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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.
znModeratorRookies Duke Williams and Aaron Green stand out in special teams practice
Steve Dilbeck
IRVINE, Calif. — Special teams isn’t the glory way to make an NFL team. It’s not the road taken by high draft picks or big-time free agents.
It’s something of a backdoor, a way to earn an NFL roster spot far from the spotlight, when only coaches a few players are really watching.
The Los Angeles Rams had their first practice in pads Monday, but it was for special teams only. A time for those desperate to make a roster to demonstrate toughness, speed and plain effort.
“That’s how players make the team, especially young guys,” cornerback Trumaine Johnson said. “This is the most exciting practice for me, to see what young guys step up.
“It’s the first day in pads, so you know it’s going to be physical. It was fun out here to seem some young guys get to work.”
Many a successful player began his NFL career shedding blockers or clearing paths for returners, and then went on to individual success. When it comes time to make those final cuts, a player who has stood out in special teams is often going to earn the nod.
Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel said coach Jeff Fisher has consistently made an ability to play on punts and kicks a priority in personnel decisions.
“If it’s a toss-up at a certain position — offensively or defensively — then the trump card is special teams,” Fassel said. “We’ve been fortunate the last couple of years that coach Fisher recognized that and picks the guy out who looks like might have the potential to play 25 snaps a game on special teams. Three, four, five guys a year find that role and then perform.”
A couple may have singled themselves out Monday, particularly with a one-on-one drill with a blocker lining up next to a player pursing a dummy returner. Receiver Duke Williams and running back Aaron Green — both rookie free agents — had nice moments.
“I liked Duke,” Johnson said. “A big receiver. I like Duke a lot. I was about to go out there at one time and go get him.”
Tavon Austin, who is 5-foot-8, was impressed by Duke and Green, who’s listed at 5-11.
“Duke is kind of a quiet guy,” Austin said. “With pads on, he was loud today.
“And 36, the running back (Green), he showed me. He’s really short, but he fights. Just like 2-0 (5-8 defensive back Lamarcus Joyner) and myself.”
Johnson was selected in the third round of the 2012 draft, but still came to camp hoping to win a spot on special teams.
“I came to the league and my mindset was to play special teams,” he said. “I took pride in that.”
Austin said he could clearly remember his first day in pads when players tried to separate themselves on special teams.
“There are people waiting to see who has some fight in them,” he said.
znModeratorColleen Wolfe Reports from #RamsCamp on Monday
Latest on Goff's progress 📺 | https://t.co/Hsj2cXCIpR pic.twitter.com/Jxr5HPml9c
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 2, 2016
znModeratorVeteranRamFan
Day two training camp report
First let me say that I am in awe of those who have come before me with these camp reports. So much going on it’s hard to stay focused on one single group and well, I know we all need more info on every aspect of training camp. I will try my best to summarize what I saw and by no means do I want anyone here to take my word as the gospel truth. It’s just one fan’s view and I must admit, I may be biased to one or two players.
Wide Receivers:
Easier to watch this group than most others. Especially when they run routes to your sideline.
Nelson Spruce – I am very high on this guy. Not fast but crisp routes and gets separation. His hands are amazing. Everything, and I mean everything I saw thrown to him he caught, not only effortlessly but with authority. He won’t last on the practice squad. He would be our new Amendola. Need to find a spot for him.
Mike Thomas – What body control and great hands. He plays bigger than he really is. Always seemed to get open for that brief moment and if the QB finds him, sure catch and moving the chains. Must find a spot for him too.
Pharroh Cooper – just love his name! I can hear “COOOOOOOOP” coming from the crowds. Seems very quick and makes clean cuts. How can we not keep him?
Bradley Marquez – Dude is flat out ballin on the field. 100% effort 100% of the time. Love guys like that. He’ll make the team. More fast than quick (?) but fights for the ball. Good size, sure hands.
Marquez North – Sorry, didn’t catch my eye. Didn’t do badly, just didn’t see him all that much. Not that he didn’t have his opportunities, I just missed them. Must have been sending an update to the ROD board at those times.
Paul McRoberts – Oh boy, this guy has an uphill climb. He got yelled at during the first phase of passing drills by whomever was throwing the balls. All I could hear was F&*$in this and what the F… was that? Mind you, this was the first pass thrown to him as all the receivers were doing a simple slant from the left side, catch and turn up field. He’s JAG in my eye.
Tavon Austin – Full speed or no speed. Love this kid. He gets it and tries hard every play. During punt drills, he is fielding them and one is coming over to his left, our sideline where we are sitting. You can tell it is going out of bounds and may actually hit someone who wasn’t looking. I yelled a heads up and Tavon is as cool and calm as can be is waving this one off, just like in a game. I yelled at him afterwards “Good call, Tavon.” He acknowledged with a couple of nodes of his helmet as if to say, “I know, I know.” Just my take. Cool dude. Need not say anymore, we know what we got in him. OH! He did beat Tru off the line by about 3 steps for a TD from Keenum for 40 yards. His injury looked like cramps/spasm. That’s been confirmed.
Brian Quick – Was it the QB who threw it to the wrong shoulder or was it Quick who ran the wrong route? Happened more than once. Unless he takes a more aggressive approach to running his routes, how can they keep him? I sure hope it was on the QB.
Duke Williams – taking up space. No motivation, lazy routes. He can catch and his size is a plus but when all the other guys run through the play after catching the ball and he just gives up like “I did my part, I caught the ball”, why waist a roster spot.
Tight Ends;
Higbee – BEAST! Clean, fresh, crisp routes. Got separation numerous times. Not fast but sharp. I’d want him watching my back at the night club. He will become Goff’s best friend soon.
Hemmingway – He can catch the ball, that’s for sure. Not as crisp of a route runner as Higbee and that may put him on the PS. Not as much separation but used his body well to shield the defender.
Kendricks – Best part of him I saw was his blocking. AND I like the guy a lot! Missed some, had some batted away that I thought he could have used his size advantage but then again, no pads, second practice.
Benson Browne – JAG, sorry no disrespect but didn’t see anything to make him shine.
Harkey – Missed seeing much of him. We know what we have in him.
Justice Cunningham – Flat out gave it his all on every snap, play, drill. Of course you would too if your team just drafted two more tight ends. Loved his effort. Don’t know if he’ll make it with Lance and Higbee and Harkey in the mix.
Oline:
Saffold at RT. Did well. Just like we knew he could. Havenstien did not practice.
J. Brown at RG. Again, did well considering the D always has the upper hand during the first two weeks of camp.
Center – Couldn’t get the number. I’m sure it was Baron and at times Rhaney but maybe a little Kush too. Couldn’t tell. Sorry.
Donnel at LG. Seemed solid enough at this phase of camp.
