp at UC Irvine atop the depth chart and he looked like he belonged there Tuesday, when the team had the season’s first full practice in pads.
“He’s handled it great,” head coach Jeff Fisher said of Keenum. “He has a great feel for it. Understands the offense, great in the huddle. He does all those little, extra, subtle things that you need to do as a quarterback.”
Keenum hit Tavon Austin for a big play on the first snap of the team period and that success continued against the Rams’ talented defense throughout the afternoon.
“I’m doing my job and when I’m at quarterback, I’m running the show,” Keenum said. “That’s how I play quarterback. It’s my huddle. It’s my squad. It’s my offense and I’m taking ownership of it. … That’s how I play quarterback, so that’s what I do. I expect other guys to do the same thing when they’re in the game.”
The offense’s aerial show was eye-opening, considering the Rams are coming off a season in which they were last in the NFL in passing and the defense had the upper hand throughout OTAs in Oxnard.
Fisher said there was good reason for the offense’s surge Tuesday.
“The defense clearly has an advantage without the pads,” Fisher said. “It’s hard for the offensive guy to anchor and pass protect and all that.
“All of a sudden, today the pads went on and the quarterback got a little more time, steps up in the pocket and makes the big throw down the field. It was real football today.”
Keenum wasn’t the only quarterback to shine Tuesday. Goff and third-string quarterback Sean Mannion had their moments.
Goff fired down a seam to find Westlake High product Nelson Spruce for a 40-yard gain, drawing a huge cheer from the 2,214 in attendance.
“We started fast, which I think was a big thing,” Spruce said. “We hit Tavon on a pretty big play to start and from that point, I feel like we had a lot of energy. That kind of got us going. We were making a lot of plays as a group.”
SPRUCE GOOSED
Spruce, the undrafted free agent receiver from Westlake High and Colorado, followed up his strong performance during OTAs in Oxnard with a strong start to training camp.
He beat veteran Coty Sensabaugh for a touchdown during one-on-ones and was in the end zone a couple times during the team and red-zone periods.
But he also caught a few shots as well as somepasses.
“It’s been good,” Spruce said. “It’s good to get the pads back on. I took my first few hits today. I haven’t gotten hit like that in a while, so it felt kind of good to get back into it with the pads.”
Spruce was smacked twice down the middle while he was trying to score on the goal line and also took a shot in a special-teams drill.
“When I caught a couple down on the goal line, I just remember turning around and I think Mo Alexander got me one time and a linebacker got me another time,” Spruce said. “Then Cory Harkey popped me once in special teams.”
BACK IN PADS
It was an emotional practice for Newbury Park resident Jamon Brown.
The second-year offensive guard strapped on the pads for the first time since breaking his leg in a loss to Chicago on Nov. 15 in St. Louis.
“For me, obviously my emotions were high,” Brown said. “But the team, everybody is coming out with that working mentality. And this camp has been, I think, is a step forward for the team going into the season.”
znModeratorPractice Report 8/2 – Offense Finds a Rhythm in Pads
Myles Simmons
The Rams took another step in their preparation for the 2016 season, going through their first full practice with pads.
Monday’s special teams-only session gave a little taste of what was to come, but Los Angeles had a spirited practice in front of another nice crowd on Tuesday — this time with popping pads.
While head coach Jeff Fisher put the club in a number of different situations, the offense seemed to get the better of the defense in just about all of them on this particular day.
“As you see, we added another phase. We moved into the red zone today and the offense made a lot of plays, a lot of good throws, a lot of good catches,” Fisher said. “We had a lot of good work in the special teams period and got a lot of work just throwing the ball into tight areas in the red zone, which is hard. I thought all of the quarterbacks did a nice job today.”
Indeed, whether it was in two-on-one drills with QBs and wideouts vs. cornerbacks, 7-on-7, or 11-on-11 the offense was consistent in making plays.
“Everybody was just playing sound football today,” wide receiver Tavon Austin said. “Everybody did what they were supposed to do — nobody was extra. Our energy level was up.”
“I think we just came out and competed and we had guys knowing their responsibilities. I think we worked with good tempo,” quarterback Case Keenum said. “It was a good day for us — a good day to build on. I think we set the bar and I want to get better tomorrow.”
Keenum and wide receiver Kenny Britt connected on a number of passes, displaying their running chemistry that dates back to last season. Britt caught a pass of at least 25 yards from Keenum in each of the Rams’ final four games, two of which went for touchdowns.
“Obviously, you feed off of good plays — great plays. I think they like it when you throw them touchdowns. I like it when they catch touchdowns and get open,” Keenum said. “So I think that sort of stuff builds camaraderie and … chemistry between receivers and quarterbacks.”
Keenum also had some nice throws to Austin and Brian Quick, showing good command of the first unit.
But rookie Jared Goff had a strong day with the second unit, too, displaying many of the traits that induced L.A. to trade up to No. 1 for him.
“I thought he did well. He made some really good throws — a couple, the balls should have been caught,” Fisher said. “I thought he was making really good decisions. We had a little bit of noise the last period, so they had to focus in the huddle and I thought he took charge of it. He’s progressing well.”
Fellow rookie Mike Thomas was on the receiving end of a good number of Goff’s passes, and did well to reel in the vast majority of them. But the Cal product’s best throw of the day may have been when he uncorked a ball down the right seam to undrafted WR Nelson Spruce, who ran it in for a touchdown. Spruce is another player receiver who always seems to catch the ball when it’s in his orbit.
With so many receivers competing for a roster spot, Austin described the vibe in the position’s room as competitive, but in the best way possible.
“One thing I like about all of us — all of us look at it like we’re brothers,” Austin said. “Nobody is ever hating on each other. We’re always motivating the next person — especially me. I’m always motivating the next person to get better, because that’s only going to up my game.”
And so while the offense looked sharp on Tuesday, Fisher said the unit better come with it on Wednesday.
“I’m expecting the defense to answer a little bit tomorrow,” the head coach said. “The offense is probably going to need to strap it up a little bit tomorrow. It was a good day overall.”
