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znModeratorRams’ Cody Davis, Isaiah Pead make strong closing arguments
Nick Wagoner
ST. LOUIS — Here are some highs and lows in terms of individual performances from the St. Louis Rams’ 24-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs:
HIGHS
WR Tavon Austin: Austin played only a handful of snaps, but he once again flashed a glimpse of what he can do when he gets the ball with a little bit of room to work. After a catch behind the line of scrimmage lost 6 yards because he had no blocking, Austin got a block on a second one and weaved his way to a 43-yard pickup. He finished with two catches for 49 yards and another highlight reel catch-and-run to add to his tape.
S Cody Davis: Davis has had a strong camp, seemingly coming up with an interception in practice almost every day. He carried it over into Thursday’s game by reading Kansas City quarterback Chase Daniel’s eyes on a short curl, jumping the route and returning the interception 24 yards for a touchdown. He also chipped in two tackles and a pass defended.
RB Isaiah Pead: In an effort to preserve Benny Cunningham, who might have to start in Week 1 against Seattle, the Rams gave Pead the first opportunity in the backfield and he made his case to stick on the roster with a strong second drive. On the drive, he threw a nice block downfield to help spring Austin and chipped in 21 yards on five carries with a drive-ending 1-yard touchdown plunge. He finished with 52 yards on 12 carries and put himself in good position to nail down a roster spot on the initial 53.
LOWS
WR Kenny Britt: Not that you can blame him much, but Britt didn’t seem too interested in the preseason finale. He whiffed on a block that led to Austin’s 6-yard loss and though he picked up his assignment on the ensuing play, he didn’t put much effort into catching the ball on his lone target. He’s clearly ready for the regular season.
TE Jared Cook: On the Rams’ opening possession, quarterback Nick Foles threw a strike in traffic to Cook over the middle, but the ball bounced off Cook’s hands for an easy interception to Kansas City safety Daniel Sorensen. The Chiefs scored a touchdown a couple of plays later and Cook’s night ended with the starters soon after.
QB Sean Mannion: The Rams gave their third-round pick plenty of work as he took over in the second quarter and finished the game. He also showed why it’s going to be awhile before he’s ready to play. Mannion locked on to receivers and forced throws into traffic that were either nearly intercepted, got a wideout hurt or both. He finished 11-of-24 for 107 yards with a passer rating of 58.9.
September 4, 2015 at 12:19 am in reply to: Judge nullifies NFL's 4-game suspension against Tom Brady #29798znModeratorW & WV, both interesting reads, thanks
znModeratorCody Davis Returns an INT for a TD
Safety Cody Davis returns an interception 24 yards for a St. Louis touchdown in the second quarter.
znModeratorHighlights: Rams vs. Chiefs (Preseason)
Check out highlights from St. Louis vs. Kansas City at the Edward Jones Dome.
September 3, 2015 at 6:18 pm in reply to: JT – Saffold at RG. Foles to play a couple series…setting up the Chiefs game #29785znModeratorNick Foles eager to get Rodger Saffold back in the lineup
http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/story/st-louis-rams-nick-foles-offensive-line-rodger-saffold-090215
Nick Foles understands how important Rodger Saffold is to the offensive line.
Consider this: Saffold has started a combined 60 games over the last five seasons in St. Louis.
The other pieces along the offensive line that are expected to start include Greg Robinson and two rookies in Rob Havenstein and Jamon Brown. Robinson has started two career games.
In the three-way competition for the center spot between Demetrius Rhaney, Tim Barnes and Barrett Jones, the trio has combined for 14 starts.
Saffold is clearly the veteran of the group, even though he’s just 27 years of age.
“The guy has been in the NFL,” Nick Foles said, via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He’s played at an extremely high level and he’s got a lot of wisdom. He’s a very talented player. So to get him healthy, that helps us out a lot.”
September 3, 2015 at 6:08 pm in reply to: JT – Saffold at RG. Foles to play a couple series…setting up the Chiefs game #29783znModeratorSeptember 3, 2015 at 5:49 pm in reply to: JT – Saffold at RG. Foles to play a couple series…setting up the Chiefs game #29778znModeratorRams get one more chance to evaluate final roster spots
Nick Wagoner
The St. Louis Rams host the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth and final preseason game Thursday at 8 p.m. ET at the Edward Jones Dome. Here’s a couple of things to watch for during the game:
Why watch: Rams coach Jeff Fisher indicated last week that he could get the roster to about 49 players, which means there are about four spots that were then up for grabs and still could be. The final preseason game presents an opportunity for those jobs to be won or lost. Pinpointing specific players is a difficult task that far down the roster but among the players to keep an eye on are defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat, tight ends Alex Bayer and Justice Cunningham, running back Malcolm Brown and cornerbacks Trovon Reed and Montell Garner.
Did you know? The Rams and Chiefs actually have a trophy for the winner of the game. It’s called the Governor’s Cup and it currently belongs to the Chiefs after their 34-7 win in Kansas City last season. The Rams are 9-5 against the Chiefs in preseason meetings since the team moved to St. Louis but 0-6 in the regular season. After leading the Rams to one of their victories in Kansas City as coach of the Rams, Dick Vermeil once famously blurted out “Where’s the other governor?” during the trophy presentation. He was quickly informed that the Chiefs do, in fact, reside in Kansas City, Missouri.
September 3, 2015 at 5:48 pm in reply to: JT – Saffold at RG. Foles to play a couple series…setting up the Chiefs game #29777znModeratorRams-Chiefs: Five Things to Watch
BY NORM SANDERS
News-Democrathttp://www.bnd.com/sports/nfl/st-louis-rams/article33534699.html
Here are five key things to watch as the St. Louis Rams play host to the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday in their final preseason game (7 p.m.; TV: Fox Channel 2; Radio: WXOS-FM 101.1).
1. When the shuffling stops on the offensive line, and presuming veteran Rodger Saffold is healthy, who will be lining up where when the regular season begins Sept. 13 against Seattle?
Rams coach Jeff Fisher has tried numerous variations and the shoulder injury to Saffold early in camp allowed the team to take a look at more possibilities. Second-year left tackle Greg Robinson is set, as is rookie right tackle Rob Havenstein. Saffold will most likely fill the right guard spot, with rookie Jamon Brown at left guard if he’s good to go from an ankle strain. Still to be answered is the center question, where Barrett Jones and Tim Barnes are the front-runners. The Rams also seem intrigued by the athleticism of former center candidate Demetrius Rhaney, who has played right and left guard recently. Stay tuned. There are far too many questions for an offensive line being counted on to pound things out on the ground and keep quarterback Nick Foles upright and healthy for 16 games. May have to bring in another veteran.
2. Are there any real camp battles still going on?
Sure there are with 22 players still needing to be cut (or put on the practice squad) to reach the final 53-man roster. Among the hopefuls are Louis Trinca-Pasat, the former Iowa standout who has made some noise along the defensive line with 15 tackles. Fisher pronounced Case Keenum as his backup quarterback behind Foles on Tuesday, leaving veteran Austin Davis battling rookie third-round pick Sean Mannion for the third QB spot. Mannion has that basically in the bag, but the Rams could hope to snag a draft pick from some team interested in Davis. In fairness, Davis has gotten little chance to show what he could do in the first three preseason games so maybe he gets a longer look against the Chiefs. Linebacker Bryce Hager, who leads the team in tackles, has made an impression on defense and special teams.
