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znModeratorRams allowing LB Ernest Jones IV to seek trade, sources say
ESPN
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40988145/rams-allowing-lb-ernest-jones-iv-seek-trade-sources-say
The Los Angeles Rams have granted linebacker Ernest Jones IV and his agents permission to seek a trade, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Sunday.
The permission comes after the Rams and Jones unsuccessfully discussed an extension as the linebacker enters the final year of his contract.
Jones acknowledged he was looking for a new deal last month.
“I know that the work that I’ve put in these past three years, I know I’m worthy of something regardless what the worth may be,” Jones said, according to The Orange County Register. “… I love to be in L.A. I really want to be here. This is truly where I want to keep my family at, grow my family here. But I also know that there’s a business side of it too that I can’t truly control. We’ll see.”
A trade would overhaul the Rams’ defensive setup, as Jones serves at the defensive playcaller. General manager Les Snead has referred to Jones as the “leader of the defense” and then-Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris called it Jones’ defense near the end of the 2023 season.
Jones had 145 tackles and 4.5 sacks last year, both career highs.
The 24-year-old has totaled 320 tackles, 5.5 sacks and three interceptions in his three-year career. A 2021 third-round pick, he was part of the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning team in his rookie season.
znModeratorRams grant LB Ernest Jones IV permission to seek trade
Michael Baca
Ernest Jones IV might soon be taking his tackling talents elsewhere by the start of the 2024 season.
The Los Angeles Rams have had conversations about trading the fourth-year linebacker and have given Jones’ agents permission to help find a landing spot, NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported Sunday, per a source.
Wolfe reports that stalled contract talks between the Rams and Jones, who’s entering the final year of his rookie contract, led to Sunday’s development.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler first reported the news.
Jones’ potential exit would shake things up for the Rams defense as the 2024 season approaches. The 24-year-old serves as the defensive signal-caller and is coming off his best statistical season in that role, producing a team-high 145 tackles while also notching a career-high 4.5 sacks in 2023.
Christian Rozeboom, Troy Reeder, Jake Hummel, Olakunle Fatukasi and undrafted rookies Omar Speights and Elias Neal currently round out the Rams’ inside linebacking depth chart. Teams are required to trim rosters down to 53 by Tuesday, Aug. 27.
Jones, a third-round pick in 2021, carved out a sizeable role in L.A. as early as his rookie season. He earned his starting role midway through the 2021 season and started in Super Bowl LVI, helping the Rams top the Bengals with seven tackles, one sack and three QB hits to win the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy.
The Rams concluded the preseason with a 17-15 loss in Houston on Saturday night.
znModeratorJim Youngblood 53@53_jim70721
Watching Brennan Jackson’s snaps — first time we’ve seen him. He did well. Drew at least 2 triple teams … and overall good. Wish he’d get a little more wiggle, a counter move on rush but he’s strong and fast and a little bit nasty. Will make plays for Rams this year
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Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Yes, it’s the caveat of the preseason – but the fact that the Rams reserve OL looks pretty solid with so many starters dealing with injuries is a credit to position coach Ryan Wendell in just his second season, and to asst. OL coach Zak Kromer + consultant Mike Munchak.znModeratorJourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigueThe Rams deferred further comment on Alaric Jackson‘s suspension to Sean McVay’s postgame presser on Saturday. On a football note, Joe Noteboom and Warren McClendon have been getting reps at LT while Jackson has been out with an ankle injury.znModeratorFive Takeaways from Rams’ 17-15 preseason loss to Texans: Lots of action for Dresser Winn
Stu Jackson
HOUSTON – Although the Rams fell to the Texans 17-15 on Saturday at NRG Stadium, there was still plenty to observe, especially when it came to players’ expected roles and roster statuses ahead of Tuesday’s initial 53-man roster deadline.
Here are five takeaways from the contest:
1) With Bennett established as QB2 for first two games, Winn gets all the reps vs. Texans: Rams head coach Sean McVay announced on the ABC7 broadcast pregame that Stetson Bennett would serve as the Rams’ backup while Jimmy Garoppolo served his suspension the first two weeks of the season, it was Dresser Winn who led the offense for the entirety of Saturday’s game. Bennett dresed but did not play.
Winn completed 9 of 16 pass attempts for 72 yards; he also rushed three times for 20 yards.