EXTRA POINTS
— Rookie wide receiver Pharoh Cooper has not practiced for the last couple of days, but Fisher said he should return to the practice field soon.
“He’s got a little thing going in his quad,” Fisher said. “You push through it, it may be two weeks, [but] if you back him off, it might be a couple days. That’s what we’ve got going there. He’ll be fine.”
— After a back injury prematurely ended Robert Quinn’s 2015 season, the defensive end spent most of OTAs doing rehab work on the side. He did participate in some parts of individual drills for the D-line, but did not venture into the 11-on-11 sessions.
Now Quinn has been getting some snaps during team drills — but not too many.
“That was not an easy thing that he went through last year,” Fisher said. “A lot of hard work during the offseason, step-by-step-by-step to where we are right now.
“He’s 100 percent, but it doesn’t make sense – when you have a racehorse like that, you have got to watch him,” Fisher continued. “We’re going to watch him, his reps aren’t, probably aren’t up, to where he normally would be, but he’ll get there. It just makes sense just to protect him.”
Fisher added Quinn will likely see some snaps in preseason games. But, as it is every year with proven veterans such as Quinn, even if he’s in, he won’t play too much.
— After a tough practice on Sunday, wide receiver Duke Williams has put together a nice two-practice string over the last two days. Fisher said Williams has done a lot of work since the offseason program to get to this point.
“Duke came in, knew he had a once in a lifetime opportunity based on some of the things that happened in his history,” the head coach said. “We gave him that opportunity and he took advantage of it. Went off in the summer and came back, took a lot of weight off and he’s doing well.”
— Finally, the Rams signed two wide receivers to boost depth at the position — Austin Hill and David Richards. Both wideouts played their college ball at Arizona.
znModeratorIf it wasn’t for our grand children we probably would live in Maine. The brief time we spent with you in Portland was really great. You have something there called “weather”. I love “weather”. Here its sunny 365.
I know, I lived in Cal for a bit. Some of it was up north in SF (north beach). Some of it was in Claremont. Some of it was in San Diego. THe bits in Claremont and SD….no weather.
Here’s a pic of the street where we 3 had dinner btw.
znModeratorI fixed the last one.
So I merged that thread with this one.
znModerator“…where it rains”
What’s that?
“Rain” is the process through which plants water themselves by sucking moisture out of the air in the form of falling droplets. It’s like taking a shower, but outside, and unheated. You would think it would be expensive, but it’s not…it’s free.
znModeratorCan’t seem to post the article.
—
Meg Whitman, Calling Donald Trump a ‘Demagogue,’ Will Support Hillary Clinton for President
link: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/03/us/politics/meg-whitman-hillary-clinton.html
Meg Whitman, a Hewlett Packard executive and Republican fund-raiser, said Tuesday that she would support Hillary Clinton for president and give a “substantial” contribution to her campaign in order to stop Donald J. Trump, whom she berated as a threat to American democracy.
“I will vote for Hillary, I will talk to my Republican friends about helping her, and I will donate to her campaign and try to raise money for her,” Ms. Whitman said in a telephone interview.
She revealed that Mrs. Clinton, the Democratic nominee, had reached out to her in a phone call about a month ago, one of the first indications that Mrs. Clinton is aggressively courting Republican leaders. While acknowledging she diverged from Mrs. Clinton on many policy issues, Ms. Whitman said it was time for Republicans “to put country first before party.”
Using remarkably blunt language, she argued that the election of Mr. Trump, whom she called “a dishonest demagogue,” could lead the country “on a very dangerous journey.” She noted that democracies had seldom lasted longer than a few hundred years and warned that those who say that “it can’t happen here” are being naïve.
Ms. Whitman also said she “absolutely” stood by her comments at a private gathering of Republican donors this year comparing Mr. Trump to Hitler and Mussolini, explaining that dictators often come to office through democratic means.
“Time and again history has shown that when demagogues have gotten power or come close to getting power, it usually does not end well,” Ms. Whitman said. She asserted that Mr. Trump had already “undermined the character of the nation.”
A billionaire who spent $140 million of her own money in a failed bid for governor of California in 2010, Ms. Whitman, the former chief executive of eBay, is a prized defector for Mrs. Clinton. She is close to Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee; has deep ties to the country’s business elite; and is a rare female Republican executive in Silicon Valley.
While many leading Republican donors have made clear that they will not donate to Mr. Trump, few have taken the next step of throwing their support, and financial largess, to Mrs. Clinton.
Ms. Whitman was a leading fund-raiser for Mr. Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign and was a chairwoman of Gov. Chris Christie’s presidential finance team this year. But after Mr. Christie withdrew from the campaign and endorsed Mr. Trump, Ms. Whitman excoriated the New Jersey governor for what she said was an “astonishing display of political opportunism.”
On Tuesday, Ms. Whitman said she had not spoken to Mr. Christie since he endorsed Mr. Trump, and pointedly noted that she had not changed her view of his decision.
Ms. Whitman, who said she would remain a Republican, brings with her a considerable network of contributors, some of whom she said were open to giving to Mrs. Clinton. She said she was willing to campaign for Mrs. Clinton, said she would do her best to gather checks for her campaign and indicated she would personally give to both Mrs. Clinton and her affiliated “super PACs.” An aide to Ms. Whitman said she would personally give at least an amount in the “mid-six figures” to the Clinton effort.
While Democrats openly appealed at their convention last week to Republicans uneasy with Mr. Trump, Mrs. Clinton and her top supporters have been making a similar cross-party pitch in private since before the Democratic nomination fight even came to its conclusion.
Ms. Whitman said that she did not commit to supporting Mrs. Clinton when they talked on the phone last month, and that Mrs. Clinton had offered no assurances on how she would govern. But Ms. Whitman called it “a lovely chat” that included a discussion of economic issues.
She said she had told Mrs. Clinton that she wanted to see the two parties’ conventions and assess the running mates that each nominee chose before making her decision. When Mrs. Clinton selected Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, a consensus-oriented figure, “that was a positive for me,” Ms. Whitman said.
