zn wrote:

The starters debut against Houston. That includes not just Littleton but Peters, Talib, and Suh too.

Well as we just heard…not all of them.

—

Gurley Will Not Play, Goff May Not Play vs. Texans on Saturday

Myles Simmons

https://www.therams.com/news/gurley-will-not-play-goff-may-not-play-vs-texans-on-saturday

Head coach Sean McVay had already said earlier in the week that left tackle Andrew Whitworth and center John Sullivan were unlikely to play against the Texans for the third preseason game.
On Thursday, McVay confirmed those two veteran offensive lineman will be out on Saturday. But he also added one name to the list of players who definitely will not play: running back Todd Gurley. And based on the availability of the Rams’ offensive line, quarterback Jared Goff’s playing status is also up in the air.

With Gurley, the 2017 AP Offensive Player of the Year, McVay said the Rams had not quite ramped up his workload like they would on a normal game week. And given that Gurley recorded a league-leading 2,093 yards from scrimmage and 19 total touchdowns in 2017, his usage rate is likely to remain high as the focal point of Los Angeles’ offense in 2018.
That’s a significant reason why McVay is electing to keep him on the shelf for Saturday — and the remainder of the preseason, since in all likelihood there won’t be any starter playing in New Orleans a week from Thursday. It’s a way of keeping Gurley as fresh as possible for down the road.
“I think that’s one of the things last year that enabled him to sustain and really get stronger as the season progressed, was what a good job he did taking care of himself, being mindful of just kind of his maintenance program throughout the course of the year — especially with all of his touches,” McVay said. “We feel like this is going to put him on that track and that was more important to us. You try to get him as much good work as you can. There’s nothing like truly playing football. I totally agree and understand that, but that was kind of what we felt like — all things being considered — was going to be the best approach with him.”
“Obviously it’s going to save me. The [less] you do, it’s definitely going to save me just a little bit,” Gurley said. “We do such a great job — coach makes sure he does a great job of just getting us a lot of reps. It’s about that time where we’re starting to get the majority of the reps, starting to go through a regular-season schedule. So, like I said, everybody — we make sure we do our job of just maintaining the work on the field, and they do a great job of taking care of us when the time is right.”

Without any preseason snaps, Gurley will head into the 2018 not having taken a live rep since January. And Gurley and McVay both seem OK with that, with the running back saying he feels like he’s gotten enough work in practice to be ready for Sept. 10 in Oakland.
“That is everyone’s dream to not play in the preseason, what are you talking about?” Gurley joked with reporters. “Some guys, it’s different. At the end of the day, it’s always going to be different between playing in the preseason and playing in the regular season. But I’m kind of happy not to be playing in it. But it’s definitely good for some guys as well, too. Some guys just like being out there, just to get a feel for it, and see. But not this guy.”
“You try as much as you can to mimic and emulate those things in practice, but there’s certainly nothing like getting truly tackled. I think you’ve got to weigh those decisions,” McVay said. “You definitely don’t want to take away from the value of the preseason, so I don’t want that to be misunderstood by any stretch. But, [there is] that risk-reward and then also kind of being mindful of getting Todd as fresh as possible.”
The Goff situation, however, appears a bit more complicated. McVay seemed set on playing Goff against the Texans earlier in the week. But then right tackle Rob Havenstien tweaked his ankle in practice, which affected the team’s plans.

Joe Marciano@JoeMarciano
McVay is looking at PS in a fresh modern way. If Rams start fresh, healthy, and winning. Watch other teams mimic him.

Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
That’s not what’s going on at all

If Goff doesn’t play McVay’s hand will have been forced by Havenstein’s ankle. In McVay’s ideal world Goff playsz

Goff would have played last week if opponent wasn’t their season opening opponent.

The scheduling of the #Raiders game and Havenstein tweaking the ankle this week dealt #Rams a bad hand of cards.

Not ideal but given the potential circumstances it’s the right call

==

Joe Curley@vcsjoecurley
Sean McVay on Jared Goff potentially going the entire preseason without a snap: “I think you’ve got to weigh a lot of different things. We’re playing a lot of football out here… this isn’t like an easy answer because there’s a lot of layers to it…

==

Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
That said…it’s preseason. All you can do is get hurt. Plus, it’s the same McVay offense as last year, with 10/11 of the same guys. I still think you’d prefer them seeing a full-speed defense before Sept. 10, but not with three backup offensive linemen.