Williams LT on second team. Guy is good. Nice to have on the team. One of those solid lineman you need for spot duty.
Robinson LT. Now here I paid some closer attention. Good use of hands, arms and feet. Kept Quinn in front of him or pushed him out wide away from the pocket. Quinn looked fine too. I really think GR is going to be who we want him to be this season, an All Pro.
Isaiah Battle – This guy will be a big plus as a swing tackle. He held his own at RT against Coples more than once.
Goff – He can thread a needle! Quick, sharp throws where only the receiver can catch it. Not so good yet on the 20+ yard deep ones. That will come in time once he gets that rhythm with his receivers.
Keenum – He is better than Goff right now but that is to be expected. Still not able to connect on deep throws but reads the field well. Except for that time Higbee was open for 7+ yards and it was 3rd and 6 per Coach Fisher. You’ll see Higbee’s route on that play in my pictures.
Mannion – Sorry, didn’t watch him too much.
Hekker – 60+ yards in the air. Direction was a little off. He was wearing #3 and really confused me. Thought it was North punting.
Gurley – He will do just fine. Arron Donald chased him down after the whistle one play and accidently stepped on Gurley’s heal. I admonished 99, told him not to hurt his teammate.
That’s all I can remember and I didn’t even get a real look at the defense.
I’ll be going back on Tuesday, let me know what position group you all would like me to focus on and I’ll try my best. No camera this time, just a pen and notepad.
Take care my Ram’s Brothers!
znModeratorI thought this deserved its own thread, so voila.
Thanks. Good report!
August 1, 2016 at 4:46 pm in reply to: Tre Mason: reports on erratic behavior keep mounting up #49907znModeratorTRE MASON
COPS ORDERED EVALUATION
… After July 23rd Incidenthttp://www.tmz.com/2016/08/01/tre-mason-cops-decision-rams/
MZ Sports has obtained the police report from Tre Mason’s encounter with police on July 23rd — which details strange behavior, a violent outburst and more evidence of mental illness.
We broke the story … cops in Palm Beach, FL had visited the NFL running back 5 times in 4 months after his family reported a string of bizarre behavior, concerned about his mental health.
Now we know more from the July 23rd incident — and it’s clear he’s not in good shape.
According to the report, filed by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office … cops say Tre’s mother had called because her son was “acting unusual and making irrational statements.”
When Tre saw the cops, he threatened to call the White House and have them all fired — and made bizarre statements about Al Qaeda … so says the report.
Upon inspection, cops noticed a hole that had been punched in the wall of Tre’s bedroom and a broken vase and lamp. Tre also had a cut on his hand, but was refusing medical attention.
The officer who filed the report made it clear Tre was in no position to make decisions on his own.
“I believe that Trence does not have the [redacted] ability to make decisions at this time and therefore he was transported to [redacted] where he was treated for the laceration and admitted for evaluation under the [redacted].”
Mason was a no-show at L.A. Rams training camp — and head coach Jeff Fisher says the running back hasn’t spoken with anyone in the organization since 2015.
It now seems pretty clear why …August 1, 2016 at 4:43 pm in reply to: Tre Mason: reports on erratic behavior keep mounting up #49906znModeratorhttp://www.turfshowtimes.com/2016/8/1/12345076/tmz-los-angeles-rams-rb-tre-mason-missing
The Tre Mason has hit a somber and worrisome point. TMZ is reporting that he is “missing” and that nobody knows where he is:
LeadingNFL @LeadingNFL
Rams running back Tre Mason is missing. His family, friends and teammates have no idea where he is and are worried.They’ve also got details from the July 23rd incident, and it’s troubling:
Cops say Tre’s mother had called because her son was “acting unusual and making irrational statements.”
When Tre saw the cops, he threatened to call the White House and have them all fired — and made bizarre statements about Al Qaeda … so says the report.
Upon inspection, cops noticed a hole that had been punched in the wall of Tre’s bedroom and a broken vase and lamp. Tre also had a cut on his hand, but was refusing medical attention.
Let’s be blunt. This isn’t funny. And his professional well-being is firmly less of a priority at this point.
Tre needs help. However he gets it and from whom, I hope it happens. Soon.
znModeratorVincent Bonsignore @DailyNewsVinny
When asked to name one young teammate who stood out in #Rams special teams practice Trumaine Johnson immediately said “Duke Williams”Rich Hammond ✔ @Rich_Hammond
Tavon Austin is at today’s Rams special-teams practice, presumably having consumed enough food and drink this morning.znModeratorInside Training Camp: Catching On
Go inside day two of the LA Rams training camp where Rams Insider Myles Simmons reviews the Rams wide receivers.
znModeratorHacksaw_64
Goff was the best QB on the field today. made a few mistakes and still looks lost at times. He made 2 exceptional throws that were real nice reads that he drilled over the middle. He completed a nice 20 yard out route to Mike Thomas where he threw the ball well before Thomas went into his break and was caught by Thomas showing of his area of catch by making a last second (surge/burst/lean/lunge/snatch/drag feet in bounds). Coming out of his break it looked like the ball was for sure going to be incomplete a little early, slightly high and out of bounds (all of which are textbook on how you throw that dangerous route). This ball was actually complete thanks to some nice WR skills by Thomas. Great catch, but most good NFL WR’s make that catch. The throw Goff made on the other hand was special. It is the benchmark throw for QB’s in the NFL. A lot of guys just don’t have the arm to throw it, let alone the timing(quick release, footwork, pocket presence) and accuracy( delivering the ball before the receiver goes into his break to “the spot” that only he can catch it and stay in bounds). Its an extremely nuanced throw that plays well to Goff’s natural gifts. This was one of his best throws I watched him make in college as well. He threw one perfect deep ball where he beat the DB and dropped in the bucket perfectly in the end zone that was dropped by I think Pharoah Cooper. Clearly the best arm talent. He missed on another deep throw to a streaking WR that had a step on the DB with a slight overthrow that went out of bounds at least. He also threw a couple dimes over the middle of the field in tight windows for completions to both North and McRoberts. Haven’t seen that in awhile eh? He did throw two picks, one at the start of practice and one at the very end. Both picks looked to be on Goff. The first one looked horrible looked like he was totally confused and lobbed the ball up over the middle of the field right to two defenders. The second one it looked like he stared down his receiver and got jumped easily by the DB. Make no mistake he looks like a confused, spinning rookie at times, but more often than not on Sunday he was the best QB on the field.
Keenum made one real nice deep throw, he was able to drop in. He was pretty crisp at the underneath stuff. Then for the love of god, he tried to throw that 20 yd out pattern to the wide side of the field……Can you say pick six? The ball just floated like a slow hanging curve. That’s pretty much the defining throw for a pro QB arm. Keenum just doesn’t have the arm.