“I don’t agree with her on very many issues,” she added, “but she would be a much better president than Donald Trump.”
znModeratorIs the quarterback competition in Denver closer than it should be? John Clayton answers…
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znModeratorWill Goff lighten the workload for Gurley?
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-training-camps/0ap3000000679089/Will-Jared-Goff-
…
Goff: I’m learning every day
http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-training-camps/0ap3000000679135/Jared-Goff-I-m-
znModeratorRams cornerback Trumaine Johnson playing for this season – and next
Trumaine Johnson is the Rams’ highest-paid player and most experienced defensive back. After the Rams used their ‘franchise tag’ on him, he hopes his performance this season leads to a blockbuster deal next year.
RICH HAMMOND
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/johnson-724288-rams-first.html
IRVINE – Trumaine Johnson glanced skyward after he completed the third practice of his fifth NFL training camp. On a warm Monday late morning, the wise pro sought out a shady spot for an interview.
“Big vet, huh?” Johnson said with a grin. “I guess you could say that. I still feel young, though.”
Johnson is 26, and his career with the Rams has included a steady progression, then one big leap out of the shade and into the spotlight. Johnson is the Rams’ highest-paid player and most experienced defensive back, and is poised to parlay what could be an awkward season into a blockbuster contract.
The Rams used their “franchise player” tag on Johnson, who otherwise would have become a free agent in March, and retained him for the 2016 season but failed to lock him up with a long-term extension.
So, Johnson will make $13.95 million this season, the team’s largest contract in terms of guaranteed money and salary-cap figure. That’s no small thing, but Johnson also enters this season with uncertainty. The Rams had hoped to sign him to an extension, but now he could become a free agent next summer.
“Of course I was thinking about it, but I’m blessed either way,” Johnson said. “For them to (franchise) tag me, it talks volumes, but this is my main focus right now, and I’ll wait until the year is over to handle everything else.”
Johnson, a third-round draft pick in 2012, was a part-time starter during his first three seasons but took a major step in 2015 when expected cornerback starter E.J. Gaines suffered a season-ending foot injury in training camp.
Johnson had seven interceptions and was considered a more consistent performer than Janoris Jenkins, who left the Rams in March and signed a five-year, $62.5 million contract with the New York Giants.
At this point, Johnson isn’t thinking about leaving Los Angeles. He’s set to start opposite either Gaines, Coty Sensabaugh or Lamarcus Joyner, and his first week of training camp at UC Irvine has included family members who traveled down from Johnson’s native Stockton.
“We had 10,000 fans out here the first day,” Johnson said. “To come out here and hear them cheering, it’s a blessing.”
SALUTE TO FRIEND
If you’re having trouble finding Johnny Hekker at UC Irvine, it’s because he’s wearing a different number.
The Rams’ punter is temporarily donning No. 3 – replacing his usual No. 6 – during training camp to honor his friend Mike Sadler, the former Michigan State punter who died less than two weeks ago.
“Brilliant, brilliant kid,” Hekker said. “It was cut short, but he lived a hell of a life when he was alive.”
Sadler, who was the first four-time Academic All-American in Spartans history, died in a July 23 car crash. With him were Nebraska punter Sam Foltz – who also died at the scene – and LSU punter Colby Delahoussaye, who crawled out of the burning car and survived.
The news rippled through the punter fraternity, a community knit together by various camps and clinics. Hekker and Sadler first crossed paths more than five years ago in Prattville, Ala. The former was already a Ray Guy semifinalist at Oregon State, but the latter was just heading into his freshman year at Michigan State.
“Just the kind of guy that could light up a room,” Hekker said. “Really didn’t take himself too seriously, but was a hard-working dude.”
SPECIAL DAY
Three days into training camp, the Rams put on full pads for the first time, albeit only for a one-hour special teams practice that didn’t include many of the highest-profile players.
It did include some spirited, physical drills, and it included receiver/kick returner Tavon Austin, who had to leave Sunday’s practice because of apparent cramping. Austin said he ran out of time to eat lunch before practice but said he felt fine Monday.
“That won’t happen again,” Austin said.
The special-teams practice included a large number of rookies who might be fighting for roster spots. Standouts included tight end Tyler Higbee, who probably has a secure spot, and receiver Duke Williams, who struggled with dropped passes in the first two practices.
“If it’s a toss-up at a certain position, offensive or defensively, then the trump card is special teams,” special teams coach John Fassel said.
The Rams resume full-team practice – in full pads for the first time – Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. at UC Irvine, and that session is open to the public.
Staff writer Jack Wang contributed to this report.
znModeratorAdam Schefter @AdamSchefter
The two teams the Rams discussed a potential Nick Foles trade with before the draft were Buffalo and Dallas, which now needs a backup QB.—
Cowboys backup QB breaks ankle in practice
Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback Kellen Moore was carted off the field at practice today.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the preliminary diagnosis was Moore suffered a broken right leg/ankle, Todd Archer of ESPN Dallas reports. He was unsure of the timeframe involved in a recovery or if Moore would need surgery.
znModeratorLBRamsfan @LBRamsFan
Mannion to Duke Williams on a screen. That is a large human. #RamsCampLBRamsfan @LBRamsFan
Greg Williams after a stop for no gain: “nowhere to run, nowhere to hide!” #RamsCampLBRamsfan @LBRamsFan
Trumaine with a nice break up on Britt at the goal line #RamsCampLBRamsfan @LBRamsFan
Goff in a rhythm hits Harkey over the middle #RamsCampLBRamsfan @LBRamsFan
Nice protection for Keenum, who hit his third option for first down #RamsCampLBRamsfan @LBRamsFan
Back to 11 on 11. Donald blows up Gurley in the backfield #RamsCampznModeratorWarner on Donald: ‘This guy is a rocket coming off the ball’
NFL Media’s Andrew Siciliano and Kurt Warner break down the impact Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald has on opposing offenses and what to watch from him in 2016.
znModeratorA FEW HIGHLIGHTS:
Marquez won’t get beat out by Cooper; Quick won’t get beat out by Thomas
keep an eye out for Maurice Alexander, the Eureka High product out of St. Louis who once worked as a janitor at the Edward Jones Dome. Alexander is fast and physical, his frame reminds you of Kam Chancellor. The game is still new to him particularly at the safety level. (He’s a converted college linebacker.) So he’s still learning and seeing things he hasn’t seen before. But he was working with the starters at free safety during my weekend in LA, and I get the feeling that’s the way the coaches think it will end up.
