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August 11, 2015 at 7:41 pm in reply to: A Collection of tweets from Rams Park – 8/9, 8/10: LINK #28561
znModeratorDespite his issues in special teams Bradley Marquez continues to show some deep speed and ability to go get it
Height: 5-10.5
Weight: 204
40: 4.56
Year: 4Sr
Bradley Marquez
School: Texas Tech
Position: WRBio: Two-year starter who finished with career numbers of 65 receptions, 821 yards and 10 TDs as a senior.
Positive: Well-built receiver with a developing game. Runs solid routes, quickly gets into breaks then stays low on exit. Extends his hands offering the quarterback a target, plays with quickness and nicely adjusts errant throws. Comes back into the clearing and nicely makes receptions in stride.
Negative: More quick than fast. Drops catchable throws. Lacks the second gear.
August 11, 2015 at 7:38 pm in reply to: A Collection of tweets from Rams Park – 8/9, 8/10: LINK #28560znModeratorDespite his issues in special teams Bradley Marquez continues to show some deep speed and ability to go get it #ramscamp
— Jim Fadler (@jimiramsboy) August 11, 2015
August 11, 2015 at 7:22 pm in reply to: A Collection of tweets from Rams Park – 8/9, 8/10: LINK #28559znModeratorHey ag. I usually put up a prose non-pic version of the Jimi tweets as a separate camp report. Do you mind me doing that?
August 11, 2015 at 7:16 pm in reply to: A Collection of tweets from Rams Park – 8/9, 8/10: LINK #28558znModeratorI have failed to mention Martin Ifedi a rookie DE out of Memphis enough he and the safety Hagen are the standout UDFA’s # ramscamp
I like both those guys.
Poor Ifedi, though—apparently some folks forget he was a draft pick
znModeratorMove Over Seahawks, the Rams Have the Best Defense
by Andy Benoit
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/08/11/nfl-st-louis-rams-defense
The past two years, the best defense in pro football has resided in the NFC West. That will be true again in 2015, only this time it won’t be the Seahawks’ D. It will be the team that beat the Seahawks in the Edwards Jones Dome last season. The Rams have won just 13 games during Seattle’s two years of dominance, but they’ve been a team full of young players who are now ascending into the early parts of their primes. The average age of a Rams’ starting defender is 25; the average level of athleticism is “somewhere off the charts.”
Let’s start with the area fans are most familiar with: the defensive line. It features the game’s most explosive edge rusher, Robert Quinn, and, already, the game’s most explosive interior gap-shooter, Aaron Donald, last year’s 13th overall pick. Donald has extremely quick get-off, well-honed footwork and the capacity to shed blocks and redirect in traffic. Though he’s at his best fighting the run, he’s capable of also being a 10-sack pass rusher (rare for a defensive tackle).
Head coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead have done a great job building the rest of this D-line. In their first year here, 2012, they drafted Michael Brockers in the first round. He’s turned out to be an outstanding pass rushing setup man in sub-packages and a tough one-on-one block on base downs. Fisher and Snead also locked up Chris Long to a long-term deal their first year, which has paid dividends, and they signed former Titan William Hayes to provide depth. And the one remaining player they inherited, Eugene Sims, has blossomed into a productive, versatile backup, capable of starting for many 4-3 teams. (He may get that opportunity next year; Sims is in the final year of his contract. Long’s 2016 cap number is $14.25 million, which the club is unlikely to keep on the books, and Hayes is in the final year of his deal. There will be a hole to fill at defensive end.)
Sims can also play defensive tackle, though with Fisher and Snead snagging free agent Nick Fairley this past offseason, there won’t be as many snaps available there. Fairley’s reliability is questionable—why else would such a gifted 27-year-old garner only a one-year, $5 million deal in free agency?—but when he’s right, he’s similar to Brockers, only with more natural leverage and a little better initial quickness.
At the linebacker level, James Laurinaitis is an intelligent point man whose pre-snap adjustments, blitzes and disguises give this defense diversity. But the headliner of this group will be Alec Ogletree, the 2013 first-round pick who last season began consistently playing up to his considerable level of raw talent. Ogletree, a safety at Georgia, covers ground in the flats and maneuvers well through traffic. He can match up to running backs or tight ends in man coverage, and he’s developing a keener sense for angles as a zone defender. Opposite him is a lesser but still commendable athlete in newcomer Akeem Ayers. He replaces Jo-Lonn Dunbar, who is one of the game’s best at taking on lead-blockers but is an otherwise limited player.
Ayers, a former Titan-turned-Patriot last season, has a multifaceted skillset that has never been fully showcased in his four-year career. There’s no guarantee it will in St. Louis, either. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams loves employing various nickel and dime sub-packages (more on that in a moment), and he has a great box safety to use in Mark Barron. With Ogletree too good to take off the field and Laurinaitis too smart, Ayers would be the odd man out if Williams again wants to feature Barron’s blitzing in “big nickel,” much like he did after the Rams acquired him from Tampa Bay last October.
