Coach Sean McVay – September 1, 2020

(Opening Statement)
“All right guys, starting out, had a good walk-thru, we’ll have practice this afternoon starting to get into a normal rhythm and routine that will be in alignment with the schedule in season, even though we’re kind of still in that camp mode, like we talked about. Also, an update on ‘T Howard’ (LB Travin Howard) – unfortunately he did tear his meniscus. He’ll have surgery and will miss the remainder of the year. It’s really unfortunate for a guy that’s put in a lot of work, put himself in position to be a huge impact player for us. Have total trust that he’ll come back stronger and continue to be a big part of our organization moving forward. But, guys will be asked to step up in his absence.”

(On whether he will look to bring in any external players or if he’s happy with the current depth)
“Yeah, we feel good about the guys we have in-house. Not looking outside, just continuing to look at seeing these guys maximize opportunities. Like we talked about, there’s been a lot of bright spots from that group under (Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers) Coach (Joe) Barry’s guidance and leadership. But, it’s a big loss because of how well he had been playing. Feel terrible for him.”

(On whether the injury occurred during practice)
“He did. He did it in practice, that’s why he had missed the last couple days. It’s kind of a weird deal, where he said he felt something but it didn’t seem like it was anything significant. Then when you look at it, he’d gotten that meniscus and we’ve got to go in there an get it fixed. It’s going to be few months and unfortunately that’s the case for him.”

(On who he expects to step up in Howard’s role)
“I think we’ve talked about those three guys, when you look at (LB) Micah (Kiser), (LB) Kenny (Young) and (LB) Troy Reeder. Those guys have done a nice job. Really, when you add in ‘T Howard’, those four have had played really good football throughout. We’re going to ask some younger guys to step up. That’s where you just hate it for ‘T Howard’, but it does present an opportunity for some other guys to see if they’re capable and fill the void. Those will be the main guys that we’re looking at right now.”

(On whether he watched the Dallas Cowboys scrimmage and any challenges considering they didn’t wear jersey numbers)
“They didn’t show any plays. It was no jerseys, no plays. We’ve got to be ready to go. But, I think it’s like anything else, this is such a unique year without any preseason games and especially with them being a new staff, I didn’t anticipate them showing anything. We didn’t show anything in our scrimmages, unless you guys are tweeting out too much stuff (laughs).”

(On how the pandemic will impact scouting this season)
“That’s a good question. I’m not sure exactly. I know the league is working through all that stuff. I’m not exactly sure how those guys (scouts) will be affected. There’s so many different parameters in place and I can only be where my feet are planted. But, it definitely affects being able to what the normal preseason allows being able to scout the other 31 teams’ guys. This is where you truly rely on a lot of your draft preparation with some of the draftable guys or college free agents if they do become available. That’s why I kind of mentioned earlier, I would imagine there will be less movement in terms of roster shuffling than what the last few years has been, just because of the limited exposure you have to other team’s rosters.”

(On whether this will apply to midseason trades as well)
“That’s a good question. I think it’s a little bit different just because you’ll at least have some inventory to go off of for this year. I don’t expect that to be affected as quite as much as the initial releasing of the rosters and what people’s 53 look like.”

(On whether there is interest in pursuing RB Leonard Fournette)
“He’s a good player. But we feel good about the guys we have in-house. Not looking to add anybody externally. I’ve been very pleased with our (running) backs. I’ve talked a lot about what a great job (Running Backs) Coach (Thomas) Brown has done. I think (RB) Malcolm Brown’s leadership has been outstanding for that group and those younger players we feel good about. So, that won’t be something that we’ll be looking into.”

(On if the practice squad becomes more tactical than a back-up due to a healthy team)
“I think it’s both. It’s extremely important to get the looks, but then you hope that you’re able to stay healthy and nobody has any issues and they’re making smart decisions off the field and doing the right things when they’re here. I think that was a part of the expansion of the practice squad and you definitely want to maximize it, if the worst-case scenario ends up happening to your ball club.”