I think Battle is viewed as a player with a lot of catching up to do. He has been working at right tackle in training camp, and although I wasn’t at OTAs I was told that was the case then as well. He was working with the second unit at RT over the weekend behind Saffold (and remember, without Havenstein).
I think the Rams have offered Austin a new contract.
The fans [in LA] were great. I talked to dozens over the weekend, some have been following the team through the Post-Dispatch and stltoday.com for years. Many _ not all, but many _ feel bad for the fans in St. Louis. They went through basically the same thing 21 years ago. I posed for many pictures, and believe it or not signed a few autographs. I always put #431 next to my name, representing the number of games (preseason, regular season, postseason) played by the Rams in St. Louis.
I don’t regard PFF as the end-all, be-all in player evaluations. In football, the further you get away from team analysis and lean to individual analysis, the more likely you are to be inaccurate when it comes to analytics. Just my opinion.
znModeratorMyles Simmons @MylesASimmons
Best part about pads in camp is running plays are now legitimate in team drills. Gurley just ripped off a nice one in 11-on-11.Myles Simmons @MylesASimmons
Best part about pads in camp is running plays are now legitimate in team drills. Gurley just ripped off a nice one in 11-on-11.==
Yes, he’s been playing with McDonald at safety. G Williams is doing some interesting things schematically. https://t.co/zXUS2bRsE5
— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) August 3, 2016
==
znModeratorSpecial Teams Put The Pads On
Check out the highlights from our Special Teams only edition of training camp.
znModeratorAdam Schefter @AdamSchefter
The two teams the Rams discussed a potential Nick Foles trade with before the draft were Buffalo and Dallas, which now needs a backup QB.znModeratorRams rookie Michael Thomas makes an end zone catch during one-on-ones. pic.twitter.com/F8faRuRWS2
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) August 2, 2016
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Lindsey Thiry @LindseyThiry
Goff draws cheers from the Rams crowd after completing a deep pass through the middle to Nelson Spruce for a touchdown.indsey Thiry @LindseyThiry
Goff draws cheers from the Rams crowd after completing a deep pass through the middle to Nelson Spruce for a touchdown.znModeratorWR vs. DB battle. @Tayaustin01 stops on a dime. #RamsCamp https://t.co/3rqXiPVlF8
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 2, 2016
VIDEO: Troy Hill covering Nelson Spruce in drills. Just like high school and college. Now in the pros. pic.twitter.com/mj91FaesGZ
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) August 2, 2016
.@_MikeTeee got it done on this play
And he made it look easy: https://t.co/Cp7MfEzXzj #Rams #RamsNation
— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) August 2, 2016
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Vincent Bonsignore @DailyNewsVinny
First snap under center for #Rams Jared Goff is a fumble. But comes right back with nice throw to Malcolm BrownVincent Bonsignore @DailyNewsVinny
From the keeping it real department: #Rams offense looking pretty good on 1st day in padsAugust 2, 2016 at 6:39 pm in reply to: Tre Mason: reports on erratic behavior keep mounting up #49947znModeratorMaybe he’s taking a break from the NFL to smoke dope? Not unheard of for an NFL RB.
No, he’s a mess. His own family called the police several times because he was out of control. The police report says his actions were strange and that he couldn’t be taken as being responsible for his own actions. When he disappeared the family said the were concerned for his well being and mental health. Something has happened to him. This is a mental health issue.
znModeratorSo…you’re saying…she’s against vaccinating computers?
Well…should I vaccinate my computer or not?
znModeratorThe Democratic convention was a success in terms of unifying the party. The Bernie Sanders supporters are finding their way into the Democratic Party.
Mainstream view IMO. The DNC didn’t “unite” the party as much as keep the divisiveness down in the pragmatic name of winning the upcoming election.
I do not foresee a future left/mainstream Dem coalition AFTER the election.
znModerator.
just continuing the thread topic with a different take
.
91% Of Bernie Sanders Backers Support Hillary Clinton
According to a new CNN poll 91% of Bernie Sanders supporters are now backing Hillary Clinton.
Republican Dreams Shattered As 91% Of Bernie Sanders Backers Support Hillary Clinton
The Democratic convention achieved one of its biggest goals as according to a new CNN poll 91% of Bernie Sanders supporters are now backing Hillary Clinton.
Here are the numbers from the CNN poll:
Non-white voters (CNN):
Clinton fave: 61/32
Trump fave: 9/88 !
2-way: HRC 83%, Trump 12%
4-way: HRC 72%, Johnson 8%, Stein 8%, Trump 7% !— Taniel (@Taniel) August 1, 2016
If the choice for Sanders supporters is between Clinton and Trump, they are going to overwhelmingly support Clinton. The Green Party’s Jill Stein faces an uphill battle to get on the ballot in all 50 states, while Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson will be on the ballot in every state. What is stunning is how poorly Donald Trump does with Sanders supporters.Trump had a lower favorability rating than Clinton and he trailed both the Green and Libertarian parties in popularity with the Sanders supporters. Donald Trump has a 5% favorable rating with those who backed Sen. Sanders. Trump only receives 3% support from the Sanders supporters.
Donald Trump continues to claim that millions of Bernie Sanders supporters are going to vote for him, but the reality is that the vast majority of those who voted Sanders are supporting Clinton in November. The Democratic convention was a success in terms of unifying the party. The Bernie Sanders supporters are finding their way into the Democratic Party.
