As of today, with Jordan Love signing, Stafford ranks 13th among NFL qbs in terms of avg. amount per year.

So we’ve reached the stage in the NFL with qb contracts where 40 M is a bargain.

10 Observations from Rams’ July 25 Training Camp Practice: Playmaking from Cooper Kupp and Kamren Curl, Blake Corum involvement among highlights

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/10-observations-rams-july-25-training-camp-practice-playmaking-cooper-kupp-kamren-curl-blake-corum-involvement

LOS ANGELES RAMS – The first open practice of 2024 Rams Training Camp presented UNIFY Financial Credit Union was held Thursday evening, featuring standout plays from wide receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive back Kamren Curl, rookie running back Blake Corum’s involvement and more.

Here are 10 things that stood out from the session:

1) Extended look at Corum: The third-round pick was mixed in quite a bit, but head coach Sean McVay emphasized after Thursday’s practice that running backs coach Ron Gould has autonomy over how often running backs rotate and who is involved. So, don’t draw sweeping conclusions from one practice.

2) Going deep: One of the best passes of the day came on a quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo deep ball down the sideline to running back Ronnie Rivers, dropping it right into Rivers’ arms in stride.

3) Williams appears to get hurt on last play of practice: Head coach Sean McVay said he’s not sure what happened to defensive back Darious Williams on the final play of practice, but that Williams felt his hamstring.

4) Denied by Curl: One of the best defensive plays of the day came via Curl, who showed his range when he ran across the field to the sideline to deflect a mid-range pass by quarterback Matthew Stafford intended for wide receiver Demarcus Robinson.

5) With inches to spare: Kupp had one of the best catches of the day on a toe-tap grab in the back of the endzone on a pass from Stafford during redzone drills.

6) Jared Verse, Braden Fiske continue to make presence felt: The defensive rookies have had a strong start to training camp. McVay noted feeling Verse in pass rush situations today, as well as yesterday, and also felt Fiske’s presence over the last two days. On one play, Verse applied pressure that helped defensive back Cobie Durant make a timely pass breakup on a Stafford mid-range pass down the sideline intended for Kupp.

7) Stafford-Kupp connection: This was on display via timing and anticipation between both players throughout Thursday’s practice. On one play, Stafford timed the pass perfectly before Kupp made the break at the top of his route, and Kupp was there to make the sliding catch.

8) Desai working in role similar to Jimmy Lake’s last season: While his title says senior defensive assistant/associate head coach, Desai spent time during Thursday’s practice on the offensive sideline.

“In the first couple months of getting to know Sean, I’ve really enjoyed him,” McVay said of Desai. “He’s got an unbelievable capacity for the game and a great humility about himself, and so I’m glad we were able to talk him into coming and joining us in the spring.”

9) Whittington catch impresses: Rookie wide receiver Jordan Whittington also made an impressive catch on a pass from Stafford.

10) One more Stafford pass for good measure: One of Stafford’s best traits is his ability to manipulate the defense with his eyes, and that came to life on a rifled deep completion over the middle to wide receiver Puka Nacua, holding the linebackers in order to create space around Nacua allowing Nacua to make the catch.

10 Observations from Rams’ July 24 Training Camp practice: Touchdowns by Davis Allen and

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/10-observations-rams-july-24-training-camp-practice-touchdowns-colby-parkinson-davis-allen-ernest-jones-iv-energy

LOS ANGELES – The Rams held a closed training camp practice Wednesday, a session highlighted by the playmaking by a pair of tight ends and the return of linebacker Ernest Jones IV to practice.

Here are 10 things that stood out:

1) Seen and heard: After being sidelined in team drills during OTAs due to a knee issue, Jones was back out on the practice field Wednesday afternoon, and he was impossible to miss. His voice and overall energy was noticeable throughout, and he added an interception in team drills for good measure.