Barron won’t start because the Rams already have a potential top-three strong safety in T.J. McDonald. You haven’t heard much about the third-year pro, but that will change. At 6’2”, 220, McDonald covers ground like an antelope when filling down in the box, and he’s an assertive presence in coverage, including man-to-man. At free safety, Rodney McLeod is not Earl Thomas, but he’s fast in his own right, which, with continuously improving awareness, gives him range. McLeod’s growth only affords Williams more freedom for deploying his blitzers.
That’s something Williams does with relentless aggression and creativity. It’s long been his M.O., and, given that he’s built a pressure-based scheme despite having the league’s most dangerous four-man front, it’s safe to declare that it will forever be his M.O. This youthful defense, especially the secondary, had a difficult time initially picking up the nuances of Williams’s system. Far too often, its coverage concepts did not sync up to the design up front.
But this issue abated as last season progressed. Now, with the secondary having just completed a second offseason under Williams, it should all but vanish. Corners Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson and E.J. Gaines (a surprisingly sturdy presence in the slot as a sixth-round rookie last year who hopefully will overcome a foot injury he’s currently battling) will be asked to play a variety of matchup-zone concepts. Thanks to the pressure designs, each individual will often be able to extend more aggression to his preferred style of play. For Jenkins, this means jumping routes from off-coverage. For Johnson, it means probably the same, he plays a lot of off-coverage on the outside. Gaines, though an inside player, would likely elect to play with more physicality. It’s the strength that has propelled him ahead of fellow rookie Lamarcus Joyner (a second round pick) for slot duties. Gaines is also versatile in zone concepts, which Williams takes full advantage of. (A few times last season, the cornerback even rotated to middle linebacker in Tampa 2 coverage, taking away the deep middle hole in pass defense.)
St. Louis’s defense may not finish first in yards or points allowed this season—though it’s sure to be much higher than near the middle, where it finished a year ago. But in terms of creating team-wide success that contributes directly to victories, it will surpass Seattle as the league’s best D. The Rams’ foundation is built on big plays, and there will be enough of them to put this team in the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
Rams Nickel Package
1. The trade for Nick Foles is another example of the Rams digging in and becoming a totally defense-oriented team. Foles, with his slower delivery and need for clearer defined reads, is built to be a classic game-managing QB. (No shame in that.) This not only fits a run-based offense, it also means the Rams don’t have to sacrifice an enormous chunk of cap space after signing the 26-year-old to a two-year, $24.5 million deal. That leaves more money available for holding onto defenders like Quinn (already signed long-term), Donald, Ogletree and McDonald, all young “top three” players at their positions. This, by the way, is similar to Seattle’s current blueprint, which is why the Russell Wilson contract situation is so interesting.
2. A passing-based offense needs only an adequate O-line. A run-based offense, however, needs a dominant one. Hence the selection of Greg Robinson with the No. 2 overall pick in 2014. Now the fulltime left tackle, Robinson will be the fulcrum of many man-blocking concepts on the perimeter, where his uncommon combination of size and mobility can be highlighted. In the zone game, which new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti reportedly plans to employ more of this season, Robinson can be a downfield mauler at the point of attack. (Remember, not all zone ground games are laterally based like what we’ve seen from Alex Gibbs style systems over the years. There’s also “inside zone,” which is built on power and double teams.) It was good to see the Rams commit second-and third-round picks to right tackle Rob Havenstein and guard Jamon Brown. Upgrades were needed along the O-line.
3. It’s important that Cignetti help his receivers schematically the way previous coordinator Brian Schottenheimer did. Schottenheimer got production out of middle-tier players like Kenny Britt, Jared Cook and Tavon Austin via stack-release concepts and intertwined route combinations. These tactics also help define reads for the quarterback. Cignetti will have to maintain this because none of St. Louis’s receivers, except for maybe Brian Quick, who missed much of the offseason with a shoulder injury, are capable of consistently creating their own separation.
4. Speaking of Austin, if he’s not featured as a misdirection weapon or decoy at least six times a game, it means the Rams are using him wrong.
5. Two underrated but highly important members of this offense: tight end Lance Kendricks and H-back Cory Harkey. Both are flex pieces behind the line of scrimmage, bringing valuable dimension to the ground game.
August 11, 2015 at 2:53 pm in reply to: Boudreau discusses Rams' new-look OL & more OL discussion & articles #28525znModeratorThis looks like the transcript to Boudreau’s missing video.
It is.
Here I copy/paste our previous discussion of it. So it is all in one place. Or in 2 places since I am not using “merge.”
==============
Paul Boudreau Press Conference – 8/10
Offensive line coach Paul Boudreau talks with the media about his offensive linemen heading into the first preseason game.
http://www.stlouisrams.com/videos/videos/Paul-Boudreau-Press-Conference—810/6ce5cbfc-0738-41f0-836b-598459ccb669This is a good one. Full of gem comments.
The video is “no longer available”.
How much do you remember?
Let me try and recall it. I was going to give it another listen.
I know why they took it down. At one point he quote unquote said he “didn’t give a shit” where a guy was drafted, he was just just going to field the best 5.
Robinson. Night and day difference between how far along he was this time last year v. this year. He stayed and worked on his injury all off-season and was therefore also in there watching tape. He was dedicated to football. Playing guard was good for Robinson because it taught him how to get his hands going faster. That translates to tackle.