Some Sanders supporters will end up casting their ballots for Johnson or Stein, but the Republican dream that they are going to vote for Donald Trump has been shattered.
Bernie Sanders supporters loathe Donald Trump, and judging from the results of this poll; there is no way that they would ever support the Republican nominee under any circumstances.
Republicans are running out of options with Trump, but one thing is clear, the supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders will not be putting bigoted billionaire into the White House in November.
znModeratorSomeone has to watch to see if the TV tries to run away.
Wise words.
Waterfield: good story about the garden.
I live in Maine. My plan for watering the garden? Plant it outside, where it rains.
znModeratorCourts Strike Down Voter Restriction Laws That Target African Americans with “Surgical Precision”
http://www.democracynow.org/2016/8/1/courts_strike_down_voter_restriction_laws
Voting rights advocates have won a number of major victories that could reshape the November election. Over the past 10 days, a series of court rulings have struck down new voting restrictions in North Carolina, Wisconsin, Kansas and Texas. In North Carolina, judge Diana Motz wrote, “We cannot ignore the recent evidence that, because of race, the legislature enacted one of the largest restrictions of the franchise in modern North Carolina history.” Meanwhile in Wisconsin, U.S. District Judge James Peterson also struck down a voting rights law, writing that the objective of the law was to “suppress the reliably Democratic vote of Milwaukee’s African Americans.” A week earlier, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit struck down a Texas law which has been described as the nation’s most restrictive voter ID law. For more, we speak with Ari Berman, senior contributing writer for The Nation, where he covers voting rights. Berman’s recent piece for The Nation is called “The Country’s Worst Anti-Voting Law Was Just Struck Down in North Carolina.” https://www.thenation.com/article/the-countrys-worst-anti-voting-law-was-just-struck-down-in-north-carolina/
TRANSCRIPT
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: Voting rights advocates have won a number of major victories that could reshape the November election. Over the past 10 days, a series of court rulings have struck down new voting restrictions in North Carolina, Wisconsin, Kansas and Texas. On Friday, a U.S. appeals court struck down a North Carolina law that required voters to show photo identification, scaled back early voting, ended out-of-precinct voting and prevented residents from registering to vote on Election Day. In a remarkable judgment, the three-judge panel found North Carolina’s law targeted African Americans, quote, “with almost surgical precision,” unquote. The judges found the legislators wrote the law after requesting data that showed African Americans disproportionately used early voting in both 2008 and 2012. Judge Diana Motz wrote, quote, “We cannot ignore the recent evidence that, because of race, the legislature enacted one of the largest restrictions of the franchise in modern North Carolina history.”Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, a federal judge has struck down a string of Wisconsin voting restrictions passed by the Republican-led Legislature and signed by Governor Scott Walker. U.S. District Judge James Peterson wrote that the objective of the law was to, quote, “suppress the reliably Democratic vote of Milwaukee’s African Americans.” A week earlier, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit struck down a Texas law which has been described as the nation’s most restrictive voter ID law. In a 9-to-6 ruling, the court found the law has, quote, “a discriminatory effect on minorities’ voting rights,” unquote.
Joining us now is Ari Berman, senior contributing writer for The Nation, where he covers voting rights. His book, Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America, will be out in paperback tomorrow. Berman’s recent piece for The Nation is called “The Country’s Worst Anti-Voting Law Was Just Struck Down in North Carolina.”
Ari, welcome back to Democracy Now!
ARI BERMAN: Good morning, Amy.
AMY GOODMAN: Explain what happened there first.
ARI BERMAN: So, the decision in North Carolina, in my opinion, was the biggest victory for voting rights since the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013. And it was so significant because North Carolina passed the country’s worst voting restrictions. As you mentioned, they didn’t just require strict voter ID. They cut back on early voting. They eliminated same-day voter registration. They eliminated out-of-precinct voting. They eliminated pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds. And they did so just a month after the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act and John Roberts said that voting discrimination was largely a thing of the past. So both what North Carolina did and when they did it made this ruling so significant. And it was really remarkable to see the Fourth Circuit use such blunt language in describing what North Carolina did, that they did target black voters with almost surgical precision. This wasn’t about stopping voter fraud. This was about voter suppression. It was about suppressing black votes.
AMY GOODMAN: Explain exactly how it worked.
ARI BERMAN: So—how the decision worked or how the law worked?
AMY GOODMAN: How the law worked.
ARI BERMAN: So, the law worked in a bunch of different ways. First off, the law said that you had to show strict forms of government-issued ID to cast a ballot. They excluded IDs like student IDs. They excluded municipal government IDs that African Americans were most likely to have. Then they cut back on same-day voter registration, the ability to show up and register to vote before the election, which is critically important in a state like North Carolina, which has a very diverse demographics. They eliminated the ability to vote anywhere in your county. So, people, for example, who work a long shift, they can go and vote after their job as opposed to having to go back to their home area. They eliminated pre-registration for 16- and 17-year-olds, which was taught in high school civics classes to encourage young people to register to vote. So, all of these reforms that North Carolina implemented, the state got rid of.
And what was fascinating is the court laid out a very coherent narrative. They said that, beginning in 2000, North Carolina adopted these reforms, like early voting and same-day registration. As a result, voter participation increased dramatically. North Carolina went from 37th in voter turnout in 2000 to 12th in voter turnout by 2012. And most importantly, the disparities between black and white voters were eliminated, that black registration, it turned out, actually increased over white registration and turnout in 2008 and in 2012. And it was at that very moment that the North Carolina Legislature decided to go after all of the different voting methods that were used by African Americans. And the Fourth Circuit basically said this was not a coincidence: The Legislature knew what had increased political participation, they knew what had increased black turnout, and those were the very voting methods that the Legislature decided to eliminate.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you explain more about Sunday voting?