2) No action for Omar Speights: Undrafted free agent signee Omar Speights didn’t play on Saturday, but for good reason – general manager Les Snead on the ABC7 broadcast confirmed Speights not only made the 53-man roster, but “as of now” the 48 (the gameday roster; 48 is the maximum number of gameday actives). Thus, they took a precautionary approach with his health.
“We didn’t want to subject him to a possible injury because we could be relying on him on Sunday Night Football,” Snead said on the broadcast.
3) Extended looks at Zach Evans and Boston Scott: Both running backs were close to an equal split in terms of carries on Saturday as they handled the majority of those snaps.
Evans posted 14 carries for 45 yards and two touchdowns; Scott 11 carries for 34 yards.
4) Brennan Jackson sees the field for the first time this preseason: Having dealt with a soft issue injury that sidelined him from practice until recently plus the first two preseason games, Brennan Jackson got the start in his preseason debut on Saturday.
5) Rare miss for Joshua Karty: The rookie kicker’s extra point attempt following Evans’ 4-yard touchdown run his first missed extra point of the preseason.
znModeratorJourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigueNot only did Les Snead essentially confirm that ILB Omar Speights is making the 53-man roster, he went so far as to say Speights is on the 48-man “as of now” and “we didn’t want to subject him to a possible injury because we could be relying on him on Sunday Night Football.”znModeratorThe 4th string pass rush not that good.
And Winn did settle down a bit. Limmer’s the real deal.
znModeratorRams D playing its 3s and 4s. They don’t look too bad.
They’re playing against the Rams 2016 starting qb (9 starts)–Case Keenum.
Houston D is deeper than the other 2 teams they played this preseason and so the all 2s OL is not doing as well.
And I concur with ER about the ironically named “Winn.”
znModeratorGame. Winn starting.
znModerator10 Observations from Rams’ joint practice with Texans: Matthew Stafford’s ‘full day’, increasing clarity on Beaux Limmer’s role and more
Stu Jackson
HOUSTON – The Rams conducted their final joint practice of the 2024 preseason on Thursday, doing so with the Texans on their practice fields next to NRG Stadium. Quarterback Matthew Stafford’s “full day” highlighted the session, as well as rookie offensive lineman Beaux Limmer continuing to get tested in a positive way.
Here are 10 things that stood out from the session:
1) Stafford’s “full day”: After participating in about half of team drills in Tuesday’s practice back in Thousand Oaks, Stafford went through all of Thursday’s joint practice.
“Full day for him,” McVay said. “It was good.”
“It was good,” Stafford said of his day. “It was good working against these guys, (they) are really talented defense, really talented team. When you look across the board, offensively and defensively, these guys have a bunch of great players, young talent, mixed in with some good veterans. So it’s good to get some work against them, little bit different than what we see from our defense, so it was good.”
2) Limmer continues to be tested: The sixth-round pick out of Arkansas got reps with Stafford and the first-team offense on Thursday, specifically at center.
This does not mean Limmer will be the starting center over Steve Avila, let’s make that abundantly clear. But it does suggest the Rams may have a role in mind for him. At the very least, they want to see if Avila at left guard and Limmer at center works as the most optimal interior combination compared to Zach Thomas at left guard and Steve Avila at center – as a “just in case” scenario for Jonah Jackson (shoulder); it should be noted Jackson will be worked back in next week and has been participating in individual drills.
Going against the Texans’ experienced interior defensive line – Mario Edwards Jr. has played nine NFL seasons, Folorunso Fatukasi six – was valuable for Limmer’s development.
“He’s done a nice job,” Stafford said of Limmer. “Good command. Obviously, he’s played the position for a long time, understands it, professional snapper of the football. Again, he’s a rookie, it’s learning constantly, and these kind of practices are great for him, right? He goes against our defense, gets looks at our guys over and over again, and you got to come out here and block some of these guys and different looks and jet techniques and all that kind of stuff. So that’s good for him.”
3) Pass rush shows up again, but Stroud still makes plays: One thing that has been constant in these joint practices has been the Rams’ pass rush, and that was the case on Thursday.
One of the most notable moments was when rookie outside linebacker Jared Verse beat Texans left tackle and eight-year NFL veteran Laremy Tunsil for a would-be sack (quarterbacks, as they always do in practice, were wearing red non-contact jerseys). Tunsil is widely regarded as one of the top blindside protectors in the NFL – Trench Warfare’s Brandon Thorn, who analyzes offensive and defensive line play, ranked him as the No. 2 left tackle in the league entering the 2024 season and one of his three elite left tackles.
