from Rodrigue, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5541454/2024/06/04/rams-otas-matthew-stafford-contract/

 Veteran running back Boston Scott, who was signed by the Rams in late-spring, is already a key contributor on special teams (inclusive to the new kickoff rules), according to coordinator Chase Blackburn.

“He’s done a really nice job,” Blackburn said. “He has done both punt return and kick return, awesome to have him here. Great veteran presence. Really taking a leadership role even immediately in the punt team, moving around from wing to person protector to making the calls, going back and forth … then obviously from a dual returner perspective, just a great guy. Great human, awesome teammate and really showing the way right now.”

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2024/06/10/rams-blake-corum-matthew-stafford-practice-otas-quote/?taid=66674b07a99924000186e471&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

Corum was recently on the “Rich Eisen Show” and he was almost speechless when talking about how good Stafford is.

“I haven’t sat down with Stafford and picked his brain, but let me just tell you this: His ball placement, his IQ – phenomenal quarterback,” Corum said. “It’s crazy how he puts the ball where no one else can get it. It’s absolutely ridiculous. He’s great, man.”

Eisen asked Corum what specifically is so impressive about Stafford and he immediately mentioned his no-look passes.

“The way he can look this way but throw the ball this way, it blows my mind,” Corum said. “But that’s why he’s been in the league so long and been great at what he does for so long. It’s exciting being in the backfield with Matthew Stafford.”

Isaac Bruce breaks down his game winning TD catch from Super Bowl XXXIV

vid link: https://www.therams.com/video/isaac-bruce-breaks-down-game-winning-td-catch-from-super-bowl

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2024/06/07/rams-jonah-jackson-matthew-stafford-free-agency/?taid=666382f928268c000167e4e7&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

During an interview with J.B. Long and D’Marco Farr, Jackson said Stafford was the primary reason he picked the Rams.

“It definitely came down to a few teams but here, obviously, the weather is absolutely incredibly. Every day is beautiful. But, No. 9,” Jackson said. “I had Matthew my rookie year and I knew what he brought to the table and I knew he could bring us all the way. And from the outside looking in, we had a lot of carryover in Detroit and I got along well with those guys. Greg, Brad (Holmes), Jared (Goff) and they all loved it out here and I figured they’re my kind of guys.”

Kupp

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2024/06/06/rams-cooper-kupp-injuries-2023-sean-mcvay-quote/?taid=66624dad8fc192000171a722&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

McVay said on Tuesday that Kupp was dealing with more than people realize. He compared it to Matthew Stafford in 2022 when he was playing through various injuries, including an elbow issue that limited him greatly throughout the spring and summer.

“Really, similar to Matthew in ‘22 and then Cooper last year, I don’t think anybody really understands the amount of things that both of those guys were working through in each of those years,” McVay said. “That gives you an appreciation, and I think both of them an appreciation for how much they love this game and how much more fun it is when you’re feeling good. But you talk about a guy that’s really set the tempo for the way that this offseason has gone. I’m not surprised, but you sure are impressed with just the consistency, the work ethic, the growth mindset, and how that influences and affects the rest of the guys that he’s around. This guy’s a stud. I love him. I’m really happy to see where he’s at right now.”

From Ranking the NFL’s head coaches: https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/nfl-best-head-coaches-andy-reid-kyle-shanahan-mike-tomlin/

1. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs

…

2. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

It’s so fun that you could ask Sean McVay what he was doing June 5, 2003 and he’ll be able to give you a detailed description of the omelet he made for breakfast that morning and what cartoon was on TV while he was making it.

McVay took a different approach to his offense last season and turned the Rams into a run-through-your-face power run team with a lot of play action mixed in. Matthew Stafford still has the ability to sling it, and it’ll be fun to see what the offense can do in year two of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp as a duo. McVay has already been to two Super Bowls and won one. Can the Rams make another appearance in the biggest game of the year? Who’s to say they can’t?

from https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2024/6/6/24172536/rams-special-teams-53-man-roster-new-kickoff-rule
.