It appears that, in a wild coincidence, the only two NFL starting QBs who might miss the entire preseason are Jared Goff and Carson Wentz. All others either have played or are scheduled to this week (Brees, Roethlisberger). Wentz is coming off a major knee injury.

==

Ryan Kartje@Ryan_Kartje
I find the debate Sean McVay is grappling with, about whether to play his most important players during a meaningless preseason game, to be really fascinating. Personally, I’ve always thought, with the increase in team v. team practice, that the games aren’t worth the risk.

==

Gary Klein@LATimesklein
Todd Gurley on preseason: “I’m kind of happy not to be playing in it, but it’s definitely good for some guys as well too. Some guys just like being out there to get a feel for it and to see. But not this guy.”

Jared Goff said if he doesn’t play in the preseason, and doesn’t absorb a hit to get acclimated, he’ll be fine: “I’ll get hit plenty this year. I’ll get adjusted to it eventually.”

—

Aaron Donald proof of life. pic.twitter.com/I3ixanKd86

— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) August 24, 2018

Agamemnon wrote:

11% to 11.5% of the Cap. Let’s say the Cap will average $210 million over the next 5 years, 2019-23. $23.1 million to $24.15 million.

So you’re saying I misread you.

Since I would never make a mistake like that, that must mean you’re wrong about what it is you meant to say.

That’t okay. It happens.

.

Zooey wrote:

Kiser knows less than Littleton. Why not just put Littleton out there? It’s preseason. It’s designed for players to learn.

The Rams have had a kind of different thing this summer about playing starters in the PS so far and it’s all circumstances.

In the Baltimore game, they had already played 2 days worth of live scrimmages, 1s v. 1s, so they rested the starters, who probably would have only gotten a series anyway, and instead used the actual game to test and figure out the depth.

In the Oakland game both head coaches freaked out at playing a PS game against their regular season week 1 opponent. Here’s what Gruden said about that:

“I’ve never been in a preseason game like this,” Gruden said, via Greg Beacham of the Associated Press. “This is tough, in our first training camp as a football team, to have our second [preseason game] against a team we open up with.

“I don’t know in the history of the NFL if that’s ever happened. I’m not going to sit up here and cry about it, because it’s the same for them as it is us. But we didn’t want to play our starters, and we didn’t want them to hear our audibles and hand signals. I don’t think they wanted us to get a feel for them either, so it was a strange ball game.”

So again they just used the game to test and look at depth.

The starters debut against Houston. That includes not just Littleton but Peters, Talib, and Suh too.

It’s different from most PS plans but then the circumstances are the Baltimore scrimmages plus the thing Gruden complained about. That’s a unique combination of things to contend with.

…

Quotes & Notes 8/22/18: Talib and Peters Talk Instinct, Preseason Week 3

Clarence Dennis

https://www.therams.com/news/quotes-notes-8-22-18-talib-and-peters-talk-instinct-preseason-week-3

“Get a three-and-out every time and we done.”
-CB MARCUS PETERS

Corner Marcus Peters provided a characteristically to-the-point answer when asked what he hopes to accomplish in what will likely be his first preseason action on Saturday.
Peters then elaborated, saying he simply hopes to “execute play calls and have fun”.
Yet to play in a game for the Rams, Peters is expected make a difference in the Rams’ secondary as one of the top corners in the league.
Peters leads the league with 19 regular-season interceptions since entering the league in 2015.

“These are the days where you start feeling it a lot more as you get closer and closer to the day [start of the season].”
-CB MARCUS PETERS

Peters demonstrated his competitive nature on Wednesday, denying that the Rams are now in the “dog days” of training camp.
According to Peters, practices in the thick of the preseason provide the opportunity to practice with energy and practice “as a professional” — by avoiding injuries.
The Rams have not yet played many of their starters in the preseason, which Peters mentioned can be felt at times in practice, when it comes to conditioning.

“It all comes from just trusting myself — a belief in what I see. When I know, I go, and I’ve been playing ball ike that for a long time. When I know I can make a play, I go for it full-speed.”
-CB MARCUS PETERS

On Tuesday, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips talked about an instance in Baltimore during joint practices with the Ravens, in which Peters intercepted a ball thrown to a receiver across the field from him — a receiver that Peters was not originally covering.
When asked about the play, Peters said he’s always played with that instinct, and trusting teammates in those situations is key.