3. With Todd Gurley still limited, Tre Mason injured and Trey Watts sitting out the first four games with a suspension, what happens at running back?
The best-case scenario would be to get Mason back from his hamstring injury in time for the season opener. There’s always Benny Cunningham, a workman-like ballcarrier who also excels as a receiver, but the Rams seem interested in taking a long look at Isaiah Pead. Rookie Malcolm Brown has also made some plays during camp, but would seem a longshot at best given the Rams’ ability to pick up a veteran off the waiver wire if needed.
4. Can wide receiver Chris Givens keep providing the Rams and Foles a consistent deep threat?
Givens has shown that ability throughout the preseason with seven catches for 179 yards, an average of 25.6 yards per catch. Whether he recaptures his form of his rookie year in 2012, when he had 42 catches for 698 yards and four TDs, is anyone’s guess. But he seems to have made positive strides in that direction.
5. Will the Rams ever find a way to actually limit the amount of penalties they receive?
It’s doubtful. It’s been a consistent companion of Fisher’s teams since he came here and shows no signs of slowing down with 29 already in three preseason games for a whopping 229 yards. A team that will rely heavily on its defense to keep things close cannot afford to continue hurting itself with penalties game after game after game.
September 3, 2015 at 3:09 am in reply to: Eagles QB Sam Bradford … how is he doing (from training camp thru pre-season) #29756znModeratorEagles’ Sam Bradford eager to start
SAM BRADFORD is less than two weeks away from playing in his first NFL regular-season game in nearly two years.
I was curious what he is feeling right now as he tries to move on from back-to-back ACL tears and the back-to-back rehabs that accompanied them. Excitement? Relief? Worry? Cautious optimism?
“It’s nothing but excitement for me,” Bradford said yesterday. “I’ve been excited this whole preseason. Excited just to get back on the field. I was excited for Baltimore and I was even more excited to be out there for Green Bay for three series. I’m just looking forward to it, to be honest.”
There’s a lot for Bradford to be excited about, and not just the fact that he’s healthy again.
He has the keys to one of the league’s most explosive offenses. An offense that reminds him an awful lot of the talent-rich one he quarterbacked at Oklahoma in 2008, when he threw 50 touchdown passes, won the Heisman Trophy and led the Sooners to the BCS title game.
“It’s a similar mindset [to that team] in that we have playmakers all over the field, and my job as quarterback is simply to distribute and get them the ball and let them make plays in space,” he said.
“It’s really comforting as a quarterback when you look out there and all five of your receiving options are really good players and have the ability to turn a 5- or 6-yard completion into a 60-yard touchdown.”
Bradford gave Eagles fans a glimpse of just what is possible Saturday night against the Packers. He played only three series and engineered three touchdown drives that consumed only 18 plays and ate up less than 7 minutes off the clock.
He attempted 10 passes, completing all 10 to six different receivers, three for touchdowns.
Coach Chip Kelly traded for Bradford because he fits his spread-tempo offense like a Roberto Cavalli dress fits Jennifer Lopez. He ran tempo at Oklahoma. He thrived in tempo because he can process information faster than a MacBook Air and is an exceptional decision-maker.
“The concepts aren’t quite the same as what we were doing in Oklahoma,” Bradford said. “We were spread [like the Eagles]. We were no-huddle [like the Eagles]. But we played a lot in ’21’ personnel [two running backs, one tight end), ’12’ personnel [one back, two tight ends), ’13’ personnel [one back, three tight ends]. Whereas here it’s primarily ’11’ [one back, one tight end, three wide receivers), with some ’20’ (two backs, no tight ends, three wide receivers) and ’12’ sprinkled in.
“But the tempo is very similar. When we were out there against Green Bay and we were rolling and got things moving, it felt very similar to being back in college and just going.
“I think the greatest thing about tempo too, when you’re playing fast, is you don’t have time to think. You’re just out there and you’re just reacting and you’re just having fun. You’re just playing.”
After spending the first five seasons of his career with a speed-challenged offense in St. Louis, after battling back from those back-to-back ACL tears, Bradford is overdue for some fun.
A year ago, after tearing it for the second time in 10 months in the Rams’ third preseason game, a devastated Bradford wasn’t sure he had the willpower to endure another long rehab, to stage yet another comeback.
“It was hard,” he said. “I think the most frustrating thing was that I really felt that the last couple of games before I got hurt [the first time] and then [again] last preseason, I felt I was playing as well as I had ever played.
“I felt I was seeing things really well and the ball was coming out quick and was coming out clean. I mean, I just felt really good. To get back and feel you’re in a good place, to feel healthy, feel normal again, and then to have to start over again, it was tough.
“Was I ever serious about retiring or quitting? Probably not. I think the thought initially enters your mind that I can’t do this again. But I don’t think it took but two days for me to realize I was coming back and I was going to give it another go.”
If he needed a push, he got it less than a week after last summer’s injury when Josh Heupel, who was Bradford’s quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma and now is the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Utah State, called him.
Bradford has called it a phone call he’ll never forget. “Josh probably had been as influential or as important to me as anybody other than my dad in my football career,” he said. “Just talking to him and just hearing someone else who has belief in you and who still believes the best is still ahead of you, it just meant a lot to me to hear that from someone other than my mom and my dad and my girlfriend.
“I was sitting on the steps in front of my place and talking to him. It was kind of just one of those moments where after I got off the phone with him, it was like, ‘OK, I’m back.’ ”
The only question after that was where “back” was going to be. Rams coach Jeff Fisher didn’t want to trade Bradford. Hell, he was the reason Fisher took the Rams’ head-coaching job in 2012 in the first place.
But after three straight losing seasons, Fisher’s job security is a bit tenuous. He couldn’t afford to take a chance that Bradford’s knee would fail him a third time.
Enter Kelly, who does have job security and was willing to roll the dice for the opportunity to get a guy he believes is a franchise quarterback.
“The hardest part about it was I had developed some relationships there [in St. Louis] with some people that meant, and still mean, a lot to me, and who I’m still in contact with,” Bradford said. “It was really hard, especially those first couple of days [after the trade] to realize I wasn’t going to go to work and see those people every day again.
“But at the same time, from a football perspective, I was nothing but excited. When you have the opportunity to come to an organization that has had the success that this organization has had and that values winning the way they do, I mean, I don’t know how you can ask for much more.”
znModeratorAfter a rough start I thought GRob got better and better, but man was that a rough start. Against Langford he did not have it all his own way but then Langford is a good lineman and will have his moments against anyone. He mirrors speed rushers nice but needs to show a little more patience while waiting for them and not over-committing and making their work easy. Still, he did not give up a sack.
That’s a good one, that read. It’s actually reassuring.
znModeratorOkay–I’m going to be one of THOSE fans.
I believe the Rams HAVE been treated unfairly by the refs. No idea what it is. Maybe they hate Fisher. Don’t know. But the discrepancy is real. While Seattle may have led the league with the Patriots in the #2 spot–not all penalties are equal. Some penalties are called when the game is already decided–useless “make-up” calls.
And there are the obvious calls NOT made–the holding on Quinn for example.
