(On if the players back in Los Angeles worked out today)
“They did.”

(On who oversaw the workout)
“We had a couple coaches. (Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach) Eddie Grayer, one of our strength coaches, stayed back to supervise that. Then some of (Senior Director, Sports Medicine and Performance) Reggie’s (Scott) people have stayed back as well. We had a couple people behind, but the nice thing is, when you’ve got the ownership from your players, I think, in a lot of ways, they were kind of run it themselves and that’s what you always want.”

The players who stayed behind still had a work-out/practice. They just ran it themselves.

69RamFan

From the four years of camp I’ve been to since Goff came into the league, he has improved each year… and you can actually see the difference in camp and in games…

This last camp, he was just throwing darts… with ease….

At the Joint Practice against the Raiders… that first meeting, the Raiders defense was in awe… you can actually see some of the reaction on HBO Hard Knocks

It was the same thing in the practice against the Chargers….

The players throughout the league know how good he is…This is why they voted him as number 32 in the top 100…

His stat numbers this year should surpass last years without any problem….

We are going to make another SB run…

#Rams have hit the practice field at the Univerity of Hawaii pic.twitter.com/L249pcW4Uq

— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) August 17, 2019

AlbaNY_Ram

In 2016 the Rams travelled 32,072 miles. https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2016-nfl-schedule-rams-will-travel-the-most-miles-steelers-the-fewest/

The Rams travelled 29,167 miles in 2017 and around 27,000 miles in 2018. https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2018/04/22/nfl-los-angeles-rams-schedule-travel-miles-2018/

For the 2019 season the Rams are slated to travel 33,072 miles. However, they are expected to stay on the east coast after the Atlanta game and fly to London from there, saving themselves 3,165 miles. The result is they will travel 29,907 miles in 2019. https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/04/18/nfl-rams-schedule-travel-miles-2019/

8 Rams players to watch vs. Cowboys in preseason Week 2 https://t.co/QRJxlUDkHF

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) August 16, 2019

Head Coach Sean McVay, DT Aaron Donald – August 15, 2019

Head Coach Sean McVay

(Opening Remarks)
“Good day today. We’re headed to Hawaii and there’s been a lot of great stuff going on. People from our organization that have really done a lot of work to make this trip happen, to make this game happen that’s a really good reflection and representation of our club. There is going to be a handful of players that we are going to hold back. (Director of Communications) Artis (Twyman) will have those for you guys after this. If you have any questions about specific players, a couple guys will go. The main thing is, our consideration as always what we feel like is in the best interest of the players. For the most part, the guys that will not be participating in that game, to have them make that travel, things of that nature, is in the best interest of those guys. There’s a handful of guys that we’re still continuing to evaluate. This is a big, important game for those guys and that’s why we’re approaching it the way we are.”

(On DT Aaron Donald mentioning he’s going to Hawaii and if QB Jared Goff will also be going)
“(DT) Aaron (Donald) is going. He (QB Jared Goff) will not be. Anybody else we’ll have Artis be able to clarify for you.”

(On where he feels the starters are at this point of training camp)
“I think you feel good. It’s always a tough dynamic. The fortunate thing for us is that we’ve had four great days of practice against another opponent and then we’ve really been able to ramp it up this week. We’re getting a lot of good-on-good work, our guys are positively pushing each other and getting some different things where because it’s happened so early in camp where we had four practices and then that fifth was the practice against the (Los Angeles) Chargers, the monotony of going against one another never truly set in. There’s still a great back-and-forth competitive balance. We’ve got smart players that love the game and just listening to whether it be Jared and (S Eric) Weddle talk and our receivers with the DBs, the O-line and D-line, there’s a lot of good things that are going on with guys that love football, that are positively – in a very competitive way – making each other better. I think the challenge for us is with the way that we’re approaching the preseason, with a lot of the players that we know have played significant amount of snaps in this league, how do we continue to maintain and keep our edge over the next couple weeks so that we truly do peak when we get to Carolina.”