Reynolds. Said Reynolds came up learning behind Harvey Dahl so he knows how it;s supposed to be done. Reynolds is the unofficial leader of the OL, and helps them stay in the Boudreau mindset. He’s the one who says we’re all going out to eat tonight and whoever doesn’t show, pays. Reynolds can back up the left side as well as the right. He really likes him as his 6th lineman, so IMO unless Brown falters, that’s his role.
Likes the fact that Brown and Havenstein came out of pro style offenses. In comparison, for example, last year Robinson came in and had to learn how to play from a 3 point stance, because in these spreads and read options it;s all 2 point.
Havenstein is quote unquote “serious as a heart attack.” Between OTAs and camp he stuck around studying practice field and working on learning.
Center? He thinks it’s a good competition. Whoever wins it will have earned it. A center has to calm everyone down and take the burden of making line calls off the qb. He has to lead on the field, emotionally and mentally. That was far more important to him than any other attributes. When told that Foles hadn’t played that much under center, he just laughed and said “that’s his problem.” Meaning, he is going to have the line ready, it;s up to Foles to catch up.
Said the offense is pretty much the same as before but they are adding some new concepts like more zone blocking.
He said that at certain points over the last couple of years he would have to sign someone on Weds. and start them on Sunday. They may have been veterans but he likes this better—having a young line, with guys he works up as a group.
Stresses that he wants them all doing the same things so if they make a mistake they all make the same mistake. That’s better—to work from a sense of cohesion.
Was very effusive about Brown and his power. Likes Brown a lot.
That’s all I remember. There was more though. Hope they put it back up…like I said, I just enjoyed it the first time and was planning on giving it a second listen to get the details.
.
znModeratorThe Fast Lane and Nick Wagoner talk about Foles and much more
RamBill: Nick Wagoner talks about Nick Foles’ contract extension, how he fits in with the team, the scrimmage on Friday night, Tavon Austin’s improved route running, Stedman Bailey’s work ethic, and much more. Randy Karraker says Jared Cook said that Foles is better than Bradford.
znModeratorMaybe Hammer’s overstating things, but has anyone reporting from camp been excited about anything having to do with this offense? I was kinda shocked to see the Foles extension after reading only luke-warm to bad reports about him from camp. People do see different things, so I never know how seriously to take reports. The exception to that is when everyone is on the same page about something. It seems to me that nobody expects much from this O. Could it be that a ground and pound offense just isn’t going to look all that impressive in training camp? I sure hope so, because it looks like the evaluations of the offense range from mildly pessimistic to embarrassed.
To me, Foles can be a pretty good qb, but he came with flaws that are heavily documented. In terms of the offense, I don’t know, I wouldn’t expect a lot from a new OL, a new coordinator, and a new qb combined. What can be expected from an O like that? They at least made the right move by drafting Gurley.
Also IMO it’s not a ground and pound offense. I think it will be a more balanced offense, with an equal weight put on the running game AND a ball control passing game. I agree that won’t look sexy in camp. Last summer all the talk was about how the offense finally had the receivers to exploit the middle range pass, and they talked constantly about pushing the ball downfield. That phrase even showed up a lot (“pushing the ball downfield”). Now, I think we can expect a ton of ball control in what amounts to field position wars…8 plays, punt, defense gets the opposition to punt, then the O has a shorter field.
There are mixed reviews of Foles in the camp reports, but the RANGE of comments has him with the same flaws and the same virtues he had last year.
I would say that your range — mildly pessimistic to embarrassed — is not the range I am seeing. It’s more like cautiously optimistic to negative about the scrimmage. And btw there is only one report (the one above) that is seeing problems with GR. Others are much more impressed with him.
But again, 2 things: 1 is, we won’t have much to talk about until we see them in a couple of P-s games. 2 is, again, an offense with new everything is not going to start fast.
znModeratorHammer is interesting. I would rather read it than not.
Yeah, for certain. In spite of my comments…and yes there’s something going on with the guy ….there’s something wrong if all camp reports are the same.
August 11, 2015 at 9:54 am in reply to: Eagles QB Sam Bradford … how is he doing (from training camp thru pre-season) #28512znModeratorYou mind if I merge this with a recent, previous “Bradford in Phil” thread?
znModeratorI just dont think of Tavon as a ‘bust’
if for no other reason than he’s
one of the most dangerous return-men
in the game.I was not crazy about the fact GRob lost
all that weight, either. I mean, i thought
he was drafted because he was a physical-freak —
A huge man, with power, who was quick on his feet.
Now, he’s not so huge. So, I dunno about the
wisdom of the weight-loss. It didnt seem like
he was getting beat last year because he was “too heavy”.Good stuff from Hammer, as usual.
I hope he’s Wrong. We’ll see.w
vThe thing about the hammer report, though, is that the other 2 reporters in this thread so far were sitting with him. The other 2 aren’t as pessimistic and one even states that people see different things: “it is interesting the different perspectives people have. … People see different things…” Plus hammer was promising negative reports before camp started. His claim was that he wasn’t going to sugarcoat things anymore. To me that’s like someone saying out of the blue, okay from now on I won’t lie anymore. I mean if he was sugarcoating things in previous reports, then, in effect he’s blaming his readers for him being wrong about things before—it’s more or less “enh I was just telling you what you wanted to hear.”