ARI BERMAN: Yeah. So, Sunday voting is historically called “souls to the polls,” when African-American churches tell their constituents to go vote. And it’s a very important day in the African-American community. And North Carolina eliminated one of two days of Sunday voting. And the Legislature said that the North Carolina—the Fourth Circuit said that the Legislature had data showing that Sunday voting was used more in African-American communities by Democratic voters, and that’s why they eliminated this. And the Fourth Circuit said that the elimination of Sunday voting was the closest thing to a smoking gun that you will ever find in modern times. This is amazing language for a court to use. This is not language that’s from 1865. This is not language that’s from 1965. This is the fact that voter suppression is going on right now in the United States in the year 2016.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you move from North Carolina to Wisconsin?
ARI BERMAN: Well, it was remarkable to see the fact that there were two decisions striking down voter suppression laws within hours of each other, describing very similar things. Wisconsin, like North Carolina, didn’t just past a voter ID law, they passed a bunch of other under-the-radar voting restrictions. For example, they eliminated early voting on nights and weekends, when it’s most convenient to be able to vote. They made it harder to register to vote. They made it harder to cast an absentee ballot. And the court in Wisconsin struck down these restrictions, as well, and they said, like in North Carolina, that these restrictions were not about stopping, quote, “phantom instances of voter fraud,” they were about trying to suppress the African-American vote in heavily Democratic cities like Milwaukee. So, the fact that we saw decisions in North Carolina and Wisconsin just hours apart striking down very similar laws and decisions, using very similar language, was a huge victory for voting rights.
AMY GOODMAN: Talk about the next decision. We’ve got Wisconsin. We’ve got North Carolina. What about Texas?
ARI BERMAN: So, in Texas, they struck down that state’s voter ID law, the strictest voter ID law in the country, because in Texas you can vote with a gun permit, but not a student ID, under their voter ID law. And the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals said this discriminated against black and Hispanic voters. Now, unlike North Carolina, even though they ruled that the law was discriminatory, they left the law in place, but said that those people without IDs still need to be able to vote, which is about 5 percent of Texas’s electorate. And that means that they either will be able to show their voter registration card or they’ll be able to vote with an affidavit if they don’t have these strict forms of ID. So, this is a major victory. But at the same time, people have to know that they still have the ability to vote in Texas. The word needs to get out to these voters that can’t comply with the law that they’re able to vote in November. And that’s going to require a major education campaign, because Texas has done nothing to make it easier for people to vote in that state.
AMY GOODMAN: Ari, talk about Elizabeth Gholar.
ARI BERMAN: So, Elizabeth Gholar is someone I wrote about. She’s an elderly woman who was born in Jim Crow North Carolina, and then she moved to Texas. She had a Louisiana driver’s license, which was not accepted as valid voter ID in Texas. And her birth certificate was not accepted as a valid form of ID to be able to get a government-issued ID in Texas. And because she was born at home to a midwife, she basically had to retain a lawyer to be able to get all her documentation in Louisiana. And this was incredibly emotional. She testified in federal court and basically said, “I was born in Jim Crow before African Americans were able to vote in Louisiana, and now I can’t vote again. For the first time in 60 years, I am not able to vote in the state of Texas, and this breaks my heart.”
And so, to be able to see people like Elizabeth Gholar have the right to vote again, to be able to see people in North Carolina who battled Jim Crow laws be able to vote, this is remarkable. And I think this transcends partisanship. A lot of times we’ve been talking about these restrictions hurting Democratic constituencies, being passed by Republicans, but we have to step back and think that this is not just about party. This is about the fact that people who had been voting all their lives lost their right to vote, and now they’re able to get their right to vote back.
AMY GOODMAN: I wanted to turn to a comment of Donald Trump. Speaking at a rally earlier this year in New Hampshire, Donald Trump said the voting system is out of control.
DONALD TRUMP: Look, you’ve got to have real security with the voting system. This voting system is out of control. You have people, in my opinion, that are voting many, many times. They don’t want security. They don’t want cards.
AMY GOODMAN: That was Donald Trump.
ARI BERMAN: Well, like with many Donald Trump statements, it’s not exactly clear that he knew what he was talking about. But I think what he was trying to suggest was that there is lots of fraud in American elections, and there needs to be more security in terms of how elections are run. I should say that the type of voter fraud that people say is most prevalent, voter impersonation, is incredibly rare. You’re more likely to be struck by lightning than you are to impersonate another voter. Since 2000, there have been a billion votes cast and only 31 cases of voter impersonation. So this is incredibly rare.
But I already see Donald Trump now fanning the flames of voter fraud. He retweeted something from the actor James Woods, a very conservative actor, saying if Hillary wins, it’ll be because of voter fraud. So, it’s not surprising that the country’s leading birther, who questioned President Obama’s citizenship, is now crying wolf about voter fraud and already trying to say that if he loses in November, it will be because of nefarious behavior, even though this kind of fraud is incredibly rare and even though states in—courts in North Carolina and Wisconsin recently have basically said voter fraud is not a problem. This has been a pretext that Republicans have used to try to disenfranchise Democratic voters.
AMY GOODMAN: So, Ari, go to the overall picture right now. Talk about who is going to be able to vote in this election. Are there other judgments that we are waiting for in courts around the country?
ARI BERMAN: Yeah, it’s still a very uncertain situation. We’re less than 100 days from the election now, and this is the first presidential election in 50 years without the full protections of the Voting Rights Act. Seventeen states have new restrictions in place for the first time. In some states, these restrictions have been struck down, like in North Carolina, but they’re on appeal. In other states, the laws have been softened, like in Texas and Wisconsin, but they’re still in effect. There are new restrictions that are being challenged in court in places like Ohio and Virginia.
So, there’s a lot of activity still going on in the courts. This is by no means settled. And even once the court decisions happen, people need to know what the laws are in these states. So, we still have millions of voters that are impacted by new voting restrictions, that need to be helped. People need to be registered to vote. They need to know what the law is. They need to be ready to vote in November. And so, this is still a very unsettled issue that needs a lot more national attention.