(On what is happening at the defensive tackle position with DT Sebastian Joseph-Day, DT Greg Gaines and DT Tanzel Smart)
“I think it’s really sorting itself out. That’s something that we’re closely monitoring and evaluating. I think (Defensive Line) Coach (Eric) Henderson and (Assistant Defensive Line) Coach (Thad) Bogardus are doing a really nice job with that group as a whole. But those three in particular, I think (DT) Sebastian (Joseph-Day) has been a really big-time bright spot for us going back to the offseason. He’s picked up where he left off in training camp. (DT) Greg Gaines continues to gain confidence and understanding of what we’re trying to get done, playing more and more comfortable within the framework of the system. (DT) Tanzel Smart is one of those guys that can play the nose (tackle position), he can play the three technique. His versatility, his dependability is extremely valuable to us. Those are three guys that have definitely made a name for themselves and we’re closely looking at to see what kind of role they shape and carve out for themselves come regular season.”

(On mentioning CB David Long Jr. as a potential sixth cornerback spot and what is influencing that decision)
“I think he is just getting better and better. He was a great man coverage corner at Michigan where there was a lot of emphasis on just kind of matching up. You can see he has great short-space quicks, lateral agility all those types of things. He’s getting more and more comfortable. Really conscientious, smart football player he’s got good ball skills. I think he’s just getting more comfortable within the framework of the scheme. Really, we don’t have a finite number in terms of the number of corners. Really, we are just trying to find the best 53-players that we can. We do have some good depth at that cornerback spot with some veteran players and then, some younger guys that have done a lot of good things and (CB) David (Long Jr.) is certainly one of those players that is ascending.”

(On If there is a message to the guys staying back on getting work done while they are here and If the team will practice on Sunday)
“Yes, we will. They have a plan that they are going to follow. They will come in and get something in on Friday, which is tomorrow. Those guys will have a plan were they will come in. We have some people staying back. Whether they are injured or whether they are going to get some work in, we do have a specific plan. Because we get back on Sunday, those guys not having, kind of the jet lag of the six-hours there, six-hours back, standing on their feet things like that. That will enable us to do somethings with that group on Sunday that we wouldn’t be able to do or otherwise.”

(On if RB Justin Davis will play this game)
“Yes, he’s supposed to play.”

(On what he hopes to see from RB Justin Davis)
“The same things that we really liked about him. I think he is an explosive player. I think you want to just see him compete consistently, whatever phase of the offense he is asked to do. I think you want to see him show what makes him a unique player – that explosiveness, the ability to create with the ball in his hands, take great care of it. I think when he’s got his opportunities, especially in some of these preseason games, you can help but say, man you feel that speed, he flashes on the screen. That’s what we are hoping to see from (RB) Justin (Davis) with his opportunities he gets on Saturday.”

***

DT Aaron Donald

(On if he’s especially happy today)
“I’m always happy.”

(On if he’s making the trip to Hawaii)
“Yep.”

(On if he’s been to Hawaii before)
“Yeah.”

(On if it was for vacation or for the Pro Bowl)
“Vacation, Pro Bowl. Yep, I’ve been there before.”

(On his impressions of Hawaii after visiting)
“It’s beautiful out there. It’s a good time.”

(On if he’s going to Hawaii because he wants to be there)
“I’m just going to go out there to support the guys, got some stuff going on out there. Just be there, help the young guys and, at the same time, some business out there.”

(On how he feels at this point of training camp)
“I feel good.”

(On if he’s in football shape)
“For sure. I just feel like you’re knocking the rust off as far as working moves and things coming clean. It just feels good to get things going, get everything rolling. I think we had two great practices yesterday and on Tuesday. We’re just working, getting some good reps and getting ready for football.”

