You’ve got to see Rams Joseph Noteboom to believe him

The way the season ended for LA Rams left guard Joseph Noteboom in 2019 was as unpleasant as his first year starting on the offensive line. A young man who had played offensive tackle for the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs football team found himself starting at left guard. While he lined up to the Rams venerable left tackle Andrew Whitworth, he also lined next to another first-time starter on the offensive line, center Brian Allen.

The Rams started the season by winning three games before losing a trap game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After the next game against the San Francisco 49ers was tied up at 7-7, the Rams offense took the field. On a third down and six yards to go, Rams quarterback Jared Goff dropped back to pass. This video shows the play, in full, beginning at the 1:45 mark.

Noteboom goes boom

Center Brian Allen chose to double team with the right guard, letting the blitzing A-gap linebacker Kwon Alexander through. Running back Malcolm Brown picked him up. Meanwhile, Joseph Noteboom engaged defensive end Ronald Blair as Andrew Whitworth engaged Nick Bosa. Allen then pivoted and shoved Alexander to the ground, behind Noteboom. Noteboom tripped over Alexander, injuring his knee and ending his season.

The LA Rams running game failed to gain 100 yards on the ground for the following four games, It was not until the Rams designed a running game with TE Johnny Mundt lining up in the backfield that the Rams were able to run over 100 yards once more. Before that injury, the LA Rams were 3-1. The Rams would only go 6-6 for the rest of the season.

Dominoes effect

That is not to assign blame for the injury that benched Noteboom last season. But it does demonstrate that the Rams running game, while it struggled last season, had better than a 120 yards average per game in the three season-opening victories. While Joseph Noteboom only graded out as 39.6 for 2019 by Pro Football Focus, he was a very impressive 70.7 the previous season.

The offensive line is more of a unit than a single player. The Rams struggled to pick up A-Gap blitzes. That struggle forced both guards – Noteboom and Austin Blythe – to turn inwards. That in turn forced the offensive tackles to lean inwards as well. A dominoes effect that plagued the Rams all season.

Noteboom needed for Rams running game

Noteboom is a solid offensive guard because he can get a push on running plays, and he is pretty good at pulling to be a lead blocker for inside runs. This year, he will be even better because, in his own words, he’s “lost weight” and “gained strength”. That’s pretty good for a player who is coming back from a reconstructed knee. And the 6-foot-5 306-pound offensive lineman is eager to show his stuff this year. Keep in mind that he runs a 4.96-second 40-yard dash. He’s big, he’s strong, and he’s incredibly fast.

And he’s back for another season.

Offensive linemen take time to develop. We pushed hard for a second chance for Joseph Noteboom months ago, simply because he deserves a chance to take charge at offensive line. In fact, the devastating adversity he endured last season may be the energy to propel him into one of the better young offensive linemen this year.

Rams athletic department deserves some credit

The Rams’ athletic staff, some of the best in the NFL, worked tirelessly with Noteboom to get him back to full health. It worked for Cooper Kupp in 2019. Now, it will work for Joseph Noteboom and Micah Kiser this year. Not just by rehabilitating an injured joint of an NFL player. But the group restores the player’s confidence, the love for the game, and the positive outlook necessary to train and drill over and over.

Joseph Noteboom is back, and he’s better than ever. Head coach Sean McVay thinks he looks comfortable, healthy, very explosive and strong. Two things matter for Noteboom this year. (A) – what the coaches think and (B) – how well he plays. Not mincing words, the Rams offensive line kinda stunk up the joint last season. But now, the team can take a breath, diagnose last year’s difficulties, and plan methods to overcome those challenges.

He’s back and bad-assed!

Joseph Noteboom is back, and better than ever. He’s not a loud young man. He’s not a shouter. He’s intelligent, he’s well-spoken, he’s confident, and as you listen to him talk about training camp so far, you can feel the positive mojo. If the Rams can put together a solid performance from this offensive line, the season will be a lot of fun. Noteboom is far better than expected right now. If the Rams can get the same out of Rob Havenstein, the offensive line could be significantly improved.

Noteboom has lost 15 pounds. He’s ripped. And while he still acquiesces to the “wherever the coach puts me” role that he is given, this is no longer a wide-eyed young man. Some may have closed off their minds to a comeback season for him. We haven’t. In fact, we expect it. Great players are not players who never fail. Great players are those that get back up stronger than ever.