AMY GOODMAN: Ari Berman, I want to thank you for being with us. Ari Berman, senior contributing writer for The Nation, where he covers voting rights. His book, Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America, the paperback is out this week. And we’ll link to your article in The Nation, “The Country’s Worst Anti-Voting Law Was Just Struck Down in North Carolina.”
znModeratorVery nice work on the gardens. I am jealous. Just moved to a new home, and I’m just trying to get this place presentable before moving on to gardening. When I do, I will try to remember to post some photos … I’ll be lucky if I can start next spring.
Last time you posted about the house, it was somewhere in Tom Hanks, The Money Pit territory.
I hope you have made good progress! (Oh, and, be sure and read the board on the 9th.)
znModeratorSome August entries.
Yes I am taking this all the way to October.
znModeratoroff the net from aeneas1
i don’t follow college ball at all, nor high school ball, never have, but every once in a while i’ll get into the draft and check out the prospects, the available vids, the scouting reports, etc., but this wasn’t one of those years… so i was caught a bit off guard when local friends and customers, who know i’m a die-hard rams fan, started emailing and calling me to ask if i was excited that the rams might pick goff with the first overall, i really didn’t know how to respond, except with “sure i guess”, but i thought wentz would be fine too, didn’t care much that goff went to cal (i’m in northern cal, a little over an hour from cal)…
well as it turns out goff not only went to cal but he also went to marin catholic high school, my son’s rival school, and a school a lot of the kids around here went to, including a lot of my son’s friends, it’s about 30 minutes away, and they all knew goff, who was a year ahead of my son and his friends… in fact the goffs have been to my restaurant more than a few times, including jared, and i had no idea, didn’t realize it until one of my regulars, a retired cop who is a very close friend of jared’s dad, told me not too long ago, said he was recently at my place with jared’s dad and wanted to introduce me but i was out, go figure… anyway my regular went on to tell me that jared’s dad called him from l.a. when the rams flew jared down for the first meeting, the rams actually flew the entire goff family down, told my regular that the rams really rolled out the red carpet, wining and dining, beautiful hotel, everything, said he could not have been more impressed with the rams organization….
anyhoo, hope to meet the goffs the next time they’re in, and i hope they bring jared, ha ha….
znModeratorramsman34
notes from training camp 7/30 & 7/3131
7/30
D-line – individual and one on one drills
Coach Waffle – all business, cool dude tooQuinn – looks very quick and very flexible. His first step explosion is second to none, not even Donald was a quick in these drills. Could not tell he was coming of major back surgery at all. Then again, no pads, no real hitting. but, players had to engage the acting O-lineman, lock out with their inside arm, then either club, rip, or swim move to get around to the QB.
Donald – Wore a GoPro and the footage is up on the Rams website. He looks leaner but more muscular. His leverage is ridiculous.
The Rest – No one really stood out but almost all looked very good, including Easley. Cam thomas (#92) is a camp body as either/both Fox (#72) and sadly Seau (#72) – things might change for these last two once the pads come on but without these three we have 9 DL who are all vets.
WRs, TEs, and one Todd Gurley stayed after practice and worked the Juggs machine. Each caught at least one full 44-gallon garbage can full of balls. All looked good. The standout for me was Harkey, and here is why; after half a bucket, he started moving closer and closer to the Juggs machine until he was practically on top of it. The ball would scream out and a nano second later Harkey would snatch it and put it away – Impressive!
QBs – limited view, more on them in the 7/31 report.
Mannion – He looked really good actually. His delivery is quicker and more compact and he can put some heat on his throws.
Keenum – God forbid he has to throw a deep out from the far hash. His deeper throws all wobble and have simply no zip on them at all. I will be shocked if he is the starter day 1. His short throw are money, but we already knew that about him.
Goff – As noted by many, a lot of check down and underneath stuff by design. He had one bad exchange under center that came after his only deep shot was thrown late on a post route, picked by C. Davis. But, this kid can rip the ball, was incredibly accurate, and his footwork is something to marvel at – effortless.==
7/31
B. Quick started his pre practice warm ups on the Juggs machine with Coach Groh hitting him and his arms, bodying him up and just messing with his concentration and timing. Quick caught every ball – not wearing gloves. Let’s see how this translates when the pads come on Tuesday 8/2. Quick looks leaner, even more ripped and faster than last year.
Team Defense – interception and return drill. I have never seen a team actually work on interception return blocking assignments like this before. The LBs and Dl would set up a return wall for the D backs to flow behind. It was coordinated beautifully every time.
O-line – one side inside run game drill. A lot of emphasis by Coach Bou on technique including, hand placement, sinking hips and driving, and bringing your feet. Isaiah Battle looked very good in this drill. All the o-line did pretty well.
The D-line once again worked on pass rush drills against each other, one on one. A lot of emphasis was put on proper hand placement, strike, and creating separation. All the guys did well with Quinn, Brokers, Donald, and Sims looking particularly strong and quick. Coach Waffle emphasizes a quick 1-2 strike technique with the hands then a one armed lock out of the offensive lineman to create space while bending and dipping around that side of the lineman. Trying to block any of our DL one on one is going to be a challenge for most opposing o-line men, especially OGs.
QB Individual Drills – Both Goff and Mannion can flat out spin the ball. It jumps out of their hands. Keenum, well, I truly think I can throw harder and farther than he can, with a tighter spiral. They do a lot of footwork, on the move within the pocket drills. I think these drills will pay off this season.
WR tennis ball drill. what a great eye-hand coordination drill Groh uses – and the WRs do it every single day. Him and Tay were moving two balls lightening fast to each other until Tay dropped one. We gave Tay a loud cheer and Groh says, “what, no love for coach.” Coach actually looked damn impressive.