“As far as me, I don’t know. I got a lot of interceptions.”
-CB AQIB TALIB

When fellow corner Aqib Talib was asked if he has ever made a play similar to Peters’ pick in Baltimore, Talib said he wasn’t sure and would have to check the tape of his 34 career interceptions since entering the league in 2008.
Talib called Peters’ play more of an “instinct” than style.

“This game will be good for us too, just getting full speed reps with the safeties, with all of us together — with Cory [Littleton] — with everyone who has to communicate on that back end.”
-CB AQIB TALIB

Talib said playing in Saturday’s game against the Texans will be beneficial to the Rams’ newly assembled defense.
While Talib said he and Peters already have a feel for how one another play, things like crowd noise and going up against the Texans’ first-team offense will help build a rapport and be a good experience for the defense.

“Corey [Littleton] has been doing a great job from OTAs till now. I feel like he improved a lot, it’s a new position fo him, so I think he’s got it down right now.”
-CB AQIB TALIB

The Rams will have a new signal caller on the defensive side of the ball this season in linebacker Cory Littleton.
Talib said Littleton seems “comfortable” in his new role and that the game should be a good opportunity for Littleton get the initial shock of relaying plays to the defense on field out of the way.
Littleton was signed by the Rams as an undrafted free agent out of Washington in 2016.

“Really good football players, really impressive people too.”
-HEAD COACH SEAN McVAY

McVay talked once again on Wednesday about his newest defensive duo in corners Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib.
McVay said he has been impressed with how the pair has put in work both on the field and in meetings.
Finally, McVay talked about the advantage of adding Talib to his defense, saying Talib “has ownership” of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ defensive system.
Talib played under Phillips for two years in Denver.

“Guys are doing a good job just working one day at a time and we will see how Saturday goes.”
-HEAD COACH SEAN McVAY

McVay said his team approaching Week 3 of the preseason with the same approach as in training camp.
McVay also said continuity on both sides of the ball and special teams will be the focus for starters playing in the first game of their preseason on Saturday.
The Rams’ will take on the Texans on Saturday at the L.A. Coliseum. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m.

Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
Aqib Talib on the helmet rule: “It’s going to be tough. They’re calling a lot of stuff right now. But like every year, when they implement a new rule or they’re going to focus on a new rule, they overdo it in the preseason. Then once the season starts, they get it together.”

Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters both thought today was Tuesday. Nothing explains NFL training camp better. The day of the week just doesn’t matter.

==

Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
Rams cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib will play in their first preseason game Saturday against the Texans. Talib said it would be important to get their first tackles to the ground out of the way and for the secondary to get some full-speed reps with each other. Peters said as they get closer to the opener practices become more important and that Saturday will be key to getting in the “game flow.”

Is telling *me* — a team reporter — to “do something” about the Donald contract situation with an acronym including a curse word a blockable offense?

I’m leaning toward “yes.” https://t.co/HNVlGCWQEn

— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) August 20, 2018

One of my favorite answers of the season so far. #LARams

A post shared by J.B. Long (@ramsradio) on Aug 21, 2018 at 10:57pm PDT

Favorite quotation (from Phillips):

(On CB Marcus Peters’ ‘gambling’ and aggressive play style)

”I’m not sure it’s gambling. He’s kind of like the casino, he’s not the gambler….He intercepted one against Baltimore in practice and he had a receiver on the other side of the field and he intercepted an out route. I still don’t know how he did that.

And a cherry on top:

These two together (Peters and Talib) are probably the best I’ve had.”

Louis Riddick thinks Patrick Mahomes will have a better season than Jared Goff… “Book it” pic.twitter.com/tAseIHk7df

— Golic and Wingo (@GolicAndWingo) August 21, 2018

Rams still searching for answers at outside linebacker, but Junior Galette won’t be one

RICH HAMMOND

link: https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/08/21/rams-still-searching-for-answers-at-outside-linebacker-but-junior-galette-wont-be-one/

THOUSAND OAKS – Imagine being the only person at the office, because everyone else got the day off.

