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znModeratorYeah, thats a good one for sure. I’ve had that one saved
in a poem-folder titled ‘nature/animals’ for a while now.
One of my favorites.w
v
—
Summer grasses:
all that remains of great soldiers’
imperial dreamsbasho
Here’s a couple more, same guy.
—
“For the Anniversary of My Death” (1967)
BY W. S. MERWIN
Every year without knowing it I have passed the day
When the last fires will wave to me
And the silence will set out
Tireless traveler
Like the beam of a lightless starThen I will no longer
Find myself in life as in a strange garment
Surprised at the earth
And the love of one woman
And the shamelessness of men
As today writing after three days of rain
Hearing the wren sing and the falling cease
And bowing not knowing to what—
“Yesterday” (1983)
W. S. Merwin
My friend says I was not a good son
you understand
I say yes I understandhe says I did not go
to see my parents very often you know
and I say yes I knoweven when I was living in the same city he says
maybe I would go there once
a month or maybe even less
I say oh yeshe says the last time I went to see my father
I say the last time I saw my fatherhe says the last time I saw my father
he was asking me about my life
how I was making out and he
went into the next room
to get something to give meoh I say
feeling again the cold
of my father’s hand the last time
he says and my father turned
in the doorway and saw me
look at my wristwatch and he
said you know I would like you to stay
and talk with meoh yes I say
but if you are busy he said
I don’t want you to feel that you
have to
just because I’m hereI say nothing
he says my father
said maybe
you have important work you are doing
or maybe you should be seeing
somebody I don’t want to keep youI look out the window
my friend is older than I am
he says and I told my father it was so
and I got up and left him then
you knowthough there was nowhere I had to go
and nothing I had to doznModeratorExcept it will probly start some heated, nonstop internet pyscho-babble
as well as Laurinaitis-bashing. I suppose.Or Laurinaitis praising.
By the anti-Fisher types.
znModeratorLos Angeles Rams are working out Massachusetts quarterback Blake Frohnapfel. He previously worked out for the Indianapolis Colts.
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) June 3, 2016
znModeratorKeenum OTA Press Conference – 6/1
Quarterback Case Keenum discusses his competitive mindset and the vibe of the quarterback room during OTAs.
znModeratorJohnny Hekker recorded the NFL’s best average punt distance (47.8 yards), as well as the most fair catches (25).
That’s actually kind of amazing.
Wonder if he is different outdoors v. indoors.
.
znModeratorThis is the difference between Chip Kelly and Jeff Fisher, and why one was fired and the other wasn't. https://t.co/TYwlpEU8os
— TurfShowTimes (@TurfShowTimes) June 2, 2016
June 3, 2016 at 10:19 am in reply to: from 3 good things, 3 bad things for each NFC West team #45258znModerator2. Nick Foles decides he doesn’t want to attend OTAs
If Nick Foles’ goal this offseason is to make things as awkward as possible for the Rams, then he’s probably going to succeed. In an ideal world, Foles would show up at OTAs with a smile on his face and help out Jard Goff. Instead, Foles has turned himself into a headline because he’s decided to skip OTAs out of protest.
To be fair, Foles has no obligation to show up to OTAs — they’re voluntary — but it’s still a bad look. The Rams just gave him a two-year, $24.5 million contract that included $13.8 million in guaranteed money. If someone gives you that kind of dough, the least you can do is not cause them a headache, and make no mistake, Foles being a no-show is headache for the Rams whether they’ll admit it or not.How is this a problem for the Rams?
Foles saw the writing on the wall…there was wide open public news about their efforts to trade him during the draft.
Well if they were going to trade him then, how is him not showing up a problem NOW? Either way–trade, no-show–he’s not there.
Plus of course Foles is just acting rationally. How would he be of much use out there if he already knows they tried to trade him? He knows he’s a goner.
Similar situation in 2010—when it became absolutely clear the Rams were going to draft Bradford, Bulger asked to be released. He was.
znModeratorDuke Williams grateful for chance with Rams as he tries to repair image
JACK WANG / STAFF WRITER
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/williams-718038-auburn-yards.htmlOXNARD – D’haquille “Duke” Williams has been candid about his tear-filled nights. He has admitted to being immature, to being late to practices, to squandering the faith of the Auburn coaching staff. And he has expressed regret over that October bar fight, the one that cost him his college career.
But this week, during the Rams’ OTAs, he sounded just as certain about his pro potential – even after character concerns dropped him entirely out of the NFL draft.
“I didn’t need too many opportunities,” Williams said. “I’m just making the most of the first one I got. That’s what I’m doing right now.”
Born in Los Angeles, the 6-foot-2, 216-pound receiver moved at age 7 to Louisiana, where he grew up roughly an hour outside of New Orleans, in St. John the Baptist Parish. He ended up at nearby Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where he blossomed into a JUCO All-American, compiling 2,028 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns over two seasons. Rivals.com ranked him as the top junior college prospect available in the country.
Williams had long dreamed of attending LSU, but the violence plaguing his neighborhood convinced him he needed to look farther. Less than a week after he decommitted from the Tigers, a tragedy cemented that urge to leave. Kyrian Gray, a close family friend, was shot in the chest and killed outside a house party on May 25, 2013 – the 10th murder in the parish that year. He was 16 years old.
Later that summer, Williams committed to Auburn, located almost 400 miles away. In his first game, a win over Arkansas, he hauled in nine passes for 154 yards and a touchdown. He finished the season with 730 yards – but his troubles were far from over.
In December 2014, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn suspended Williams for the Outback Bowl, citing a violation of team rules. During his absence from the team, he posted a picture of himself with what looked like a bruised eye. The following August, Williams was suspended again for six days.
He drew his third strike two months later. After being thrown out of a bar just outside campus, Williams reportedly punched four people, and broke the jaw of then-teammate Xavier Dampeer. Williams was soon dismissed from the team, while Dampeer sat out the rest of the season.
And so began his rehabilitation project. Over the next several months, Williams apologized to nearly everyone – to Dampeer, to his coaches, to the Auburn faithful, whom he called “the best fans I’ve ever played for.” He has repeatedly tried to take responsibility for his mistakes, adding that the Tigers coaching staff had given him as many chances as they could afford.
He also underwent counseling, attending sessions once or twice a week through January and February this year.
“Now, I look at life a totally different way,” he said. “Not everybody’s against me. Not everybody wants to hurt me. … There’s people out here that are cheering for me. I just look at the positives.”
Even so, most NFL teams felt he wasn’t worth risking a draft pick. After all, Williams’ numbers had dipped in his final season, when he totaled just 12 catches in five games and never recorded more than 49 yards in a single outing. At the NFL combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.72 seconds, the second-slowest time among receivers.