Personally, I think he;s disenchanted with the Rams for leaving.
So who knows. I personally have been saying that we need to see some game action to make better judgements. How does the line play as a unit, how does Foles look in the Rams offense when it’s really on the field.
znModeratorCodeMonkey
A Few Random Observations:
No massive new revelations today.
It rained about an hour before practice but it wasnt cancelled although the parking lot was closed. The sun came out and it was hot and humid as hell. I had to walk a mile from where I had to park. e.
The 101 crew was broadcasting next to us. Demarco Farr actually came over to chat with us (coach mostly) which was cool. Farr made a comment about having four probowl quality defensive linemen and wondered when coach Williams would realize he doesnt have to blitz all the time….probably a rhetorical question.
It is interesting the different perspectives people have. While most of us have expressed excitement at Grobs new body, Hammer raised a concern that Robinson has lost too much weight. People see different things when it comes to Havenstein as well. We will see soon see I suppose.
Punting was something they worked on quite a lot today… hmmmmm
Defense was not nearly as aggressive again today.
It seems odd to me that Jones is listed as the staring center this morning for pre game 1. He seemed to me to be third but what do I know.
They worked on the run game a lot but it was nice to see a little downfield passing as well. They got a nice one to Austin over the middle and and britt looks good running a seam.
in the individual drills Battle has struggled a bit, but those drills favor the D. Plus…we’re talking about the likes of Quinn Brockers and Donald. It evens out more in 11 on 11s. The oline is better judged working as a unit. Battle so far has been working, as far as I can tell, only at LT with the backup unit.
A concern was raised by hammer that they dont practice the 3 wide set enough.
One last practice tomorrow.
znModeratorRamzFanz
Another hot one but the beer guy got the message and started stopping by some. Dude’s a piece of work.
Quite frankly, I don’t have much to say that won’t speak for itself come Friday.
Jones did pretty good from what I could see. Nobody really flashing that we don’t expect. TA was hit on a crossing route in the open field and blew doors. Britt made a sweet diving catch and then another over the top of the defender catch. The day was just about 100% rushing and very short passes.
Coach and Hammer are both very concerned about the lack of deep balls at this point in TC. It’s getting late and they need a lot of reps to get on the same page.
Hammer thinks Robinson is too light. It was an interesting take that I hadn’t considered.
I am officially on the page that this will be a ground and pound team, which still baffles me.
Thanks to the protesters that closed my way home!
znModeratorThe video is “no longer available”.
How much do you remember?
===
Rams Junkie
Boudreau comes across a salty, veteran, knowledgeable Oline coach. Clearly there are a number of legitimate concerns with this line but it is a bit reassuring to hear Boudreau speak about each position.
===
Back to me .
Let me try and recall it. I was going to give it another listen.
I know why they took it down. At one point he quote unquote said he “didn’t give a shit” where a guy was drafted, he was just just going to field the best 5.
Robinson. Night and day difference between how far along he was this time last year v. this year. He stayed and worked on his injury all off-season and was therefore also in there watching tape. He was dedicated to football. Playing guard was good for Robinson because it taught him how to get his hands going faster. That translates to tackle.
Reynolds. Said Reynolds came up learning behind Harvey Dahl so he knows how it;s supposed to be done. Reynolds is the unofficial leader of the OL, and helps them stay in the Boudreau mindset. He’s the one who says we’re all going out to eat tonight and whoever doesn’t show, pays. Reynolds can back up the left side as well as the right. He really likes him as his 6th lineman, so IMO unless Brown falters, that’s his role.
Likes the fact that Brown and Havenstein came out of pro style offenses. In comparison, for example, last year Robinson came in and had to learn how to play from a 3 point stance, because in these spreads and read options it;s all 2 point.
Havenstein is quote unquote “serious as a heart attack.” Between OTAs and camp he stuck around studying practice field and working on learning.
Center? He thinks it’s a good competition. Whoever wins it will have earned it. A center has to calm everyone down and take the burden of making line calls off the qb. He has to lead on the field, emotionally and mentally. That was far more important to him than any other attributes. When told that Foles hadn’t played that much under center, he just laughed and said “that’s his problem.” Meaning, he is going to have the line ready, it;s up to Foles to catch up.
Said the offense is pretty much the same as before but they are adding some new concepts like more zone blocking.
He said that at certain points over the last couple of years he would have to sign someone on Weds. and start them on Sunday. They may have been veterans but he likes this better—having a young line, with guys he works up as a group.
Stresses that he wants them all doing the same things so if they make a mistake they all make the same mistake. That’s better—to work from a sense of cohesion.
Was very effusive about Brown and his power. Likes Brown a lot.
That’s all I remember. There was more though. Hope they put it back up…like I said, I just enjoyed it the first time and was planning on giving it a second listen to get the details.
