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znModeratorRams pleased with joint practice, even though they experienced some revenge
Vincent Bonsignore
IRVINE, Calif. — In the quiet aftermath of the Rams’ joint practice against the Chargers last Thursday, a session most participants agreed the Rams’ offense carried rather distinctly, a couple of prominent Chargers defensive players confided in me they were already looking forward to Saturday’s rematch.
“We’ll make some adjustments,” one said after paying the Rams’ offense a respectful compliment. “We’ll be ready for them on Saturday.”
Such is the ultra-competitive nature of the NFL, even in a practice session as easily forgotten as a seven-on-seven drill during OTAs. Nary a moment goes by that can’t be won or lost. Every drill, every rep, every period is a chance to own or be owned.
Not long afterward, I conveyed the message to a Rams coach.
“Haha. That’s awesome!” he replied in a text message, knowing full well the extra juice the Chargers would bring to Irvine on Saturday, and knowing whatever adjustments they made would only benefit his team.
There was no scoreboard to declare a true winner in the second session between the L.A. neighbors, but to the naked eye — and in the immediate breakdown by coaches and players — the Chargers’ defense turned the tables a bit on the Rams, at least through the early part of the two-hour practice. That mostly was the result of a more focused effort by the Chargers, the handful of different looks they unleashed on the Rams and a rather lethargic opening by quarterback Jared Goff and his offensive teammates.
“A rocky start” is how Goff described it afterward. “I think the Chargers did a good job bringing some different stuff to us,” Goff said. “Showing us some different looks.”
“We were sluggish,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “Offensively, not even close to good enough.”
The result was an uneven start for the Rams’ first-team offense during 11-on-11s, during which Goff said the Chargers had the Rams “on our heels a little bit” and “off-balance.”
It made for some frustrating, out-of-rhythm moments, although to the Rams’ credit — and much to their satisfaction — they gathered themselves over the course of the workout and responded with some big moments. There was the 55-yard strike Goff delivered to Robert Woods for a touchdown over Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward, and the two touchdowns the Rams secured during a two-minute drill to end the afternoon.
It didn’t make up for the choppy beginning. And the Rams were eager to get back into the classroom to review the film to better pinpoint whatever breakdowns or mental and physical lapses led to the listless start.
But in the bigger picture, the practice soon be forgotten, and the manner in which they responded and adjusted on the fly provided a small victory the Rams weren’t shy about claiming.
“I was happy with the way we finished,” Goff said. “I was happy the way we responded and that last drive, scoring (touchdowns) was good. I felt good about it.”
Said McVay: “I thought they finished the day strong. Which is what’s important.”
If it seems the Rams are reading too much into a joint practice, keep in mind their two sessions with the Chargers and the two coming up against the Oakland Raiders are their de facto preseason games. It’s almost a given Rams will follow last year’s plan by sitting most, if not all, of their offensive and defensive starters during the four preseason games, which means the joint sessions represent the only live action most key players will get against an opponent before the start of the regular season.
And while nothing can replace or replicate an actual football game, the joint-practice format is the next-closest thing. There is a decidedly different vibe between a normal practice and one featuring two different teams.
And the players feel and appreciate it.
“When we’re practicing against our own guys, we’re really cognizant of taking care of each other,” Goff said. “But when we’re practicing against another team it’s a little bit more contact, a little bit more physical and a little bit more real football. And that gives us a chance to see where we’re at and try some different things out.”
Which is why so many teams are seeking out practice partners from among their NFL brethren.
The Chargers, for instance, will host the New Orleans Saints for a pair of practices ahead of the teams’ preseason game in two weeks.
Goff said he preferred the work of a joint practice because the controlled elements allow for more beneficial work. He pointed to the 50 or so reps the Rams’ offensive line got Saturday against Chargers defensive stars Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram.
“Whereas a preseason game it might be five or 10 (snaps),” he said.
There was no official winner on Saturday, but if you had to call it, the nod went to the Chargers.
But you get the sense the Rams were perfectly fine with how it played out, and how they eventually responded to the heavy push they got from their L.A. neighbors.