Mannion looked horrible. And trust me I’m one of his biggest supporters. First, I just can’t get over his funky overhand delivery. Combined with his slow footwork and setup in the pocket it looks like a recipe for sack/stripsack. Along with that his was just terribly innacurrate, even against no defenders. He had probably the most wide open gift of a TD pass we saw all day on a fly route with a streaking receiver that had his man beat by 10 steps and he overthrew him by 15 yards out of bounds. There were about 4 other really bad throws I won’t go into detail about.
Duke Williams shockingly got a bunch of reps with the 1st team. Someone must really like him. He looks the part. He’s a big tall frame with long arms.
He had a decent day. He made a couple catches. He had a drop over the middle that wasn’t his fault, he was open but Keenum threw the ball way behind him. He reached back and still almost caught it. They lined him up wide after Tavon went down, and he beat the cb deep down the sideline by a couple steps and Keenum threw a ball that dropped just out of reach of his outstreached hands. A little more speed and he walks into the endzone.Paul McRoberts looks really good. He kept jumping out to me in warmup drills. I kept asking myself “damn who’s this #8?”. I finally had to look him up. With all the new rookie receivers, there are quite a few unfamiliar numbers. he had the “wow” route of the day. i couldn’t see who was covering him but he absolutely broke the CB’s ankles on his cut over the middle and made a great hands snatch of a bullet by Goff.
Marquez North like McRoberts caught my eye in warmups. He’s explosive, quick twitch in and out of breaks. He ended up making two of the better catches over the middle of the day. They had him in the slot.
Mike Thomas also looks good. He doesn’t look like he has quite the quick twitch athleticism as North or McRoberts, but shows real nice ability to go get the ball once its in the air. He looks pretty smooth running routes.
Nelson Spruce isn’t tall, long armed, quick twitch athlete, or rather explosive. He does go all out on every play. He doesn’t drop anything. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and is physically imposing for his size. He has a deceptive playing speed on the field. He doesn’t waste any extra motion in routes or translating catch to run after catch. He managed to fake me and the DB out with his secret “ninja” ability to get create space on a speedier defender.
Bradley Marquez got a lot of time with the 1’s. My take on him is he is a high floor low ceiling guy. He looks better in drills than he plays. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. He doesn’t do anything exceptional as a WR. The buzz is that the Rams are really high on him .I’m not sure I get it.
Brian Quick made a couple catches. Now this is just my impression. But I’m sorry, I don’t get it. While some of these guys jump out to my eye as natural WR’s, Quick jumps out as a dog. He looks tentative. Never looks like he’s going full speed.
Tyler Higbee is going to be good, if he stays healthy. He huge, runs like an antelope and can catch. He was already getting time with the 1’s. I didn’t see him drop anything thrown in his vacinity all day, including drills.
Temarrick Hemmingway might have been the biggest shocker to me all day. I wasn’t a fan of the pick. Someone reported he sucked first day. According to his draft profile he was raw, tall athletic guy that needed to fill out frame and become more physical. Well, you can uncheck that box. This dude looks like Karl Malone. I think he’s bigger than Higbee and he runs like a WR. He has extremely long arms. He ended running two real nice routes over the middle and made a couple nice catches. One was exceptional. I actually see why they drafted him now. With some development he’s going to be almost impossible to cover down the seam. Hopefully he has the hands. I know they were questioned on day 1. Looked Ok today. One thing in his favor is this kid has what it takes upstairs as opposed to Jared Cook, Hemmingway is mature for his years and was recognized for his exceptional character and scholasticism in college.
Gurley looks like he is at a lighter weight, but is no doubt the best player on the field other than Aaron Donald. Looks like he is going to be a bigger threat in the passing attack.
Aaron Green flashed some ability in the open field.
Isaiah Battle is huge this year. He put in some work in the offseason to fill out that frame. He was splitting time with the 1’s at RT with Saffold.
Wichmann was starting next to Robinson at LG with the 1’s with Reynolds splitting time.
Reynolds is a lot more imposing than I thought. He looked like he got injured toward the end of practice
Darrell Williams was backing up GR at LT.
znModeratorDonald Trump and the expanding power of the presidency
Some of Donald Trump’s plans — such as repealing the Affordable Care Act, cutting taxes or expanding Social Security — would require extensive, close work with Congress. But the White House is now so powerful that he could legally fulfill many of his other promises without it.
Donald Trump has promised not only to be the voice of the American people but also to take decisive, immediate action. As president, he has said he would move fast to destroy the Islamic State, scrap bad trade deals, build that wall, “stop the gangs and the violence,” and “stop the drugs from pouring into our communities.” He would “immediately suspend immigration” from countries where terrorism is rampant. He might even defy treaty obligations and decline to aid NATO allies.
The Republican nominee has led some to conclude that he intends a sweeping expansion of presidential authority. His rhetoric implies a muscular, almost unitary, presidency that would be at least as expansive as what historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. famously dubbed the “imperial presidency” — his critique of Richard Nixon’s abuse of power in the era of Watergate and Vietnam.
But scholars of the presidency say that Barack Obama, George W. Bush and their predecessors have added so many powers to the White House toolbox that a President Trump could fulfill many of his promises legally — and virtually unchecked by a Congress that has proven incapable of mustering much pushback for decades .
“Every president expands the power of the presidency,” said Neal Devins, a law professor at the College of William & Mary. “This is a constant pattern. They never shrink the presidency. A President Trump could say, ‘I’m going to use the Obama playbook’ and go pretty far. The difference between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump is not going to be one of lawlessness but of the policies they pursue.”
Plenty of politicians have pledged wholesale, game-changing shifts in policy, but Trump’s hot rhetoric stands out because his promises are rarely accompanied by details on how he might implement his initiatives. He doesn’t say how he might punish companies that ship jobs overseas, or how he would get Mexico to pay for a border wall, or how he would impose a ban on Muslims entering the country. He says he will make it happen — “believe me.”
Trump’s critics hear his sweeping promises as the words of a classic strongman, a ruler who seems prepared to push aside the cobwebs of bureaucracy and the checks and balances of American federalism to produce instant, decisive action. Critics have compared him to Mussolini, Hitler, Vladimir Putin, Saddam Hussein and Argentina’s Juan Perón. Trump has praised Putin and Hussein for being tough on terrorism. In the past, Trump has singled out China’s crackdown against pro-democracy activists in Tiananmen Square in 1989 as a demonstration of “the power of strength.”
“Certainly rhetorically, Trump’s idea that ‘I alone can fix this’ does go beyond the template that President Obama and President Bush before him came in with, the idea that you try to fix things together,” said Andrew Rudalevige, a professor of government at Bowdoin College.