.
znModeratorPractice Report 8/10: Williams Sees Big Potential
By Myles Simmons
Last year, the Rams’ defense came in with high expectations that took some time to live up to. But in 2015, the team is looking to translate 2014’s late success to a fast start. Having Gregg Williams back for a second year as coordinator has made a difference so far in training camp.
“There’s an understanding of how we go about doing things,” Williams said after Monday’s practice. “More familiarity for them, and more familiarity for me, too. So it’s been good to see that.”
With Friday’s game against the Raiders approaching, Williams is looking forward to seeing some of the team’s younger players in action. Aside from staying healthy, Williams said one of the most important factors of the first preseason contest is introducing players to stressful situations.
“Until you get into a live game, you don’t see live pressure, you don’t see live tackling, you don’t see live situations,” Williams said. “I need to see them handle stress. And that’ll be a good part of the game.”
No longer a rookie, Aaron Donald has impressed the defensive coordinator thus far in camp. Head coach Jeff Fisher said yesterday that the defensive tackle started the offseason “on a mission,” and Williams reiterated how good the Pitt product has looked.
“I really believe he just scratched the surface last year,” Williams said of the 2014 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. “He’s a rare person instinctive-wise. He’s a rare person intelligence-wise about that position. And he’s a rare person leverage-wise.”
“He’s going to have to stay healthy,” Williams continued. “That’s a tough thing to do in our business when you’re playing in the trenches the way he plays. But he’s got a good injury history in the past. So if he continues to stay healthy, I think you’ll see even more production out of him.”
Williams also gave plenty of credit to Michael Brockers — who became a father yesterday — for how he can handle double teams, freeing Donald to make plays in the backfield.
“‘Brock’ has his back on a lot of things on some of the things situationally that we teach,” Williams said.
Sticking with the defensive line, one of the factors that should aid in a fast start is be the health of Chris Long. But while the defensive end missed 10 games last year with a lower-leg injury, Williams said Will Hayes did an admirable job filling in.
“Will Hayes was our defensive-production leader on how we go about grading for the season,” Williams said. “He led in production on the intricate way that we go about disrupting the timing of opponents offenses. So Will got a chance to play more and he stepped in and did a good job.”
If that health can continue through the entire unit, the Rams’ defense can be one of the best in the league.
“We always think that,” Williams said. “I’ve had some really good defenses in the past. I’ve had some really good ones across the league in other teams. They have the makings of it, but, again, we have to stay healthy.
“And some of the offenses, hopefully they’ll cooperate, too, and not play as well,” Williams added with a smile.
BEATING THE HEAT
Though it was pouring rain around an hour and a half before practice was scheduled to start, the sun came out in Earth City and the Rams held their session outside. But it was a hot one, with temperatures hovering around 90 degrees.
With the high temperatures over the last couple of days, Fisher said the training staff has done a good job of keeping players hydrated.
“We’re monitoring everything from a recovery standpoint and [the players] came back really well last night, today,” Fisher said. “They know. Today, we were back-to-back padded days. Tomorrow we’ll take the pads off and start our preparation for the preseason.”
E.J. GAINES’ STATUS
Second-year cornerback E.J. Gaines was injured in practice early in camp, and Fisher said on Monday that there is still no clear update on him.
“The only thing I can say is that he’s seeing the specialist right now and we haven’t gotten any results yet,” Fisher said.
PREPPING FOR THE PRESEASON
As usual, Fisher said that the Rams would not be doing much game planning for the first preseason game against the Raiders. But there are tasks the team must complete before Friday night at 9 p.m. CT.
“We have to go through our pregame warm-up routine and go through all that stuff,” Fisher said. “Of course, then we have that unique opportunity to go out in between the two games, one and two, and practice against the Cowboys, so that will be a great experience for us.”
While the head coach added the staff will discuss playing time on Tuesday, don’t expect much from the starting units. But with a few players dinged up, there should be plenty of opportunities for younger players to make an impression.
“That’s always the case in preseason,” Fisher said. “If you got guys that are nicked that you’re going to hold out or that can’t potentially go, the younger guys get more play time and so that’s what we’re going to evaluate.”
ROBINSON’S PROGRESSION
Left tackle Greg Robinson has made plenty of progress since the start of the calendar year, having spent much of it at Rams Park recovering from surgery early in the offseason. Offensive line coach Paul T. Boudreau said Robinson is much further ahead of where he was last year.
“It’s like night and day,” Boudreau said. “And usually, the biggest transition for a lineman is between that first year and the second year — the offseason is invaluable. You can’t see them until April anymore, but the fact that he was injured [meant] he was here every day. He was watching tape and it was really good for him because he was in the building.”
znModeratorI’ve never heard the “I can’t tape” story before.
Listen, you’ll hear it.
August 10, 2015 at 9:51 pm in reply to: 2015 St. Louis Rams Preseason: Week One Depth Chart Released, Barrett Jones Star #28491znModeratorif rhaney or barnes get the starting job to me that means there’s a real lack of talent at that position.