Inside linebacker battle
A week into training camp, the Rams haven’t yet made an official determination on who will start alongside Cory Littleton at their Mike linebacker position. And while it’s presumed that Micah Kiser, the second-year linebacker from Virginia, has the inside track, he will alternate first-team reps with veteran Bryce Hager every other day for now.
That’s why Hager got the bulk of the work with the Rams’ first-team base defense on Saturday.
At some point over the next few weeks the Rams will determine an official starter — and it appears Kiser has the edge — but for now it remains an open competition. The Rams typically play their base defense 30 percent of the time, and their Mike linebacker will leave for an extra safety or cornerback — depending on the situation and personnel grouping — in whatever sub-defensive package they use.
‘Obo’ still out
The Rams still have hopes for Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, their 2018 fifth-round pick out of Oklahoma who is in the mix for a roster spot as a rotational edge rusher.
The problem is, Okoronkwo can’t seem to stay on the field long enough to show he can be a dependable asset. A broken foot last year in OTAs essentially wiped out his entire rookie season, and an undisclosed injury this year in training camp has limited his availability.
Okoronkwo was not dressed Saturday for the second straight day, and while the Rams are hopeful he’ll be ready to go by next week’s preseason game against the Raiders, it’s never a good thing when young players miss time and opportunities to impress.
Okoronkwo still has time to earn a roster spot, but in the meantime young players like Trevon Young are making the most of their chances. The Rams appear set with a rotational group of Samson Ebukam, Dante Fowler and Clay Matthews at outside linebacker, with the veteran Matthews continually shining in camp while being deployed all over the defense.
That leaves precious few openings behind them, not just for spots on the roster but for playing time. Okoronkwo, Young and Justin Lawler, who can play both outside linebacker and defensive end, are in a fight to claim jobs.
znModeratorLindsey Thiry: Notes https://www.espn.com/nfl/team/_/name/lar/los-angeles-rams
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Through the first full week of training camp practices, a surprise standout has been WR Michael Thomas. A sixth-round pick from Southern Miss in 2016, Thomas was placed on injured reserve in Sept. last season because of a grown injury suffered in the opener. But it appears he has bounced back, as he was a standout in the first combined practice against the Chargers and performed well again Saturday. “He’s got great explosiveness,” Sean McVay said. “He’s catching the ball really well… he’s got great speed down the field.”
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The standout play of the second combined practice with the Chargers on Saturday was a 52-yard pass during 11-on-11 from Jared Goff to Robert Woods for a touchdown.
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Cooper Kupp did not participate in the first combined practice with the Chargers but was a full go for Saturday’s joint practice. A little more than 8 months removed from ACL surgery, Kupp appeared to move with ease and showed no signs of hesitation — even after he was knocked to the ground early in the practice during 7-on-7. “I felt free to do whatever I wanted to do and really was kind of excited about that aspect of the day, being able to hit the ground and have to pop back up a few times,” Kupp said.
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Sean McVay was not pleased with the offense’s performance Saturday in their second combined practice with the Chargers. McVay called the offense “Sluggish” and said while the defense had good energy, the offense was “Not even close to good enough.” Jared Goff said the practice got off to “a rocky start” but that he was happy with how they finished. There were several incompletions during the 7-on-7 portion of the practice, and miscues during 11-on-11, including a couple of plays where the line broke down and Goff would have been sacked, a few dropped passes – including an uncharacteristic drop by Woods and a pass that skipped off Cooper Kupp’s fingertips, and Goff threw a pass that was intercepted by CB Michael Davis.
znModerator2ND SCRIMMAGE, 8/3
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from 8to12
1) Goff was a bit off today compared to the practices I saw last Sat and Mon, though I’m not concerned. What I am happy with was ability to step up and get rid of the ball when he was being rushed by Bosa and Ingram. He made better decisions and was able to manuever better than Bortles.
2) Seems Everett’s position is something of a hybrid; he doesn’t do the same things as Higbee, and yet does not run the same routes as the other receivers. Up until the 2-min drill, he was split out on every play that he was in on. And he was split wide on at least 33% of the plays. When people say Higbee versus Everett, I have to say no such thing…..they each have an exclusive role in the offense.
3) Henderson – I couldn’t see any pattern of how he is used or if there were any new formations in place for him. The pace and the player rotation of practice makes it difficult to note when he is in.