(On developing players on the practice squad rather than using it for depth)
“I think that’s always the approach you take with the practice squad, is these guys have a role to be able to give great looks for what the opponent is doing as we get ready throughout the week, but there’s also still an accumulation of knowledge, because these players, they’re in the defensive and offensive meetings, they’re learning the system. Coaches spend extra time after practice is done and they’re still a part of the individual work. You have guys on the practice squad for the same reasons that you’re talking about with the goal of developing them, building from within and having them be part of your team and contributing on one of your three phases, hopefully sooner than later. That’s always, kind of, our approach with the practice squad guys.”

(On nobody being able to steal the practice squad players this season)
“It provides some insurance, yes. Those are the guys that you really want to pay close attention to, but where you’re a little bit thinner at some other positions are where you’d be a little bit more apt to use that, kind of, protection mechanism.”

(On assessing S Taylor Rapp coming back from injury)
“It’s a day-by-day thing. Anytime that you’re coming off an injury, you plan on wanting to go from zero to 100, but you want to be able to kind of acclimate these guys and on board them in a way that’s in alignment with a good progression. I think we’ve seen a little bit of steady progress. He’s been out there for the walk-thrus, he’s been able to do some individual. We’ll take it a little bit at a time and hopefully that will lead to him feeling ready to roll for the 13th.”

(On how he has been impressed with Rapp’s mental approach)
“He’s stayed engaged. I think (Safeties) Coach (Ejiro) Evero’s done an excellent job, but Taylor’s really smart, he loves football, he’s instinctual, he’s stayed engaged in the meetings, he’s been involved on the field at practice. That was one of the reasons why you love him so much coming out of Washington, is the instincts, the football acumen and all that stuff is a benefit for why you’re hopeful and optimistic that he’ll return to performing sooner than later. It’s just a matter of that knee feeling totally good.”

(On the balance between preparing for Dallas and creating as many competitive situations before Saturday)
“It is a balance. I think these next three days, our practice is kind of reflective of that and it’s not necessarily, like we talked about yesterday, ‘Dallas looks’. It’s maybe just some looks that we haven’t seen from each other’s offense or defense or some of the trends around the league and that might be reflective of what we can anticipate seeing from the opposing teams in the first month of the season. We’re still in that training camp mode. I think the competitive work is the most important thing you can get, but you also do want to get some looks at some different front structures, some different coverage contours, some different schemes, run-games, some different formations and pass concepts, so that’s kind of what this week will be and then you’ll really start to see us trim our focus towards Dallas, towards the later part of the week.”

(On Gerald Everett’s Twitter post about his contract)
“(TE) Gerald (Everett) knows he’s a big part of what we’re doing. He’s going to be a very important piece for us. Waiting on anything is going to be a great season from Gerald Everett for the Rams. That’s what you can wait on. We’re very glad he’s here. He’s in a good place. He’s done a great job throughout camp. He’s versatility is a real winning edge for our football team and you’re going to see that this coming season.”

(On how to scout for Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy and Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore)
“It’s a combination of both, because they did a great job offensively. I would imagine that their offense will be reflective of a collaboration of both. (Cowboys Head Coach) Mike McCarthy has been a great offensive coach for a long time in this league. (Offensive Coordinator) Kellen (Moore) did a great job as a coordinator last year, their offensive numbers are reflective of that. So, you have to be mindful and be prepared for both parts of it.”

(On if QB John Wolford ran practice squad last year)
“Yeah he did. And he’ll give our guys great looks, but he will also be ready to roll, making sure that he stays up to date with our information and things that are going on. But, he and (Former Rams QB) Blake (Bortles) kind of split those roles last year.”

(On will Wolford be back in that role this year)
“Yeah. John has done a great job. John has established himself as a clear-cut guy, that we feel confident in, behind (QB) Jared (Goff). The most important thing is be ready to role in a tough situation, if that occurs. But he will definitely be a part of that ‘looks squad’, when we end up having our defense and being able to give them a look. As well as (QB) Bryce (Perkins), which is the three quarterbacks we have in hand right now. ”

(On has he decided his starting five for the offensive line)
“Yeah, it’s an ongoing evaluation. I think it’s getting a feel. I mean, you get a lot of work in, even before you can truly start the practices. But, like we have talked about in the last couple of years, we’re moving guys around. We want to be able to establish that depth, make sure guys are comfortable playing in multiple spots and on multiple sides of the line. So, I wouldn’t say anything is fully decided. That’s just part of our evaluation process.”

