10 Observations from the Rams’ June 4 OTA session

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/10-observations-from-the-rams-june-4-ota-session

The Rams’ organized team activity session on Friday, June 4, was open to the media. Here are staff writer Stu Jackson’s 10 observations from it. (Team reporter Sarina Morales contributed to this report.)

1) Leonard Floyd in attendance. The Rams outside linebacker was at the team’s facility participating in the OTA session, working with assistant linebackers coach Thad Bogardus. Floyd previously did this with linebackers coach Chris Shula during practice last season, when Shula coached the outside linebackers. Shula sometimes works with the inside linebackers on the field in his new role; when that happens, Bogardus steps in and works with the outside linebackers.

2) We continue to see quarterback Matthew Stafford connecting well with wide receiver Cooper Kupp. During 7-on-7 drills, Stafford hit a wide-open Kupp over the middle.

3) While much attention has been given to Stafford-to-Kupp, was also another solid Stafford to Van Jefferson connection during 7-on-7 drills, similar to the May 27 session. Rams head coach Sean McVay praised Jefferson during his post-practice video conference with reporters Friday, calling the second-year wide receiver “a major bright spot this offseason” and someone who the team is “expecting very big things from” this year.

4) DeCamillis’ energy as advertised. Rams kicker Matt Gay on Thursday described him as “super high-energy” on Thursday, and on Friday, DeCamillis was very vocal and energetic during special teams drills.

5) Tutu Atwell’s speed on display again. In the first OTA session open to the media (May 27), Atwell used his separate at the line of scrimmage and corral a short pass from Stafford. On Friday, he connected with Stafford on a deep ball.

6) Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris hands-on. While it’s expected and understandable given his title, it’s still worth noting that Morris was very involved during Friday’s drills, bouncing between the defensive backs, inside linebackers and defensive linemen.

7) Running back Darrell Henderson Jr. in action. It was good to see third-year pro participating in some drills Friday. When McVay was asked for a health update on Henderson during his post-practice video conference, McVay told reporters they expected Henderson to be full-speed by the time training camp comes around.

8) Undrafted rookie free agent signee Brontae Harris out of UAB had a nice pass breakup against quarterback John Wolford during 7-on-7 drills.

9) Second-year wide receiver Trishton Jackson, who made the Rams’ 53-man roster last year as an undrafted free agent out of Syracuse, had a nice grab during 7-on-7 drills.

10) Offensive lineman and International Player Pathway Program addition Max Pircher was spotted working with offensive assistant Nick Jones during Friday’s session. Given Jones coached offensive tackles – Jones’ most recent position while playing in Italy – at one of his stops during his college coaching career, it’s a natural partnership for one-on-one work as Pircher gets acclimated to the NFL.

Rams OTAs: Which rookie impressed Sean McVay, injury updates for Terrell Lewis and Darrell Henderson

Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/2633909/2021/06/04/rams-otas-which-rookie-impressed-sean-mcvay-injury-updates-for-terrell-lewis-and-darrell-henderson/?source=emp_shared_article

The Rams officially wrapped up their voluntary spring workouts Friday afternoon and are preparing for mandatory minicamp June 8-10 — complete with an open practice at SoFi Stadium on June 10, which fans will be able to attend.

One point of update: Per protocol established by Rams public relations, I am not able to report which players got first-team or second-team reps unless it’s directly addressed by head coach Sean McVay or the player himself (a policy that is pretty standard across the league). In video call interview sessions, there’s not always the opportunity to follow up on more granular details such as, “Hey Sean, how much comfort do you have in rotating between Brian Allen and Coleman Shelton at second-and-third-string center?” when there are also major storylines to get covered and about which to get commentary and context. So, please bear with me as I’ll do the best I can within these parameters, and please especially pay close attention to when depth charts and position outlook pieces are released in the coming weeks.

With that being said, notes and observations from Friday’s OTAs access:

• Cornerback Robert Rochell, a fourth-round draft pick this spring, is getting thrown right into the mix with the first-team defense out of necessity with Darious Williams and Jalen Ramsey absent from the voluntary programming. It’s a credit to Rochell that he sees this small window as an opportunity because once minicamp and training camp begin, he’ll be moved back with the second-teamers and really dig into more special-teams work. He matched up several times against receivers Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson, who have been the lead receivers for quarterback Matthew Stafford with other veteran players trickling in and out of the workouts.

“That’s probably the best part about it, being thrown right into the mix,” Rochell said. “Just being able to transition and learn the speed of the game — seeing the guys full speed and the guys who do start, being able to just be there and go head-to-head with those guys is great. I’m taking advantage of each day … and just grateful that I am thrown in there a lot and getting those reps.