I think some people are underestimating Rhaney. I’ve quoted a couple of reporters and other observers before who say he’s the most athletic of the 3. He may not be quite ready, I don’t know…but I think that the Rams genuinely like what they have in him. That’s nothing against Jones. If both Jones and Rhaney are good, then, yay.
znModeratorPaul Boudreau Press Conference – 8/10
Offensive line coach Paul Boudreau talks with the media about his offensive linemen heading into the first preseason game.
This is a good one. Full of gem comments.
znModeratorPaul Boudreau Press Conference – 8/10
Offensive line coach Paul Boudreau talks with the media about his offensive linemen heading into the first preseason game.
znModeratorRams push through heat, ready for an opponent
Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/20228/rams-push-through-heat-ready-for-an-opponent
EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams still have one more practice before they head west for the preseason opener and next week’s training sessions with the Dallas Cowboys. As far as they’re concerned, that time can’t come fast enough.
After the two hottest days of camp in full pads and with extra conditioning courtesy of coach Jeff Fisher, the Rams seem ready for a change of pace.
“They did a great job,” Fisher said. “We are monitoring everything from a recovery standpoint. They came back really well last night and today. It was back-to-back padded days. Tomorrow, we’ll take the pads off and start our preparation for the preseason.”
The plan for the rest of the week is to practice Tuesday, get some time to wind down and add what little semblance of game plan there will be for Friday, then travel to Oakland on Thursday. The Rams and Raiders play Friday night and the Rams will travel right after the game to Los Angeles. From there, they’ll bus to their team hotel near Oxnard, California to set up shop for practice with the Cowboys on Monday and Tuesday.
The Rams will practice in Oxnard alone on Wednesday before returning to St. Louis.
• Running back Tre Mason (hamstring) was back in a limited capacity on Monday. Same for safety Maurice Alexander. Alas, the Rams also had a couple of new additions on the sideline in cornerback Trumaine Johnson and running back Isaiah Pead. Defensive end Chris Long (back), defensive tackle Doug Worthington, tight end Brad Smelley (hand), guard Cody Wichmann (calf), linebacker Korey Toomer (ankle), cornerback E.J. Gaines (foot) and cornerback Brandon McGee (foot) also did not practice.
Running back Todd Gurley is, of course, still limited. But he did some running and participated in the practice-ending conditioning session.
• Speaking of Gaines, there’s still no official word on what his injury is or how long he’s going to be out. The Rams aren’t required to divulge anything until the regular season, but Fisher did say Gaines is seeing a specialist. Safe to say that he’s not going to be ready to go this week against the Raiders.
• With the Rams so light at cornerback, Marcus Roberson — who has impressed in camp — took a lot of reps with the first-team defense opposite Janoris Jenkins.
• Took a few minutes to watch the one-on-one linebackers versus running backs blitz pickup drills. It wasn’t the most successful day for the backs though there were some good moments. Daren Bates manhandled Trey Watts on one rep, but to his credit Watts rebounded by standing tall against rookie Bryce Hager. T.J. McDonald showed off some strong moves against Cory Harkey and Akeem Ayers did the same.
• Cornerback Lamarcus Joyner came up limping at one point during practice when McDonald and Harkey got tangled up after an incompletion. Joyner tried to hurdle the duo as they fell to the ground but landed awkwardly. Didn’t appear too serious but a scary moment for a banged-up secondary.
• A few quick highlights from the practice. … Really liked the play design that freed Tavon Austin on a crossing pattern for what would have gone for a touchdown from Nick Foles. Foles did a nice job of freezing safety Rodney McLeod with his eyes before finding Austin. … Quarterback Case Keenum fired a strike to receiver Chris Givens on a deep in for a completion in traffic.
• Talked to offensive line coach Paul Boudreau after practice on a number of topics, but he discussed the battle at center at length. He reiterated the importance of having a player who can handle the line calls and all of the moving parts pre-snap. That’s the No. 1 priority so as preseason games begin, keep an eye out for things like miscommunications, mishandled snaps or missed blitz pickups when each center is on the field. Those are the things that will make the difference.
• The Rams have their final practice that will be open to the public in this training camp Tuesday night. It’s set to start 6:30 p.m. ET.
August 10, 2015 at 1:05 pm in reply to: With promise of a big payday, Rams' Janoris Jenkins plays it by the book #28465znModeratorwv
Participant
” Jenkins said…
“I know that I’ve got talent and I just know that
I’ve got to put talent and fundamentals all together now.”Prettymuch sez it all.
w
vI didnt know this bit –>
In the past three seasons, Jenkins has six defensive touchdowns — five from interceptions and one on a fumble recovery. That’s the most of any defensive player in the league in that span.
I also didn’t know he played hurt last year.
August 10, 2015 at 10:25 am in reply to: interview vids: Cook Kendricks Donald Quinn Brown Hayes McCleod Long Tru Sted #28456znModeratorOne-On-One with Stedman Bailey
Watch reporter Dani Klupenger interview wide receiver Stedman Bailey after Sunday’s Training Camp workout.
Apparently Bailey works some with Cris Carter, who is sort of his mentor.