(On what ILB Kenny Young brings to the defense)
“I think, speed, explosion. He’s one of those players on defense you feel. I thought he had a couple nice plays where he found an opening, triggered, and was able to make some TFLs. He has athleticism in coverage. I think he’s picking up the system well. I think just overall, the athleticism and ability to cover ground and be able to kind of see plays and make them, that quick reaction is something that stood out to me from him the other day. I thought he did a really nice job and I was very encouraged with (ILB) Kenny’s (Young) play.”

(On does K Lirim Hajrullahu experience in the CFL give him an advantage as the backup punter)
“Not unless (P Johnny) Hekker is going to miss a lot of games. You know, Johnny is going to be our punter. He’s healthy, he was with his family, which was the most important thing, no doubt about it. Congratulations to he and his wife on their second baby. But no we’re strictly evaluating kickers and that won’t change our evaluation based on him catching a couple of long snaps the other day (laughs).”

Compton Executioners deputy gang lied about guns and hosted inking parties, deputy says

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-08-20/lasd-gangs-who-are-the-compton-executioners?fbclid=IwAR1sv2eAmy1srvjJ5rd5sZ4kf-7HrOWhoxgLcnSTzMw_6aL_FCc0QTC-gxU

At the Compton sheriff’s station, it’s called a ghost gun: a weapon a deputy says he spots on a suspect but that is never found when colleagues respond to the scene and search for it.

That’s because the call-out is based on a lie. The deputy didn’t actually see a gun, but his suspect could turn out to be armed and an arrest or recovered firearm could pad his reputation.

It’s the kind of behavior that plays out regularly at the station, according to a whistleblower who worked there for five years and recounted other sensational allegations in a recent deposition obtained by The Times in a federal civil rights lawsuit.

“In reality, they’ve never seen the gun,” L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy Austreberto Gonzalez said under oath. “And then at the end when their containments are set up, you know, the gun is never recovered. You know, they’ll call it a day and say, ‘Thank you for rolling. We’re going to call it,’ and a gun was never recovered.”

Gonzalez says the scheme is employed in Compton by tattooed deputies who call themselves the Executioners, the clandestine gang many say runs the station.

His allegations add to a growing body of information about the Compton clique, one of several tattooed deputy groups within the Sheriff’s Department with names such as the Grim Reapers, Banditos and Jump Out Boys.

The Sheriff’s Department has been aware of the groups for decades but has struggled to crack down, despite repeated internal and independent investigations and instances in which members are accused of misconduct.

Gonzalez’s statements were introduced in an excessive-force lawsuit filed against the Sheriff’s Department by Sheldon Lockett. The judge hearing the case cited the evidence when tentatively deciding to advance the case for trial.

“Accepting the deputy’s testimony, there is evidence that the clique existed in Compton and that it routinely violated the rights of suspects,” Magistrate Judge Patrick J. Walsh said in his ruling. “The testimony also establishes that the command staff at the station knew about it and not only did not stop it but it encouraged the behavior and placed its members in positions of authority where they could help other members.”

The Sheriff’s Department said the FBI is now involved in an investigation of the Executioners. Following The Times’ reporting, Compton officials issued formal requests to the state and federal attorney generals to investigate allegations of pervasive civil rights violations.

In his deposition, Gonzalez identified Miguel Vega, the Compton station deputy who killed 18-year-old Andres Guardado in a shooting in June that sparked weeks of protests, and his partner, Chris Hernandez, as prospective members of the Executioners. Their attorneys said Wednesday that those allegations are false.

“Deputy Vega does not have one single tattoo on his body, much less a deputy gang tattoo,” his attorney Adam Marangell said. “He doesn’t have one, nor does he plan on getting one.”

The Sheriff’s Department said in a statement that it had not yet received the transcript of Gonzalez’s testimony. “Once we do, counsel will review and we can respond appropriately,” a spokesman said. County attorneys have argued that Gonzalez’s testimony about the Executioners was nothing more than speculation and conjecture, as he’s not in the group and has no personal knowledge about it.