4) Running the Ball – Rams lost that game today. I would say the Chargers D held 75% of the Rams run plays to 2 yards or less. The interior of both the first and second units are going to have to improve this week or else the Rams play-action will not be as affective.
5) Receivers – a few of the lower rung guys got a couple of snaps today like Proehl and Jojo. Hodge got a lot of reps today. Jojo looks suceptable to injury when he gets the ball on offense. It seems he goes down with just a defender blowing on him. He is difficult to bring down in the open field I will admit, but from scrimmage, he is going to be in more traffic. He went to the ground about 3 times today after incidental contact from defenders. If I Had to rank the receivers in order of depth, I would say Woods, Cooks, Kupp, Reynolds, Thomas, Hodge, Webster…..only the top 6 or 7 matter
znModerator10 Observations from the second Rams joint practice with the Chargers
Myles Simmons
https://www.therams.com/news/10-observations-from-the-second-rams-joint-practice-with-the-chargers
1) The Rams’ defensive backs consistently got their hands on the football all practice long, starting with 7-on-7 drills. Safety Jake Gervase was the first to have a near interception with the reserves, as a floating pass from Chargers backup QB Tyrod Taylor went in and out of his hands on the defense’s right. Gervase did a few pushups for missing the opportunity.
2) Cornerback Marcus Peters then had a near leaping interception off of Chargers signal-caller Philip Rivers — who Peters knows well from their shared time in the AFC West. Peters leapt up and got a hand on the ball from the intermediate route, but couldn’t bring it down. He also did some pushups. Those would become fairly commonplace over the course of practice.
3) On the first play of 11-on-11 drills, birthday boy Dante Fowler beat the tight end off the edge to hit running back Austin Ekeler in the backfield to the defense’s right. Then a few plays later, Fowler used his speed to blow up a run by coming in from the backside of the play and wrapping up the ball carrier in the backfield. The outside linebacker has put together a nice training camp so far.
4) Still in 11-on-11, cornerback Darious Williams picked off a pass and returned it to the house against the Chargers’ reserves. The Rams may have gotten a sack on the play in real life, but with no one hitting the quarterbacks, Taylor rolled to his left and fired a pass that Williams stepped in front of, caught, and ran down the defense’s right sideline. The Rams players and coaches celebrated, running down the sideline with him.
5) A few minutes later in the same period, defensive back Dont’e Deayon dove and caught a tipped pass for an interception. Deayon was in the middle of the field for the intermediate route, which was well defended. Rookie safety Taylor Rapp also got in a legal hit on the would-be receiver after the ball got batted up in the air.
6) For a special teams period, the Rams were on punt return with coordinator John Fassel on the field. Two pairs of Rams blockers stood out in defending the Chargers’ gunner: Deayon and fellow DB Ramon Richards, along with wide receivers Alex Bachman and Nsimba Webster. Both pairs were able to stay in front of the gunner, preventing him from effectively moving down the field to get in position to hit the return man.
7) During an 11-on-11 third-down period, Rivers looked deep down his left side of the field but Peters had strong coverage, forcing the quarterback to try to fit the pass in a small window along the sideline. But the coverage was too good and the ball was incomplete out of bounds.
8) For an 11-on-11 “move the ball” drill, the Chargers were able to move the chains on the first try but on the net set of downs, cornerback Aqib Talib batted a ball down, Rivers had to throw away a second-down pass, and then a check-down swing pass went nowhere on third down. Talib continued his big day by nearly making a diving interception on an intermediate route in the middle of the field. And in a later period, he had strong coverage on Keenan Allen on a deep pass to the the end zone, forcing another incompletion.
9) Safety Marqui Christian has gotten a lot of time in practice as the Rams’ dime safety, but was working as the free safety with the second defense when a potential interception went in and out of his hands deep down the defense’s right. He did pushups, too.
10) To end practice on the defense’s field, Dominique Hatfield picked off an intermediate Taylor pass in the middle of the field before taking it to the house down the defense’s right sideline. It was a fitting close to a strong defensive day from the Rams.
znModerator2ND SCRIMMAGE, 8/3
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bubbaramfan
Just got home from todays TC scrimmage with Chargers. Huge turnout, almost as many as last weekend. 10,000 plus so it was hard to get around. I found a place in the north stands and got lucky with the Rams offense vs Charger defense.