“I’m most definitely seizing the opportunity because it could have been granted to somebody else. They entrusted me to say that I could potentially be there. Just being able to rotate with guys and get practice reps at that position helps me out in all ways.”

• Running back Darrell Henderson is half-in, half-out of on-field work as he recovers from an unspecified injury and worked with vice president of sports medicine and performance Reggie Scott on the side of the field for about 50 percent of Friday’s practice. He did get some on-field work in with the offense, and McVay says he is “making good progress.”

“He’s feeling better and better, and we expect him to be full speed by the time training camp rolls around,” he said.

However, McVay was not able to provide any update on outside linebacker Terrell Lewis, who got a workout in with trainers but stood to the side with teammates during on-field work and did not participate in drills or installation. Lewis has been working through a recurring situation with his knee for the last year or so.

• McVay was asked if a rookie has stood out to him in the limited capacity of OTAs, and he quickly named tight end Jacob Harris — the raw, but explosively athletic tight end the Rams drafted in the fourth round this year. Harris has been working almost exclusively with tight ends coach Wes Phillips, who also communicated with him throughout the pre-draft process — so that should provide a clue as to where the Rams will slot him on their roster (although he clearly will be trained as more of a pass-catching and mismatch tight end).

“Jacob Harris is a guy who has definitely stood out,” McVay said. “Just his overall speed, athleticism — you kind of feel him on the field. That’s been in some of the limited seven-on-sevens and kind of running routes on air, and that’s not how you really play football. So there is a real variance when you actually include the offensive and defensive lines.”

With Tyler Higbee absent from the media-viewed portion of OTAs, Harris and second-year tight end Brycen Hopkins have both gotten a lot of reps with Stafford.

• Defensive tackle Bobby Brown III’s attention to detail in his note-taking has drawn attention from staff, which Brown says is attributed to his interest in writing and pursuit of the craft as a hobby. He added that his favorite writing and literature topic is mythology.

• Second-year running back Cam Akers took extra time to work on pass protection blocking drills with running backs coach/assistant head coach Thomas Brown in between drilling sessions. Akers wants to be an every-down back in 2021 and is preparing for the lead back’s share of snaps, so continuing to hone his blocking and pass protection ability will be important so that the Rams feel they can keep him in the game on passing downs. McVay has high expectations for Akers entering 2021.

“The biggest thing is that he’s got great natural run instincts, he’s really talented as a pass catcher,” McVay said. “It’s the nuanced understanding of where you fit in some of the protections where the back’s involved and I think (for Akers) that it’s about continuing to become more and more complete. He’s got the skill set, he’s capable. We really feel the same way about Darrell Henderson as well. Under Coach Brown’s leadership and guidance, I expect that group to really grow.”

• Veteran outside linebacker Leonard Floyd was present for Friday’s workouts and led off the pass rush drills throughout the day. What I found to be pretty interesting was the comparison of his length of frame alongside rookie outside linebacker Chris Garrett — Floyd is 6-foot-6 and Garrett is listed at 6-foot-4, but similarly to Floyd, Garrett seems to have the ability to use his frame (particularly his arms/wingspan) in a way that almost seems to give him a bit of extra length. Obo Okoronkwo, who has dealt with injuries the past two seasons, looked healthy and explosive — and may see a growing role in speed rush packages opposite Floyd if he can stay healthy. Justin Lawler worked his way into the No. 3 spot in drills, as Lewis was not participating in practice.

Henry Bear@HenryBearT
@JourdanRodrigue Which Rams player impressed you the most todayThinking face

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
I’m not sure if “impressed” is the right word because he does this pretty routinely at this point but it was cool to see Cam Akers take extra time to work through pass-pro drills with Thomas Brown between practice segments. McVay also mentioned Akers’ pass-catching ability today.

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Sean McVay and Les Snead both firmly said pre-draft that there was no punting competition.

However, Rams punter Johnny Hekker says he would be doing himself a disservice to not treat the addition of Corey Bojorquez as a competition. Adds he’s his own toughest critic after

an uncharacteristic season and “the financial component” can’t be overlooked. So, regardless of what was publicly said – Hekker is on his toes this summer and seems to be well aware of his situation. Laughing, he adds it “keeps him young”.

NFL players urged to limit Toradol use. https://t.co/rDzxhLRC2Y

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 4, 2021

Mike McCarthy says the Cowboys are planning to practice with the Rams, but it’s not set in stone yet.​ https://t.co/eRNxn3ieGB

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) June 4, 2021

Rams DL Sebastian Joseph-Day discusses his approach to developing his pass-rush technique this offseason, working with Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris, and what he’s seen from A’Shawn Robinson during OTAs so far.