Lockett alleges he was targeted by deputies “chasing ink” when he was beaten and falsely arrested for attempted murder in 2016, his attorneys said. He sued in 2018.

Deputies that day pulled up to Lockett outside his godmother’s home and jumped out of their car with their guns drawn because they said he matched the description of a shooting suspect. Lockett froze, then ran. The deputies, Samuel Aldama and Mizrain Orrego, radioed that Lockett had a gun, which he says was a lie. No gun was found.

They chased him until they found him hiding in a backyard, where Lockett says he surrendered. Even so, he says, Aldama punched him in the head five times while using the N-word. He alleged that one of the deputies rammed the end of a police baton into his eye socket, which caused permanent damage, and that he was kicked in the back of the head. The county has denied the allegations.

Lockett was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and other gun charges and spent eight months in jail. In August, prosecutors dropped charges because of insufficient evidence and after a witness testified that she was mistaken when she identified him, according to a district attorney’s office spokeswoman.

After the arrest, Lockett’s mother filed a complaint to the Sheriff’s Department.

“They did nothing,” Lockett’s attorney John Sweeney said during a hearing this week. Instead, he says, they served a search warrant on her home in retaliation. Several months after Lockett’s arrest and three weeks after charges were dropped, Aldama and Orrego shot at and killed Donta Taylor, 31, during a foot chase. Deputies said Taylor had a handgun, but no weapon was found.

“Had that been investigated … Donta Taylor would still be alive,” Sweeney said. “This was nothing more than a sport kill and an attempt to getting into this gang. And instead of being prosecuted, what happened? There were inking parties and celebrations.”

Aldama admitted under oath to having a tattoo on his calf depicting a skull with a rifle and a military-style helmet emerging from flames. The letters “CPT,” for Compton, appear on the helmet. Aldama said he was one of as many as 20 deputies selected to get the same tattoo after “working hard” by making arrests and answering calls. He denied being part of a club.

L.A. County settled a lawsuit brought by Taylor’s family for $7 million. Deputies with alleged ties to these cliques, which are accused of using violent and aggressive tactics similar to those of criminal street gangs, have cost taxpayers $55 million in settlements and payouts in incidents that date to the 1990s, according to county records obtained by The Times.

Walsh said three Compton deputies, including Aldama and Orrego, have denied in other court proceedings that they were part of a clique and attributed their matching tattoos to “serendipity.”

The depositions of those three deputies are under seal, but Lockett’s attorney Steven Glickman argued during a court hearing Thursday that their tattoos are numbered. In their depositions, Glickman said Aldama testified that his tattoo’s No. 38 was a nod to his first gun; Orrego’s said his tattoo, which was covered up, was never numbered and he got it in solidarity with Aldama, his friend who had cancer; and Deputy Rogelio Benzor’s tattoo has a No. 40, which he explained as a reference to his retirement in 2040.

The county had argued that Lockett’s attorneys failed to produce evidence that there was a clique and show that the county knew about it.

“Obviously, these rogue officers are not going to simply admit that they had formed an unlawful group bent on assaulting minorities,” the judge wrote. “And, presumably, the clique would not be issuing membership cards, or taking minutes at membership meetings, or doing anything else that normal, lawful organizations do. Thus, it would seem impossible for a plaintiff to find tangible evidence to prove that the officers were lying when they denied the existence of their group.”

Just last week, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said he was moving to discipline 26 employees with firings or suspensions for their roles in a fight at an off-duty East L.A. station party at Kennedy Hall, a nearby event space, where deputies say they were attacked by inked members of the Banditos, who allegedly wielded power at the station. But he denied that gangs exist within the Sheriff’s Department.

“There is zero evidence of three or more deputies engaged in criminal activity with a unifying symbol whose primary purpose is to commit crime,” Villanueva said.

Two deputies who said they were assaulted and knocked unconscious are among those facing discipline for policy violations that include failing to report the Kennedy Hall incident to superiors, their attorney Vincent Miller said.

“My guys are in trouble for not reporting the Banditos to the Banditos,” Miller said, adding that his clients did report the incident right away to a lieutenant they trusted.

Prosecutors declined to file criminal charges against the deputies who Miller says attacked his clients. But an administrative investigation found that some employees at the East L.A. station were acting as so-called shot callers, controlling scheduling and events at the station, Cmdr. April Tardy said, using a term often used to describe top leaders in prisons and gangs.