Rams outside linebacker Samson Ebukam put in a couple weekend shifts anyway. Of the 19 position players seemingly locked into Week 1 starting spots, Ebukam was the only one asked to play in both of the team’s initial two preseason games. That begged a reasonable question.

“Why?” Ebukam echoed after last Saturday’s game. “Because I have something to prove to the coaches. Because we lost a key factor in Robert Quinn and (Connor Barwin), so we’re all trying to earn our spots.”

The Rams have been doing more shuffling at outside linebacker than a music-lover with a two-hour commute. They passed on signing troubled veteran free agent Junior Galette, but now longtime defensive lineman Dominique Easley is taking practice snaps at outside linebacker.

Ebukam seems to have a starting spot locked up in advance of the Rams’ Sept. 10 season opener, but on the other side of the field, the open audition continues.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who have competed there and a lot of guys who have looked good and we’ve got some guys coming back,” defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said after Tuesday’s practice at Cal Lutheran. “It’s going to be a tough competition about who makes it.”

The linebacker spot opposite Ebukam had been lined up for converted defensive end Matt Longacre, but Longacre has been slow to return from late-2017 back surgery and a training-camp biceps injury.

Finding a replacement has been difficult. During offseason workouts, Morgan Fox tore an ACL and Obo Okoronkwo underwent foot surgery. Ryan Davis, who signed two days before the start of training camp, got first-team reps soon after, as did Ejuan Price and rookies Justin Lawler and John Franklin-Myers.

The Rams even took a look at Galette, a free agent who had been investigated for violence against women twice in the past five years, and is 30 years old with two surgically repaired Achilles tendons.

The Rams decided not to offer a contract to Galette on Monday even though, a day earlier, Coach Sean McVay said there was a “good possibility” that the Rams would sign Galette if things went well. Galette, McVay said, never even had a workout with the Rams, even though his physical revealed no problems.

“We wish nothing but the best for him,” McVay said. “It just didn’t work out, for reasons that we’ll keep inside. We have a lot of respect for him. Obviously you know the history and things like that, but it didn’t work out.”

After all this, the Rams hope they can circle back to Longacre, give him playing time in Saturday’s preseason game and have him ready for the season opener, but Easley is a new, intriguing option.

Easley returned to practice Monday after a full-year recovery from torn knee ligaments. Listed at 6-foot-2, 263 pounds, Easley might be a bit heavier than a standard linebacker, but the Rams believe he can be effective and that playing outside might be easier on his knees.

“I think this gives him a little more freedom to utilize his ability,” Phillips said.

Somehow, Ebukam has become the dean of this group, even though he was playing at Eastern Washington two years ago. Ebukam thrived in a backup and special-teams role last season, when he totaled two sacks, one forced fumble and 31 tackles. Phillips praised his recent work on Tuesday.

So why did Ebukam play the first quarter on Saturday – and start last week’s preseason opener – at a time when McVay seems set upon not getting any starters hurt before the season opener?

“We felt like that game experience, for him, is at a premium,” McVay said. “We felt like it was really important for him to get those snaps and I think he’s done a nice job and it will help him in the long run.”

Dan Graziano@DanGrazianoESPN
the NFL is looking at a “probable three-year” adjustment period for the new helmet rule, will continue updating its teaching video for officials, coaches and players. League is going with this, period. Everyone needs to deal:

link: https://www.sgvtribune.com/2018/08/21/rams-still-searching-for-answers-at-outside-linebacker-but-junior-galette-wont-be-one/

NO OFFENSE

Rams nose tackle Ndamukong Suh raised some eyebrows over the weekend when he took to social media to respond to a video. The clip showed Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey’s 71-yard touchdown run against the Miami Dolphins, and Suh commented with, “Right up the Gut lol.”

The Dolphins released Suh in March.

“I really made an observation that a blind man could see,” Suh said with a grin. “There’s no hard feelings there, if that’s what you’re getting at. I’ve got a great relationship with Mr. Ross [Dolphins majority owner Stephen Ross] and actually spoke to him a couple days ago.”

INJURY REPORT
McVay said tight end Gerald Everett (shoulder), receiver Josh Reynolds (ankle) and running back Justin Davis (hamstring) are “making progress.” McVay said it would be “ideal” if all three could play in the Aug. 30 preseason finale at New Orleans, but that has yet to be determined.