So—it’s not something I can prove but Bernie would have a hard time convincing me otherwise.
from off the net
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Rampage2K
the timing of the penalties are maddening and game changer types… Last weeks biggest drive killer penalty was the crap call on TA, then the INT that would have a game changer was called back for defensive holding, yet no number was associated with that call and I watched it multiple times and never saw any thing close to being defensive holding on that play…. I watch other games and I just don’t see the type of calls that the Rams always seem to get…it drives me nuts!!!
There were quite a few last year that were just mind boggling….then there are the other ones that aren’t called when it is blatant…we all remember Last year when Brock was yanked to the ground by his face mask as Romo hit Dez on the 60 yard TD that changed the game
znModeratorI want it to happen because we finally wake up and realize we need to do it for the future of humanity and every other living thing on the planet.
Oh, yeah. That could happen.
Maybe the robots will put a stop to it.
znModeratorFocusing on the Rams penalties on the OL, I think they happen for all the obvious reasons: sometimes lack of confidence because of re-shuffled lines (mostly due to injuries), sometimes youngsters who are too young, and so on. I don’t see that as coaching because both Boudreau and Fisher have fielded good lines before the Rams. The Rams OL can lose confidence in a game. To me when you lose confidence you start pressing. Saffold himself directly said that once about all his penalties in 2011. I think the false starts and holding calls will diminish the more the line settles.
What I can’t stand are those kinds of stupid penalties where the Rams are at the forefront.
Here all high rankings are bad–it’s the teams that did it the most. Lower rankings are good. These are undigested numbers and so rough indicators (a detailed, more accurate account would go by avg. penalties per game, not total numbers).
On the OL: they are 2nd in offensive holding and 8th in false starts.
They are tied for 1st in unsportsmanlike conduct and tied for 1st in delay of game, 1st in offensive pass interference, 8th in unnecessary roughness, 10th in neutral zone infraction, 8th in roughing the passer, and 8th in taunting.
To me that last group of penalties has to do with just being stupid in various different ways. I think we all feel that their “chippy” demeanor just does not work, and many of those come from that.
They are ranked low (good) in
defensive holding (24th), DPI (27th), defensive offsides (17th),
September 3, 2015 at 12:31 am in reply to: JT – Saffold at RG. Foles to play a couple series…setting up the Chiefs game #29746znModeratorIt’s Bubble Bowl time for Rams roster hopefuls
Jim Thomas
In high school, linebacker Cameron Lynch won a state championship playing for his Brookwood High team of Lawrenceville, Ga.
In college, he played in bowl games at Syracuse, including a Pinstripe Bowl victory over current teammates Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey of the West Virginia Mountaineers.
On Thursday, however, he plays in the Bubble Bowl, otherwise known as the Rams’ preseason finale against Kansas City at the Edward Jones Dome. Kickoff is 7 p.m. for the almost annual Governor’s Cup contest between the Rams and Chiefs.
In terms of Lynch’s future in the sport, Thursday’s game has more meaning than those other milestone contests. In short he, needs to play the game of his life to make the Rams’ 53-man roster — the roster they will carry into the regular season.
“I told my dad that the other day,” Lynch said, “this is a make it or break it type deal. This is gonna be like a state championship or bowl game for me. I’m gonna treat it just like that. So I’ll try to fly around and make some plays.”
He’s not the only one with that in mind. There are maybe 25 to 30 players competing for just a handful of available remaining roster spots.
Lynch is competing with Bryce Hager and Marshall McFadden for what figures to be one or two remaining roster spots at linebacker.
At cornerback, Montell Garner and Trovon Reed remain in the running to nab the fifth cornerback spot.
Justice Cunningham and Alex Bayer are going to the wire for a fourth tight end spot, if the Rams indeed keep four tight ends.
There are still some roster spots to be sorted out on the offensive line. Can former minor league baseball outfielder Bradley Marquez nab a sixth wide receiver spot? And at quarterback, can Austin Davis beat what looks to be very long odds for a third spot on the final 53?
“Every week I play like it’s the Super Bowl ’cause you never know,” said Garner, the undrafted rookie cornerback from South Alabama. “This game right here, I’m gonna approach it like I’ve approached the other games — just going out there and having fun.
“I know this is a business, but this is football. I always think of it as fun. I try not to think about it like it’s a job. I don’t let my highs get too high; I don’t let my lows get too low. Just start grounded and trust the process.”
In the big picture for the Rams, the top priority against Kansas City simply is to avoid injury. With the regular season so close, even a garden variety ankle sprain could jeopardize a player’s availability for Sept. 13 against Seattle.
Priority No. 2 is deciding on the final few roster spots.
“Fifty-three’s not going to be easy,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “Those are good problems to have. In years past, our first and second year (with the Rams), we could pretty much look at the start of camp and get to 55. So we have some tough decisions to make.”
Since taking the Rams’ job in 2012, Fisher has played the preseason finale in a variety of ways. In 2012, he opened the final exhibition contest (against Baltimore) with basically his entire starting lineup out there, and they played quite a bit. Quarterback Sam Bradford, for example, threw 16 passes.
Last season at Miami, there wasn’t a single opening-day starter in the lineup against the Dolphins.
As for 2013, also against Baltimore, it was somewhere in between with eight regular-season starters in the lineup.
This time around, it looks like Fisher is leaning toward the 2013 model. That is, partial use of starters to open the game. The plan calls for quarterback Nick Foles to play a series or two against Kansas City. And if Foles is in the game, you can bet that most of the other offensive starters will be out there as well, particularly the line.
Fisher indicated Tuesday that some of the younger offensive line starters could play a little longer. On defense, it’s likely the Rams will rest more starters, especially in the front seven.
That leaves plenty of playing time for bubble guys such as Lynch and Garner, and others hoping to grab one of the final spots on the 53-man roster, or at least one of the 10 practice squad slots available.
This year’s last round of cuts lacks the drama of the 2014 version, when University of Missouri star Michael Sam was attempting to become the first openly gay player to make an NFL regular-season roster.
But that doesn’t make this year’s decisions any less dramatic for the bubble players. Garner’s parents are coming to the game; his father, Milton, played cornerback for Kansas in the mid-1980s and has been teaching him the ins and outs of playing the position since his Pee Wee League days.
“I used to watch old film of my dad,” Garner said. “You’ve got to play with a lot of confidence, and you’ve got to have short-term memory. He taught me his ways and stuff, and I’ve been playing it ever since.”
Lynch wants to get into broadcasting when his playing days are over. While at Syracuse, his weekly Cam’s Cam video segment took a behind-the-scenes look at his Syracuse football teammates.
“We would do different stuff, like a cooking show type thing,” Lynch said. “OK, you’re chef of the team. What do you like to cook?”
Lynch hopes to keep his football career cooking and his broadcasting career on the back burner for as long as possible.
znModeratorfrom off the net
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tbux
I watched EVERY play concentrating on GR only
first series- he started very bad no question. Run play got pushed back, next play pass and he got blown away on a speed rush. third play he was fine. What that tells me- he was thinking too much and focused on snap count and not false starting more than likely that was stressed to oline. First series he was flat bad from those two plays.