2) Tight ends going up top: Two highlights of the day were quarterback Matthew Stafford’s touchdown pass to tight end Davis Allen, and backup Jimmy Garoppolo’s touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson, with each high-pointing the ball to make those plays. Parkinson’s range as a friendly target had been on display in OTAs, and that continued Wednesday. Allen’s touchdown finished off

3) Kobie Turner non-participant in practice: According to head coach Sean McVay, Turner participated in the team’s walkthrough but not practice and is dealing with a groin strain sustained while training this summer. Turner won’t have any sort of designation, but McVay said they “will be smart with him.”

4) Tre’Davious White “full-speed”: White participated in Wednesday’s practice, but McVay said they will “be modified with his workload.”

“But when he’s out there, he is full speed,” McVay said. “But to say that he’s going to take 100% of the reps, we’ll be smart in terms of that work progression for him.”

5) Offensive lineman Kevin Dotson doesn’t finish practice, but McVay not concerned: McVay said he knew Dotson “needed to take a little break there and didn’t finish out, but I don’t think it’s anything to be concerned about. Otherwise I’d probably know about it.”

6) Kyren Williams’ speedy reminders: If Jones’ energy was noticeable on defense, Williams provided the same effect on offense, displaying the same burst he showed last season after missing most of OTAs this spring with a foot issue.

“I said a on couple runs, ‘man, did I miss you in the offseason,'” McVay said.

7) Picking up where they left off: Besides the touchdown pass to Allen, Stafford also was sharp connecting with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua multiple times.

8) Welcome back JJIII: Signed on July 8, John Johnson III was back again, and McVay was pleased with what he saw, saying Johnson looked comfortable on the field.

9) Another Stafford highlight: The no-look passes were back from Stafford, too, using his eyes to manipulate defenders before hitting a target underneath on a sidearmed-throw from the pocket.

10) A competitive day on both sides of the ball: Both the offense and defense had strong moments overall, and McVay was pleased with the competitiveness and execution from each phase.

InvaderRam wrote:

CB Jerry Jacobs is signing with the #Rams.

from the wiki

On May 1, 2021, Jacobs signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent.<sup id=”cite_ref-8″ class=”reference”>[8]</sup> He was named to the Lions’ 53-man roster and made his first career start in Week 5.<sup id=”cite_ref-9″ class=”reference”>[9]</sup><sup id=”cite_ref-10″ class=”reference”>[10]</sup> He started the next nine games before suffering a torn ACL in Week 14. He was placed on injured reserve on December 13, 2021.<sup id=”cite_ref-11″ class=”reference”>[11]</sup>

Jacobs was placed on the reserve/PUP list to start the 2022 season.<sup id=”cite_ref-12″ class=”reference”>[12]</sup> He was activated on October 22.<sup id=”cite_ref-13″ class=”reference”>[13]</sup>

Jacobs entered the 2023 season as a starting cornerback for the Lions. In Week 4, he recorded two interceptions on Packers quarterback Jordan Love in a 34-20 win. He finished the season with 55 tackles, eight passes defensed, and three interceptions through 15 games and 12 starts.

from 1  2021 draft report

https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jerry-jacobs/32004a41-4374-1021-efa8-4ea50654613b

HEIGHT

5’ 10’’

WEIGHT

208 lbs

By Lance Zierlein
NFL Analyst

Overview

Stout and muscular with a build that is better suited for safety than cornerback. Jacobs has played press man and zone but lacks the top-end speed and agility to handle man duties as a pro. He has decent eyes from zone and gets downhill quickly to strike and finish before things can get started. While there will be a temptation to try him at safety, his inconsistencies as an open-field tackler could complicate matters.

Strengths

Big body for a cornerback.
Busts it downhill to land a punishing shot from zone.
Able to crowd and intimidate at the catch point.
Displayed decent make-up burst against Georgia in 2019.
Aggressive getting after run support duties.