In Los Angeles, however, Williams at least seems comfortable. General Manager Les Snead is an Auburn alum, as is left tackle Greg Robinson – whom Williams met on his recruiting trip to Auburn and describes as a “brother figure.” The Rams are giving him a shot, but he still has a lot left to prove.
“They gave me this chance,” Williams said. “I’m not here to blow my chance.”
znModeratorFrom PFF
Jeff Fisher sees Tavon Austin catching 100 passes this year: Heading into year four of the Tavon Austin experiment, the Rams still don’t appear to have much idea what to do with the player they moved up aggressively in the first round of the 2013 draft to secure.
Austin has moved around on offense in an attempt to maximize his playmaking ability, but while 2015 was his best season, he still had just 907 yards from scrimmage to his name over the full season, or fewer than Kamar Aiken in Baltimore.
Jeff Fisher, at least, is bullish about his prospects, claiming he could double his reception total and notch over 100 passes in 2016. Four players topped 100 receptions in 2014, with seven managing it in 2015, and the league has never been more set up to produce catches by volume.
Austin caught 64.2 percent of the passes sent his way in 2015, meaning that, for him to top 100 catches this season at that same rate, he would need 156 targets, which would have been the sixth-highest total of 2015.
The issue for Austin is that the five players with more targets than that in 2015 are all outside, perimeter, unquestioned No. 1 targets for their offenses, and Austin can’t be that guy at his size. He needs to be the Jarvis Landry of his offense—a smaller, shifty receiver that can be reliable underneath and on quick passes, picking up yardage after the catch. Landry caught 110 passes in 2015, so that role can certainly achieve those numbers, but that isn’t how the Rams have been deploying Austin to date. He may be thought of as a slot receiver, but only 17 of his 81 targets (21.0 percent) came from the slot in 2015.
The Rams have been lining Austin up outside and then feeding him the ball on bubble screens and quick hitches with the occasional deep route worked in. Austin runs one of the most basic route trees in the NFL, and until that develops, there is little to no chance of him catching those 100 passes.
znModeratorWith New Scheme, Austin Ready to Increase Production
Myles Simmons
There’s no question wide receiver Tavon Austin took a step forward in his development in 2015, leading the Rams with 52 receptions, racking up 1,187 all-purpose yards, and reaching 10 total touchdowns. But with a revamped offensive system led by coordinator Rob Boras and new passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach Mike Groh, there’s a good chance Austin may be significantly more productive in 2016.
“This offense has been re-designed to make sure he gets touches of the football,” Fisher said after Wednesday’s OTA practice. “As a result, there’s a lot more for him to do.”
So much more that Fisher said on Tuesday the West Virginia product has a chance to double his receptions from last year. The head coach has been saying for a few years the Rams offense needs to find creative ways to keep the ball in Austin’s hands. And the wide receiver is completely receptive to the idea.
“I love it. They do a great job of trying to put me in position to make plays,” Austin said in an interview with therams.com. “I’m not a selfish person. But the more balls — I definitely appreciate it from coach ‘Fish’ and all of the coaching staff.”
One of the ways Austin will be able to get more touches is through his improvement in running routes. The wideout said he worked hard in the offseason in order to get better in that area. Groh’s coaching has helped, too, because he’s brought some changes to the types of routes Austin must execute.
“We’ve got different little steps and stuff — things that he wants in this offense,” Austin said. “So just staying true to what he’s telling us and things like that.”
Austin said Groh has been tough and demanding on the wide receivers so far through the spring. It’s easy to see from the types of precision drills the receivers have been doing that Groh places a high priority on running routes exactly the same every single time.
“Oh man, he’s strict. He’s real strict. He’s real precise on what he wants,” Austin said Wednesday. “He doesn’t care what your name is — if he’s going to yell at you, he’s going to yell at you.
“That’s what I like about him,” Austin continued. “He’s making sure you know what you’re doing. He wants to speak his language. And that’s real big in this offense, so he’s doing a real good job.”
“Tavon is a weapon we’re going to utilize,” Groh said in a recent interview. “I think he’s had a tremendous spring so far.”
And it’s not just what Austin is doing on the field that counts. Heading into his Year 4, Austin has said he’s ready to step into more of a leadership role — and he’s applied that both on and off the field.
After the Rams selected Pharoh Cooper in this year’s draft, Austin reached out to see if he could help the rookie. That continued through rookie camp, when Cooper said he and Austin chatted about the playbook over FaceTime.
“When I first came in, Austin Pettis kind of grabbed me by the shoulder and told me, ‘Come on,’” Austin said. “So it’s only right that I do the same thing.”
That’s even considering that Austin and Cooper have somewhat of an alike skill set.
“I could kind of see what type of player he was. He’s a smaller guy. He kind of would do similar things [to] me,” Austin said, adding the more talent the Rams acquire, the better off they’ll be. “The person who beats you out for the job — they deserve it. But anything I can do to help anybody, I will do it.”
Not that Austin has ever been immature, but his mindset is exemplary of a mature, team-first veteran.
“I think Tav’s just getting more comfortable with himself and with his leadership,” Boras said in a recent interview. “He’s been a great role model for these young guys — his preparation, how focused he is in the meetings. And then watching him go out there and just take that leadership role with the rookies — that’s hard for a guy to do.”
Whether he’s leading vocally or simply by example, Austin is clearly making a positive impression on both his teammates and coaches.
“Just to see him stay after and working extra, I think the sky is the limit,” Boras said.
“He’s doing a great job,” Fisher said. “He’s going to have a big year this year.”
If all goes as planned, Austin’s 2016 season will be his best yet.
znModeratorMultiple ways to get there, but one logical end for Nick Foles, Rams
Nick Wagoner
OXNARD, Calif. — The news that quarterback Nick Foles is not attending the Los Angeles Rams’ organized team activities and hasn’t been around since the team drafted quarterback Jared Goff at No. 1 overall didn’t come as much of a surprise. For Foles and the Rams, the writing has been on the wall for much longer.
For now, the Rams and Foles are fine with the arrangement they have in place in which Foles stays home and the team moves through the rest of its offseason program with the trio of Goff, Case Keenum and Sean Mannion at quarterback.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher made that clear when discussing the situation on Wednesday.
“I’ve had conversations with Nick and we’re on the same page and we’re trying to work things out,” Fisher said. “That’s pretty much all I can say. These are voluntary. We have three quarterbacks on the field right now and it’s hard enough to get reps for all three of them, so we’re in the process of sorting things out with Nick. It has nothing to do with him not wanting to come in and compete, at all. He’s very, very competitive. We appreciate everything he did for us and his leadership and his teammates miss him, but I don’t have any more information other than we are just trying to work things out.”
Working things out with Foles could travel a couple of different paths.