From that point on- only saw one play he was beat on, and it didn’t result in a sack- the pass got off but he was beat, however every other play from the 2nd series and on, he did well. I watched every snap of his and I would give him a B grade. If not for the 1st series, I would have given him a B+. His feet are far from slow as OP stated, and he isn’t weak either as was insinuated by some. Far from it. What I saw was a player thinking too much, and when he wasn’t and was reacting, he was actually quite good. Still has a bit to go, but I challenge anyone on here to watch every play and him only and tell me what you think. get past the first two plays- where he was no doubt terrible, and tell me what you think. You will see a player who settled in and did his job. 30 or so plays, and only saw 3 where he was bad.
I think when he can go into every game reacting, and confident watch out. I think that day comes sooner than later. He isn’t slow, he isn’t weak, and he doesn’t have poor mechanics. Typical of a young player, sometimes they have too much in their head, and react too slow or too fast at times. Once the game slows down, and he has Fole’s cadence down and is reacting and not thinking- he is going to be a force. Strong kid, and agile for his size. He was actually pretty good after that first series. Still a ways to go, but you can see the talent there.
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TheDYVKX
Robinson has trouble with veteran rushers, or anyone with great technique really. Savvy vet Trent Cole was destroying him in this game.
If it’s just a battle of athleticism, for the most part GRob can manage. But those polished rushers beat him every single time. He needs to really work on technique and footwork. I’m concerned about him. I was hoping it was just Khalil Mack being godly, but no.
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BonifayRam
Jamon Brown has two full seasons 2013/2014 (26 games) starting on the left side @ OLT. The fact may be Brown is just better & performs better on the left side. Brown started 35 games starting @ OT. Having Brown & Robinson teamed for the future could be a serious duo as they both work to learn their starting jobs.
Having Saffold/Havenstein on the right side could greatly assist Havenstein with his pass protection issues. Saffold’s alertness & experience will add to Havenstein’s development. I think the big thing here is it breaks up having two rookies starting side by side(y).
From my observations just on Garrett Reynolds alone…..where he has played OLG-ORG-ORT….he has done very well! The best I have seen from him so far was the 2nd half of the Colts game.one of the main concerns was he was more ORG & not much OLG or even less ORT. If you have the ability go back & watch the 2nd half right side OL….GR looked good @ OT.I would also say GR has put on some very good bulk for a near 6-7 frame. Boudreau & Snead did very good work in bringing in GR here. GR is far from being an Adam Goldberg.
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GabesHorn
Rob Havenstein: we have seen lots of physical transformation and we know he is’nt dumb and he and Brown actually are better than I ever thought they would be going into the 4th pre-season game. I think Rob has techniques of course to learn to work against the leagues speed rushers in passing game and is still thinking too much and learning to square his shoulders against rushers but I love his effort and he has stayed after practice to work is humble and mean and knows how high the mountain he is climbing is. Love also he is from the Wisconsin OL program. People are a little hostile after a miscommunication and sack allowed in the Colts game and Rob has’nt seen the speedier rushers this league has to offer. We have 3 guys to help on his outside to block and now Saffold the coach will be next to him while J. Brown moves next to G. Rob.
I like what very little of Wichman I’ve seen.
Have’nt seen enough of Donnal to even form an educated opinion. I think it may come down to Barnes VS Donnal in just my own personal opinion as Barnes looks best at center in Zone blocking and gets pushed back the least with an unknown injury to his leg I am not aware of why he missed that one day of practice and I think a pre-season game.
znModeratorActually Keenum looks (so far) like the best Rams back-up qb since…um…well you can’t count Bulger or Warner, ultimately, as “back-ups”…they were more starters in waiting.
At the risk of bringing down the wrath of all the Jamie Martin haters, I will say Keenum looks like the best Rams back-up since Jamie Martin.
(The Martin haters joke is aimed at WV.)
(Cause he’s a Martin hater.)
znModeratorCase Keenum has Rams’ backup quarterback job ‘locked up’
Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer
EARTH CITY, Mo. — Entering this year’s training camp and preseason, the primary competition at quarterback appeared to be between incumbent backup Austin Davis and re-acquired understudy Case Keenum.
With Nick Foles set as the starter and third-round pick Sean Mannion entering the fray, that put Keenum and Davis in the strange position of either being No. 2 or released.
As it turns out, there never really was much of a competition.
“I think Case has the advantage right now,” St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “I would say the competition would be related to the third spot, with Austin and Sean. So we’re going to try to get them both reps in the game. But I think that Case has done a good enough job right now at this point that he’s got No. 2 locked up.”
The Rams traded with the Houston Texans to get Keenum back in the fold on the opening day of free agency, sending a 2016 seventh-round pick to Houston to get Keenum back after he left the team’s practice squad for the Texans’ active roster at the end of the season.
Keenum had initially come to St. Louis after the cutdown to the 53-man roster last September but he never got much of a chance to play as he spent most of his time playing catch up. Although Keenum didn’t get many chances, he apparently showed enough for the Rams to want him back.
This time around, Keenum has had a full offseason and training camp to make an impression.
“We saw it last year when we had him on the practice squad,” Fisher said. “He just has a good feel for our offense and timing and release and is a natural athlete. Since the trade, he’s been able to sit here and really grasp the offense, so he’s a got a good feel for what we’re doing.”
Perhaps in part because the Rams already know what they have in Davis — he started eight games in 2014 — they’ve given Keenum the bulk of the opportunities in three preseason games. He’s played seven series and thrown a team-high 34 passes in those games. Davis, meanwhile, has been relegated to just three series and thrown five passes, both numbers clearly the fewest among the four quarterbacks on the roster.
In other words, whatever semblance of “competition” that the Rams looked to have at quarterback has never really developed. While Fisher said Davis and Mannion are competing for the third spot, that is almost certainly coach speak.
The Rams have also given Mannion more work than Davis in the preseason games. Given the team’s refusal to part ways with relatively early picks — Isaiah Pead, anyone? — it seems exceedingly unlikely they’d part ways with a third-round pick like Mannion after just one training camp.
So while many Rams will be fighting for spots on the team when they play the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night, whatever opportunities Davis gets will likely be as an audition for one of 31 other teams.
znModerator“….He said that changes made by
Sony lawyers make the story ‘better and richer and fairer.’ …”Sometimes there’s just no point
in even commenting on somethin.w
vI actually ignored that (not you, the Florio). The trailer does not look like this is a film that pulls punches. I thought Florio was sensationalizing.
.
znModeratorPosters on this board and other boards have gone much deeper into the “penalty effect”.
I think we were even reaching the point where we were narrowing it down to WHICH penalties are costly, and which are not as much.
I often post Miklasz with a heavy-hearted sense of mere obligation. “Yeah, well, I guess I should post this…”
znModeratorSony emails show tiptoeing around NFL over Concussion film
Mike Florio
Sony wasn’t afraid to stand up to Kim Jong-un. Sony chose not to pick a fight with the NFL.
Sort of.
The studio whose 2014 holiday-season project depicting assassination of the North Korean leader sparked a hack into Sony’s servers followed by an email mega-dump has walked on eggshells (sort of) regarding a 2015 holiday-season look into the NFL’s past culture of denying the long-term impact of mild, repetitive head trauma. The evidence, of course, comes from the hack that sparked the email mega-dump.