Trump’s defenders argue that his statements, whether off the cuff at rallies or in his scripted acceptance address at last week’s Republican convention, are not policy prescriptions but rather reflections of popular frustration. When Trump says he’s going to fix a problem immediately, some supporters say, he’s throwing down his marker, taking a stand rather than spelling out a plan.
A spokesman for Trump declined to comment for this article.
Some Trump initiatives, such as repealing the Affordable Care Act, cutting taxes or expanding Social Security, would require extensive, close work with Congress. But presidents already have the power to do much of what Trump has proposed. Congress has given the president the authority to negotiate trade deals, for example, and Trump could try to renegotiate the nuclear deal with Iran.
Other promises put him in disputed terrain, such as his vow to bomb the Islamic State, “circle” their territory and “take the oil.” Some argue that such actions must be authorized by Congress under the War Powers Resolution, which was passed over President Nixon’s veto in 1973. But presidents since then have routinely ordered military action without seeking a congressional green light.
Trump could justify an all-out assault on the Islamic State by pointing to the same kinds of authority that allowed the Bush administration to use torture against alleged terrorists and allowed the Obama administration to expand the use of drones to kill terrorist suspects. Recent presidents have used their constitutional authority as commander in chief even to take actions that are specifically restricted by law.
In 2014, Obama announced a prisoner swap in which Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was brought home from Afghanistan in exchange for five Taliban commanders who had been held at the U.S. facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Congress had passed a law requiring the president to notify it 30 days before the release of any Guantanamo detainee, but Obama insisted he had a higher duty to protect American lives and U.S. troops.
“The presidential toolbox of unilateralism is quite deep,” Rudalevige said, “but you can’t have an imperial presidency without an invisible Congress that is willing to take a back seat because it doesn’t want to be blamed for a war or some other unpopular policy.”
There’s only one effective way to push back against presidential power grabs, he concluded in a recent study: “Congress has to do its job.”
That hasn’t been happening, however. The country is so politically polarized that many members of Congress are now elected on promises to resist the kind of compromise that is necessary to build majorities and be an effective check on executive power.
“The constitutional order set up by our founders is breaking down,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) wrote this month in National Review. “What Congress wants today is to be weak . . . for fear of the political consequences of hard choices.”
Lee argued that presidents will continue to assume broader powers unless Congress fulfills its constitutional duty to “protect the American people from exactly the kind of arbitrary, unaccountable government-without-consent that Congress now for its own selfish reasons enables the executive branch to practice.”
In recent decades, presidents have stretched their ability to act unilaterally, bypassing Congress through executive orders, executive memos, national security orders, findings, signing statements and prosecutorial discretion. After the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal, Congress pushed back with a series of laws designed to rein in the president.
But the War Powers Resolution, the Intelligence Oversight Act, the Congressional Budget Act and the independent counsel act — all designed to limit presidential unilateralism — have proved toothless, and Congress since has ceded even more authority.
After Sept. 11, 2001, the rush to expand the president’s ability to respond quickly to attacks and to ferret out terrorists shifted the balance of power ever more decisively toward the White House. Then-Vice President Dick Cheney, a proponent of a stronger presidency going back to his days in Congress three decades earlier, argued that the fragility of a world with nuclear weapons mandated an expansive presidency: The fact that the president is accompanied at all times by a military aide carrying the nuclear codes, he said, means that “he doesn’t have to check with anybody. He doesn’t have to call the Congress. He doesn’t have to check with the courts. He has that authority because of the nature of the world we live in.”
A president who might act unilaterally was one of the chief fears expressed in the original debates about the Constitution. Writing in what became known as the Anti-Federalist Papers in 1787, the pseudonymous Cato warned against the presidency becoming “a Caesar, Caligula, Nero, and Domitian in America.” The system of checks and balances — giving Congress the authority to make laws and decide how money is spent, and giving the Supreme Court the last word on what laws comport with the Constitution — was supposed to rein in the president.
But as the size and scope of government ballooned, the president became the de facto manager of a sprawling, vital sector of the economy, and presidential authority expanded almost continuously. A century ago, Theodore Roosevelt argued that presidents were allowed to do anything not specifically prohibited by law or the Constitution. And Nixon famously asserted, after he had resigned from office over the Watergate scandal, that “when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal.”
By 2004, George W. Bush could state that when “Congress wouldn’t act,” he had no choice but to issue an executive order expanding access to federal grants for faith-based charities. Obama similarly said in 2014 that “when Congress doesn’t move on things they should move on . . . I’ve got a pen and I’ve got a phone, and I can use that pen to sign executive orders and take executive actions and administrative actions that move the ball forward.”
In today’s hyperpartisan politics, accusations of overly expansive presidencies fly across the aisle as a matter of course. “A strong presidency is one who is of your own party, and an imperial presidency is one from the other side,” Rudalevige said.
Potentially dangerous clashes could develop: If Trump were to ask the military to target terrorists’ families — an idea he has at various times proposed and disavowed — some military and intelligence officials have said that commanders might refuse to follow such orders.
“The American armed forces would refuse to act,” former CIA director Michael Hayden said earlier this year. “You are required not to follow an unlawful order.”
That scenario could lead to “a constitutional crisis,” Rudalevige said, “especially if we still have an eight-member Supreme Court,” assuming that the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat remained unfilled.
If a president does overstep his authority, Congress could cut off his funding or impeach him, but a President Trump could counter with the power of the bully pulpit.
“Any new president comes in with a certain degree of goodwill and political capital,” said Joe Hagin, who spent 14 years as a White House aide in Republican administrations, culminating in eight years as deputy chief of staff to George W. Bush. “What’s happening in the nation and the world at any given time affects your ability to move quickly. And if you look at what we were able to do post-9/11, it’s almost unprecedented.”
Congress acted within weeks to authorize war, pass the USA Patriot Act and establish the Department of Homeland Security — a sharp contrast to the administration’s failure to move on domestic initiatives such as overhauling Social Security and reforming immigration. What made the difference, Hagin said, was public opinion, and Trump’s knack for blunt communication could be an effective defense against efforts by Congress to rein him in.
“He’s thrown the rulebook out the window, and that could be a very good thing,” Hagin said. “He certainly understands how to communicate with a certain segment of the population, and the question is, can he expand that to a majority of the population?”
Public opinion also would likely have a big impact on Congress’s willingness to push back.
“No one knows what Trump would really do, which is why people are so freaked out,” said Devins, the law professor . “If he did push the boundaries dangerously, it really would depend on Congress, and it would take an awful lot for Republicans to join with the Democrats to assert themselves and slap him down.