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Rams DT A’Shawn Robinson completely overhauled his training regimen and diet through the offseason to go more vegetable/pescatarian and maintain a lighter playing weight. Says he feels fantastic and did it so he “won’t let teammates down” in a year in which role will increase.

Robinson will play at about 305 this year and maintain that weight, but says he can get down to 290 in the future years if the team wants.

(This is obviously important for versatility purposes as it seems at that weight they’d like him to play more than just at nose)

The Seahawks have looked into a possible trade for Julio Jones, as @diannaESPN said. My understanding: they were doing their usual due diligence. Jones' contract is an obvious roadblock. It would presumably take Atlanta eating some salary as Houston did with Jadeveon Clowney.

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) June 2, 2021

from https://www.si.com/nfl/rams/news/la-rams-matthew-stafford-airs-it-out-at-otas

Austin Corbett playing center

After letting Austin Blythe sign with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency and passing on selecting a potential starter in the draft, McVay finally revealed his hand during OTA’s.

Austin Corbett, last year’s starting right guard for the Rams, worked with the starters at center. Across the line for the first group: LT – Andrew Whitworgh, LG – David Edwards, C – Corbett, RG Bobby Evans, RT Rob Havenstein.

“We’re continuing to evaluate,” McVay said. “When you just talk about Austin in particular, what was so impressive to me when you look at it from afar, here is a guy that comes in from Cleveland a couple years ago and on short notice ends up starting at left guard.

“Then you get a chance to get some experience there and played really good football, got better as the 2019 season progressed and as he got more experience under his belt. Then you come back last year and he plays really well at the right guard position. He had a lot of snaps that he played center for Cleveland in the preseason a couple years ago. He’s a guy that can play on the left or the right side. He’s an extremely smart player. He’s got a good feel for the game, so we’re looking at that. We know he can be an elite guard in this league, so that center-quarterback relationship is really important.”

McVay went on to say that Brian Allen appears healthy and give the Rams another option at center, along with Coleman Shelton. But it appears to be Corbett’s job to lose — for now.

“You’ve got Brian Allen, who has started games and he feels like he’s healthy,” McVay said. “I’m really pleased with his progression. And then Coleman Shelton is another player who going back to last year even, he was playing really well in camp, and he kind of had a little ankle injury that set him back.

“So, those are three guys that we’re looking at, at the center spot. But Austin is somebody that we’re excited about kind of seeing how handles some of the things that really requires some extra communication. The above the neck, as you guys like to laugh at when I say it.”

It appears that part of the reasoning for moving Corbett to center was clearing a spot to get Bobby Evans on the field. Evans got a spot start at left guard during the playoffs last season when David Edwards was on the field.

McVay said Evans overall length and athleticism allows him to play outside, but he has the quickness and smarts to play inside where things happen faster. McVay also likes his energy on game day and the fact that game is not too big for him, that he responds well in big games.

“Bobby is a guy that we do think has the ability to be a very good starting player for us,” McVay said. “And he’s shown that, both at the guard and the tackle position.”

Billy_T wrote:

Link up wages and prices, democratically; utilize time-saving innovations to radically reduce our weekly hours; focus on what we do, and create jobs that people love for their own sake. We all should have a chance at that. But that will never, ever happen under a capitalist system. We must democratize the economy instead.

But then who would own the football teams?

See Mr. Pie in the Sky, utopia ain’t as easy as you think.

.

from https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player-news#team-76

Rams selected Northwestern EDGE Earnest Brown IV with the No. 174 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Brown IV (6’4/270) is a former four-star talent who was considered the sixth-best strong side defensive end and the top-rated player from Northwestern’s 2017 recruiting class. Though he didn’t start a single game until his senior season, Brown IV had a strong first five games of his junior year, earning a sparkling 86.6 defensive grade by Pro Football Focus before tearing a pectoral muscle early into the year and ultimately missing the rest of the season. He started all nine games as a senior, posting 32 tackles, 8.5 TFL and a sack while earning honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition. His athletic profile is just average, as his slow-footed 5.01-second 40-yard dash and 4.67 RAS will attest. Brown IV will try to carve out a niche as a situational run-defender similar to Jalyn Holmes with the Rams.

Sosa K@QBsMVP
Fun fact: If Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp both gain exactly 1,000 yards receiving this season, they’ll rank 8th and 10th in receiving yardage in Rams history. They’re currently 11th and 14th.