Much went the same as Thursday’s scrimmage with the 1st teams and 2nd teams getting all the work. Seeing guys like Brandon Allen and John Wolford at QB and Nsima Webster, Kha Darrell Hodge, and John Lloyd at WR, and some of the other UDFA’s will have to wait til pre-season games. None of those got scrimmage snaps.
Todd Gurley was fully involved in all aspects of the scrimmage. He was targeted A LOT. Made some good runs and made several catches. He lined up as wideout several times and pass blocked for Goff. My take is he’s 100%.
Malcolm Brown has turned it up a notch and is the clear #2RB IMHO mainly due to his pass blocking ability. Whenever Henderson is in, he’s not pass blocking.
Goff was threading the needle and completed several long pass plays. one to Woods for a TD, and another to Everret for a long TD. Bortles made some good passes to Higbee and Reynolds who were with the 2nd team O. Bortles looked much better today than Thursday. He moved the ball down the field in the 2 minute drill and got a score with a pass over the middle to Higbee. Goff also made a long TD drive in the 2 minute drill with a dunk to Gurley.
I made and effort to watch the OL play. Whitworth is still the Rams best O lineman. Guy makes it look easy and effortless when clearly it’s not. Great technician. Noteboom looks like a veteran. After today I’m quit worrying about him. Allen held his own today for the most part, he got beat once and Goff got sacked, but he’s tough and gets to the next level.
I feel better about the backup OL. Edwards LT, Demby LG, Neary C, Kolone RG, Evans RT. Demby also took snaps at C and Matt Kasky and Chandler Brewer got snaps at G. 2nd team OL pass blocked well for Bortles.
I didn’t get to the other field to watch the Charger offense vs the Rams defense. I heard a lot of cheering though so I guess Rams D did good. I did see Talib get a pick.
Zurlien was nailing FG’s from 55+ with 20 to spare. Greg at some point should be breaking the standing
FG record. He makes 70 yarders in practice with room to spare.I got a short chat in with D’Marco Farr, I asked him if his radio station , 710 ESPN, were going to Napa to cover Rams TC and scrimmage. Still up in the air he says. He will be there for the game on Saturday.
All I have for today unless something else comes to mind and I’ll post later. I’ll be looking in. I want to hear how the D did today.
Tomorrow is a walk through in shorts and tees, so I’m not going.
It was a pleasure doing camp reports. I enjoy doing them and enjoy the interaction here at ROD.
August 3, 2019 at 8:10 pm in reply to: tweets & other things … 8/3 & 8/4 … lots of good VB tweets this time #103621znModeratorGary Klein@LATimesklein
Goff on why he prefers joint practices over preseason games: “Our O line got…40-50 reps against Joey (Bosa) and Melvin (Ingram) and that defensive line, whereas in a preseason game they might get five to 10.”Goff on “rocky start”: “The chargers did a good job bringing some different stuff to us, and showing us some different looks. I was happy with the way we finished.”
McVay on Goff’s even-keeled demeanor: “In the midst of things not going great he finds a way to settle in in a situation where we got to have a two-minute drive to score a touchdown. Made some great throws, recognized coverage, got the ball where it should have gone.”
Rams Cooper Kupp: “First time really getting knocked to the ground and having to pop back up. There wasn’t any kind of hesitation for me. I felt like free to do whatever I wanted to do and really was kind of excited about that aspect of the day.”
August 3, 2019 at 7:47 pm in reply to: tweets & other things … 8/3 & 8/4 … lots of good VB tweets this time #103620znModeratorThe content we all deserve. @JaredGoff16 ➡️ @CooperKupp! 😍 pic.twitter.com/vLVVNoCLtl
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 3, 2019
August 3, 2019 at 7:46 pm in reply to: tweets & other things … 8/3 & 8/4 … lots of good VB tweets this time #103617znModeratorRams Chargers joint practice.