“It took Watergate for the parties to stand up to Nixon and attempt to constrain the presidency. The question really is, what unilateral action against ISIS would be so extreme that Congress would pass a funding ban?”
Asked about Trump’s proposals to ban Muslims or build a border wall without congressional approval, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said last month that he “would sue any president that exceeds his or her powers.”
But Devins has concluded that the record of the past two decades shows that Congress “lacks both the will and the way to check the presidency.
“Today’s system of checks and balances,” he said , “is an abject failure.”
znModeratorRamsblood
Quinn looked quick as heck today. Bet he has a big year. Quinn was getting some cheering during the D- line drills running and hitting the bags. Donald looks quick too with power and a bounce in his movements. I also like the effort from Longacre. He looked good as did Sims although a bit of a dropoff from Quinn. Brockers OK as was Hayes. A couple looked sloppy like Cam Thomas.
Coples and Westbrook were decent. Westbrook looks bigger this year. He’s bigger than I thought.
Goff has a nice spiral. Spins the ball well for someone with average size hands. Small for NFL standards. He looked good until that last INT. Not sure what he was looking at.
znModeratorElvis
2 comments:
First shot shows how the Rams are going to blue and white.
Mike Groh has a new thing with the receivers where they play catch with tennis balls. He and Tavon got into it pretty heavy with Steadman watching. It got pretty intense and the crowd went a little wild whooping it up for Tavon. Groh shouted, “what, no love for the coach?”
znModeratorAlec Ogletree has been the man in the middle of a lot of activity
Gary Klein
http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-training-camp-20160731-snap-story.html
Alec Ogletree spent the off-season preparing for his new role as the Rams’ middle linebacker, studying tape and getting into the best shape of his pro career.
He did it while moving with the franchise from St. Louis to Southern California and while readying for an even more important transition:
Ogletree became a father a week ago, he and his wife welcoming a son they named Austin.
“It’s definitely a lot,” he said after Sunday’s workout at UC Irvine. “With moving, changing positions to having a baby. It’s a lot.”
Ogletree, 24, thus far appears to have made a smooth move from weakside linebacker to the middle, where he has been entrusted with replacing veteran James Laurinaitis.
During off-season training, teammates and coaches lauded Ogletree for the work he put in to learn the entire defense and assume the main leadership role.
“It’s been seamless,” Coach Jeff Fisher said Sunday when asked about Ogletree’s transition.
Fisher added that despite a busy off-season, Ogletree posted the best overall times for defensive players in conditioning tests.
Of course, there is no way of knowing whether the Rams made a wise decision to turn the defense over to Ogletree until they start playing games. That’s when Ogletree will be forced to recognize other teams’ schemes, line up teammates and make plays.
Gary Klein and Lindsey Thiry recap Rams training camp Day 2
Gary Klein and Lindsey Thiry update Day 2 of Rams training camp: Tavon Austin leaves early, Alec Ogletree adjusts to new position, Jared Goff is a fan favorite and special teams practice starts Monday.
The Rams open the exhibition season Aug. 13 against the Dallas Cowboys at the Coliseum. They have three other exhibitions before the Sept. 12 opener against the San Francisco 49ers on “Monday Night Football.”Ogletree, the 30th pick in the 2013 draft, appeared to be on his way to a breakout season in 2015 before he suffered a season-ending ankle injury against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4.
The Rams released Laurinaitis and defensive end Chris Long to clear salary-cap space and make room for younger leaders to emerge.
“A lot of people are just going to have to make a lot more plays to make up for those guys,” defensive tackle Aaron Donald said last week.
The 6-foot-2, 245-pound Ogletree will be flanked by Akeem Ayers on the strong side and Mark Barron on the weakside.
Ogletree credited teammates for easing his transition to the middle.
“It helps me out a lot that most of the guys have been here,” he said, adding, “so you don’t have to harp on learning the playbook all day and learning positions.”
But Ogletree sounded most excited about embracing fatherhood.
He has lately been limited to Facetime updates, and said his infant son already was outfitted with plenty of Rams and University of Georgia gear.
“It’s a life-changing experience,” he said of becoming a father. “It’s something that you really can’t explain until you have your own kids and go through the feeling.”
Notes
Receiver Tavon Austin was carted from the field after suffering what Fisher described as dehydration and cramps. Austin is not expected to miss any practices. “I heard for some reason he didn’t eat lunch,” Fisher said. … Receiver Kenny Britt was excused from practice but will return Monday, Fisher said. … The Rams released receiver Deon Long. … The Rams will hold a special-teams practice Monday, the first time players will be in shoulder pads. … Quarterback Case Keenum connected with receiver Bradley Marquez on a long pass play during a team drill. Quarterback Jared Goff avoided interceptions until the final portion of practice set aside for rookies. Jabriel Washington, who played at Alabama, picked off a Goff pass.
znModeratorPractice Report 7/31: Making an Impact
Myles Simmons
Day 2 is in the books for Rams training camp at UC Irvine. Here are some of the biggest storylines from the last day in July.
MARQUEZ MAKING PLAYS
Wide receiver Bradley Marquez made the Rams’ initial 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent in 2015 largely because of his special teams skills. But he’s always had a knack for getting his hands on the football.
As last season went along, Marquez worked his way into the offensive rotation, eventually finishing the year with 13 receptions for 88 yards. Now he looks as if he can have a more significant role as a wideout in Year 2 — an opportunity he relishes.
“Definitely want to play on offense — I’m working toward that,” Marquez said. “That’s my goal this year as well — one of my goals. And so, I just want to go out and help the team and I feel like I can do that on the offensive side as well.”
But with the type of player and person Marquez is, he’s willing to serve in any role.
“I want to do whatever I can to help the team — whether it’s special teams, offense, and anything else,” Marquez said. “Whatever they ask me to do, I want to be the guy who’s able to be flexible enough to do everything.”
Right now, simply having experience is helpful in trying to expand his opportunities. It breeds a comfort level with everything involved.
“Coming in as a rookie, you don’t know what to expect. You don’t know how the schedule works. You don’t know how the layout of training camp is,” Marquez said. But in Year 2, “[y]ou’ve got friendships, relationships. And, just, obviously, knowing the playbook a lot better as well as everything on the field. It’s just a little bit better, you know?”
Marquez noted he’s worked with Case Keenum, Jared Goff, and Sean Mannion during the offseason program and camp. But the Texas Tech product has spent a good amount of time running with the first-team offense. He’s shown that he has an ability to get open and reel in the ball, making him one to watch in the preseason.
MAKING A COMEBACK
About a year ago at this time, cornerback E.J. Gaines had a leg up in his position battle with Trumaine Johnson. A 2014 sixth-round pick, Gaines had started 15 games for the Rams in his rookie season and led the team with 14 passes defensed.