Via Ken Belson of the New York Times, emails exchanged by Sony executives in 2014 reveal concerns on the part of lead actor Will Smith regarding the potential for unduly angering the NFL, along with possible legal and overall credibility concerns regarding the specific accusations made as to the league’s handling of concussions.
“Will [Smith] is not anti football (nor is the movie) and isn’t planning to be a spokesman for what football should be or shouldn’t be but rather is an actor taking on an exciting challenge,” a top Sony exec wrote in August 2014. “We’ll develop messaging with the help of [NFL] consultant to ensure that we are telling a dramatic story and not kicking the hornet’s nest.”
Belson shares pieces of a separate emails in which someone wrote that “unflattering moments for the [NFL]” were deleted or changed, and that a Sony lawyer supposedly took “most of the bite” out of the film “for legal reasons with the [NFL].” This suggests a concern that the telling of a “true” story could lead to a potential defamation lawsuit, if the effort to dramatize actual events included blatantly non-actual assertions regarding the way the NFL handled the situation.
Peter Landesman, the director of Concussion, told Belson that the email exchange doesn’t reflect “bowing” to the NFL but an effort to tell the story accurately in order to prevent claims by the league that the line was crossed from fact into fiction. He said that changes made by Sony lawyers make the story “better and richer and fairer.”
“We’re just being smart because any large corporation will design a response to something it considers to be a threat to its existence,” Landesman told Belson, a quote that possibly says too much about the potential agenda of the film. “We don’t want to give the [NFL] a toehold to say, ‘They are making it up,’ and damage the credibility of the movie.”
The concerns don’t go simply to credibility but to potential liability. If, for example, the movie had included an express or implied suggestion that Dr. Bennet Omalu, the man who discovered Chronic Traumatic Encelepathy, had received any sort of express or implied threat to his own health from someone connected to the league when no such thing ever happened, that could expose Sony litigation.
“There were things that might have been creatively fun to have actors say that might not have been accurate in the heads of the [NFL] or doctors,” Landesman said. “We might have gotten away with it legally, but it might have damaged our integrity as filmmakers. We didn’t have a need to make up anything because it was powerful and revelatory on its own. . . . There was never an instance where we compromised the storytelling to protect ourselves from the [NFL].”
Landesman’s insistence that the film was never compromised doesn’t fully mesh with his own efforts to involve the NFL in the process, and in turn to potentially compromise it. Via Belson, Landesman attempted to set up a meeting with Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding the film. Sony executives slammed the door on the planned meeting after learning that Landesman had independently reached out to the league.
The NFL has to date slammed the door on commenting about Concussion, with the exception of a general statement issued to Belson when asked for comment: “We are encouraged by the ongoing focus on the critical issue of player health and safety. We have no higher priority. We all know more about this issue than we did 10 or 20 years ago. As we continue to learn more, we apply those learnings to make our game and players safer.”
If that’s the case, the NFL should welcome efforts to study its past failures to fully acknowledge the long-term risks of head trauma. Of course, it’s one thing to study its past failures via an internal memo marked “confidential.” It’s quite another to have that study displayed via celluloid to the people on whom the NFL relies to buy tickets to game and to watch them on TV.
znModeratorSaffold’s back, and at right guard
Jim Thomas
The big fella is back in uniform and all about the business of getting ready for the season opener Sept. 13 against Seattle.
One of the strongest players on the team, and easily the most experienced starter on the offensive line, Rodger Saffold immediately makes the Rams a better blocking team.
“Rodger’s back on the field a little bit, doing some stuff,” coach Jeff Fisher said after Tuesday’s practice. “He’ll be questionable for Thursday, but obviously, definitely, he’s in a really good position for the opener.”
The Rams close out the preseason Thursday at the Edward Jones Dome with the almost annual Governor’s Cup game against Kansas City. Then it’s on to the real deal — Seattle and opening day.
Saffold left no doubt about his availability for that one.
“Absolutely,” he replied.
In fact, he even provided a position.
“I’m gonna go ahead and play right guard,” Saffold said. “The coaches really felt the way that things have been going we would be firmer (in that alignment).”
Suddenly, four-fifths of the Rams’ starting offensive line looks set for Seattle, with Greg Robinson (left) and rookie Rob Havenstein (right) at tackle, and rookie Jamon Brown (left) and Saffold (right) at guard. As for center? TBD.
Brown has missed both practices this week with an ankle injury but is expected to be fine for Seattle. As for Saffold, it seems like forever since he last played, but in truth it’s been less than three weeks. He went out on the Rams’ fourth offensive play of the Aug. 14 preseason opener in Oakland.
“It was just an awkward hit,” Saffold said. “I was definitely ready to (return) sooner than (the coaches) wanted. But I understand for the sake of the season, and for the sake of some of these guys to get some experience playing ball, I needed to wait.”
Saffold underwent surgery on his left shoulder immediately following the 2014 season; the injury in Oakland was a tweak of his right shoulder.
Saffold has enough experience that it shouldn’t be a problem being mentally ready and technique ready for Seattle. They’re a familiar opponent.
“He’s played a lot of games,” Fisher said. “He’s played the Seahawks. He understands, so I’m not concerned about that. The one thing that he’s doing is he’s getting the walk-through reps, so the communication is very sound up front with the young guys.”
Because of past injuries, Saffold also is used to playing with a brace or wrap around his shoulder, and used to getting ready to play in a short period of time. Even so, there is that little matter of getting into “football shape” — the banging and bumping that come with the sport.
“The basic fundamentals I totally understand,” Saffold said. “But getting ready for football shape, even though I’ve been doing all my things conditioning-wise, it’s still different. So you can expect to see me out here doing things before and after practice trying to get ready. And basically doing all the stretching.”
When Saffold initially made the switch to guard from tackle midway through the 2013 season he played right guard. He started five games there that season and was particularly devastating in his debut game against Indianapolis, consistently moving the line of scrimmage and delivering punishing blocks on the move as a pulling guard.
Because of injuries elsewhere, he started one game at left tackle and one game at right tackle over the second half of that season. Last season, he began at left guard and started 13 games there, largely because free-agent pickup Davin Joseph had only played right guard over the course of his career.
Starting all 16 games for only the second time in his five-year NFL career, Saffold started the other three contests at right guard.
Rams coaches “have seen me play right guard before in years past,” Saffold said. “So they have confidence in me in being able to switch. And they think it would be more natural for (Brown) to play left.
“When those types of things get asked of you, I mean, what am I here for? I’m here to be that versatile guy. So you’ll probably see me playing a bunch of different positions all year. But that means nothing to me. My goal is still the same.”
Actually, the Rams would like nothing better than for the Saffold to settle in at right guard and stay there, with the other four line starters staying healthy and stable. But it usually doesn’t happen that way, especially when it comes to the Rams in recent years.
“I’m pretty much comfortable anywhere at this point,” Saffold said. “The only ‘people’ that are mad at me are my hips. When you switch positions, those hips get super tight. But other than that, everything’s good.”
Although he’s only 27, Saffold is like Father Time on the Rams’ offensive line with 60 NFL starts. The other probable opening day starters will have no more than 16 combined starts. That means he must be a leader on the line, helping all the youngsters along, especially his partner on the right side — Havenstein.