It’s absolutely PACKED!! #LARams pic.twitter.com/AyuDB2mFoC
— JBro | SoCal Designs (@JBroFronk) August 3, 2019
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Rams Talk@TalkRams
Defense looks sharp! Especially in coverage! #LARams #RamsTrainingCampJoe Curley@vcsjoecurley
Chargers 1st team defense bringing it todayChargers safety Rayshawn Jenkins just knocked down Cooper Kupp in 7 on 7. The third-year Rams WR, who is coming off an ACL repair, sprung right back to his feet.
Two nice back to back plays for Robert Woods in a third-down conversion period. Got off his feet after making a diving catch to turn a 8-yard gain into 20 plus. Then beat Casey Hayward deep for a 57-yard scoring strike down the right side.
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Aaron Donald warming up for joint practice No. 2 with the Chargers today. He wreaked havoc in their combined practice two days ago. pic.twitter.com/HxMJNTMRAC
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) August 3, 2019
https://titter.com/MylesASimmons/status/1157764304675864576
#Rams Morgan Fox and Michael Brockers getting some work on pic.twitter.com/2v8eZNDCBY
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) August 3, 2019
August 3, 2019 at 7:43 pm in reply to: tweets & other things … 8/3 & 8/4 … lots of good VB tweets this time #103616znModeratorVincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
Second day in a row that Bryce Hager getting first team reps over Micah Kiser at Mike LB in base defenseFYI on #Rams Mike LB competition: Micah Kiser and Bryce Hager are alternating first-team reps one day to next, which is why Hager got bulk of them today. Rams want to make the competition as fair as possible. At some point, a decision will be made on who the starter is.
Really good sequence for #Rams defense getting the #Chargers offense off the field in four plays during a 2-minute drill
Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
Jared Goff to Robert Woods for a 52 yard touchdown as the Rams practice against the Chargers. Play of the day, so far, for Rams offense.Joe Curley@vcsjoecurley
Two nice back to back plays for Robert Woods in a third-down conversion period. Got off his feet after making a diving catch to turn a 8-yard gain into 20 plus. Then beat Casey Hayward deep for a 57-yard scoring strike down the right side.J.B. Long@JB_Long
Goff from his own 40 finds Higbee down the left sideline in stride for (what would’ve been) a huge gain, maybe a score. Precise execution and throw. #LARamsMike Thomas continues to make contested catches. Critical month ahead, battling for WR depth and SPTMs role. #LARams
Gary Klein@LATimesklein
McVay happy with way offense finished but overall the offense was “not even close to good enough.”August 3, 2019 at 7:35 pm in reply to: McVay, Kromer, Waldron, Goff … 8/3 … some vids, w/ complete transcripts #103613znModerator#LARams LIVE: Press conferences following joint practice with Chargers https://t.co/ItYRwxEMAF
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 3, 2019
August 3, 2019 at 3:39 pm in reply to: tweets & other things … 8/3 & 8/4 … lots of good VB tweets this time #103603znModeratorThink about these Todd Gurley numbers on his 25th birthday:
🐏 56 scrimmage TDs over four seasons
🐏 Since 2017, more TDs from scrimmage (40) than any other player
🐏 Third-ever player with back-to-back 1,200+ rushing, 500+ receiving, and 19+ TD seasons@TG3II | @RamsNFL pic.twitter.com/1imRcB5ZsY— NFL (@NFL) August 3, 2019
August 3, 2019 at 3:38 pm in reply to: tweets & other things … 8/3 & 8/4 … lots of good VB tweets this time #103602znModeratorEvery Todd Gurley rushing TD in the Sean McVay era! 🐏 (via @NFLThrowback) @TG3II pic.twitter.com/VlBzOAARup
— NFL (@NFL) August 3, 2019
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You forgot this one pic.twitter.com/sl00hilYGo
— Ramsquatch (@1stdownrams) August 3, 2019
August 3, 2019 at 3:37 pm in reply to: tweets & other things … 8/3 & 8/4 … lots of good VB tweets this time #103601znModeratorHigh praise for the @NFL's #1 football-playing player @AaronDonald97 from @weddlesbeard & @sonofbum, who over 42 years in the league has coached some of the all-time greats.@RamsNFL @Pitt_FB pic.twitter.com/dKTMflfaZT
— Dave Dameshek (@Dameshek) August 2, 2019
August 3, 2019 at 3:37 pm in reply to: tweets & other things … 8/3 & 8/4 … lots of good VB tweets this time #103600znModeratorDaniel Jeremiah@MoveTheSticks
Interesting trend to monitor from my tour— offenses have been falling in love with 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE). However, I spoke to 2 DC’s & they said they will stay in nickel vs that grouping this year. Basically daring teams to run the ball. Can your TEs block?Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
Noteboom & Allen have absolutely looked the part of starters. And neither seems phased by the responsibility/mental aspect. The question is will it carry over to the games? The #Rams feel good that it will.Rapp was getting first-team sub defense package reps yesterday, which is a great sign. It looks like he’s already worked his way into a situational role.