But Gaines’ promising sophomore campaign was not to be, as he suffered a season-ending foot injury during the first weekend of training camp.
The Mizzou product has been working his way back ever since, and now is in another competition to reclaim his starting role.
“He’s done fine. He got involved towards the end of the OTAs and was coming on, making progress. Worked hard, came back and he hasn’t missed a snap,” head coach Jeff Fisher said on Sunday.
Gaines has mostly been playing with the second group on defense, but that may change sooner than later.
“We’re not giving him the number of reps, for a week or so, that he ordinarily would get, but he gives us the opportunity to have him be in a position to win that job back and compete there,” Fisher said.
“It make take a couple weeks,” Gaines said of getting back to full speed, “but I’ll definitely be ready for Week 1 and I’m excited.”
As is well known, the Rams’ secondary will have a different look for the 2016 season without Janoris Jenkins and Rodney McLeod. But Gaines sees the silver lining when it comes to opportunities.
“I just think it leaves it open for competition,” Gaines said. “That’s one thing we all strive for is competition. I think it makes everyone better. And I’m excited to do that.”
For now, Gaines has mixed feelings of anxiousness and excitement to re-establish himself as his third training camp gets going.
“I’m not really concerned about where I start. You know, it’s more about where you finish,” Gaines said. “And I’m excited to get in the season and compete with everybody.”
PROUD NEW PAPA
Linebacker Alec Ogletree has gone through a number of changes this offseason, but one that may mean the most is becoming a father just a short week ago.
Welcome AUSTIN JOHNATHAN OGLETREE aka AJ !!! Thank you lord for this wonderful blessing you have giving us!! pic.twitter.com/ht1dN2pR1r
— Alec ogletree (@MROGLETREE52) July 25, 2016
“He’s getting bigger — changing a lot,” Ogletree said of his new son on Sunday. “I FaceTime a lot with my wife and stuff just to see him. And he’s changing every day. I hate that I’m missing him changing and stuff.”“It’s a life-changing experience,” Ogletree added. “It’s something that you really can’t explain until you have your own kids and just kind of go through the feeling of the birth and pregnancy. And once he’s born, it’s all worth it.”
EXTRA POINTS
— Los Angeles has been quick in integrating both tight end Tyler Higbee and wide receiver Pharoh Cooper into the offense. Cooper spent time in OTAs working with the first group, so it’s no surprise to see him there. Higbee, however, did a lot of work on the side during the offseason program as he was still recovering from knee surgery.
Now, both are looking like they belong as they take snaps with the first unit.
“We just plug them in and go,” Fisher said. “If you watch practice, they’re lining up with the ones. That should tell you something – they’re lining up and going. They have a good feel. We’re not going to put them in to fail, but they know what to do, they’re going to get their reps.”
— Tavon Austin was carted off the field during Sunday’s practice, but Fisher said the wide receiver should be just fine.
“He got a little dehydrated,” Fisher said. “He was cramping a little bit, so he’ll be fine. He’s not going to miss any practice, won’t miss any time.”
“Great lesson to be learned there — I heard that, for some reason, he didn’t eat lunch. Go figure,” Fisher added. “So anyway, a good message for the rest of the team. He’s doing fine, he’s having a great camp, he’s in great shape. No worries there.
— Wide receiver Kenny Britt was excused from Sunday’s practice and was not on the field. Again, no concerns there, according to Fisher.
“He’ll be back in the swing of things tonight in meetings and tomorrow,” the head coach said.
— Finally, the Rams released wide receiver Deon Long.
“We’ll probably bring some receivers in,” Fisher said. “We’re just trying to upgrade the bottom part of our roster.”
znModeratorWolfe: Front office impressed with first round pick
NFL Media’s Colleen Wolfe discusses Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff’s progress as a rookie quarterback.
znModeratorAs Jared Goff finds comfort level, Rams fans must learn to be patient
By Vincent Bonsignore, Los Angeles Daily News
IRVINE — The fed-up fan finally had enough of Jared Goff checking down to underneath receivers Saturday during the Rams opening training camp practice in Irvine.
So he let the rookie quarterback have it.
“Throw the damn ball down the field,” the fan screamed, over and over.
Never mind it was Goff’s first-ever National Football League training camp practice after being selected first overall in last April’s draft.
Or that the Rams were literally installing the underneath aspect of their passing game, which meant, well, all the quarterbacks were being instructed to look short not long.
“We just put some simple concepts in,” said Rams head coach Jeff Fisher. “Today, the ball wasn’t designed to go down the field — it was underneath, short passing game and those kind of things.”
It’s kind of what you do at this stage of camp.
None of that either dawned on or mattered to the frustrated fan, who apparently arrived in Irvine thinking the stage was set for Goff to unleash long ball after long ball.
You know, to justify his status as the first overall pick and future face of the Rams franchise.
“Throw the damn ball down the field!” he kept screaming.
Welcome to the NFL, rookie.
As for Jared Goff …
Seriously folks, it seems the former Cal star might have more to deal with than the accelerated speed, athleticism and savvy of the NFL game compared to what he saw the last three years in the Pac-12
Like a lack of nuance by over-eager fans demanding him to run while the Rams are still teaching him how to walk.
Two days into his first NFL camp, it looks like Goff and some Rams fans face a bit of a learning curve. L.A. is still re-adjusting to the pace and process of professional football while Goff is making the steep climb from college to the NFL.
To no one’s surprise, the initial steps for both have been a bit unsteady.
Goff was fairly sharp with his underneath throws on Saturday, and if side-session passing counts for anything he can certainly spin it at a high level.
But there were a couple of botched snaps from center, and on his one throw covering distance the ball didn’t come close to the intended target while sailing into the arms of Rams safety Cody Davis for an easy interception.
“I felt good about a lot of plays,” Goff said. “There’s some plays you want back.”
He looked better by Sunday, although his wide receivers didn’t exactly lend a helping hand by dropping a handful of passes. And though he made some nice throws toward the end of practice, he was intercepted on his final throw when he tried to cut loose across the middle only to be intercepted by rookie Jabriel Washington.
The two interceptions drew groans from many of the Rams fans on hand. More of out disappointment than anger. They badly want Goff to be great, and his emergence as a productive quarterback could be the difference in the Rams finally moving beyond the 7-9 teams they’ve been the last few years.
He’s the proverbial missing piece.
Understandable, then, they’ll be hanging on everything he does. Even through the first two days of practice.
Depending on the expectations, gleaning anything worthwhile thus far is a bit of a reach.
Goff hasn’t looked bad by any stretch of the imagination. But he also hasn’t jumped out at anyone as a no-doubt about it future NFL star.
That’s to be expected, of course, if not a tad bit disappointing.