Outside linebacker Byron Young and nose tackle Kobie Turner also combined for a would-be sack of Stroud in a different period of team drills.
Similar to the joint practices with the Cowboys, there were times Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was forced to throw the ball away because of pressure and coverage, and other times where he was able to escape or withstand it and complete passes out of structure (meaning, as the pocket broke down) with the ball placement and accuracy that made him the 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
4) CB4 spot up for grabs: After waiving defensive back Jerry Jacobs with an injury settlement, Thursday’s joint practice and McVay’s comments after indicated there’s still competition for the fourth spot in Los Angeles’ cornerback rotation.
“You look at Tre Tomlinson, you look at Shaun Jolly, guys that have been here,” McVay said. “(Rookies) Josh Wallace and Charles Woods are guys that have really shown well, and so we’ve gotten a lot of reps. And we’ve got safeties that can play some of the nickel corner stuff when you look at Quentin Lake and Russ Yeast. So we’re trying to find the best guys for our secondary and (it’s) starting to come into clarity, but we’ll continue to use these next few days.”
McVay also said Jacobs “had a groin issue,” which is what led to the Rams waiving Jacobs with an injury settlement earlier this week.
5) Nine and dime: Two of Stafford’s best throws came during redzone drills, and both went for touchdowns to Cooper Kupp. The second one was especially impressive given the concentration required of Kupp after making the leaping grab near the left side of the endzone to ensure he got both feet down with little room to do so. Coverage was tight on the second one, too.
6) Texans’ offensive talent offers valuable reps for Rams defensive players: Speaking of Tunsil, that matchup with Verse also illustrated the value of Thursday’s joint practice for the Rams’ young defensive linemen, as well as their defensive backs of all experience levels. Besides Tunsil, the Texans also have nine-year veteran Shaq Mason at right guard, who ranks as Thorn’s No. 2 player at the position entering the 2024 season and one of Thorn’s three elite players there.
As for the Rams’ secondary, a pass-catching corps led by wide receivers Stefon Diggs, Nico Collins, Tank Dell and solid depth behind them, as well as tight end Dalton Schultz, afforded valuable experience too.
While the Rams’ offense is more experienced, the Texans’ defense likewise provided strong talent between cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., safety Jalen Pitre, and outside linebackers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, among others.
7) Kickoff return combo still to be determined: Whoever the Rams have back returning kicks in the new hybrid format remains to be seen, but the combination for that duo in the landing zone continued to be experimented with on Thursday.
8) Boston Scott doesn’t participate: The Rams held the running back out of Thursday’s practice due to a leg contusion, as well as Scott being due for a heavy workload in Saturday’s preseason finale, according to McVay.
9) Make way for Bobby Brown III: One of the best pressures of the day came from the fourth-year defensive tackle on the interior in 11-on-11, which forced Stroud to throw the ball away.
10) Stafford and Stroud get to chop it up: The two quarterbacks spoke with one another after Thursday’s joint practice, and repeated their mutual respect when speaking to the media.
“I’m a huge fan of watching him play,” Stafford said. “Throws the ball with ease, plays with a really calm aggression, which I like.”
znModeratorThey do the Ram at 1:27 in.
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znModeratorJourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Sean McVay expects LG Jonah Jackson to “work back in” next week.Darious Williams as well
znModeratorJourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigueSean McVay could not have been more impressed with the talent, professionalism and discipline with which DeMeco Ryans’ Texans team practiced. “First-class. We got a lot of good work today…exactly what we had hoped.” Not easy to get mutually productive work in late days of camp…QB Matthew Stafford fully practices vs. Houston in Texas heat: Rams takeawaysJourdan Rodrigue
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5717180/2024/08/22/la-rams-matthew-stafford-practice-texans/
HOUSTON — One thing about a 91-degree, 70-percent humidity Texas football practice, it’ll keep a tight muscle warm.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford practiced fully against the Houston Texans on Thursday, in the teams’ lone joint practice together before Saturday’s preseason finale. Stafford had been dealing with hamstring tightness since last week’s joint practice against the Cowboys. This week, his workload gradually increased from stretching and individual reps on Monday, to about half of the 11-on-11s reps on Tuesday (including a little rogue keeper that scared head coach Sean McVay, but seemed a signal from the quarterback that he was ready to get back in full time).