August 10, 2015 at 10:23 am in reply to: interview vids: Cook Kendricks Donald Quinn Brown Hayes McCleod Long Tru Sted #28455znModeratorOne-On-One with Stedman Bailey
Watch reporter Dani Klupenger interview wide receiver Stedman Bailey after Sunday’s Training Camp workout.
znModeratorSo far camp observers see good things out of Roberson. So there’s depth there.
People have to remember that Gaines went low in the draft in the first place because he was banged up a lot.
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http://edraft.com/nfl/news/2014-nfl-draft-ej-gaines-scouting-report/
Health: A bunch of setbacks have occured to E.J. Gaines when he played in college. It’s not like it was one main injury, but a plethora of injuries took a toll on how many snaps Gaines played in at Missouri. Gaines had a lingering hip problem in his senior season that affected how he turned his hips in pass coverage.
August 10, 2015 at 9:52 am in reply to: watching pre-season games+ replay times (read whole thread for all options) #28453znModeratorReplay times for the Raiders P-S game:
Rams vs Raiders on NFL channel
8/15 1:00 am est
8/18 12:00 am est
8/21 5:30 am estznModeratorPeter King – 8/10/15
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/08/09/andrew-luck-indianapolis-colts-nfl-frank-gifford-hard-knocks
Frank Gifford: 1930-2015.
Two things I hope Frank Gifford is not remembered for:
As a football player, being KO’d by Eagles middle linebacker Chuck Bednarik in 1960 on one of the most brutal hits in NFL history. Bednarik, in an unforgettable photo, exhilarates in the hit, and Gifford missed all of 1961 with the effects of a concussion and a broken neck vertebra.
As a broadcaster, for Howard Cosell, his “Monday Night Football” partner, calling Gifford “the human mannequin.”
A few things you need to know about Gifford, an athletic, make-’em-miss all-purpose player from USC: He made the Pro Bowl as a defensive back, wide receiver and running back. And he threw 14 touchdown passes in his Giants’ career. He was the NFL’s MVP in 1956, when he led the Giants to a 47-7 rout of the Bears in the NFL Championship Game. “We were an insignificant franchise when we drafted him [in 1952],” Giants president John Mara said Sunday. “By the time he retired, in 1964, we were the toast of the town. It was mostly because of him.
He was the face of our franchise. During my youth, I wanted to be like Frank. All of my friends did. He was an icon in New York, a matinee idol.” Gifford’s total of 5,434 receiving yards was a franchise record for 38 years, until Amani Toomer broke it after the turn of the century. Gay Talese, the noted writer, tailed Gifford for a long story in 1956 and wrote he had “a quality of mind that makes him rare for football players.” He wasn’t quite Joe Namath in taking New York by storm, but very close.
Now for the TV side … Football players nimbly traverse the field-to-studio gigs today, dozens a year, seemingly. But they just didn’t do TV in the ’50s and early ’60s, until Gifford did TV. He started on the CBS station in New York while he was still playing, then transitioned to the Monday night booth in 1971. He won an Emmy for his TV work in 1977, and did Olympic TV work and guest-hosted “Good Morning America.”
“He was the guy who set the trend for players working in TV,” said Mara.
Al Michaels worked the football booth with Gifford for 256 games. “No matter how crazy it ever got,” Michaels said Sunday, “Frank was the coolest guy in the room. He was the sea of tranquility. I never saw Frank get upset; that was the amazing thing about him. Even when Howard referred to him as ‘the human mannequin,’ I never saw Frank direct any animus at him. But in football, if you lived in New York, you know how big he made the game—he was Mickey Mantle.”
Few players in any sport have ever been as close to ownership—and ownership’s family—as Gifford was with the Maras. When he retired, he used to drive to Giants games on Sunday with Ann Mara, wife of owner Wellington Mara, and sit in the family box. When Gifford was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977, Wellington Mara introduced him. When Mara made it 20 years later, Gifford was his presenter.
“He was family,” John Mara said Sunday night. “This one hit me like a thunderbolt.”
znModeratorPeter King – 8/10/15
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/08/09/andrew-luck-indianapolis-colts-nfl-frank-gifford-hard-knocks
Last one out of Santa Clara, turn off the lights.
Lost by the Niners since the end of the 2014 season:
• Jim Harbaugh, the coach who won 49 games in his four San Francisco seasons.
• On offense: a starting running back (Frank Gore) and wideout (Michael Crabtree) and two-fifths of the starting offensive line.
• On defense, it’s an absolute plague: both starting defensive ends (Ray McDonald, Justin Smith), both starting cornerbacks (Perrish Cox, Chris Culliver), and three invaluable linebackers (Patrick Willis, Aldon Smith, Chris Borland).
The 49ers did the right thing, releasing Aldon Smith after his fifth arrest, and coach Jim Tomsula was deep in individual conversations with scores of players Friday and Saturday after it happened. That’s good. Kumbaya is good. But let’s be real. No team has lost so many franchise players in such a short period and continued to win. Gore, Justin Smith, Aldon Smith, Patrick Willis … franchise guys. A top head coach, gone. We’ve been over this often this off-season, but Tomsula is stepping into one of the toughest spots a rookie coach has ever been in.