The one the Rams would prefer is trading him. They attempted to do so most of the offseason, especially around the draft, but couldn’t find a taker as a whopping 15 quarterbacks were selected. With that many quarterbacks off the board, the number of teams looking for help at the position dwindled and those willing to give up a pick were nonexistent.
The other remaining option is cutting Foles, something that the Rams are prepared to do if a market for Foles doesn’t develop. The Rams have already paid Foles’ $6 million roster bonus, leaving just a base salary of $1.75 million that the team would save by an outright release.
But at this time of year, the Rams don’t yet see the need to just part ways with Foles. While injuries are bound to happen across the league that could create a trade fit for Foles, the same is true of the Rams right now. So if the Rams had an injury, Foles still offers some insurance and because they’ve already paid that bonus, cutting him right now wouldn’t do them any good from a financial standpoint.
Barring any of those unfortunate injury instances, though, the reality remains that Foles is still unlikely to be a Ram in 2016. Fisher even acknowledged that Foles views it that way in a recent conversation.
“We talked again and I think Nick has the feeling that if things stay the same, he’s probably not going to be on the roster,” Fisher said. “But beyond that, it was more of a mutual thing. Not that we said don’t come, it was just, ‘Hey coach, I’d just rather stay away until we get things worked out.’ I said I’m fine with that.”
In the meantime, the Rams will continue to ramp up the reps for Goff and get Keenum and Mannion plenty of work as well. And while other, more high-profile quarterback absences (looking at you, Philadelphia and the Jets) have or continue to create distractions, the Rams clearly don’t view Foles’ situation in the same way.
“We’d definitely love to have Nick out here, but he made a decision,” running back Todd Gurley said. “Hopefully he’ll be back sometime soon. I gave him a text a couple of weeks ago just to check up on him. Hopefully he’ll be back. I still love Nick.”[
June 2, 2016 at 10:08 am in reply to: Keenum will be the starter to open camp…how close or far is Goff? #45217znModeratorRams QB Jared Goff embracing, learning from early growing pains
Nick Wagoner
OXNARD, Calif. — No matter the stop in his football career, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff has had to endure the growing pains that inherently accompany stepping up to a whole new level.
Now, as Goff transitions from Cal, the Rams rookie quarterback must adjust to the NFL’s speed and talent. He knows there will be plenty of bumps in the road.
“Yes, it reminds me of when it was my first year on varsity [in high school], my first year in college,” Goff said. “It’s all a transition every time. I was able to make those transitions pretty well, so we’ll see.”
As Goff pointed out at the conclusion of his second NFL practice, the mistakes are going to come as he develops. There was no shortage of miscues in Goff’s practice on Wednesday.
Spending most of his time in team drills working with the third string, Goff threw an interception and had some other misfires during a four-on-three drill the Rams run in which there are four defenders covering three inside receivers with no wideouts on the outside.
“He was working against our starting defense and they made a couple plays and there’s no receivers outside to throw to and he’s never done that before. It was his first time in a four-on-three drill, so nothing to be alarmed about,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said.
Goff also had a miscommunication on a play in which he turned to hand the ball off and nobody was home. It resulted in a busted play and the botched snap exchange resulted in a fumble.
In short, Goff had the type of day you’d likely expect from a rookie practicing for only the second time.
“Right now, it’s my second OTA [organized team activity], my rookie year and mistakes aren’t the worst things in the world,” Goff said. “I’m learning a lot of stuff. The guys are helping me out. [Quarterbacks coach Chris] Weinke’s been great, [offensive coordinator Rob] Boras has been great, and I’m getting a lot of support from those guys. It’s been a really good transition. I’m learning every day. Trying to get better at something every day, and I have been.”
A big part of playing quarterback is having a short memory. Putting that interception, that fumble or that incompletion behind you and moving to the next step is part of the job description. Even though Goff was the first to acknowledg mistakes, he earned high marks for his composure and ability to bounce back.
After the miscommunication on the handoff, he came back with a perfectly placed completion to tight end Tyler Higbee in tight coverage with pressure closing in around him.
It’s that type of resilience that has earned early praise from his teammates.
“He’s confident,” tight end Lance Kendricks said. “He throws a good ball. Obviously, he’s a rookie, he just got here so he has things to work on, but he’s really excelling and he looks comfortable in the huddle. So I think he’s going to continue to progress and hopefully soon enough be a good leader.”
The leadership aspect will come as Goff climbs up the depth chart. For now, the Rams aren’t hesitating to throw things at their No. 1 overall pick and he believes he’s picking it up well. There’s still work to be done when it comes to adjusting to playing under center but aside from the botched exchange, he looked comfortable doing it Wednesday.
Goff points to his ability to get a play call, spit it back out in the huddle and mostly operate the called play from down to down. As OTAs and the offseason roll on, Goff hopes to build on those fundamentals.
“Learn as much as I can and get as comfortable as I can, as quickly as I can,” Goff said. “My first two practices, I’ve just tried to pick it up as best I can and try to just functionally be able to do it out there. There’s going to be mistakes, but at the same time — you can’t be perfect. You try to be, but as a rookie in my second OTA … there’s a lot of thinking going on, so you can’t be as perfect as you want. But, so far, I think I’ve done a decent job.”
The Rams and Fisher will continue to take their time with Goff, but they also aren’t shying away from the idea of him working his way into the starting job. Fisher even indicated that Goff’s reps with the second- and, eventually, the first-team offense could come sooner than later.
“He’s going to get more and more reps,” Fisher said. “There may be a day when he gets all the No. 1 reps before we’re done with camp. That certainly doesn’t mean to say that he’s won the job, but it means to say he’s developing in the offense and you want to give him that opportunity.
“It’s different when you’re under center and you’re working with the starting tight ends and the starting receivers as opposed to an undrafted receiver who doesn’t have the complete understanding of the offense and breaks a route off short and he ends up throwing an interception, and then you go, ‘Oh, it’s the quarterback’s fault.’ So it’s a progression. That’s the best way to describe it.”
For Goff, it’s a progression that’s only beginning but feels plenty familiar.
znModeratorI think we’ll see more and more of this. Not a flood of it,
but it will become more routine, for players to quit
after they’ve made seven or eight million bux.
At least with the guys that have more than football
in their lives.w
vAnd remember, it wasn’t just Bell. It was Brown too. Rams had 2 expensive FAs on the line who both, in 2011, lost heart for the game.
…
znModeratorNick Foles apparently no longer part of Rams’ QB picture
By RICH HAMMOND / STAFF WRITER
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/fisher-717864-foles-rams.html
OXNARD – Jared Goff is enthused. Case Keenum is motivated. Nick Foles is somewhere else, apparently having decided to remove himself from the Rams’ quarterback competition before its start.