In Compton, the Executioners ruled the station using a similar structure, Gonzalez testified. About 15 to 20 deputies are Executioners, he said, and at least a handful more are prospective members who are “chasing ink.” He said “it’s the word out” that only two deputies are inked each year — women and Black people aren’t allowed. A vast majority of members and prospects, he said, have been involved in high-profile shootings or beatings.

After a shooting, members will have a party at a bar and call it a “998 debrief,” referencing the code for a deputy-involved shooting. Some say it’s to celebrate that a deputy survived, he said. But often, Gonzalez said, after the party, the deputy and his partner will get inked. Gonzalez said he’d never been invited to nor attended one.

“I think it is some type of reward,” Gonzalez testified. He added later: “So we call it ‘ink chasers’ because they’re out there trying to show the rest of the members, the rest of the inked members that, you know, they’re worthy of that tattoo.”

Gonzalez, 42, joined the department as a deputy in 2008. He was investigated by Los Angeles police in 2012 on an allegation of sexual misconduct. The district attorney’s office declined to file charges. He said in his deposition that he was relieved of duty for the off-duty incident but that the allegation was unfounded and he was not disciplined.

Gonzalez’s attorney Alan Romero said that disclosing the allegation about his client “is totally irrelevant to the heroism of his coming forward to protect the public, and only serves to deter and frighten future whistleblowers from coming forward.”

“The L.A. Times would be sending a clear message: If you want to blow the whistle on public corruption, be warned that we will dig into your history and disclose any false allegations that [were] ever made against you.”

Gonzalez said in the deposition that Jaime Juarez, a deputy he identified as the Executioners’ shot caller, carried out a work slowdown last year when the acting captain refused to install a member as scheduling deputy. The powerful position, which Juarez had previously held, controls scheduling, days off and overtime, Gonzalez said.

“There was nobody being arrested. Very minimal arrests were being done at that time,” Gonzalez said of the work slowdown. “We have a booking line. We would hardly ever see a unit in the booking line with, you know — you know, with suspects in their back seats. It was so obvious that, you know, we all noticed that.”

The Times has requested arrest records from the Compton station to determine whether such a slowdown occurred. Juarez did not respond to a request for comment. Elizabeth Gibbons, an attorney representing Juarez, denied the allegations against him on Friday but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing Sheriff’s Department investigation.

In 2017, Gonzalez said, the Compton station captain at the time had turned to that deputy to boost arrest statistics after the captain was reprimanded for low numbers at the station. Monthly arrests per deputy more than doubled and that captain was eventually promoted, he said.

Gonzalez testified that he faced blowback earlier this year after anonymously reporting an Executioner to the Internal Affairs Bureau for assaulting a fellow deputy. After Gonzalez made his report, graffiti appeared at the station calling him a rat. He was warned by another deputy to be careful.

“They know it was you,” Gonzalez recalled being told. He filed a legal claim against the county in June alleging retaliation.

One deputy told Gonzalez he didn’t want to partner with him out of fear of getting “screwed with,” he said.

Gonzalez testified that he feared for his safety from the clique.

“I think that I now call them a gang because that’s what gangs do. They beat up other people,” he said. ” I call that a gang. Their focus is not the station, their focus is not the department, and their focus is not their job. Their focus is their group.”

Gregg Rosenthal@greggrosenthal
The Jags drafted Fournette over Deshaun and Mahomes because they had Bortles.

Michael DiRocco@ESPNdirocco
The Jaguars don’t have a single first-round pick remaining on their roster from 2012-17. Taven Bryan, Josh Allen from 2018-19 and this year’s two first-rounders remain.

Michael Lombardi@mlombardiNFL
But the man that made most of those picks remain.

Evan Silva@evansilva
2017 #Jaguars defense had 6 Pro Bowlers:

Jalen Ramsey
Yannick Ngakoue
AJ Bouye
Calais Campbell
Malik Jackson
Telvin Smith

All 6 are gone.

Ross Tucker@RossTuckerNFL
The Jaguars are like a AAA farm club for the rest of the NFL.