To be expected because he’s barely three months into his professional career — counting organized team activities — and the Rams are day two into installation of a brand new offense under new coordinator Rob Boras,
Disappointing because the natural assumption is that quarterbacks drafted first overall will immediately flash something so obvious and distinctive they’ll leave no doubt about their future status.
That’s probably on us more than it is Goff. We should know better, especially at this stage.
For Goff, the focus is on incremental improvement. Getting better from day to day, then looking back at some point at the collective progress.
Like the distance he’s come from OTA’s to training camp, which he describes as substantial.
“I definitely feel 10 times more comfortable,” he said. “Much more comfortable with everything that we do, as far as daily stuff. Just very comfortable on the field, much more comfortable.”
Still, two days in you get the feeling everyone wants to see more already. A sign. A flash. Evidence that the Rams made the right decision trading up to No. 1 then drafting him first overall ahead of North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz.
That hasn’t happened yet, though.
It’s understandable, of course. It’s still so early in the process.
But with so much riding on the outcome, common sense has nothing on anxiety.
znModeratorGreatRamNTheSky
Well, it was a great weekend. I attended both the first and 2nd day of camp this past weekend and it was a blast. Sunday for me was actually better because I was able to focus on the QBs and see the scrimmage in the afternoon.
Its tough to draw any conclusions from 2 days of camp.
One very obvious thing is both Keenum and Goff get the bulk of the work in regards to snaps with the 1st and 2nd team offenses.
Mannion and the kid from NC State get some snaps but not nearly as much.
Keenum was 1st team exclusively on Sunday and Goff the 2nd unit. But, the snaps as far as actual practice time seemed at least equal to me.
From what I saw, Goff had no issues with getting the team in and out of the huddle and running the plays. He took many snaps from under center and I thought he seemed comfortable doing that. Remember that was a big question coming into camp.Just passing the eyeball test, Goff has no strength issues with his passing arm. He has all the strength you want for a NFL QB. His release is very quick and the ball is out there in a hurry. No INTs on Sunday either.
Keenum seems very relaxed and happy. You would think a guy who’s starting job is pending to be turned over to the kid eventually might have an attitude but Keenum shows none of that. In fact he seems very loose and he goofed around catching a behind the back no-look catch of a ball thrown by one of the other QBs in the endzone and the prompted the crowed on to cheer. So he was having fun.
It was a great day in Irvine. Nice ocean sea breeze coming in and the humidity was no issue.
znModeratorRamsfan1971
Day 2 starts with much better weather. It was about 81 degrees with a slight breeze. It was much more comfortable than yesterday. As with day one, no pads and Chase Reynolds was first man out for practice. He was soon joined by others to work on the ball machine. Today, I focused on our Wr corp. Yesterday, there was not much to see due to all the short check downs. I watched individual drills and took some pics to share. My observations on our WRs.
Bad News– Austin was carted off the field. Looks like a hamstring pull or cramp. He was not able to bend his leg. Hoping it will heal quickly.WR
Rookies
#3 North- R—Good size, fast and made some good catches over both days
#8 McRoberts-R—Good size, fast and also made some good catches today
#10 Cooper-R— Quick – got behind Db in one on ones, but dropped a bomb in the endzone.
#13 Thomas- R– Good size and speed. He had some catches, but also had some drops today.
#81 Williams-R— He is big, not as fast as others, but uses his size to create space. He made some catches but also dropped a couple.
#86 Spruce- R– not a lot of speed, but does get descent separation. Good hands.Vets
#18- Britt– He did not practice today
#11 Austin- Caught a deep pass behind Trumaine for a TD. Later was carted off field.
#15 Marquez- So far has looked the best of Wr in practice. Making contested catches and fighting for the ball.
#83 Quick- Looks thinner this year and looked faster than last year. He made some catches, but also made some mental errors near the sideline. He looks healthy.Qbs
Goff looked much better today. Again- almost all of the Wr patterns were short. Almost all passes were short inside 10 yds. He did make a nice completion-18 yds in 11 on 11. He did throw another int to #41 Washington. That is 2 in two days against Goff. Waiting for the coaches to allow him to push it down field.
Keenum made a good throw to Austin against T. Johnson for a td.
Mannion continues to look to throw deep first and short second. His reps are very limited.DL
First team dominated the line again without pads. It is very hard for qb to look downfield without one or two of the DL in his face.
OL
Did open up one or two holes for Gurley against the first team DL. Robinson on L side and Saffold on R side. Can’t say much til I see them in pads.
Dbs and Linebackers
In 7 on 7- they stuck with receivers like glue. Either our Db and Lb are going to be great this year, or our Wr can not create separation.
ST
Hekker was kicking 50-60 yds in the air today.
Zuerlein- big leg, but continued to push right. He better be careful or Bertolet will beat him out in camp.
Critiques
Practice is only 2 hours. I notice while skill positions are warming up, that both DL and OL are standing around doing nothing. Our OL should be working hard for the full two hours. I would say a good 15-20 minutes if standing around talking to each other while others are warming up with skills and stretching. Our Offense will never improve if the OL does not improve and gel as a unit.
znModeratorBoth Cooper and Higbee have been running with the 1s early on. Fisher: “That should tell you something…they have a good feel."
— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) August 1, 2016
Both look primed to contribute early on. I’d expect Cooper to be the most productive rookie not named Goff https://t.co/iHLEkJ2pI6
— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) August 1, 2016
FYI on #Rams Jared Goff – looked much smoother today. He put the ball through a couple of tight Windows on a pair of "wow" throws 1/2
— Vincent Bonsignore (@DailyNewsVinny) August 1, 2016
Good news: Duke Williams has been targeted a number of times by #Rams. Bad news: He's dropped 5 passes
— Vincent Bonsignore (@DailyNewsVinny) August 1, 2016
Jared Goff, #Rams QBs using FG post to get elevation on shorter throws. pic.twitter.com/HSr6bJ6pZh
— Lorenzo Reyes (@LorenzoGReyes) July 31, 2016
I don't like to put too much stock into guys going against air. But you can definitely tell who runs crisp routes when it's just QBs/WRs
— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) July 31, 2016
Of UDFA WRs, Nelson Spruce definitely stands out in that way.
— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) July 31, 2016
FYI on #Rams Jared Goff – looked much smoother today. He put the ball through a couple of tight Windows on a pair of "wow" throws 1/2
— Vincent Bonsignore (@DailyNewsVinny) August 1, 2016
2/2 he did throw a pick trying to cut one loose down the middle of the field on his last throw of the day, though #workinprogress
— Vincent Bonsignore (@DailyNewsVinny) August 1, 2016
znModeratorThe #LARams have a 'diamond in the rough' with Tamarrick Hemingway. I didn't see him drop anything thrown his way. pic.twitter.com/3XjcsmWJWV
— Producer 2 the Stars (@ChicagoGod) August 1, 2016
znModeratorFarr is pretty good here IMO.