Foles, the Rams’ starter for 11 of 16 games last season, has chosen not to participate in any of the Rams’ offseason activities – including full-team OTA practices that started this week – since late April, when the Rams selected Goff with the No. 1 overall draft pick.
The practices are voluntary, but almost all of the 90 players on the Rams’ roster have checked in.
While Fisher didn’t directly say that the Rams intend to trade or release Foles, the implication seemed clear. When Fisher spoke about Foles, as he did after Wednesday’s practice, he did so in the past tense.
“I’ve had conversations with Nick and we’re on the same page and we’re trying to work things out,” Fisher said. “We’re in the process of sorting things out with Nick. It has nothing to do with him not wanting to come in and compete, at all. He’s very, very competitive. We appreciate everything he did for us and his leadership. His teammates miss him.”
David Dunn, Foles’ agent, did not respond to a message seeking comment.
It’s been a steep fall for Foles, who the Rams acquired from Philadelphia last year and installed as their starter. Foles completed 56.4 percent of his passes and threw seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions before he was replaced as starter by Keenum, a former practice-squad quarterback.
Keenum played well late in the season and was declared by Fisher to be the Rams’ starter going into the offseason, and then the team drafted Goff.
The Rams have made it relatively clear that the future belongs to Goff, and that if the rookie isn’t ready to start the first game of the 2016 season, Keenum would have the edge over Foles. That’s why there’s no apparent acrimony, on Fisher’s behalf, regarding Foles’ absence.
“I think Nick has the feeling that if things stay the same, he’s probably not going to be on the roster,” Fisher said. “Beyond that, it was more of a mutual thing. Not that we said, ‘Don’t come.’ It was just, ‘Coach, I would just rather stay away until we get things worked out.’ I said, ‘I’m fine with that.’”
Goff actually handled third-team duties in Wednesday’s practice, as Keenum took first-team reps and second-year quarterback Sean Mannion worked with the second team.
That’s part of Fisher’s plan to bring along Goff slowly. The coach said he expected that, by the end of OTA practices on June 16, Goff would be getting some first-team reps.
Goff’s progress has been slow and steady. Fisher attributed two of Goff’s errors Wednesday – a fumble and an interception – to a lack of familiarity with teammates and NFL drills, and Fisher said Goff “is way ahead of where he was, even a week ago.”
“It’s my second OTA of my rookie year,” Goff said. “Mistakes aren’t the worst thing in the world. I’m learning from all the stuff. … It’s been a really good transition and I’m learning every day.”
It’s different for Keenum, who would seem to be in an awkward position. While Keenum technically remains atop the quarterback depth chart, the presumption is that he’s merely holding the spot until Goff is ready.
Keenum faced more questions Wednesday about Goff and Foles than himself, but displayed good nature when he joked about working with the “kids,” Goff (age 21) and Mannion (23). Keenum is 27.
“My mindset is about getting ready to beat the 49ers on ‘Monday Night Football,’” Keenum said of the Sept. 12 season opener. “Every time I come onto the field, that’s what I’m looking forward to in the back of my mind.”
June 1, 2016 at 10:21 pm in reply to: Keenum will be the starter to open camp…how close or far is Goff? #45210znModeratorGoff Learning From Mistakes, Impressing Teammates
Myles Simmons
There’s a learning process for each rookie as he makes his way to the NFL, no matter if you’re the No. 1 overall pick or a college free agent.
By all accounts, quarterback Jared Goff has made substantial progress on that front from the time he was drafted to the Rams’ second OTA practice on Wednesday afternoon.
“He’s done a great job,” head coach Jeff Fisher said after the session. “There’s a lot involved and it takes time. But he’s way ahead of where he was even a week ago. And that’s only going to get better as we move through the next couple weeks.”
“I feel like every day I come out here, I get a little bit better — a little bit better every day. I learn a little bit more,” Goff said. “It’s gone really well so far.”
As Fisher’s explained, the Rams go through three playbook-installation processes prior to the season — in Phases I and II, in Phase III with OTAs, and then once again in training camp. Given Goff arrived after the first installation process had already begun, he had plenty to catch up on.
Offensive coordinator Rob Boras and quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke have mentioned how they’re giving Goff a lot to process, and he’s handled everything well. At this point, the quarterback said he’s feeling pretty far along with the playbook and hasn’t been overwhelmed at all.
“I wouldn’t know any other way, I guess,” Goff said. “I’m picking it up at a pretty good pace, I think, and feel really good as far as how fast I pick it up. And I’m able to apply most of it out here. Again, there’s mistakes, but that happens. I’m young and learning. So when there is a mistake, just learn from it, and try not to let it happen again.”
Goff’s attitude toward mistakes makes sense. After all, he did just complete his second practice with an opposing NFL defense.
“I think right now in my second OTA in my rookie year, mistakes aren’t the worst thing in the world,” Goff said. “Coach Weinke has been great, coach Boras has been great. And I’m getting a lot of support for those guys.”
But what the top pick has not been doing is participating in team drills with the starting offense. According to Fisher, that will come in due time — almost surely before the end of OTAs.
“He’s going to get more and more reps,” the head coach said. “There may be a day where he gets all the No. 1 reps before we’re done with camp. And that certainly doesn’t mean to say he’s won a job. But it means he’s developing in the offense and you want to give him that opportunity.
“It’s different when you’re under center and you’re working with the starting tight ends and the starting receivers,” Fisher continued, “as opposed to an undrafted receiver who doesn’t have the complete understanding of the offense and breaks a route off short and [the quarterback] ends up throwing an interception. And then you go, ‘Oh, that’s the quarterback’s fault,’ [even though it isn’t.] So it’s a progression. That’s the best way to describe it.”
Goff, however, did participate in the Rams’ four-on-three drill with a few of the offensive starters on Wednesday. In that practice period, the quarterback and three interior offensive receivers have to complete a pass against four defenders.
“He was working against our starting defense and they made a couple plays,” Fisher said. “And, hey, there’s no receivers outside to throw to. And he’s never done that before — it was his first time in the four-on-three drill. So nothing to be alarmed about.”
Conversely, there’s plenty to be positive about when it comes to the rookie quarterback. Fellow signal-caller Case Keenum — who has been taking the first-team reps — mentioned just how far along Goff seems to be for just his second OTA.
“We were sitting there talking about my first OTA and I don’t think I could get out of the huddle — I don’t think I could get a play call out,” Keenum said. “So the fact that he’s doing that has got me impressed. But he’s not only doing that, he’s making some really good throws. And he’s smart with the football.”
Goff said he’s been proud of the ability to get in and out of the huddle.
“I think just, overall, being able to functionally operate out there and just be able to understand what they’re putting in my ear, and then being able to spit it back out, and then run the play, and operate it,” Goff said. “At base form, that’s just what you want to do right now. And I feel like, so far, I’ve done a decent job with that.”