Edwards and Evans have shown promise. Barring injuries the plan is for them to spend their rookie years in Aaron Kromer’s lab. Not sure how it’ll work out with Thomas but I’d be shocked if he wasn’t an an NFL roster this year.
The defensive run fits have been good. Provided guys follow through with good tacking when the games start, good chance the run defense is better than last year.
does this offense have a chance to be even better than the previous two years? Yes. Specifically situationally/more diverse/and against certain defensive looks that gave them issues last year
I think #Rams fans are gonna love Darrell Henderson
Clay Matthews? Erick Weddle? No question you feel their presence.
position battle between Hager and Kiser? Kiser is the starting Mike linebacker in base defense. He’s been looking really sound
Fowler? A guy I’m really looking forward to seeing in games. He’s flying around on pass rush in camp.
Greg Gaines? It’s early in his process but for now, anyway, he’s behind Sebastian Joseph-Day as the base NT. SJD has really taken hold of that position. It has to transfer over to games, of course, but he’s looked good
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August 3, 2019 at 3:15 pm in reply to: 55 NFL coaches & execs rank NFL qbs in 5 tiers… + some other guys rank qbs #103599znModeratorfrom Ranking The NFL’s Best Trios For The 2019 Season
7. Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Robert Woods — Los Angeles Rams
Goff: 364-for-561 (64.9%), 4,688 yards, 32 TD, 12 INT
Gurley: 1,251 rushing yards/17 TD, 59 receptions/580 yards/4 TD
Woods: 86 receptions/1,219 yards/6 TDWhat to make of the Los Angeles Rams trio? Goff is coming off the best season of his career — by a wide margin — and the same could be said for Woods. In his second season with the Rams, Woods totaled 1,219 yards and six touchdowns. His previous career-high for yards in a season was 781. His 86 receptions were 21 more than his previous best. And then there is Gurley. The all-purpose back was one of the best players in football. He dominated on the ground and in the passing game. Unfortunately, an apparent knee issue slowed him considerably at the end of the season and will be a lingering concern entering 2019.
August 3, 2019 at 3:07 pm in reply to: tweets & other things … 8/3 & 8/4 … lots of good VB tweets this time #103598znModeratorI think that’s a bs narrative.
i think there’s an assumption that goff really is a product of the system.
i don’t personally buy that. but that’s the perception, and maybe along with that, he won’t be able to carry the team when he takes up more salary cap space.
again. i don’t agree with that. i think he’s not close to reaching his peak yet.
We are on the same page with this
August 3, 2019 at 12:36 pm in reply to: tweets & other things … 8/3 & 8/4 … lots of good VB tweets this time #103596znModeratorbut the Rams are trying to get that Lombardi Trophy while he is still on his rookie contract.
I think that’s a bs narrative. If he develops as expected, paying Goff will not hurt the Rams chances at a superbowl. Last 4 combined championship games, for example, 12 of the 16 qbs were past their rookie contracts.
znModeratordepending on how noteboom performs this season, i’m hoping he eventually becomes the replacement for whit.
and what better way to transition than to play alongside him for the season.
Yeah, and (small reminder) Whitworth started out playing guard himself. He was drafted in 2006, played a bunch his first 3 years (mostly at guard), but did not become the settled starter at LOT until 2009.
znModeratorznModeratorVincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
I think right now, just based on what I’ve seen, Joesph-Day is playing better than Greg Gaines.Taylor Rapp got a lot of work today with the #Rams 2-deep defense & figured into some 1st-team defensive packages. He has presence about him, & at least at the times I focused on him he was exactly where he was needed to be in run fit/man or zone coverage.