(On how DT Sebastian Joseph-Day performed against Oakland)
“I think he played good. I think the whole d-line played good, actually. There were some hiccups here and there, but overall I thought they were working their techniques, doing what they needed to do in the run game and even started getting a little better as far as the game went on as far as pass rush and then opening up things. Watching them on the sideline and then watching them as a group on film, I thought they did pretty good. You’re always going to say there’s room for improvement, but overall I thought they played solid.”

(On if there is any secret on how he gets his videos of his footwork to go viral and how does he get his feet going so fast)
“Dwayne Brown ‘Two-Tenths’, my trainer I’ve been working with since high school. I’ve just been training with that guy and working a lot of foot work, training like a ‘DB” (defensive back) over the past years just help me work on my feet, the speed of my feet, athleticism, I give that to my trainer Dwayne.”

(On if he has a reaction when he plays his viral workout videos)
“To me it was nothing special, just working, just going over the beds. You made it go viral (laughs).”

(On if the coaching staff talked to him when they were thinking about hiring Defensive Line Coach Eric Henderson and how does it sit with him)
“When coach (Head Coach) (Sean) McVay talked to him, hired him, he reached out to me and told me about him. He pretty much told me I’m going to like him a lot. He said, his mind is toward football, his techniques is drills he’s going to be teaching us. At the time you’re like ok. Actually being here and working with him, getting to talk to him about football, learning his mindset toward things and the technique he’s teaching us, he’s definitely going to take our game to another level. I’m excited to work with him. Being out there working curtaining things that I need to work on for myself. Learning from him, and him teaching me is just going to take my game to that next level. I’m just excited to be here and work with him now. Like I said, watching film and stuff he’s been teaching me has been showing, and it’s just going to make me that much of a better football player.”

(On if he can see stuff showing up hiring Defensive Line Coach Eric Henderson has taught him)
“Absolutely, one-hundred percent.”

from: https://www.therams.com/news/quotes-notes-eric-weddle-aiding-jared-goff-development

“They’ve been great. Weddle in particular, just finding his dialogue throughout practice and throughout the week, trying to get a better understanding of what they’re doing, then I’ll ask him what he sees.”
– QB Jared Goff

Veteran additions to Los Angeles’ defense this offseason, LB Clay Matthews and especially S Eric Weddle are also proving to be a valuable resource on the other side of the ball, contributing to Goff’s development.
According to Goff, the conversations with Weddle are a regular occurrence, happening as often as in between plays during practice.
Goff said Weddle has been a critical component to his growth as a quarterback, allowing him to gain a better understanding of defenses and what they’re trying to do.

“You could just see how fast he’s playing, his ability to negotiate those traffic situations.”

Not bad for your first NFL game, rook! 💪

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 13, 2019

But like the Rams, the Memphis offense subsisted on a heavy dose of outside zone runs, which asked backs to run off tackle while patiently reading the defense before cutting upfield.

Matt Waldman actually responds to that statement:

Matt Waldman@MattWaldman
The context that data like this fails to provide is the vital qualitative analysis that examines what is pro-level pacing and execution on these plays vs what’s simply being more athletic and getting away with behavior not optimal to running that scheme in the NFL.

Coleman was inconsistent enough with OZ as a rookie, Kyle Shanahan actually installed gap plays for him, which doesn’t require the diagnosis and footwork of zone. It took him a couple of years to get it down.

At first, folks cited Coleman’s ISU scheme as a 1:1 fit with Atlanta but didn’t realize that high production in a scheme in college doesn’t always translate to NFL because the back can actually need work on the nuance of the scheme but win elite athletic skill. Where we are w/DH.

Rams Head Coach Sean McVay – August 13, 2019

(On what’s the best thing about the team right now)

“I just think that the way that we’re coming together as a team. I think we’ve got a lot of depth on both sides. I think we feel really good about our core teams’ guys but, that they know they got to build every single day. They’re truly coming together, being that connected team that we talk about. It’s that and the fact that these guys positively push each other. When you look at the way we competed today, got a lot better and I think it’s really coaches, players, everybody pushing the same direction, but getting the most out of each other.”