Those are just some of the factors that have impressed Goff’s teammates in the short time he’s been a Ram.
“He’s a young kid who’s eager to learn,” Keenum said. “And he’s talented — he can sling the football. And he’s done some great things.”
“He can sing it, man,” running back Todd Gurley said. “The guy has a quick release. I’m not a quarterback guru, but that’s all I see — he’s got a quick release.”
The way Goff throws the ball will pay dividends down the road. But for now, the quarterback is just happy to be wearing a helmet to practice football again after the long pre-draft process.
“It’s awesome,” Goff said. “I think yesterday it kind of hit me, like, ‘Finally, I can get my first play in, my first completion.’ We’re back to playing football. We’re back to doing what I’ve done my whole life and, hopefully, what I can do for a career for a long time.”
znModeratorVIDEO: Jeff Fisher on Nick Foles' Rams OTA absence "It has nothing to do with him not wanting to compete." @NFoles_9 pic.twitter.com/eYrWT3vmZe
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 1, 2016
DE Robert Quinn, OT Darrell Williams, TE Temarrick Hemingway, CB EJ Gaines were some of the players not able to practice at full speed.
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 1, 2016
VIDEO: A question about practice participation brought this Belichickian response from Fisher pic.twitter.com/q513kxY5mO
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) June 1, 2016
znModeratorVincent Bonsignore @DailyNewsVinny
FYI on FA S’s Donte Whitner and Dashon Goldson. Both still in play for #Rams, but any potential signing will likely happen after OTA’s.
For now, #Rams want to get as good a look as possible at their current safety population before deciding whether to add a veteran FA
znModeratorRams “trying to work things out” regarding Nick Foles
Josh Alper
Rams “trying to work things out” regarding Nick Foles
Quarterback Nick Foles became a spare part for the Rams when they drafted Jared Goff with the first overall pick this year and Wednesday brought a report that Foles has responded by staying away from the team’s offseason workouts since the draft.
During a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Rams coach Jeff Fisher confirmed that Foles hasn’t been in attendance and said it wasn’t a case of Foles “not wanting to come in and compete” for a job. Fisher called it “more of a mutual thing” as both sides understand that the quarterback’s future isn’t in Los Angeles.
“As it was correctly reported this morning, he has not been here to participate in the offseason program since the draft,” Fisher said. “I’ve had conversations with Nick, we’re on the same page and we’re trying to work things out.”
Presumably the Rams would like to get something in return for Foles rather than just dropping him from the roster. It might take an injury or other unforeseen development to get a team to make such an offer, although it remains to be seen if the Rams will carry Foles on the roster long enough for such a situation to present itself.
znModeratorJack Wang @thejackwang
Jeff Fisher, on Nick Foles’ absence from Rams OTAs: “We’re on the same page. We’re trying to work things out.”==
Source: #Rams would be "totally comfortable" eating Foles' contract and cutting him, should it be necessary.
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) June 1, 2016
znModeratorLIVE on #Periscope: Jeff Fisher OTA Press Conference 🎥 https://t.co/ceixSKdyMq
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) June 1, 2016
znModeratorOTA tweets
I just wanted to say that O.T.A. Tweets was my favorite funk era bass player.
===
Jeff Fisher said T.J. McDonald and Tre Mason will "quite likely" miss all of OTAs. Both have pending legal issues.
— Jack Wang (@thejackwang) June 1, 2016
znModeratorWhat To Watch For at OTAs
Myles Simmons
The Rams’ first offseason program back in Southern California continues, as Tuesday marked No. 1 of nine scheduled organized team activities. Commonly known as OTAs, these sessions are Los Angeles’ first opportunity to practice with offense and defense on the same field at the same time. Though the players aren’t in pads, the sessions are still a good opportunity for players to further their development in preparation for training camp.
With that in mind, here are a few storylines to follow during the next three weeks of OTAs.
1. Jared Goff’s progress
Upon drafting Jared Goff No. 1 overall, head coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead said the goal is to have the quarterback ready for Week 1. That process is ongoing, and a significant part of it will come through his progress in OTAs.
According to offensive coordinator Rob Boras and quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke, Goff has been putting in plenty of time in the classroom to learn his new offense. Fisher mentioned on Tuesday he expects to mix in Goff with the first-team offense sooner than later.
“As soon as Jared comes along in becoming more familiar with things, then we’ll start increasing his reps,” Fisher said in an interview with therams.com. “I want to make sure he gets “one” reps at least two, three, or four days through the OTAs.”
Monitoring Goff’s progress will be a significant story not only in OTAs, but also through training camp.
2. What does the offense look like?
We really won’t have a definitively answer to this question until the season begins and there’s a bigger sample size. But this is the first chance to see the first glimpses of the Boras offense, as he’s now had a full offseason to put his spin on the unit.
“We’re going to get the ball spread around a little bit more,” Fisher said. “It’s going to all focus off the run game. But we’re going to be able to, if need be, hand it off to Todd [Gurley] and if someone says, ‘We’re not going to let you do that,’ then we’re going to spread it around.”
Plus, the Rams hired Mike Groh to be the club’s passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach in order to improve Los Angeles’ ariel attack. Groh recently explained his duties are essentially exactly as they sound.
“Obviously, there are a lot of pieces here. But we needed to complete some things throwing the ball, improving in that area,” Groh said. “And so coach has kind of put me in charge of doing that in conjunction of working with Rob and through Rob as the offensive coordinator, and trying to put this whole thing together.”
Again, it would be premature to make any conclusions based on how things look in OTAs. But we may get some good clues as to how the passing game will compliment Gurley’s rushing prowess.
3. Who’s next in the secondary?
Two of the Rams’ starters in their defensive backfield signed elsewhere in free agency, meaning the club has competition now at cornerback and free safety.
“I think you’ll see a lot out of particular players during the preseason games,” Fisher said.
At cornerback, E.J. Gaines put together an impressive rookie year in 2014, but suffered a season-ending foot injury in the first weekend of 2015 training camp. He will likely compete for the starting corner spot opposite Trumaine Johnson with free agent signee Coty Sensabaugh.
Free safety, on the other hand, doesn’t necessarily have as clear a picture. Cody Davis may have a leg up, given he’s listed as a free safety and been around the team the longest. But that’s a competition that may last well into training camp.
4. New man in the middle
After spending his first few years in the league as the Rams’ weakside linebacker, Alec Ogletree is moving inside to serve as the club’s middle linebacker. That shift will also include an increase in responsibilities, as Ogletree also takes over as the defensive signal-caller.
Fisher said he thinks Ogletree is ready to handle it.
“I saw that out of him at the end of the season last year. And then his commitment that he made, really when the season was over, he was in the building every day,” Fisher said. “So that’s not going to be a problem for him. It’s something that’s much needed on our defense and he’ll handle it.”