“It was good,” said a sweat-drenched Stafford after Thursday’s practice. The Texans play a clean, physical and aggressive style of football that both he and McVay praised after the session. The Rams’ first- and second-team offense, working against the Texans’ first- and second-team defense — and vice versa, on the second of three fields — were able to get a lot of work done against defensive looks they don’t frequently see. “It was good working against these guys. They’re a really talented defense, really talented team.”
Stafford is also wearing a glove and bandage over his left (non-throwing) thumb and hand. He said he cut it at home and simply has to protect it for a little while. The Rams will begin their preparation for the season-opener in Detroit early next week.
I (sweatily) rotated between offensive and defensive fields. That means I couldn’t catch any one group in full, but I still gathered plenty of notes from the day:
• The Rams waived depth cornerback Jerry Jacobs with a settlement due to a groin injury, McVay said. Now the CB4 position is in competition once again. Starter Darious Williams, who has missed most of camp/the preseason with a hamstring injury, is expected to increase his practice workload next week. He will play opposite Tre’Davious White, with Cobie Durant backing up either of them or playing the smaller slot (not the “Star” position) behind Quentin Lake (who is a safety). I observed undrafted free-agent rookie Josh Wallace getting snaps opposite White. Rookie Charles Woods will also compete for the depth role, as will second-year player Tre Tomlinson and third-year player Shaun Jolly.
McVay may not be as concerned about cornerback depth as usual, because under defensive coordinator Chris Shula the safeties are the go-to players in sub packages like nickel or dime. They are six or even seven deep at safety right now, with tough decisions coming: Kam Curl, John Johnson III, Lake (also Star), Kam Kinchens, Russ Yeast (backup Star), Jaylen McCollough and Jason Taylor II.
• Veteran running back Boston Scott has been dealing with a lower leg contusion, said McVay, but he will play Saturday. The Rams signed second-year back SaRodorick Thompson on Thursday morning. Kyren Williams, Blake Corum and Ronnie Rivers seem to have secured the Nos. 1-3 spots on the roster, no surprises there.
• Left guard Jonah Jackson (shoulder) is expected to work back into practice next week, according to McVay. Jackson has been able to participate in some individuals but not team periods over the last week.
The Rams have pushed players in different roles in order to assess their depth. This week, rookie center Beaux Limmer has gotten snaps at center with Stafford — the position manned by second-year lineman Steve Avila all spring and summer with positive results. This is why: If Jackson is not ready for the opener, the Rams have to know whether their strongest interior combination is Avila at left guard and Limmer at center, or Avila at center and backup Zach Thomas at left guard (Thomas had repped there prior to this week, minus Jackson). Warren McClendon is still playing right tackle in place of Rob Havenstein (ankle) and Joe Noteboom has continued at left tackle in place of Alaric Jackson (ankle). Logan Bruss has also gotten some snaps at reserve guard. Limmer took all of the center snaps for Stafford on Thursday.
“I like the command, I like the communication,” McVay said of Limmer, “I think you see a lot of the physical traits where he can come out of his hips and get more removal. I think he’s getting more and more comfortable in the protection element. … Beaux has made some really good strides, and I think that’s a credit to the guys around him but also Ryan Wendell and Zak Kromer. To be able to have some versatile pieces like we do, and then being able to get Jonah back, that will be really big for us. And I think we’ve really developed some depth at the tackle spot.”
• Rookie outside linebacker Brennan Jackson, who missed most of camp with a soft-tissue injury, was back for his second consecutive padded practice and led off with the second group. Rookie defensive lineman Tyler Davis also joined Jackson on the inside with that group.
• Houston found running lanes with its starting offensive line and Joe Mixon. But the Rams’ young core of pass rushers also got good push on multiple passing plays, including a combination “sack” (the quarterback can’t get hit, obviously) between rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, and defensive linemen Kobie Turner and Bobby Brown III after which Verse’s voice rang out loud and referees jumped into the play just in case of any extracurriculars. The Rams’ first-team defensive line kept up their pressure late into team drills, trying to capitalize when veteran left tackle Laremy Tunsil got rest on the side. Second-year Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud clearly has no hesitation in his connection with Tank Dell, and also hit Mixon on a wheel route up the sideline for a big gain with inside linebacker Ernest Jones in coverage. Jones spent most of the spring and some of training camp recovering from a knee issue, and while he is practicing fully it still bears monitoring. Second-year outside linebacker Byron Young and Turner also combined on a sack in the period I was able to watch (again, I couldn’t view the entire session).