Under the new rules, there’s a lot more strategy from both sides and it’s more of a football play. Rams special teams coach Chase Blackburn spoke to the media on Tuesday and said,

“It’s just such a unique play with its own rules set right now. Still evolving with the play as it evolves…It’s more like an offensive-defensive play, so looking at it from that perspective…All that stuff is completely different and that’s the biggest feeler for everything is what are our drop angles? What are our depths and our limits? And most important thing as always, is that some things don’t change. It’s always about man meet ball. Really that’s what we’re looking for is like developing some basic fundamentals, working through some concepts and some schemes as well as even some install progressions to get into training camp, which is one of the things I think so unique about the offseason and for us to be able to sit out here and once we got to phase three where we could go against each other because really before that you’re doing some drill work but you can’t go against each other. But once you feel it as a whole perspective, it changes you outlook on a little bit. There’s so many intricacies to the rule. I’m sure some things will still change before it’s all said (and done).”

Due to touchbacks being placed at the 30-yard line rather than the 25, it’s very possible that we see more returns and less kicks out of the back of the end zone. With that said, it’s going to be important for special teams units to have a plan on not only how to cover the play, but how to block it on the returning side. Blackburn noted on Tuesday that they could look to use some gap scheme type blocking or zone plays that could help get the returner to the second level. This is much more a “football” offense-defense play than it has been in the past. It’s a phase of the game that can’y simply be put on the back-burner or it may cost teams game.

This is the approach that the Rams have taken, especially at the returner position throughout the Sean McVay era. Pharaoh Cooper did make a Pro Bowl in 2017 and Brandon Powell also had some success. With that said, that’s not something that they’ll be able to do this year. It’s also a reason why they potentially signed Boston Scott who has both punt and kick returner experience. Blackburn jokingly said that rookie edge Jared Verse wants to be a returner and then continued by saying,

“There’s definitely some variables there. I think the one thing you got to look at is from a returner’s perspective, one of the things that we really tried to identify is guys that…like center fielders that can cover a lot of ground, can read and have a great jump off the bat. It’s no different than than our returners now being able to have like tennis feet where they’re kind of fluid early in the down and get a good jump as soon as it hits the foot. Instead of a 4.2 second hang, you’re probably going to average around a two second hang time now because it’s more advantageous for our kickoff team to get it up and down as fast as possible and not let the returner sit underneath that, camp out and take off… I think, even the guys that say they want have one returner back there, I think that’s an out-of-the box thinking…You’ll see most teams will go with two. Maybe there’ll be a couple guys in the preseason that try one, see what they can get away with blocking scheme wise. But I really truly believe that two returners will be what you see most likely.”

…

More high profile players and skill position players could get more involved in the third-phase of the game. The Rams haven’t typically kept many linebackers on the final 53-man roster anyway. However, with the new rules that might be the case even more. The Rams could keep extra wide receivers or defensive backs instead.

Last season, Ethan Evans was the player that took kickoffs for the Rams. Evans led all kickers with an average distance of 72 yards per attempt and had the fourth-lowest return percentage. While the Rams may not go to the extreme of taking Evans off of kickoff duty, this was something that Blackburn talked about with the media,

“The way I look at it is, yeah, you don’t want your kicker making a ton of tackles, right? But also, again, if it’s short of the 20 or out of bounds, the ball’s going 25 yards from the spot of kick. So you’re going the 40-yard line. You don’t want start too many drives like that. And I’d say there’s not too many position players that you could bank on having 80% of the kicks without like a traditional…Because again, if you’re kicking the ball to the 10-yard line and they can get underneath it and run, they’re going be at the 30-35 before you turn around.”

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2024/06/05/rams-draft-big-board-top-prospects-verse-fiske/?taid=66610a283c1f320001c0281b&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

During the latest episode of “Behind The Grind,” director of scouting strategy James Gladstone told Les Snead and Sean McVay that the Rams landed four of the top 50 players on their board by drafting Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Blake Corum and Kamren Kinchens in the first three rounds.

Rams rookie Blake Corum hits the ground running during offseason workouts

By Gary Klein

https://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/story/2024-06-04/rams-rookie-blake-corum-hits-the-ground-running

He was a two-time All-American at Michigan and the offensive most valuable player in the Wolverines’ national championship game victory over Washington.