(On his biggest concern)

“I don’t necessarily say there’s a concern. I think you want to continue to do a great job of developing the depth, continuing to identify some of those guys that we’re counting on that are really competing through the preseason. I don’t know if there’s really any sort of concern, I think it’s just, lets continue to consistently approach and attack every single day the way that we have.”

(On if he finds himself and the coaches pushing the players harder in practice when he knows they will not play in the game)

“Absolutely. I think that’s something that we really want to try to do a great job of with the guys that are not playing. We had a great opportunity to get, really, four competitive practices, two against the Chargers, two against the Raiders. Now as we continue to move towards that Carolina game, it’s our top guys understanding how to positively push each other, continue to sharpen each other’s saws, if you will. That’s something that we absolutely do. We take a different approach where those guys, we try to create those competitive scenarios now amongst one another. That’s going to be something that we’re really focused on over the next couple of weeks.”

(On if there is one player that has continued to stand out)

“I think it’s hard to say. There’s so many guys. Because you feel so good about this team, it’s hard to identify one person. I think when you do look at it, from an offensive and a defensive standpoint, it sure is great having (DT) Aaron Donald here, I continue to come away and press with (S) Eric Weddle’s ownership, his ability to communicate day-in and day-out. Then when you look at the ownership that Jared Goff’s taken. You truly talk about mastering the offense, becoming an extension of the coaching staff. We say it, but there’s really a special ownership when we came in and did some work the other day. In terms of reading with your feet, quickly progressing, making fast decisions, accurately being able to speed it up at the top of his drops and see coverages the right way. I really have been very pleased with what he’s done. I can really name a lot of guys, but those are the guys that kind of come to mind right away.”

(On RB Todd Gurley II going to Hawaii)

“That’s something that I would say, more likely than not, but we’re still working through the specifics of that as we kind of get closer and closer to that. I don’t have the full answer, but more likely than not, he will not go.”

(On what the reason of Gurley not going would be)

“There’s a lot of layers to it. I think it’s really just figuring out from an organizational standpoint, talking to the players, making sure that we’re in alignment with doing things the right way. Most importantly, what we want to do is always look out for players and what’s in their best interest and that’s something that we’ll have more clarification as we get closer to that trip. I said Tuesday, but it’ll be a little bit closer to when we head out.”

(On if the travel is part of the reason for not going to Hawaii)

“I think it’s something that we’ll talk about. That’s definitely part of the discussion, but figuring out the nuances and all the little details is something that we’re kind of working through as an organization right now.”

(On if what he thought of the clip of himself on Hard Knocks with Raiders Head Coach Jon Gruden from 11 years ago)

“I can’t believe I had those sideburns. I thought, ‘Man, I think I’ve gotten handsome in my old age.’ (laughs) It makes you appreciate how fortunate I’ve been in such a short amount of time to be exposed to guys like (Raiders Head) Coach (Jon) Gruden, the other people that have invested in me. To be able to even be standing in this position right now is really a blessing and it’s credit to the people I’ve been around. That was definitely some embarrassing footage that they pulled out.”

(On barely being paid with the Buccaneers)

“That’s true. I could have probably gone for food stamps right there. I was basically working for free and it was worth it because the things that I was able to take away from that experience, you realize how little you knew going into that opportunity. The amount of people that I met, the people that really put their arm around me. I can remember (Raiders Offensive Coordinator) Greg Olson. He didn’t have any reason to put his arm around me and really kind of take me in and he did that. To then be able to work with him here, to see him Oakland doing a great job as an OC (Offensive Coordinator). To see what Coach Gruden’s done for me. It’s really a blessing to have been a part of that and it was certainly an experience that I’ll forever cherish. It’s a big reason why I’ve gotten the chances that I have.”