• Though linemen and receivers were definitively challenged by Houston’s talented pass rushers and dynamic secondary, the Rams’ first-team offense still tested several different concepts with a combination of receivers. With Puka Nacua still recovering from a knee injury, McVay has been rotating in veteran Tyler Johnson, second-year player Xavier Smith and rookie Jordan Whittington into the “Nacua” role. Whittington, a former preps star running back, may eventually add an interesting element to the Rams’ run game (they like to use screens and sweeps as an “extension” of their stretch runs) and Whittington continued getting blocking reps as well.
• The Rams went run-heavy in some periods, including a portion of red zone 11-on-11s. Stafford also had two incompletions during a red zone series and so he and Cooper Kupp decided to take matters into their own hands. Kupp ran one of his signature goal-line micro-movements and caught the touchdown from Stafford.
• Tutu Atwell dropped two would-be touchdowns from backup Jimmy Garoppolo in red zone, both balls were well thrown and Atwell worked to pull them in under good coverage by Texans defensive backs. Atwell got one back, though, with a physical touchdown in a later period (also red zone). He held on well after the play as the defender tried to wrestle it from him, and receivers coach Eric Yarber ran across the field to make sure the official was not going to overturn the “touchdown” call — and to uplift Atwell after the earlier incompletions. Several Rams teammates, including an injured Tyler Higbee, did the same. As I have noted, Atwell’s role seems to be as depth behind Demarcus Robinson and in situational concepts, as he splits time between the second and first team.
• Among the cleanest periods for the Rams’ first-team offense Thursday was in a two-minute/late-game drill in which they simulate a long field and a two-point deficit. Stafford hit Johnson, Kupp and Robinson for gains before spiking the ball to stop the clock. The Rams worked on several different clock management scenarios from the Texans’ 34-yard line from there.
• As a programming reminder, the Rams will not play many (if any) key or key depth players in Saturday’s game. Roster cutdown decisions will unfold Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and teams must have their 90-man roster trimmed to 53 players by 1 p.m. PT on Aug. 27.
znModeratorKarl Josef Co@KarlJosefCoFavorite @PeteButtigieg quote on @colbertlateshow live from Chicago : “The biggest scandal, the one that actually has the Republicans the most afraid, the one that has the president doing damage control… it’s the simple fact that they wrote down their own policies! THAT is the thing that they might not recover from!”znModeratorFrom Ranking all 32 NFL teams’ coaching staffs, coordinators in 2024: https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/40933411/ranking-all-32-nfl-coaching-staffs-best-worst-coaches-coordinators-2024#LAR
[Me: 1 & 2 are KC & Detroit]
3. Los Angeles Rams
Head coach: Sean McVay
Offensive coordinator: Mike LaFleur
Defensive coordinator: Chris ShulaMcVay’s Rams would make a strong case for a top-two slot if former defensive coordinator Raheem Morris were still around, but you could put Ben Solak in at defensive coordinator, and it’d be hard to drop the Rams much lower than No. 3.
McVay’s arc as the Rams’ coach has been eventful and illuminating. An offensive whiz kid who looked unstoppable until he crashed into Bill Belichick’s defense in Super Bowl LIII, he has gone through a self-documented evolution as a coach and as an individual. The L.A. offense has changed schematically, casting away the outside zone runs of yesteryear for a more physical, downhill approach. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has allowed McVay to get deep in his bag of shotgun passes, which McVay has done with aplomb. The system he runs now is not the system that got him hired and got him famous in the late 2010s.
That personal growth and emotional intelligence is a key factor when differentiating McVay from his contemporary, Kyle Shanahan. It’s a matter of inches, but I think Shanahan is the slightly better offensive mind — but McVay seems to get along better with his players and lets his personnel department work for him, which produces a better team overall. It’s not fair to say Stafford chose Los Angeles over San Francisco because he favored McVay over Shanahan, but the fact of the matter is McVay got Stafford into the building and has the hardware to show for it.