.
znModeratorJT wrote this…
Starting right tackle Rob Havenstein was not at practice and may miss a few weeks. He’s on the physically unable to perform list while a fractured toe(from offseason conditioning) fully heals.
As we know Fisher doesn’t discuss injuries in detail during the summer. But at least JT is a vet and knew who to ask on the staff. IMO there;s a a bit of a giveaway in how it’s written:
He’s on the physically unable to perform list while a fractured toe(from offseason conditioning) fully heals.
We know he missed OTAs because of it. That was 2 months ago.
And then Fisher said this:
We had to put (T) Rob Havenstein on PUP – Rob’s had a little foot issue during the offseason and he’s still not quite ready. So, PUP – this situation can be week-to-week, day-to-day.. We really don’t have much more information on it, but it’s going to be some time, maybe a few weeks, before Rob gets back – he’s working very, very hard.
From the sounds of everything I would guess it’s a stress fracture, not a literal fractured bone as in broken to pieces. If it were the latter he would be out for a long, long time. It wouldn’t be a “little foot issue” and he would be far worse off at this point than “still not quite ready.”
znModeratorCheck out the hands on @nspruce22 👐🏼 #RamsCamp https://t.co/DECJSptjmi
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) July 31, 2016
Bad day for #Rams WRs.Tavon Austin carted off field i
with an apparent leg injury & Pharoh Cooper also sidelined w/apparent leg injury.— Vincent Bonsignore (@DailyNewsVinny) August 1, 2016
Tavon Austin's foot was twitching on the cart but I'm told it's likely a cramp. Nothing serious.
— Colleen Wolfe (@ColleenWolfeNFL) August 1, 2016
Jeff Fisher says Tavon Austin will be fine – that he was just cramping. "No worries there."
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) August 1, 2016
Jeff Fisher said Tavon Austin, who was carted off the field, just suffered cramps due to dehydration. Not expected to miss any practices.
— Jack Wang (@thejackwang) August 1, 2016
znModeratorJT wrote this…
Starting right tackle Rob Havenstein was not at practice and may miss a few weeks. He’s on the physically unable to perform list while a fractured toe(from offseason conditioning) fully heals.
znModeratorVeteranRamFan
#89 Higgbe passes the eyeball test. Dude is solid. Best looking physicaly of all the TE group.
Special teams punt coverage. J Cunnigham working hard every rep he gets. Tavon fielding. Dove on one already. Crowd held there breath.
Spruce is fluid with hands softer than a baby’s bottom. Duke Williams not motivated IMO. #8 was chewed out by a coach earlier.
Saffold RT. J Brown RG. now battle at rt
Tavon on fly pattern down right side. Burned defense for 3steps. TD from Kennum
Battle against Copels. Battle does well. Held his own.
Marquez awesome catch on a deep post.
#73 using his hands and arms well. Good footwork too. May be his breakout year
Tavon hurt. Carted off field. Look like back spasm or muscle cramp. Been going 100% all practice.
R Quinn going strong in 11/11
Thomas had a couple of chances deep but throws were off.
July 31, 2016 at 8:00 pm in reply to: Humpback whales around the globe are mysteriously rescuing animals from orcas #49850znModeratorVery interesting. I am the humpback whale of this forum.
In everyone’s mind, we all are.
znModeratorBlue & white will be color theme 4 @RamsNFL @ Coliseum, with the NFL shield @ midfield logo. Days of century blue & millennium gold are over
—
off the net from Elvis
Coliseum? Pretty sure he meant Inglewood..
BTW, all the banners around the training camp field were blue and white…
znModeratorThis is a very good report.
.
znModeratorWikiLeaks reveals DNC holds unions in contempt
The latest WikiLeaks document dump — containing emails by high-ranking staffers of the Democratic National Committee — caused considerable heartburn for America’s oldest political party. Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz was forced to resign over charges she helped rig the primary process against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
But what’s just as interesting is the dog that didn’t bark — the fact that wasn’t regarded as a scandal but perhaps ought to have been.
Even casual political observers can see that labor union leadership and the Democratic Party are allied. AFL-CIO boss Richard Trumka spoke at the convention the other night, endorsing Hillary Clinton and calling the Republican nominee “wrong, wrong, wrong” for America.
Yet the emails that have been released highlight the rather one-way relationship between the Democratic Party and labor unions. DNC staffers see the unions as good soldiers in skirmishes with Republicans, as a pain when it comes to getting things done and, ultimately, as pushovers.
When brainstorming what to do about last week’s Republican National Convention, the DNC’s Rachel Palermo urged her party to “meet with the hotel trades, SEIU, and Fight for 15 about staging a strike.” She said the result could be a “fast food worker strike around the city or just at franchises around the convention.” The aim would not be to improve working conditions, but to bloody Republicans.
Alternately, the DNC could “infiltrate friendly union hotels and properties around the convention that Republicans will be patronizing to distribute ‘care’ packages” — probably not chocolates.
Palermo also noted that “SEIU has space in downtown Cleveland close to convention that can be the base of operations and host the wrapped mobile RV.”
The union-DNC alliance does impose a few constraints on the DNC, which staffers both mocked and worked to circumvent. DNC staffer Katja Greeson, for instance, complained about delays involved in getting new business cards printed.
She explained to an irked communications director that sending work to union shops caused delays. “Believe me — it is equally frustrating to us,” she said. Greeson also threatened “if they can’t deliver,” DNC staffers would “go to FedEx Kinkos” and do it themselves.
The DNC pledges to use only unionized hotels. But it turns out there’s a workaround for that, too. Trey Kovacs, who has done yeoman’s work spelunking through the DNC WikiLeaks dump, uncovered this one. In an exchange over whether they could use the non-union Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C., a DNC staffer says they could just get a “waiver” to use it.
“It is unclear from the emails how or what circumstances must arise to obtain a waiver, but it seems that convenience for the chairman trumps loyalty to adhering to some kind of internal guidelines of exclusively patronizing unionized establishments,” Kovacs, a policy analyst for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, told me Wednesday.
Because this document dump has emails both to and from the DNC, we also hear from the unions themselves, which might explain why the party can count on their support come-what-may.
For instance, Sandra Lyon of the American Federation of Teachers asked for any “regular talking points” the DNC might have to pass on to AFT folks who speak with the media.
And the National Education Organization’s political communications director Michael Misterek wrote longingly to the DNC in May, “I’m hoping we can sit down to meet some time soon, over coffee or a cocktail. I’d love to figure out how we can work together and be most helpful to each other these next few months.”
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