Weaknesses

Very average in attempts to phase the route.
Gets locked up in slide mode against release.
Clunky footwork in transitions.
Top-heavy and unable to maintain coverage positioning through turns.
Lack of length is an issue downfield.
Misses too many tackles in the open field.
Needs to keep eyes up as a tackler in run game.

 

Rams Bros.@RamsBrothers
Jordan Whittington is going to be SO much fun in this offense. Him getting to learn from Coop and Puka is going to expedite his onboarding process x10. He’ll be ready to go on week 1.

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Practice periods are mapped out (including play diagrams) and then “walked through” (hence the name) in the morning after meetings including installations, then the real thing goes fast in the afternoon. Lots of details.

Starting CB Darious Williams pulled up limping after covering a deep sideline ball, which was the last play of practice. Trainers went to attend but he stayed standing. Walking slowly off under his own power.

Holy hell, Kam Curl across the field, through the air, stretches out a hand and knocks away a mid-range ball from Stafford to Robinson – who btw was open right up until the catch point. Good player!

Still some time left in practice but two of the best catches today in team drills: Jordan Whittington off a snappy ball from Matthew Stafford, and Ronnie Rivers on a deep sideline pass from Jimmy Garoppolo (beat two defenders!). Mike LaFleur was geeked for Rivers after the play.

…

LA Rams camp observations and notes: Stafford speaks, tight ends impress

By Jourdan Rodrigue

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5657437/2024/07/25/rams-training-camp-matthew-stafford-tight-ends/?source=emp_shared_article

LOS ANGELES — The Rams may be practicing in a more intimate setting than usual while at Loyola Marymount University — a single field, plus a partial field converted from a baseball diamond across the sidewalk — but with quarterback Matthew Stafford slinging the ball around the energy was just as high as usual.

Stafford, 36, agreed to adjusted terms on his existing contract right as the team reported to training camp Tuesday morning. The renegotiation will increase some of his guaranteed money, but seemed to be a compromise.

“It was a good agreement, listen, I’m happy to be where I am,” Stafford said after Wednesday’s practice, the first of training camp and his first comments to reporters since the wild-card loss in Detroit. “I’m happy to be here, I’m happy to be playing. I’m excited about playing football this year, and that’s what matters to me the most, to be honest with you.”

Multiple team and league sources said as late as Tuesday morning that they weren’t sure whether Stafford would show up to camp if he and the team couldn’t reach an agreement, which happened a little frenetically in the few hours before the official player-report deadline at the university.

Wednesday, nobody would have guessed that any contract dispute existed. Stafford trash-talked new quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone during drills, toe-tapped the sideline when getting the ball back after passes in individual reps and threaded some signature passes through (and over the top of) defenders. Highlights included a mid-range crosser to second-year receiver Puka Nacua, who looks a little leaner this summer after spending his offseason training with veteran receiver Cooper Kupp. Stafford also hit second-year tight end Davis Allen on a well-placed pass in the red zone, which Allen pulled in for a touchdown.

Rams QB Matthew Stafford’s deal gets done — for many reasons

Stafford will return all of his top receivers from 2023, including Kupp, Nacua, veteran Demarcus Robinson and fourth-year player Tutu Atwell. Both tight ends — Allen and free-agent acquisition Colby Parkinson — clearly figure to be a significant part of the offense as well.

“In any part of a team, (continuity) is a great thing,” said Stafford, smiling. “It’s one thing to have continuity, it’s another thing to have continuity with a bunch of really good players. That’s a plus, too.”

More notes from the Rams’ first practice day of training camp

— remember, there are no pads yet and guidelines for credentialed media include restrictions on reporting of schemes or whether players are getting reps on the first or second team:

• More on Allen and Parkinson … I mentioned a few times in the offseason that they will have a big role in this version of head coach Sean McVay’s offense. Wednesday, they each pulled in a red zone touchdown (opposite corners; Parkinson’s was from backup Jimmy Garoppolo) and drew praise from McVay after practice. Veteran tight end Tyler Higbee is on the Physically Unable to Perform list (though is present at the practice facilities) while he recovers from knee surgery, and Hunter Long has also returned from a variety of injuries suffered in 2023.