So running back Blake Corum had pedigree when the Rams selected him in the third round of the NFL draft.

Yet Corum has gone through the Rams’ offseason program with an attitude that tilted more neophyte than seasoned performer.

“You just have to go in with a humble heart, and the mindset of, ‘I don’t know anything,’” Corum said Tuesday after practice, adding, “I’m going to grow from the good I do and whatever bad I do. … I’m never going to stop growing — so it was easy for me to come in and basically start over.”

The Rams selected the 5-foot-8, 210-pound Corum to complement third-year pro Kyren Williams, who made the Pro Bowl last season after rushing for 1,144 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns for a team that finished 10-7 and made the playoffs.

With Williams sidelined for voluntary offseason workouts because of a foot injury, Corum is taking advantage of increased reps as he learns the offense.

“I’ve seen a very mature rookie,” coach Sean McVay said, adding, “I love his mental makeup, love the way he handles himself as a person and how locked in and focused he is.”

Corum is part of a position group that includes Williams, Ronnie Rivers, second-year pro Zach Evans and recently signed veteran Boston Scott. Each has displayed talent and growth — in the meeting room and on the field — during the offseason program, running backs coach Ron Gould said.

Upon Corum’s arrival in Thousand Oaks, Gould sat down with the rookie and urged him not to be too hard on himself if he committed mistakes. The worst thing Corum could do, Gould said, was put pressure on himself.

“He hasn’t done that up to this point,” Gould said. “He’s taken everything in stride. He’s a learner, and I see him growing every single day.”

Corum used a tough running style to rush for 3,737 yards and 58 touchdowns during four seasons at Michigan.

After selecting Florida State edge rusher Jared Verse in the first round of the draft, and trading up to pick Seminoles defensive tackle Braden Fiske in the second, the Rams chose Corum with the 83rd pick.

“I went into the draft just planning on going on Day 2,” Corum said. “I didn’t know if it would be the second or third [round] for me — I just wanted to go to the right situation.

“When I got the call from the Rams I was like, ‘You know what? This is the right situation.’”

McVay, Gould, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and the other running backs have eased his transition to the pros, Corum said.

“I thought I had a great family at Michigan,” Corum said. “We built a great culture there, and I didn’t know what to expect coming to the NFL where it is a business now. But it feels like family.”

After the Rams conclude workouts next week, Corum said he would leave Southern California briefly to conduct football camps in Michigan and home-state Virginia. He will return quickly to prepare for training camp, which begins in late July.

“Maybe go down to Malibu, check out a beach or two,” he said. “But other than that, I’m going to be spacing my time wisely, taking care of my body, training every day to make sure I’m in shape for camp and staying in the playbook.”

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2024/06/03/rams-jared-verse-byron-young-otas-draft-2024/?taid=66601b1b3c1f320001cb1343&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

[Byron] Young was asked to name a teammate who’s stood out in OTAs thus far and he immediately went to Verse.

“I’m going to start with Jared Verse. No lie, if you’ve been here so far, he’s just handling it like a pro,” Young said. “His get-off is insane, rushing the passer, every day just showing up, listening, being accountable. Me being a vet and him being younger, he’s listening. He’s just a guy that wants to learn. Every day I talk to him and that’s what I love about him. He’s a guy that’s hungry. He’s definitely hungry.”

Verse might only be a rookie, but he’s making his voice known in practice. Young says Verse is vocal on the field, which provides some extra juice for the defense – something he loves to see from the first-year edge rusher.

“I love it. I was telling coach about that the other day. He definitely brings the dog out of me,” Young said. “His aggression, his love for the game. Every day he comes out there, you’re going to hear him and that’s what we need. We need that spark, man. It’ll be some days, I feel like we’re starting slow but you will hear him and he will spark up the team. when they drafted him, I already knew he was like that, so I was just happy. I was like, I’ve got to come out of my shell more so he’s definitely going to have me do that.”

Young and Verse are projected to be the starting outside linebackers for the Rams this season, with Michael Hoecht also in the mix. Young and Verse bring an abundance of speed and power on the outside, especially with Young bulking up and adding 10 pounds of muscle to his frame this offseason.