“A lot of times, the offensive line is about feel,” Saffold said. “So you have to be able to feel certain things. I can feel twists pretty well. Sometimes I can tell, based off of safety rotation, what types of blitzes we’re gonna have.”
Saffold has always been comfortable in his own skin and confident in his abilities. So when asked Tuesday why fans should believe in the offense, he didn’t blink.
“Cause I’ll be back soon,” Saffold replied. “You know what I’m saying? I’m gonna get in there and I’m gonna help this team.”
The starting quarterback, for one, can’t wait.
“The guy has been in the NFL,” Nick Foles said. “He’s played at an extremely high level and he’s got a lot of wisdom. He’s a very talented player. So to get him healthy, that helps us out a lot. And then it just gives us more depth with the other guys.”
September 2, 2015 at 1:37 am in reply to: Eagles QB Sam Bradford … how is he doing (from training camp thru pre-season) #29714znModeratorfrom off the net
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RamFan503
It is not a read option that Chip is running in Philly. Quick reads – yes. But the definition of read option is that the QB always has the option to run the ball as he did with Mariota. Clearly, the Iggles are not going to be running Sam out of the backfield. There will be a lot of shotgun play action and quick passes. Sam is VERY good at hiding the ball so he will likely be very successful if he can do what he has had the most difficult time doing and that is stay on the field.
I will say though for those who think he is running the UofO offense, Demarco Murray is pretty far from his prototypical RB for Oregon. He had mostly small slasher type backs like LaMichael and Kenjon. The NFL version of his offense is much less centered on gadgets and tricks.
What it appears Chip is doing is utilizing a smart QB that can do quick reads and disguise hand offs. Sam is very accurate, has a fast trigger, and is getting better at reading defenses.
I had my doubts on Chip in the NFL. But I think he has tweaked his system and now pulled in the types of players to make it work. Is it going to work against playoff teams? I still have my doubts. But Sam has an opportunity to put up some gaudy numbers and if the defense is decent, that should result in a lot of wins.
znModeratornot in panic mode yet. but worried it’s gonna be more of the same this year.
The same being what? Inconsistent run D & blown coverages?
znModeratorThanks TD, lotta work there.
znModeratorSaffold expects to start week 1… at right guard
Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — St. Louis Rams offensive lineman Rodger Saffold is no stranger to changing positions. He’s made a career of it since he entered the league in 2010.
Saffold has changed positions because of injuries to himself, injuries to others and outside free-agent signings. But never has he changed positions while injured simultaneously with the player whom he’s trading spots. Until now.
After sitting out preseason games and practices since the exhibition opener against the Oakland Raiders with a right shoulder injury, Saffold returned to practice on a limited basis Tuesday. When he suffered the injury, he was the Rams’ left guard. When he returns, Saffold said he’ll be on the move again.
“I’m going to go ahead and say right guard,” Saffold said. “Coaches really felt that the way things have been going, they felt like we would be firmer if we were in that protection. They understand my versatility and the way to have the best combination to keep it firm inside was for me to go play right. They have seen me play right guard before in years past so they have confidence in me in being able to switch. They think it would be more natural for him to play left.
“When those type of things get asked of you, I mean what am I here for? I’m here to be that versatile guy. You’ll probably see me playing a bunch of different positions all year but that means nothing to me. My goal will stay the same.”
So, as was clear in Saturday night’s preseason loss to Indianapolis, Saffold is indeed moving back to right guard with rookie Jamon Brown flipping to the left side. At the time, Rams coach Jeff Fisher was coy about the move, saying he just wanted to give Brown some work on the left side. But he acknowledged Sunday that moving Saffold back to the right with Brown on the left was under consideration.
“I think Rodger’s really comfortable on the right,” Saffold said. “It’ll be a consideration and that’s particularly why we did it. Line him up and let him work with
Greg [Robinson] and then put Rodger over next to
Rob [Havenstein].”
Obviously, this late in the preseason, it’s odd for a team with so many young offensive linemen to keep moving pieces around, but it would have made even less sense if the Rams had flopped Brown to the other side as a one-off experiment. In 2014, Saffold started all 16 games at left guard and Brown played nothing but right guard since arriving as a third-round pick in May.
But both players have experience playing on the other side. Saffold, in fact, played right guard at the end of the 2013 season and looked like a burgeoning star at the position. He moved last year to make room for veteran Davin Joseph, who had never played anywhere but the right side. Brown played a lot of left tackle at Louisville but hadn’t played left guard since his freshman year.
Now, finally, the Rams seem like they’re finally settled with their two guards and two tackles (center still has no definitive answer) and Saffold is closer to being back to full strength. Saffold said he took an awkward hit to the shoulder against the Raiders but could have returned to practice sooner.
Instead, the Rams have been patient with his recovery, allowing him to strengthen the shoulder and spend time working on his conditioning. In switching back to the right side, Saffold said the only real challenge is making sure he stretches properly.
“I’m pretty much comfortable anywhere at this point,” Saffold said. “The only people that are mad at me are my hips man because when you switch positions, your hips get super tight. Other than that, everything is good.”
For his part, Fisher said Saffold will be questionable to play in the preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs but he’s likely to be ready for the Sept. 13 season opener against Seattle.
“Definitely, he’s in a really good position for the opener,” Fisher said. “He’s played a lot of games. He’s played the Seahawks. He understands, so I’m not concerned about that. The one that he’s doing is he’s getting the walk-thru reps so the communication is very sound up front with the young guys, so I’m not concerned.”
znModeratorAs Rams start roster cuts, QB Davis hanging by a thread
Jim Thomas
From a player’s standpoint, this is the worst week of the calendar year in the NFL. League-wide, more than 1,100 players will lose their jobs, and each team’s roster will shrink by one-third in reaching the 53-man regular-season limit.
For many of those released, they will be finished with professional football. The Rams started their process Monday, releasing 11 players and placing cornerback E.J. Gaines on injured reserve.
With the exception of Imoan Claiborne, which was a mild surprise, there was nothing unexpected in the Rams’ initial round of cuts. In fact, you could make the case that the most surprising development Monday is that quarterback Austin Davis is still around.
The handwriting seemingly has been on the wall for some time for Davis after the Rams traded for Nick Foles and Case Keenum and used a third-round draft pick to select Sean Mannion.
Starting with the OTAs in June, Davis’ practice reps were limited, and he has played only three series in the preseason — one in each game. Those series started at the Rams’ 8, 18, and 20, hardly ideal field position.
“I’ve just got to stay ready, take as many mental reps as you can,” Davis said Monday. “And when you do get in, play your best and hopefully what you’ve already put on film is good enough. We’ll see.”
All told, Foles has gotten 10 series of play this preseason, Keenum seven, and Mannion six. Davis has thrown only five passes this preseason compared to 34 for Keenum, 33 for Mannion and 23 for starter Foles.
Davis started eight games last season, winning three. He had back-to-back games of 300 yards-plus passing, albeit in losses to Dallas and Philadelphia. But based on his lack of playing time in the preseason, he has to be sweating these cutdown days as much as any since signing with the Rams as an undrafted rookie out of Southern Mississippi in 2012.
“There’s not a lot that I can do,” Davis said. “Without getting the opportunity to really go out and play, you just kind of roll with the punches and see what happens.