I can see the #Rams being a better overall team than last year – especially by the end of the season – yet not equal to the 13-win regular-season total. It’s a fine line, but I think the long-play is very much a focus this year.
Sosa K@QBsMVP
Dante Fowler Jr and Clay Matthews are really starting to heat up hereznModeratorGurley: Dante Fowler is ‘getting to the ball as fast as Aaron Donald’
That would be pretty sweet if it is even close to true
More on that.
From the article IR cites:
Speaking with Steve Smith on Thursday, Gurley was asked to pick his breakout player of the season for the Rams. He went with Fowler, paying the pass rusher a huge compliment.
“Dante Fowler. I know we signed him back on a one-year, we might need to go ahead and get him again,” Gurley said. “He’s been a new animal. He’s been getting to the ball as fast as Aaron Donald, so that tells you a lot about him.”
And here’s some more. The first is a vid, the 2nd is just a pic:
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Dante Fowler working stab/club on the hoop with coach at Training Camp. Finishes with the reach. The strip/sacks come off that finish by @dantefowler! #LARams
via @rams pic.twitter.com/r3SNg2AMMi
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) July 30, 2019
After practice ended for @RamsNFL veterans, OLB Dante Fowler and RT Rob Havenstein found some space to put in extra one-on-one work. pic.twitter.com/qt7eHUkXhC
— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) July 29, 2019
znModeratorGoff 👏 to 👏 Higs 👏
#RamsCamp pic.twitter.com/jlZPpY0kf9— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 2, 2019
znModeratorVincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
Light workout today for #Rams. Not quite walk through level but closeLindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
On Saturday, they’ll practice with the Chargers again. This time, Cooper Kupp is expected to participate.Gary Klein@LATimesklein
Rams Aaron Donald on being voted No. 1 NFL player: “It’s surreal but it just shows the body of work you put into the game and all the things you do behind the scenes when nobody’s watching, showing all that hard work pays off.”==
"I want to play for you, I want to help build this legacy and build a dynasty here"
Listen to what @AaronDonald97 told his Head Coach, Sean McVay, when he joined us on our training camp tour with the #Rams.
🔽 Watch 🔽 pic.twitter.com/4Y4K1eQZsY
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) August 2, 2019
August 2, 2019 at 8:18 pm in reply to: 55 NFL coaches & execs rank NFL qbs in 5 tiers… + some other guys rank qbs #103573znModeratorThoughts? @wingoz’s Top Five(ish) NFL QB’s pic.twitter.com/s4dNG4TprI
— Golic and Wingo (@GolicAndWingo) July 25, 2019
znModeratorLindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
Rams DC Wade Phillips, 72, has trimmed down for training camp. Phillips: “Somebody told me the other day, they said, ‘You lost some L-Bs, huh?’ and I said, ‘We didn’t lose any linebackers, did we?’”Gary Klein@LATimesklein
Rams DC Wade Phillips on NT Sebastian Joseph-Day: “He’s seen the opportunity and seized it.”Sosa K@QBsMVP
Dante Fowler Jr and Clay Matthews are really starting to heat up hereHoward Balzer@HBalzer721
It’s official: Centennial Class for 2019 approved with 5 modern day players, 10 seniors, 3 contributors and 2 coaches.==
Clay Matthews says the Rams are using him exactly how he should be used on defense https://t.co/djA5pWBVOn
— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) August 2, 2019
znModeratorAlbaNY_Ram
To an extent Noteboom and Allen are unknowns. But to say we know nothing about them would be a bit inaccurate.
We know this regarding ‘Boom thru the 2018 preseason: “Only 11 rookie tackles have 0 QB pressure allowed this preseason. Of those 11, only three have more than 16 pass blocking snaps. Leading the way with most pass blocking snaps and 0 QB pressures allowed is #LARams’ Joseph Noteboom with 71”. And since Whit never played thru the 2018 at least some of those snaps came against other teams’ starters, including Jadeveon Clowney and J.J. Watt. https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2018/08/29/nfl-rams-joseph-noteboom-stats-pff-pressure/
‘Boom also “… played in relief of Whitworth during the Rams’ 2018 regular season finale, and didn’t give up any pressures on 47 total snaps.” https://www.profootballrumors.com/2019/07/is-the-rams-offensive-line-a-concern
We also know that ‘Boom and Allen got first team reps in practice all last season when Whit and Sully got their veteran days off. That was at least one practice a week.