The keys of the defense now belong to Shula, McVay’s teammate from his Miami (Ohio) college days. I am always suspicious of hires with a nepotistic tint, but McVay hired Shula the year he became the Rams’ coach, and Shula has spent seven seasons working his way up to this role. It was not handed to him for free — in fact, he’s McVay’s first ever internal promotion to a coordinator position (along with LaFleur). Shula’s time under Wade Phillips, Brandon Staley and Morris gives him a wide range of influences, and I’m fascinated to see what the Rams’ defensive identity becomes under him (without Aaron Donald on the field).
znModeratorznModeratorCameron DaSilva@camdasilvaRams offensive line this preseason, per PFF – 4 pressures allowed – 0 QB hits allowed – 0 sacks allowed – 80.8 pass-blocking grade (3rd) Backups have looked quite good this summerYes it’s preseason going against 2s, but…everyone in the league is in the preseason going against 2s, so, the Rams grading out this well contrasts with the 29 teams that didn’t grade out this well.
IMO? It’s the OL coach. Wendell is convincing me more every day that he was a great Rams hire.
znModeratorCameron DaSilva@camdasilvaRams offensive line this preseason, per PFF – 4 pressures allowed – 0 QB hits allowed – 0 sacks allowed – 80.8 pass-blocking grade (3rd) Backups have looked quite good this summerAugust 22, 2024 at 3:14 am in reply to: Stafford. You know, that Mark Stafford guy, the quarterback #151800znModeratorznModeratorLB Jake Hummel
It is certainly worth mentioning linebacker Omar Speights here. Speights had a good game against the Chargers and showed promise. With that said, Hummel played better from what I saw and showed why he is higher on the depth chart than Speights. As it stands, Hummel is a more well-rounded player and much faster, especially in coverage. Whereas Hummel’s strength is in coverage, Speights’ strength is in the run game.
However, that’s not to say that Hummel is poor in the run game. Hummel showed up big in the Chargers’ first red zone appearance. On the first two plays of the sequence, Hummel filled the gap and tackled the running back before the goal line. He then played a role in the fumble recovery by Jason Taylor on the very next play. Again, Speights played very well, but he is a step below Hummel right now.
iOL Beaux Limmer
I don’t believe it’s too far-fetched to say that Beaux Limmer could start at center for some teams around the NFL. The fact that the Rams have him as a depth piece shows the quality of the offensive line. Limmer was one of the more impressive offensive linemen last week and he once again showed out in Week 2. His 79.5 run-blocking grade via PFF led the Rams
Limmer embodies the mindset that the Rams are embracing this season as being more physical at the line of scrimmage. He’s been the third-best pass-blocking center in the preseason and has been as steady as they come. While the Rams may not want to move Steve Avila to left guard in the case that Jonah Jackson has to miss time, Limmer should give them confidence for it to be an option.
znModeratorSean McVay credits Giff Smith for Rams’ growth on defensive line
Brock Vierra
Sean McVay credits Giff Smith for Rams’ growth on defensive line
During Monday’s press conference, Rams head coach Sean McVay was asked about defensive line coach Giff Smith and how Smith has empowered veterans to take up leadership roles within the team.
Smith was hired by the Rams this offseason after spending eight years with the Chargers. Smith was the interim head coach for the Bolts during their last three games of 2023.
Here’s what McVay had to say.
“I’ve known Giff for a long time when he recruited me when I was in high school to Tulane. He was the one who recommended Eric Henderson to me. He’s a great coach. He’s a great mentor. I was even talking to Joey Bosa about it at the Chargers practice because he coached Joey for a handful of years and he was saying, ‘He’s this amazing guy.’ Sometimes you hear the word ‘players’ coach,’ and it can mean they’re not hard on guys. That’s the exact opposite. He loves these guys. He really invests in the relationships. That enables them to know that when he’s going to be challenging and demanding of them. ‘Hey, I’m going challenge you to be what you can be.’ They’re receptive to that. They respond. He has such a great feel for being able to empower guys. I can’t say enough good things about what I’ve witnessed and how grateful I am that he’s here. AC Carter’s another great coach who’s working alongside him. I think that’s why you’ve seen good growth from our young group. A lot of guys have progressed in the right direction, which is a real sign of great leadership from him.”
Relationships are everything in football and it seems the one Smith and McVay have has helped build new connections within the organization.
znModeratoryeah. kinchens too. mcvay specifically called him out. held out of the chargers game for precautionary reasons so not just talk. the rams seriously see him as a significant contributor. maybe even an eventual starter.
I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like this with Rams young players at this point in the preseaon. (rookies and 2nd year). I mean yeah every year this or that guy shows promise. But this is player after player. And it’s not just us fans reacting to flashy preseason plays. It’s the reporters, national and local. In fact it’s reporters talking about practices, not just the p-s games. It’s analysts like PFF. It’s the coaches. It’s the broadcasters. And they’re not even starting the higher picks. The OL is entirely depth guys and it’s clicking as a unit.