While McVay has run more 11 personnel (three receivers, one tight end with few substitutions) than any NFL team since 2017, there is a sense among many analysts (including myself) that the usage of 12 personnel (two tight ends) by certain teams will increase in 2024. This is partially due to the number of teams that favor adding smaller defensive backs to counter all of the 11 personnel offenses run, plus to take away the deep passing game. Larger pass catchers could present mismatches for those players, plus lend support in the run game — which has also cycled back around to feature more heavy-personnel schemes as defenses remove extra linemen from the box and even inside linebackers from the middle of the field, to utilize more defensive backs. Anyway, it’s partially McVay’s fault that a lot of this has happened because of his 11 personnel trend-setting all of those years ago (joke, people, though not really) and so it’s no surprise to imagine he’s at least exploring what could be possible as new schematic cycles begin.

• Second-year defensive tackle Kobie Turner is nursing a groin strain, according to McVay. He will not need to be designated to any inactive list and participated in the walk-through.

• Veteran cornerback Tre’Davious White, who the Rams signed in free agency this spring, is considered a “full” participant in practice after recovering from last season’s Achilles tear. White will not take full reps just yet because the Rams want to be careful with his workload — but McVay voiced his happiness at having White on the field.

• All players except the quarterbacks wore the puffy Guardian caps over their helmets, an increase from last summer where mostly linemen and outside linebackers used them.

• Fourth-year inside linebacker Ernest Jones made his presence felt after missing OTAs with a leg injury. Jones intercepted Stafford — a high-flying effort across the middle of the field that drew a burst of cheering from his defensive teammates and the crowd of fans in the stands.

“Guys love him,” McVay said. “I mean, when you’re around Ernest there is just this magnetism and charisma that he has. Made a couple plays out here and it was really good to see No. 53 out there leading the way today.”

• The Rams generally have a good eye for safeties. Kam Curl, signed in free agency this spring, moves differently than most they have had. His fluidity, obvious handle on the defensive installation to this point and his athleticism stood out against Stafford and the rest of the offense during team drills, and drew some buzz from the scouts in town for their annual summit. Curl and Quentin Lake seem to be clear partners in the defensive backfield, and both are capable of playing a variety of positions.

• I mentioned rookie receiver Jordan Whittington as one of my sleepers ahead of this season, and watching practice Wednesday re-affirmed that opinion. Whittington can clearly take on a variety of roles in McVay’s offense. It will be hard for him to legitimately crack the starting offense during the regular season unless there is an injury, but it’s apparent that the Rams are preparing him to take on more responsibility if needed.

• On Thursday morning, it was reported that Rams defensive back Derion Kendrick suffered what could be a significant knee injury in practice Wednesday.

***

Blaine Grisak@bgrisakTST
TE Colby Parkinson is going to have a big role. We’re gonna hear about more “highlight reel” plays from him.

S Kam Curl looks the part. Seems like it’ll be him and Lake as main pairing.

***

Charles Robinson@CharlesRobinson
The staff is thrilled with free agent signing Kam Curl. A modest addition they think will pay major dividends.

Robinson from https://sports.yahoo.com/awkward-contract-situation-resolved-the-rams-and-matthew-stafford-have-found-balance-again-183206034.html

Watching Stafford and the Rams on Wednesday, you could see why there would be an effort to get everything square before camp opened. One interception aside, Stafford and the wideouts looked sharp immediately. Wideouts Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua look like they haven’t missed a beat, and running back Kyren Williams didn’t show any sign of a foot injury that forced him to miss a portion of the offseason. And not only did Kupp look healthy, too, Nacua appears to have a more finely tuned physique after spending the offseason in a workout program alongside Kupp. Add in a rebuilt interior of the offensive line, rookie running back Blake Corum behind Williams, and depth at tight end that might be better than initially thought, and the Rams’ offense might be as balanced as it has ever been during Stafford’s tenure in Los Angeles.