And we know that these guys have been with the team over a year, have had a full offseason under the guidance of the Rams’ strength and conditioning coaches, and have been thru OTA’s twice.
And finally we know that the Rams’ coaching staff have been evaluating these guys for 15 months (and longer if you count all the evaluations that lead up to the 2018 draft). They did not sign a single OL FA this year, nor did they draft an OL capable of challenging either ‘Boom or Allen. In fact, they went the exact opposite direction by not resigning Saffold (which I imagine they could have done if they wanted) and by not picking up Sully’s option.
The direction taken by the Rams regarding the OL speaks volumes about their opinion about ‘Boom and Allen … and even if what we as fans know about these guys is limited I am confident that the team has a ton of data to draw on. Their confidence in these guys makes it easy for me to have confidence in them as well
znModerator#PFF ranked the Top 10 safeties headed into 2019, and #Rams S Eric Weddle came in at 7!
Find out why our Analysis Team is high on him and how he stacks up against other safeties going into next season over on the PFF site:https://t.co/BAF0DX1PuW pic.twitter.com/G1jkj13CfZ
— PFF LA Rams (@PFF_Rams) August 2, 2019
znModeratorbubbaramfan
I watched Gaines and Jo_Day closely today. Both have skills to bring. Gaines takes on blockers and stuffs the middle, Day has more side to side skill is quicker and a much better penetrater. Day is as big or bigger than Brockers.
Something new I saw today. Several times the D went with only Brockers and Donald as DT, then 5 LB’s, Fowler, Mathews, Littleton, Kiser, and Eubekam, with variations of Lawler, Fox, Howard and Young. Both on running plays and passing situations.
Rams starting secondary is sick. Talib, Peters, Rob-Coleman, Weddle and Johnson, with Hill, Long,Christian and Rapp.
I can’t wait for pre-season games so I can watch backups vie for roster spots.
In today’s scrimmage the coaching staff made sure they got a good look at everyone. Except Okowronkwo, Guy needs to mend and stay healthy or he’s gonna get cut.
Writing is on the wall for Justin Davis.
Thomas is playing like he knows this is his last chance.
Higbee looks bigger and is really getting after it.
Whitworth is a supreme technician. He knows his opponent inside out and makes it look easy.
Adding Long and Rapp have made Rams backfield super deep.
znModeratorrelated article: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000001038346/article/aspiring-coaches-gms-frustrated-with-nfls-diversity-issue
Jim Trotter@JimTrotter_NFL
Saints‘ Sean Payton on lack of head-coaching diversity: “We don’t have to see the numbers to know we took a step backward in the last hiring cycle — and that has nothing to do with anyone who was hired. It’s just the fact that, man, look at the pictures.”Tony Dungy on the lack of diversity among NFL head coaches and general managers: “My suggestion would be to have all these owners take a class in how to hire people, and just talk about the basics.”
Dungy: “The biggest problem is, people making decisions, many times, don’t know what they’re looking for or how to find it.”
Dungy: “Then it becomes easy to stay with what’s trendy, because there are enough good, trendy candidates that you’ll never run out. But that doesn’t always allow you to find the diamonds in the rough.”
Dungy: “Then it becomes a matter of, ‘If I go with what’s popular, or what everybody else says is good, at least I’ll feel good about it and people won’t be able to second-guess me.’”
Part of Dungy’s feelings stem from the following: According to NFL research, 113 head coaches have been fired since the start of the 2000 season. Of them, 60 were fired after 3 or fewer seasons, 32 after 2 or fewer, and 11 after 1 season.
znModeratorHoward Balzer@HBalzer721
Expect official announcement later today on special Centennial Class @ProFootballHOF. Call it 20 in 2020.=
State of the Hall. Gold Jackets everywhere. pic.twitter.com/oIw4IvT2Js
— Howard Balzer (@HBalzer721) August 2, 2019
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