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Ah but, then, also, there’s Bennett….
znModeratorznModeratorJourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigueThe Rams waived CB Jerry Jacobs / injury settlement. He was signed early in training camp because of a hamstring injury to Darious Williams, who has yet to return to practice though is increasing activity with athletic trainers.znModeratorLos Angeles Rams@RamsNFL
Rookie Kam Kinchens believes he’s a do-it-all safety, and has the ability to showcase that in Chris Shula’s defenseStu Jackson@StuJRams
Insight from pass game coordinator/assistant HC Aubrey Pleasant on how Kinchens has established himself as a contributor; Kinchens explains why he likes the defense.Pleasant: “I think he’s grown a little faster than maybe what we would’ve expected, but that’s a good thing.”
Role obviously still TBD, but Kinchens is on the right track in terms of developing into someone the Rams can count on this year
znModerator
znModeratorRAMS ON FILM@RamsOnFilmThe Rams preseason lineup offensive line has looked fantastic. A very promising young group of guys. Beaux Limmer has been very impressive at Center. The 6-foot-5, 302-pound 6th round pick, has experience across each interior position as well. He makes a great addition to LAznModeratorznModeratorOldie but goodie. Baldinger on Rams in 2021 NFC title game.
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How the Rams Took Down the 49ers in the NFC Championship | Baldy Breakdowns
znModeratorfrom Rams PFF grades: Best and worst performers vs. Chargers
Top 5 offense
TE Nikola Kalinic: 91.0
TE Davis Allen: 75.0
C Beaux Limmer: 75.0
C Mike McAllister: 73.1
WR J.J. Laap: 73.0Allen and Limmer are the only two players in this group who are likely to make the 53-man roster, but it’s encouraging to see Kalinic performing well. Still, the Rams are probably only going to keep three tight ends, leaving him on the outside looking in.
Laap stood out with his 47-yard touchdown catch, which proved to be the game-winner.
Top 5 defense
LB Omar Speights: 89.1
OLB Ochaun Mathis: 87.7
NT Cory Durden: 84.6
S Jason Taylor II: 84.4
LB Jake Hummel: 84.4Speights was all over the field for the Rams, leading the game with seven tackles and two tackles for a loss. He’s a physical player who’s making a case for a roster spot.
Mathis needed a positive performance and that’s what he had against the Chargers. The same goes for Taylor and Hummel, who are both on the roster bubble.
Bottom 5 offense
LT Conor McDermott: 53.0
WR Drake Stoops: 49.4
TE Miller Forristall: 48.4
TE Hunter Long: 48.0
QB Stetson Bennett: 44.4Bennett was the Rams’ lowest-graded offensive player despite cutting down on the turnovers from last week; he threw one interception and lost a fumble on Saturday. He had three turnover-worthy plays and just one big-time throw.
Long is expected to be the third tight end on the depth chart, which is probably why he only played 17 snaps. Stoops was only targeted once and didn’t have a catch, so his impact was minimal.
Bottom 5 defense
OLB Nick Hampton: 50.4
CB Tre Tomlinson: 45.5
LB Olakunle Fatukasi: 43.1
DL Tyler Davis: 41.6
DT David Olajiga: 35.6Hampton is on track to make the team and while he had two pressures in just 10 pass-rushing snaps, his grade was on the lower end.
Davis surprisingly didn’t play nose tackle in this one like he typically has. He mostly played defensive end, which is interesting considering he’s over 300 pounds. It didn’t work out very well and he struggled to get off blocks in the run game.
Other notables
DL Carlos Watkins: 79.1
S Russ Yeast: 75.8
RG Logan Bruss: 71.4
S Jaylen McCollough: 67.3
WR Jordan Whittington: 64.8
WR Xavier Smith: 62.6Watkins had a big impact in his Rams debut, recording a strip-sack in the win. Yeast was also impressive in limited playing time, nearly picking off a pass that he jumped in front of.
Bruss continues to play well at right guard and he could sneak onto the 53-man roster with LT Leveston still injured.
McCollough had an interception, which Sean McVay said wasn’t even his best play of the game. Whittington and Smith played well once again, though it feels like Smith’s grade could’ve been much higher for the impact he had.
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