“Kellen Clemens, that’s the one thing he told me my rookie year – control what you can control. I’ve tried to keep that approach from day one. I think it’s served me well. And I think it’s gonna serve me well in this situation.”
There were rumors early in the offseason that the Rams might be shopping Davis, looking for a potential trade. If the team were attempting to do so at this point, one would think he’d be showcased more in the preseason.
He started last year’s preseason finale in Miami, coming less than a week after Sam Bradford’s season-ending knee injury in Cleveland.
The Rams could simply be keeping Davis around this week to help get them through Thursday’s preseason finale against Kansas City, especially since there’s a chance that Foles won’t play at all.
So an ideal situation for Davis against the Chiefs might be a nice long touchdown drive, complete with a couple of third-down conversions. Just to remind the Rams, but more likely the rest of the NFL, what he can do.
“How about start the game, finish the game, and win,” Davis said, smiling. “That’d be a great scenario.”
True, but probably not going to happen.
“You fight and claw for every inch in this league,” Davis said. “It’s been a blessing to be here. Hopefully I can still be here and play as long as they’ll have me.”
Besides Claiborne, the Rams’ roster cuts Monday were wide receivers Damian Williams and Tyler Slavin; offensive linemen Steven Baker, Travis Bond and David Wang; safety Jay Hughes; punter/kicker Michael Palardy; and long snapper Tyler Ott.
In addition, tight end Brad Smelly and linebacker Korey Toomer were waived/injured.
Among the group only Toomer and Williams appeared in any games for the Rams last year. Williams played in two games but had no catches. Toomer appeared in seven games and had five special teams tackles. A high ankle sprain probably ended Toomer’s chances of making the 2015 roster.
Those moves leave the Rams with 77 players; two more must be released before 3 p.m. Tuesday, which is the deadline for reaching the 75-man roster limit.
The deadline for reaching the regular-season roster limit of 53 is 5 p.m. Saturday.
“It’s a difficult day,” Fisher said. “We just appreciate all the young guys’ efforts. They came in here, and they got opportunities and they got better. They should feel good about what they did. They helped us become a better football team. Cutdown day’s a tough day.”
Especially for Claiborne, who had three tackles, a pass breakup and an interception (against Oakland) in 49 plays on defense this preseason. Although he didn’t have ideal speed, Claiborne showed good coverage instincts and ball skills on the practice field. Following Gaines’ season-ending injury, it looked like he had a chance to make the roster as the team’s fifth cornerback.
“He played good, he made plays,” Fisher said. “He’s a potential practice squad candidate, but just because of the other positions and numbers, it just didn’t work out for us. We’ve got depth there.
“The other two young guys are doing good. You, know, those are our decisions. We have to stand by our decisions.”
Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson, Lamarcus Joyner, and Marcus Roberson are clearly ensconced as the team’s top four corners. Remaining on the roster behind them are Brandon McGee, Trovon Reed and Montell Garner.
McGee, a fifth-round draft pick in 2013, has missed all but one day of training camp with a foot injury and looks like a candidate for a waived/injured designation. Garner is an undrafted rookie from South Alabama; Reed, a rookie from Auburn, wasn’t signed until Aug. 4, or several days into camp.
znModeratorNick Foles Looks Fine, but the Rams’ O-Line is an Issue
Posted by: Anthony Stalter
http://www.101sports.com/2015/09/01/nick-foles-looks-fine-but-the-rams-o-line-is-an-issue/
One look at Nick Foles’ stat line from the Rams’ third preseason game is enough to squash concerns about his ability to run the team’s offense. What didn’t show up on his stat sheet was even more impressive.
Foles was 10-of-11 for 128 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in the Rams’ 24-14 loss to the Colts last Saturday night. Unlike his previous preseason performance, Foles showed better pocket presence, more athleticism, and the clock in his head was quicker. He bought himself more time moving inside and outside of the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield, which is a struggle for some quarterbacks.
If a signal-caller’s eyes are on the pressure, that means they’re not on their receivers, which makes it difficult to gain yardage.
Foles’ 44-yard touchdown pass to Chris Givens off play-action and a fake reverse was also on a dime.
In short, it was the best Foles has looked running Frank Cignetti’s offense. Unfortunately, that was the most challenging 10-for-11 for 128 yards that you’ll see from a quarterback.
The Rams’ offensive line is a work in progress, to put it nicely.
The line has been a bit of a mess with less than two weeks to go before the regular season.
Rob Havenstein deserves more time than one preseason to determine whether or not he can start in the NFL. However, Haverstein struggled mightily on Saturday, often failing to protect the edge and getting beat to the inside when he tried to anchor too wide.
rob havensteinHavenstein gave up two sacks in preseason game three versus Indianapolis.
He gave up two sacks and had issues with Erik Walden, who is a good player but doesn’t exactly resemble Justin Houston (who comes to St. Louis on Thursday, by the way).
Havenstein wasn’t the only St. Louis offensive lineman that struggled.
Greg Robinson continues to allow pressure to come from Foles’ backside and Demetrius Rhaney whiffed on a block when pulling in the run game. Barrett Jones held up well in pass protection, but the interior line generated little push in the run game.
The Rams are using more zone-run blocking under Frank Cignetti this year. A benefit of this scheme is that it allows the O-line to maximize the number of double teams at the point of attack. Once a team executes a double team, one of the offensive linemen can slip off the double team and get to the second level in order to “get a hat” on a linebacker.
But the Rams’ O-line isn’t winning at the point of attack and thus, they’re not getting to the second level. Linebackers are running free and meeting running backs head-on in gaps. Whether it’s Tre Mason, Todd Gurley, or Jim Brown, running backs can only do so much in a phone booth when that phone booth is jammed with defenders.
It’s only preseason, but there’s a domino effect that will take place in the regular season if the Rams can’t run the ball.
If opponents don’t have to stack the box in efforts to stop the run, they can afford to have an extra defender in coverage. And if opposing safeties don’t have to concern themselves with the run, that means they’re not going to bite on play-action. They can stay in their deep zones and help bracket receivers on the outsides.
Offenses need to stay “on schedule,” which means putting themselves in third-and-short when they can be creative with play calls. It’s no coincidence the teams that are good at converting on third downs also win on first and second.
If the Rams can’t run the ball, they’re going to have a difficult time winning on first and second down. Third and long with shoddy pass protection is a recipe to get your quarterback killed, or your offensive coordinator criticized because he’s forced into using his three-step game (which means plenty of short passes and frustrated fans).
Again, there’s a domino effect.
The Rams defense also has plenty to iron out before the regular season starts, but I have faith that this is a top-10 unit under Gregg Williams.
If the Rams can’t run the ball they’re going to have a difficult time sustaining drives and putting points on the board. That puts more pressure on Foles and the passing game and if three-and-outs start to pile up, it won’t matter how good the defense is, because it’ll be on the field too long.
It’s time for this Rams offensive line to grow up in a hurry. Much depends on that unit.
Foles quelled some concerns on Saturday night, but there’s nothing he can do when he’s constantly lying on his back.
znModeratorRam notes: Young, undrafted D-linemen have Fisher’s attention
Joe Lyons
They are the youngsters, two of the new guys on a Rams defensive line loaded with talent and experience.
But undrafted rookies Louis Trinca-Pasat from Iowa and ex-Northwest Missouri State star Matt Longacre are trying to force the coaching staff into making some tough roster decisions.