The Georgia product was heading for some particularly gaudy tackle numbers before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in the Rams’ Week 4 win over the Cardinals. Ogletree racked up 55 tackles in just four games in 2015.
These practices will be the first chance to see how Ogletree gets the defensive unit lined up against an actual offense. Given the strong relationship between Ogletree and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, there’s reason to expect a smooth transition.
znModeratorNick Foles has not shown up since Rams drafted Jared Goff
Eric Edholm
It has slipped through the cracks a bit with other, more high-profile quarterback standoffs happening around the league, but as ESPN.com pointed out Nick Foles has not shown up at the Los Angeles Rams facility since Jared Goff was the franchise’s No. 1 overall selection in the draft.
And, yes, to spare us all the sarcasm, he is aware that the team moved this offseason. Foles actually was a regular, according to the report, at the team’s offseason activities, which began on April 18. But since April 30, the day the Rams picked Goff first, Foles has stayed away.
Foles, of course, has every right to do so. To date, all the activities have been voluntary, although with the start of OTAs arriving, that all changes as these sessions are required to attend. It certainly underscores his position on the team, which is tenuous at best.
When the Rams first made the move from St. Louis to L.A., it was Case Keenum, and not Foles, who was pegged as the starter at the time by head coach Jeff Fisher. Keenum replaced Foles, who made nine starts last season after being acquired in a swap for Sam Bradford and draft picks.
Now it appears Bradford is uncomfortable in Philadelphia and Foles hasn’t exactly embraced L.A. But it has less to do with the environment and more to do with Goff, for whom the Rams traded up (using one of the picks in the Foles trade to do so).
Would anyone trade for Foles? He was paid a roster bonus of $6 million already this year, but his base salary of $1.75 million makes it possible. It all depends on what other teams think about Foles and their own quarterbacks. We apparently know what the Rams think of Foles and what he thinks of them currently.
znModeratorNick Foles is reportedly skipping Rams OTAs out of protest
I don’t buy this “out of protest” thing. Or rather, to be more precise, there;s just not enough yet to take that report as the real truth. Either way it;s way too soon to be making declarations about what Foles is thinking.
Our writer above,Brinson, says this:
Nick Foles…is planning to skip OTAs as a sign of protest, according to Jim Trotter of ESPN.
He bases that on Trotter.
Here’s the Trotter:
–
So The selection of quarterback Jared Goff in this year’s draft may not have made everyone happy in the Rams organization.
Veteran quarterback Nick Foles, a regular when offseason workouts began April 18, has not participated in a team-run training session since the Rams took Goff first overall. The fifth-year pro even skipped the start of organized team activities on Tuesday, and [b]multiple sources told ESPN.com it is because the Rams drafted a quarterback.[/b]
Multiple sources?
Thanks.
It would be much more convincing if it said TEAM sources.
Either way, are the “multiple sources” right? Yes, no? How do we know?
znModeratorIt’s a shame he’s remembered primarily for “The Phantom Sack.”
Everett on the Giants game:
JimEverett
http://www.ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?17,445558,454824#msg-454824Thanks for your support over the man years. Love the game…Love our Rams!!
Yes sir….The Giant Playoff game was certainly a game to remember. Before I go into any stories…let’s give those that were there a bit of flavor on what allowed us to be qualify for that playoff road game.
Here’s a good review: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Loa_Angeles_Rams_season
We started off our 1989 campaign with 5 straight wins. Then went for four losses in a row. We got back on the winning trail with four in-a-row again!
Can any one say streaky? LOL
Then the 49ers got us at home….in a game that REALLY got away from us (why? we are up 17-0, and going in to score on the one yard line to be 24-0 then we our fumble the snap…ulghhhh. Then right afterwards they went 99 yards for a TD (Taylor goes for 92 yards of it on a silly slant pass!! But then…we fumble again on the kickoff return…so we were going to be up by 24…the next time I touched the ball, we had a 7 point lead. Folks…on our league…that’s a big difference! In the end…The 49ers scored 20 in the 4th quarter to beat us 30-27. On a side note…The doubt at the end of this game…would come back to haunt us later when we faced them in the championship game.
Anyways…We put ourselves in a position to MUST WIN our last two game in order to qualify for the payoffs (needed to be 11-5) . New York Jets at home was a rather easy one for us…but going to New England for the last game of the season was extremely tough. Thus our playoff run started on Dec 11th…not Dec 25th!
So to qualify as a wild-card, we knew we would be on the road for our last 5 games (last regular season in NE, then 3 playoff game, then #5 would be the Super-Bowl).
Winning 5 road games is extremely rare…but what about the 2010 Green Bay Packers??!!…who won their last 4 road games…and also their last two home regular season games (against Giants & Bears) to qualify as a wild card team….then went on to win the SB. Now that is special!!!!!!!!!!!!Back to 89….Our wild card game was at Philadelphia, and we were huge underdogs going into the game against Reggie White, Eric Allen, Jerome Brown & Company. Also, our defense was very banged up at that point and Fritz Shurmur came up with…a never used before…2 down lineman, 5 linebacker scheme because our interior D Lineman were out and injured.
Before the Philly game we had to hear and answer questions about “west coast team can’t go east and win in the winter” what are you going to do if the weather is bad…blah, blah, blah. . Well. we went to NE on the last game of the season and got a tough win in tough weather…so by the time we went to Philly (with all our cold weather gear and hot coco) we absolutely stunned the Eagles when we came out and threw 14 points on the board in the first quarter. Their Defense was reeling and our Defense kept Randell Cunningham from doing his “Hey, I am going to pass….no I am just a runner gig!” :X( This was ONE OF THE BEST wins ever that gets overlooked…and BY FAR the best job coaching especially on our Defensive side…because we had so many injuries…but we held the Eagles to one score.
This was a very good win for us and as a team…we became closer, as we were traveling more…we didn’t care where we played…we believed.Then it was Giants week. Sure….earlier in the year we beat the Giants by a large margin, but they didn’t have their key players in the lineup due to injury, So we did not take anything for granted and…again…we kept hearing everyone back east saying we can’t go into the cold and win. So what did we do?…Our D prepared for a low scoring game for we ALL knew playing against LT, it would be difficult to score over 30 again. We also prepared for having two men (lineman and Back…or Lineman and TE) over LT at all time…if LT moved to one side…we’d start the cadence…and then move the TE over to him and change the play…that is how good he was! An entire game based around where one man lined up. Incredible!! The only other two individual we ever played against that commanded 80% of that attention was…Reggie White and Bruce Smith.