TEAM 11 v 11 almost every snap was out of 11-personell
2 minute drill – Goff at QB – second team3rd & 3/+42 yd line/11 personnel/shotgun – short hook route to Duke Williams – drop/inc. – well placed ball
1st & 10/+45/11 personnel/Gun, intermediate fade to McRoberts – incomplete – catchable ballKeenum a QB – 1st team
1st & 10/+45/ Run
3rd & 5/+45/11/gun -TE crossing route/Kendricks – complete for a 1st down – this is where T. Austin pulled up lame with the cramping
3rd & 7/+44/11/ gun – TE crosser – incomplete, forgot to write player # downGoff in – 1st team with WR/TEs rotating
3rd & 3/+44/11/under center – hook/inc. to Higbee – catchable ball, tight window
3rd & 7/+47/11/gun – 3-step, speed out to Higbee, caught for a 1st down
3rd & 7/+47/11/gun – 5-step intermediate in-route to #3 Marquez North, nice ball, nice catch, big gain
3rd & 7/+47/11/gun – 5-step intermediate comeback to #13 Michael Thomas, tight coverage, great ball placement with heat on it, big gain
3rd & 7/+47/11/gun – 3-step, Sack by Brockers
3rd & 7/+47/11/gun – 7 step, double move/stutter go, great ball, maybe a tad long but if #81, Duke Williams lays out, thats a TD, ends up inc. Williams left the DB looking stupid, did not get the DBs #Mannion got like 2 or 3 reps and i didn’t pay attention, TBH.
The last two plays were a check down over the middle on 2nd and 12, and a jail-break screen, both worthless but the rush and coverage took everything else away, and the pursuit on the screen was so fast the WR couldn’t make more than a 4 yd gain.
7 v 7 was the last thing of the day and thoroughly disappointing from the offensive point of view. This drill is slanted toward the offense and they are supposed to win most of the time. Didn’t happen. The D was in man coverage exclusively and shut all three QBs down consistently. Gave them nothing accept a nice grab by Duke Williams on an intermediate incut. NOTE – I really hope the Duke makes this team – at least the practice squad. There is just something about him and he is a freakish athlete with excellent size/play speed/strength. Needs to sharpen his focus and concentration to eliminate the drops.
Now, keep in mind – especially with Goff at QB, the Defense is disguising coverages and shifting fronts constantly. They rolled out of cover-2 into cover-3 and then made cover -1 look like cover-3 pre snap quite a bit. They also ran zone to one side with off-man on the other. That is a lot for a rookie QB in his second practice to absorb and it showed occasionally. But, Goff held up well and looked better day 2 than day 1. THAT is called progress and I expect to see more all through camp.
More from camp tomorrow, 8/2 when the pads come on!
znModeratorPractice Report 8/1: First Day in Pads
Myles Simmons
Though OTAs and the first two days of training camp give a little taste, it doesn’t truly feel like football until the pads come on.
That’s what happened at Monday morning’s Rams practice, which lasted about an hour and focused solely on special teams.
The club has run the first day in pads like this for the last few years. It’s a way not only to get players acclimated to wearing the equipment for the first time in around eight months, but also foster competition.
And perhaps most importantly, it’s an opportunity to see which players who may fly under the radar in other situations have good special-teams skills.
“We’ve had success over the past couple of years finding undrafted rookie free agents [who can make the 53-man roster] in these types of practices,” special teams coordinator John Fassel said after the session. “I thought we got through pretty clean with soft tissues and all that. And guys competed. We’ll check the film out and probably find a couple hidden gems like we’ve been able to do the last couple of years.”
Fassel named players such as Benny Cunningham, Chase Reynolds, Cody Davis, and Bradley Marquez as individuals who have emerged from this particular practice. Fassel said the session is important because it allows the team brass to take a look at players in situations they might not have faced before.
“The thing is, in college, there’s not a lot of special teams film on a lot of these guys … because they don’t play special teams,” Fassel said. “So to see them in a full-speed, lots-of-space environment is new for them. And that’s when you get exposed in a good or bad way.”
There are a few traits Fassel looks for in person and on film from this practice that show who might excel on the unit.
“You’re looking for guys that can run,” Fassel said. “I love to see guys that use the techniques we’ve been working on all OTAs — which have been unpadded — and the last two days. And that’s all we’ve done, is we’ve worked on the techniques that hopefully will help them out today.
“So who’s doing the right thing, who’s fighting and scrapping, who shows that they can run, and who’s also being smart about not committing penalties and those types of things,” Fassel continued. “They stand out.”
Drawing the right kind of attention is important, because the ability to contribute in this area can be a determining factor for those on the fringes of making the roster. As is well known, head coach Jeff Fisher makes having strong special teams units a priority.
“If it’s a toss up at a certain position offensively or defensively, then the trump card is special teams,” Fassel said. “And we’ve been fortunate the last couple of years that coach Fisher recognizes that and picks a guy out that looks like he might have the potential to play 25 snaps a game on special teams.”
We’ll have to see who this year’s Marquez or Cam Lynch might be. But they likely will have made a strong impression on Day 3 of camp.
HONORING A FRIEND
Late in the evening of July 23, a tragic car accident took the lives of Mike Sadler and Sam Foltz. Sadler was a punter at Michigan State and had enrolled as a student at Stanford Law. Foltz, also a punter, was entering his senior year at Nebraska.
Both were attending a kicking clinic in Wisconsin when they died.
Rams punter Johnny Hekker was a friend of Sadler’s and has been mourning the loss. The two met doing summer punting camps down in Alabama with renowned kicking coach Mike McCabe and trained together for about five years.
“I met Mike when he was going into his freshman year at Michigan State,” Hekker said on Monday. “He just could light up a room. Had more wit than an entire SNL cast. Was so smart, but didn’t really flex his brain too much unless he had to. And, man, was just always silly. Always silly and could just light up a room. But was very diligent, hard working when times called for it.”
To pay tribute his friend, Hekker has been wearing No. 3 instead of his own No. 6 during training camp practices.
“I just couldn’t help but ask coach if I could wear the number just to honor him during camp because it means that much to me, and Mike was a really special person,” Hekker said.
“You think about all the lives he touched and Sam touched — they squeezed a lot of life into the years that they were here,” Hekker added. “They were a blessing to be around. And their legacy is going to live on through a lot of people.”
Including Hekker himself.
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