And if I’m Aldon Smith—knowing I’m likely to get suspended for part of this season anyway—I am in no hurry to pick a next team. He’s got to fix his life, or try to, before focusing on football.
August 10, 2015 at 1:58 am in reply to: Jeff Fisher Gives Rams Camp Update – Videos + article #28441znModeratorOne week in, Fisher likes what he sees
By Jim Thomas
With a week of training camp under their belts and the Lindenwood scrimmage come and gone, the focus shifts and the intensity ratchets up for the Rams this coming week.
“It’s a week already?” said linebacker James Laurinaitis. “You just lose track of days. I don’t even know what day it is anymore.”
Beginning with Friday’s preseason opener in Oakland, the Rams have a game every week — with the exception of their bye in mid-October — for the next 21 weeks. The team departs Thursday for the West Coast and will be gone for a week, following up the Raiders’ exhibition opener with three days of practice in the Los Angeles area — including two days of sessions with the Dallas Cowboys.
So far, so good says coach Jeff Fisher.
“We haven’t played anybody else yet, and I’m not going to put a lot of stake in the first preseason game, but I’m pleased with where we are,” Fisher said.
In particular, Fisher said he was pleased with the decline in practice penalties compared to last year in camp.
“That’s a point of emphasis for us,” Fisher said. “We’re not having the false-start things — the frequency of them that we’ve had over the years. And then, just the discipline things down the field with the contact, and the holding, and the hands to the face. All those things that we emphasize. So that’s encouraging for me.”
Fisher made those comments prior to Friday’s work at Lindenwood, and perhaps he spoke too soon. The Rams brought in some college referees to work the Lindenwood session, and gave them plenty of reason to throw their flags Friday.
There were numerous false starts and offsides penalties, and overall it was a sloppy practice before a crowd estimated at 4,000. There were also lots of dropped passes, many more than have been seen on the practice fields earlier in camp at Rams Park.
After couple of the drops, and what was generally sputtering work by the offense, a “boo” or two could be heard from the fans at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium, home of Lindenwood’s NCAA Division II Lions.
Fisher, in a good mood to begin with Friday after the contract extension for quarterback Nick Foles, gave the Rams an “E” for effort at Lindenwood.
“I just saw a lot of hard work, a lot of focus, a lot of concentration,” he said. “We executed well, protected each other. Didn’t have any physical issues out there. We just practiced hard, and it was a good night.
“It was great to have the fans. It was a really good group of people that were out, and I’d like to think they saw some good things.”
As usual, Foles saw lots of things from the Rams’ defense. Perhaps spurred on by the stadium setting and extra fans, the defense — particularly the pass rush — looked even more menacing than usual.
Obviously, full contact with the quarterback isn’t allowed in practice, but Foles has gotten plenty of work operating with hands in his face, defenders coming at him and the pocket collapsing.
That’s a byproduct not only of the talent on the defensive front, but also the blitzing schemes of defensive coordinator Gregg Williams — schemes which are worked on with, uh, regularity on the practice field.
Foles has no complaints.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “It’s great for a quarterback. It’s great for our offense to go against pressure like that. As a quarterback, your eyes have to really see what’s going on. You have to recognize it.
“It’s a lot of different looks. It’s great for me. It’s great for our young O-line, and great for our receivers for their route-running. We’re helping them out, they’re helping us out, and that’s what you want. We’re sharpening each other up.”
That young O-line Foles referred to saw a lot of defensive tackle Aaron Donald on Friday, usually running by them into the backfield. The NFL’s defensive rookie of the year was a blur, be it stuffing running plays or harassing Foles.
“I’m just trying to do my job, you know,” Donald said, almost with a shrug. “Trying to work together. We’re out there getting each other better.”
The troubles with the defensive front notwithstanding, Fisher likes what he’s seen from the team’s young blockers so far in camp.
“You can look at our right tackle (Rob Havenstein) and right guard (Jamon Brown) right now, and they look like they’ve been here for a while, and that’s good,” Fisher said. “That’s good to have that feeling inside that you have confidence in both Rob and JB that they can line up and play. And it shows with the pads on.”
With the exception of cornerback E.J. Gaines, who may have a plantar fascia (foot) issue, the Rams are in good shape injury-wise so far. They’re a little light at the moment at corner because Brandon McGee is sidelined again with a foot injury that plagued him during the OTAs in June. But it could be a lot worse.
Foles is getting the playbook down as the Rams go through their second installation of the offense; the first came during OTAs. And to anyone watching the Lindenwood practice, it is clear that Foles is quickly developing a rapport with tight end Jared Cook. He looks his way often.
“He’s making me look good out there with the catches that he’s making,” Foles said. “He has a great feel when he’s running routes. He’s got a big catch radius. He’s a guy that we’re gonna have to get the ball to, but we’re gonna spread the ball around.
“We have a lot of playmakers on offense, and the guys are doing a really great job. We’re still getting comfortable. We’re still bonding, so that’s what camp’s about.”
znModeratorSo no possible 1st round lineman the Rams could have conceivably taken is presently looking as good as Brown is.
znModeratorRamsCamp Lindenwood Highlights
Watch the best highlights from the Rams scrimmage at Lindenwood.
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