Back to our Giant tale…LOL…Did you know that Bill Belichick was the Giants Defensive coordinator in 1989? Really, it’s so fun to watch him…still to this day…as with all of us…there are a few tendencies that repeat….and those tendencies were sniffed out by Ernie Zampese. Let me explain. Bill is a cover 2 zone guy at heart. Bill loves to keep his corners up…so they can be physical and then let the safeties cover over the top. Why? This is a bend-but-don’t-break strategy (NOT Buddy Ryan…Oh I mean… Jeff Fisher’s philosophy :imsorry…but over time…Bill has move more towards Fisher’s strategies than most realize) and helps eliminate those big plays that we are accustom to seeing from New England’s offense with Tom Brady. That’s why Tom is so in-tune with the game. He’s getting not only excellent offensive strategy, but he has Bill letting him know where the weaknesses need to be attacked. It’s on the best relationships to watch. Oh…got off track…back to the old days. LOL
Here’s the ending… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3g1a4xo1DY Getting the interference call…was a blessing. yet we were at the 30 or so and we went with a run but received a penalty that moved us back to the 35. Why is the 35 a key area? We’ll it’s a 52 yard kick from there and we Rams…had the wind at our back. Mike Landsford is very capable of hitting 50 yarders…so if the Giants could just move us back 5 to 7 yards (like as in a sack) then they could rest easy that they would get the ball back in OT. Well, that means blitz for Bilechick…yet his corners are built to be zone guys. Advantage…Rams.
Just as predicted by Ernie…Giants blitz…and Flipper is STILL RUNNING!
Afterwards Merlin…we celebrated and felt on top of the world at that time. I don’t recall the flight home…it all went too fast…and that’s how life should be. Enjoy ALL the moments life offers us. Many of the opportunities…we’ll jump on, some we’ll miss…but damn ain’t it fun finding opportunities?
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Everett on the Saints game:
JimEverett
http://www.ramsrule.com/herd/read.php?17,445643,487196#msg-487196This is a great question and yes…there are a ton of tidbits and morsels about this story!
However….It’s memorial weekend, so thanks for allowing me to cover only one of the main chunks in a wild game that ended with a huge Nougat.
Please correct me if i am wrong but I remember we had 4:01 left on the clock, we were down 17-3 and we had the ball.
Been sacked 6 times already and hurried almost every time we threw. TV sets around the globe could be heard clicking off on that Sunday Evening ESPN game.It would seem that at this point in the game, pass rushers extraordinaire Pat Swilling and Ricky Jackson pretty much had career days. Is the Phat lady singing? Hummm, didn’t hear her and we had other plans anyways. maybe we learned late, but how about if we don’t allow the pass rushers time to rest between plays? Its late and we need to score often and quick…so we went to hurry up offense. A brilliant decision!!
We can discuss all the details about Flippers acrobatic catches even in double coverage and all the great play of everyone on our team…who continued to believed let’s “find a way to win.”
That in itself, has been the key point to the New Orleans Game in 1989, “find a way to Win”. My children have heard it, the kids I have coached throughout the years have heard it, my colleges gave heard it…it’s part of my everyday fabric. Now, I do wish we could have won more…sure…who wouldn’t?. But I can look back today, knowing that in each and every game I played, I tried my best to “find a way to win.” Another great example of that is at Tampa Bay a few years after this New Orleans game. In that game we were on the road and down 28-0 at half, and we all “found a way to win.”
And that’s my question to you sir Eternal Horns…What was your toughest battle…that you may have looked like you were far from successful, but turned it around to be a positive event for your life?
Life is a like a box of holiday chocolates…you don’t know what your getting until you bite into it.
I can tell you, after Pat Swilling and Ricky Jackson, bit into us Rams that night, they thought they had a mouth full of easy smooth taffy…but at the end of the night, the had to realize that what they thought was sweet Blue and Gold horned candy had suddenly turned into chunks of Ovis Aries feces….and that must have been tough to swallow. And the after taste…OH MY…..LOL
znModeratorNick Foles is reportedly skipping Rams OTAs out of protest
Former starting QB is apparently taking a page out of the Sam Bradford playbook
By Will Brinson
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nick-foles-is-reportedly-skipping-rams-otas-out-of-protest/
Nothing is easy for the Los Angeles Rams at the quarterback position, which has been a revolving door of passers under Jeff Fisher. That’s why the franchise traded up to take Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Goff is the starter because you don’t trade tons of picks to draft a guy you’re not playing in a season where you need to win more than eight games and make a playoff run. Everyone knows this, including Nick Foles, who is planning to skip OTAs as a sign of protest, according to Jim Trotter of ESPN.
While not technically a holdout, this is about as much of a holdout as someone who is currently slated to be a backup can pull off. Foles can skip the voluntary workouts and not be fined after all.
And it’s not hard to blame Foles for being miffed. He was traded by the Eagles to the Rams in exchange for Sam Bradford (the rare “lose-lose-lose-lose” trade) last offseason.
Foles inked a two-year, $24.5 million contract with the Rams that featured a pretty stout amount of guaranteed money ($13.8 million).
Like Bradford, he couldn’t have expected he would be the long-term solution for his team, but he probably expected to start/play prominently for multiple years.
Instead Foles was benched in his first season with the Rams and promptly shoved down the depth chart with the drafting of Goff.
At this point he might be behind Case Keenum on the depth chart, although it’s all irrelevant with Goff expected to start the entire season barring injury or a really bad performance.Which is why Foles holding out and/or skipping workouts is the ultimate exercise in futility.
znModeratorNick Foles is reportedly skipping Rams OTAs out of protest
Former starting QB is apparently taking a page out of the Sam Bradford playbook
By Will Brinson
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nick-foles-is-reportedly-skipping-rams-otas-out-of-protest/
Nothing is easy for the Los Angeles Rams at the quarterback position, which has been a revolving door of passers under Jeff Fisher. That’s why the franchise traded up to take Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Goff is the starter because you don’t trade tons of picks to draft a guy you’re not playing in a season where you need to win more than eight games and make a playoff run. Everyone knows this, including Nick Foles, who is planning to skip OTAs as a sign of protest, according to Jim Trotter of ESPN.
While not technically a holdout, this is about as much of a holdout as someone who is currently slated to be a backup can pull off. Foles can skip the voluntary workouts and not be fined after all.
And it’s not hard to blame Foles for being miffed. He was traded by the Eagles to the Rams in exchange for Sam Bradford (the rare “lose-lose-lose-lose” trade) last offseason.
Foles inked a two-year, $24.5 million contract with the Rams that featured a pretty stout amount of guaranteed money ($13.8 million).
Like Bradford, he couldn’t have expected he would be the long-term solution for his team, but he probably expected to start/play prominently for multiple years.
Instead Foles was benched in his first season with the Rams and promptly shoved down the depth chart with the drafting of Goff.