(On if it is becoming clearer that some rookies are standing out)

“I think so. Really, we’ve been really impressed with (S) Taylor Rapp. He’s a guy that’s showing up. I think you’re seeing flashes of why we like Darrell Henderson (Jr.). Mentioned (T) David Edwards as a guy that’s mature beyond his years for somebody up front. I think (DT) Greg Gaines has really taken steps in the right direction. Another guy that really you don’t talk about quite as much, Natrez Patrick is somebody that’s stood out and really taken advantage of his opportunities as a result of (DL) Justin Lawler going down. Some of those guys are truly starting to really separate themselves. I think as we continue to play these games, those guys will continue to get more and more opportunities to really shine and we’re hopeful that it becomes more and more clear as we get closer to finding our 53 and ultimately our 46.”

(On WR Mike Thomas)

“He’s done a really good job. (WR) Mike (Thomas) is a guy that I’ve always been a huge fan of, extremely tough competitor, he’s got great speed, I think he’s catching the ball really consistently. (Wide Receivers Coach) Eric Yarber and (Assistant Wide Receivers Coach) Liam Coen – our receivers’ coaches – have done a great job really with that group as a whole. In a lot of instances, you talk about (WR) Brandin (Cooks), (WR) Robert (Woods), (WR) Cooper (Kupp), (WR) Josh Reynolds now has really ascended to where you’re talking about him, and then I think Mike Thomas has really separated himself as one of those guys that stands out with the way that he’s consistently played. It’s really never been an issue about talent, he’s kind of had some unfortunate issues that have kept him out of the lineup due to injury, but he’s a special guy. (I) just love his consistent demeanor, he’s really valuable for ‘Bones’ (Special Teams Coordinator John Fassel), but he’s a guy that we’re hoping can stay healthy because he can definitely help us at that receiver position.”

(On the health of CB Aqib Talib)

“Aqib (Talib) is good. He just got a little soft tissue right now, but we’re being smart with him. He was playing so well against the Raiders, he made a great break-up and he just felt a little twinge in that hamstring, so we’re just being smart with Aqib right now.”

(On if WR KhaDarel Hodge stood out when he reviewed the Raiders game)

“He did a good job. I think (WR) KhaDarel (Hodge) is a guy when you go back to last preseason, you think about really we added him in a tryout setting right before you start camp. He quickly ascended and did a great job of maximizing his opportunities, got a chance to play in some games last year. He comes in the Seattle game and makes a big catch on a second-and-long. KhaDarel’s a guy that’s done a nice job, made some good catches, was able to create after the catch, and he’s another guy that’s been a bright spot in that receiver room for sure. Pro Football Focus grading them out, man, I like it.”

(On if he will watch Hard Knocks on Tuesday)

“I probably will since it was such an embarrassing deal (laughs). No, I’ll flip it on.”

“You could just see how fast he’s playing, his ability to negotiate those traffic situations.”

Not bad for your first NFL game, rook! 💪

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 13, 2019

InvaderRam wrote:

henderson’s coaches said he ran outside zone.

From the OC Register article:

But like the Rams, the Memphis offense subsisted on a heavy dose of outside zone runs, which asked backs to run off tackle while patiently reading the defense before cutting upfield.

The Rams ran more outside zone than any other team in the NFL last season. That scheme can be a difficult adjustment for some backs, but for the 5-foot-8 Henderson, it shouldn’t be an adjustment at all. Over the past two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus, he led all of college football with a staggering 10.7 yards per carry on such runs. Highlight reels offer endless examples of how Henderson’s extraordinary vision could translate to an NFL zone blocking scheme.

Give me more John Wolford next game plz pic.twitter.com/aBqVTzkpdu

— HoldenCantor (@HoldenCantor) August 13, 2019

==

Wolford putting his body on the line for that first down. pic.twitter.com/CtIqmXnuRN

— HoldenCantor (@HoldenCantor) August 13, 2019