“Both have been really impressive,’’ Rams coach Jeff Fisher said after Saturday night’s preseason loss to the Indianapolis Colts at the Edward Jones Dome. “Matt’s playing both ends and Trinca-Pasat’s playing both tackles. They just make plays. They shock and shed people and get off blocks and penetrate and put pressure on the quarterback, so it’s been great to have them here.’’
In Saturday’s game, Trinca-Pasat led both teams with 54 defensive snaps, with Longacre in on 42. Both were on the field for a pair of special-team plays.
“Just trying to make the most of every opportunity,’’ said Trinca-Pasat, a 6-foot-1, 292-pounder from Chicago who’s second behind linebacker Bryce Hager on the team with 15 preseason tackles to go along with three QB pressures and a QB hit. “I don’t ever want to say I’m doing the job because I always feel like there’s more work to be done. That’s just my mindset.
“As soon as you think you’ve done something, that’s when you get complacent.’’
The MIAA defensive player of the year as a senior, Longacre is right behind Trinca-Pasat with 13 overall tackles in the preseason. And he leads the squad with six QB pressures.
“You always want to play better, but I feel like I’m making the most of my chances,’’ said Longacre, a 6-2, 260-pounder from Omaha, Neb. “I’ve been able to put some good things on film, but the real key is the learning I’ve done here. You never know how the interaction is going to be, but the guys on the D-line have been incredible. They’ve taken us in, answered questions and helped us all along the way.’’
Trinca-Pasat added: “It’s a blessing, getting to work with this unit every day. These guys, this is the best D-line in the league, honestly, and working with them and with (defensive line coach Mike Waufle), I’ve learned so much since the start of OTAs.’’
Both players can expect to see plenty of action when the Rams close out the preseason Thursday against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Edward Jones Dome. After that, it’ll be final cuts to the 53-man roster.
“The Rams gave me a chance and I’m going to go as hard as I can to make the most of it,’’ Longacre said. “For me, the big thing is to come out of this experience with absolutely no regrets.”
The cuts “are definitely in the back of your mind, but it’s one of those things you cannot control, so it makes no sense to worry about it,’’ Trinca-Pasat said. “The focus is on the field, doing your best and working to get better every day.’’
OTHER DEFENSIVE LEADERS
Rookie linebacker Bryce Hager, a seventh-round draft pick from Baylor, leads the Rams with 16 overall tackles, including 13 solos. He also recovered a fumble early in the second half against the Colts to help set up a 3-yard TD run by Trey Watts.
“Bryce is getting better and better each week,’’ Fisher said. “He’s playing both inside and outside and on (special) teams for us.’’
Hager is the son of former NFL linebacker Britt Hager whose nine-year pro career wrapped up with the Rams in 1997.
Defensive back Lamarcus Joyner, a second-round draft pick in 2014, has 13 tackles (nine solos), tying him with Trinca-Pasat for second on the squad. Another second-year pro, defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks has 11 tackles, including seven solos, and three QB pressures.
znModeratorFrom that interview, an extract done by X.
Focus on Givens.
znModeratorPractice Report 8/31: Roster Trimming Begins
Myles Simmons
As head coach Jeff Fisher put it, Monday was a tough day around Rams Park as the team reduced the roster from 89 to 77 players.
“We just appreciate all of the young guys’ efforts,” Fisher said. “They came in here, they got opportunities, and they got better. They should feel good about what they did. They helped us become a better football team.”
St. Louis waived or released 11 players, and placed cornerback E.J. Gaines on injured reserve on Monday. Wide receiver Isaiah Ferguson had previously been waived/injured by the team, which brings the active roster to 77. The team will have to make a couple more moves to put the roster at 75 players by the deadline tomorrow afternoon.
While being cut is never a fun experience for any player, Fisher makes the process as empathetic as possible, ensuring he speaks to each individual on the team’s decision. He said the younger players are understanding and appreciative of their opportunities.
“They got to put a body of work on tape for the rest of the league. And that was our commitment to them when we signed a lot of these guys after the draft, was we’re going to let you play in preseason games,” Fisher said. “They did and they played well. So they’ll be exposed to the rest of the league tomorrow and we’ll just see what happens.”
Imoan Claiborne is one such player who stood out in camp and put some good plays on film, but due to numbers, the team made the decision to part ways with the rookie cornerback.
“He played good, he made plays,” Fisher said. “He’s a potential practice squad candidate, but just because of the other positions and numbers, it just didn’t work out for us.
“We’ve got depth there,” Fisher continued of the cornerback position. “The other two young guys are doing good. Those are our decisions. We have to stand by our decisions.”
Part of the decision-making process has to do with playing time in the final preseason contest. The head coach already said on Sunday many of the starters may be held out of it for precautionary reasons. And around the league, the game is mainly played by those on the bubble for making a 53-man roster
“That’s why some of the moves ended the way they did, is because you have to take into consideration playing the fourth preseason game — the end of the game, how you finish, your numbers, and things like that,” Fisher said. “We spent a lot of time on it and felt like we made the best moves in the interest of the organization.”
For a complete breakdown of the roster moves, check out our story and special Rams Report here.
ON THE DEFENSIVE LINE
The Rams have assembled a strong group from top to bottom on the defensive line. While there may be some tough decisions to make for that position group in the coming days, Fisher said on Sunday he’s been impressed with both Louis Trinca-Pasat and Matt Longacre.
“Matt’s playing both ends. Trinca-Pasat’s playing both tackles. They just make plays,” Fisher said. “They shock and shed people and get off blocks and penetrate and put pressure on the quarterback, so it’s been great to have them here.”
Longacre told stlouisrams.com on Monday that with all the talent around him, he landed in a good spot for training camp.
“It’s been great, I couldn’t have asked for a better situation from that aspect,” Longacre said. “They’re all veteran guys and some of the best at their position.”
Plus, having defensive line coach Mike Waufle as a resource has been invaluable.
“He’s had a huge impact on me, but he’s one of the best coaches in the league for the D-line,” Longacre said. “The knowledge he has — you can’t put a price on it.”
We’ll have more on the young defensive linemen and their potential impact in the final exhibition matchup in the lead up to Thursday’s 7 p.m. kickoff.
ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE
There’s still competition along the O-line, as the rotation at the center spot continued in Monday’s indoor practice.
Lineman Demetrius Rhaney has been moving around a bit on the offensive line. He’s one of the players in consideration for starting center, but has also spent significant time at guard — including starting Saturday’s game there.
“He’s been playing well at both positions, especially productive on the second level in the screens and downfield,” Fisher said. “He’s very athletic and made some really good blocks.”
“The beauty with him is he came in to every meeting and he took notes on center and he took notes on guard,” offensive line coach Paul T. Boudreau told stlouisrams.com. “He played guard and center in college, so I knew he had some flex in him.”
With the team going to more zone-style running plays in the upcoming season, Rhaney said he’s feeling comfortable working on concepts that are similar to what he did in college.
“My biggest thing has just been getting the playbook down pat, and being ready whenever my name is called,” Rhaney said.
For more on the O-line, check out Dani Klupenger’s one-on-one with Barrett Jones below, and stay tuned to stlouisrams.com for our position battles feature on the unit.
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