At this point he might be behind Case Keenum on the depth chart, although it’s all irrelevant with Goff expected to start the entire season barring injury or a really bad performance.Which is why Foles holding out and/or skipping workouts is the ultimate exercise in futility.
===
Nick Foles doesn’t appear for ‘voluntary’ training in Oxnard
By Vincent Bonsignore,
OXNARD — The Rams opened the first of their six voluntary organized training activities (OTAs) on Tuesday with one notable, albeit expected, absence.
Quarterback Nick Foles, who lost his job last season to Case Keenum and whose job status grew even more tenuous with the addition of Jared Goff, the first pick overall in April’s draft, was a no-show.
While Foles and his camp haven’t publicly demanded a trade or to be released, their end game is fairly transparent. With the Rams giving Goff every chance to be their opening-day starter and Keenum someone they continually touted as their starter heading into training camp, Foles’ best bet for the future is seemingly with another team.
And with OTAs technically a voluntary part of offseason workouts — meaning he can’t be fined for being absent — it seems highly unlikely Foles will join the Rams over the next two weeks.
According to sources close to the situation, relations between the Rams and Foles appear amicable and respectful. The Rams had discussions during the draft about potentially trading Foles, who earned a $6 million roster bonus in March and whose $1.75 salary for 2016 is fully guaranteed, but a deal was never consummated.
But with quarterback situations always evolving around the NFL, the possibility of moving Foles at some point remains in play. And with three other quarterbacks currently on the roster — Goff, Keenum and second-year prospect Sean Mannion — the Rams could end up releasing Foles outright.
The Rams acquired Foles last offseason in the blockbuster Sam Bradford trade with the Philadelphia Eagles and then rewarded him with a two-year, $24,540,000 contract extension with $13,792,000 guaranteed.
But he was largely ineffective over the first 12 weeks of the season and was ultimately replaced by Keenum in week 12.
For now, he remains property of the Rams. But from a distance.
June 1, 2016 at 10:27 am in reply to: Keenum will be the starter to open camp…how close or far is Goff? #45179znModeratorJeff Fisher: As Jared Goff gets more comfortable, he’ll get more reps
Josh Alper
The Rams became the last team in the league to move into the OTA phase of their offseason work on Tuesday, which meant that first overall pick Jared Goff finally got to face off against NFL defenders in a practice setting.
Goff didn’t get the majority of the snaps during practice, however. Coach Jeff Fisher said that Case Keenum got 60-70 percent of the reps during Tuesday’s practice and saw all the time with the first team, an arrangement that Fisher said everyone is aware will be changing in the near future.
“The room’s not an issue because all of them are professional,” Fisher said. “But they also understand that the reps are going to change. And as soon as Jared comes along in becoming more familiar with things, then we’ll start increasing his reps. So there’s a lot of reps to go around. I want to make sure [Goff] gets one reps at least two, three, or four days through the OTAs.”
The Rams may want to hold off on giving Goff too much to do too soon, but the price paid to bring him to Los Angeles means it’s likely just a matter of time before he’s at the controls of the offense for good after the Rams.
znModerator
“SO WHO IS THAT OVER THERE, THAT ‘NICK’ GUY? HE’S A QUARTERBACK TOO?”
znModeratorTight end Temarrick Hemingway hoping to grow into a role with the Rams
JACK WANG
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/hemingway-717775-south-tight.html
Temarrick Hemingway is staring into the camera. In the picture, his face is almost expressionless – no smile, no frown. A black jacket hugs his narrow shoulders, covering a slightly askew white-collared shirt.
No more than 180 pounds, he looks very much a teenager.
“He doesn’t look like that anymore,” said Nygel Pearson, laughing.
Pearson coaches fullbacks and tight ends at South Carolina State, which means he got a close look at how Hemingway – now 6-foot-5, 245 pounds – went from a lanky receiver into an NFL-worthy target.
Chosen in the sixth round by the Los Angeles Rams, Hemingway became the 56th player drafted out of the school in Orangeburg, S.C. Along with defensive lineman Javon Hargrave, a third-round pick, the tight end’s selection marked the first time two Bulldogs were taken in the same draft in nearly two decades.
Now, with the Rams starting organized team activities Tuesday, the rookie has a chance to carve out his spot on an unsettled depth chart. Following the departure of Jared Cook, the only pass-catching tight end on the roster with any NFL experience is sixth-year veteran Lance Kendricks, who pulled in 245 yards and a pair of touchdowns last season. The franchise also used a fourth-round pick on Western Kentucky’s Tyler Higbee, who pleaded not guilty to second-degree assault and is due in court again June 17.
Hemingway should have a chance to make an impact. Born in Loris, S.C., a town of fewer than 2,400, the 22-year-old arrived at South Carolina State needing to add weight. A new diet and conditioning program paid off quickly; by the end of his redshirt year, he hovered around 210 pounds.
“I gained more than the freshman 30, whatever you want to call it,” Hemingway said.
Still, it took time for the idea of an NFL career to take hold. South Carolina State, after all, was not a prime destination for talent evaluators. The FCS program sits roughly an hour south of Columbia, S.C., and has produced only one first-round draft pick: defensive end Robert Porcher, who made three Pro Bowls with the Detroit Lions. From 2002-09, not a single Bulldog heard his name called.
But after recording 638 yards and four touchdowns through his first three seasons, the dream started to feel real. Heading into his senior year, he started noticing more and more scouts in Orangeburg.
“That’s when I knew I had to get serious about what I wanted to do,” he said.
The work didn’t stop with the end of South Carolina State’s season. In early January, Hemingway arrived at St. Vincent Sports Performance in Indianapolis, throwing himself into a pre-draft training regimen that lasted seven weeks. Almost every day, he would wake up at 7 a.m., hit 150-minute workout sessions in both the morning and afternoon, then close the day with position work and film study.
“Everything we threw at him, he absorbed it,” said SVSP executive director Ralph Reiff. “He got better really quickly, from position work to footwork. The only place he was really more advanced than anything else was in his intellectual work.”
Reiff said Hemingway was usually quiet and reserved during their time together, but added that he became especially engaging when the talk turned toward football: “He jumped up on the whiteboard in the classroom and just sort of took over.”
Over and over again, Reiff described him as coachable – the same word Pearson used to describe his former pupil.
The NFL combine helped him show off his raw talent. Hemingway was a top-two performer among tight ends in the 40-yard dash, three-cone drill and 60-yard shuttle. Asked if Hemingway reminded him of any past clients, Reiff brought up Jack Doyle, who has 209 receiving yards and three touchdowns in three seasons with the Colts.
CBS Sports analyst Dane Brugler has compared Hemingway to Ladarius Green, a former fourth-rounder who recently signed a $20 million deal with the Steelers.
Those players may represent a floor and a ceiling. For now, Hemingway is just happy he has a window.
“I think it’ll all come in good time,” he said
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