Asked if he views the offensive spine as being run or pass dominant, McVay said the Rams have finally reached the kind of versatility that has eluded them in even some of their best years.

“Both, hopefully — if we can be both, that’s been some of the best offenses we’ve ever had,” McVay said. “But I do think that if we can have the threat of being really good running it, it opens up other avenues in the passing game. … Steve Avila looks really good at center, [guards] Jonah Jackson and Kevin Dotson, really just the investment we’ve made in the interior parts of the offensive line [are exciting], to hopefully give us the ability to do everything, whether it’s solidify the pocket in protection or dictate the terms of the run game.”

***

from https://www.lafbnetwork.com/5-keys-rams-training-camp-day-1/

Despite Kobie Turner’s absence, the defensive line was buzzing with energy and intensity. With the absence of Aaron Donald, many across the league expect the Rams defensive line to decline. What happened today at practice showed that is hardly the case. Braden Fiske and Jared Verse proved their worth with some non-contact “sacks” leading to some erupting cheers from the rest of the defense at Rams training camp.

Ronnie Rivers is already making a compelling case to secure the third running back spot on the roster. Rivers consistently showed the ability to find gaps and make significant gains, adding a dynamic element to the backfield. With Kyren Williams expected to handle the primary duties, Rivers’ emergence provides valuable depth and competition, enhancing the overall strength of the running back unit against Blake Corum and Boston Scott.

***
from https://www.lafbnetwork.com/los-angeles-rams-tight-end-group-thrives-day-1/

If forced to pick a winner of the day, the Rams defense got day one. Coverage was sticky and the pass rush was potent. But what that allowed was for quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Jimmy Garoppolo to seek Davis Allen and Colby Parkinson in the 11-on-11 sections of practice. Both were targeted at a high rate. And both put up plays in the red zone portion of those sections. Each caught touchdown passes, and both were impressive athletic spectacles.

InvaderRam wrote:

that was an interesting conversation.

From that conversation: 

Front 7:

“But I am really excited and encouraged about the opportunity for us to see what that looks like. I’m so grateful for everything that he did, but I think we’ve got some young guys that I think have a chance. I think Kobie Turner’s a really good player. We’ve got some other young guys. I think Bobby Brown made a really good jump last year and I’m expecting that much more from him. We drafted Braden Fiske and Tyler Davis. And then on the edges, I think Byron Young is going to take a major leap. I think Michael Hoecht is a really versatile player that we can do a better job utilizing his skill set to not put him in some of the harder downs that he was in last year. And I’m really excited about Jared Verse.”

from Gary Klein: https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2024-07-23/rams-adjust-contract-quarterback-matthew-stafford

[me: just a re-cap of all the relevant facts, no word yet on how the contract looks now]

Stafford, 36, was scheduled to earn $31 million this season and carry a salary-cap number of $49.5 million, according to Overthecap.com.

Stafford had two additional years remaining on the extension he signed in 2022 after leading the Rams to a Super Bowl title. But only $15 million of his $27 million salary in 2025 and none of $26 million in 2026 was guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the situation said.

…

McVay said Tuesday that Stafford approached him “right around free-agency time,” and informed him that his representatives would be contacting the Rams.

During the NFL draft in April, NFL.com reported Stafford was seeking an adjustment that would give him more guaranteed money beyond this season. McVay acknowledged the report and said the Rams would work to come to a resolution.

Brett Kollmann@BrettKollmann
AFC playoff teams imo, as of the week that camps are opening

Chiefs
Ravens
Texans
Bills
Colts
Bengals
Steelers, but possibly Chargers

NFC

49ers
Lions
Eagles
Falcons
Rams
Packers
Cowboys, but possibly Bucs