That’s a perfect description of what left guard Joseph Noteboom has demonstrated so far this season.

The Conversation Thread; Desperate for Football... Excited for Scrimmage - Edition.




Drop in... drop out... say “hi”... Shit on the place.

Talk about WHATEVER.

The Goal: Contribute to “a conversation of random posts”... and see where it goes.

What are you eating?

Post Pics. Gifs. Make us laugh.

What are you drinking?

Music?

Tomorrow we’ll move this thread to Off-Topic, but for now... It’s Saturday Night!

Brian Allen opens up about difficult injury rehab, bout with COVID-19

The Rams’ offensive line was decimated by injuries last season, losing three starters at various parts in the year. Joe Noteboom and Brian Allen both suffered knee injuries and were forced to miss the rest of the season thereafter.

Noteboom is back on the practice field and feeling completely healthy, but Allen’s recovery has been much slower. In addition to coming back from the knee issue, Allen also had a battle with COVID-19 that he had to overcome, which delayed his return from injury.

On Friday, Allen opened up about his grueling rehab and bout with the coronavirus – he was the first NFL player to reveal he tested positive – and it doesn’t sound pleasant in the least bit. He was stuck at home while the teammates he lives with went to practice and the facility, leaving him alone for extended periods of time.

“So, me and Joe Noteboom had surgery on the same day. But with my injury, I tore my MCL, my meniscus and part of my tibia I fractured. For the healing process, I had to be non-weight-bearing for so long for my MCL and meniscus. But for stuff to start healing, I had to start walking, getting weight down. For the first month, I couldn’t even walk,” he said. “It really delays the healing process, as far as getting back and getting healthy. It made things take a little longer. As far as being out, one week I’m getting ready to play and then the next week, I’m not going to play until next year. That mentally was tough. You’re alone a lot. I live with guys on the team, so they’re going to practice, I’m sitting at home. My mom came and stayed with me for a couple weeks just to get me on my feet. But when she left, I’m alone all day. I come to rehab, I go home and just sitting on my couch, can’t walk. That was a tough time, but it’s going to make me better in the end.

The timing of his COVID diagnosis was certainly not ideal, either. He was at an important point in his rehab process, but because he tested positive for the virus, he wasn’t able to spend any time in the team facility working back to full strength.

That delayed things by about a month, which has impacted him this summer.

“As far as the COVID, that happened at an unfortunate time just because I was in a pretty critical part of rehab,” Allen said. “I had just started running and getting my strength back. I couldn’t come in the facility for three weeks. So, I was just at home. I think not having that setback, I’d be a full-go right now. But having that month push back from that, complicated things.”

As of now, it seems Allen will be the backup center to Austin Blythe, who has been working with the first-team offense all camp. Whether that’s because of Allen’s recovery or simply his performance isn’t exactly clear, but it’s simply an unfortunate situation all around for the third-year center.

Never really had a full 1... When my before mom passed, I hugged her gave her a love you like never before the day before, the next day I called her house after work and asked mt younger Bro where is she...After 8 shots to the heart, she;s brain dead..She was dead or at least brain dead after it took 8 minutes to get there..

Sad thing my mother always told me i WOULD END IT, she was right...How The Fu@#$

Knew when my Grandfather died, ran down 3 flights of stairs, sweating ,waking up, answering the phone, only to hear he had passed.

Then there was my younger brother, he passed in his sleep-but I knew to call his wife, that 1 hurt big time....

.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/jonas_shaffer/status/1296840824920170503?s=20


.

This should be good, because we all have them; those go-to stories you tell friends when joking about your childhood.

“when I was a kid we used to...”

Might be hard to decide which one to share first!

Officially in teens. Wow. I can’t believe how fast this offseason has gone even with COVID not allowing them to play pre season. 19 has been kind of a meh number for the Rams. A few older players but nobody really special. So I’m going with recent return specialist JoJo Natson.
Login to view embedded media View: https://youtu.be/Yunh_Ha28CQ

Rams LB Micah Kiser tackled pain, gets a new chance to start

THOUSAND OAKS — They knew about his talent. They knew about his intelligence.

A year ago this week, the Rams learned about Micah Kiser’s determination.

Kiser was making a routine tackle against the Dallas Cowboys in a preseason game Aug. 17, 2019, in Honolulu when his left pectoral muscle tore. The rest of us would be writhing in pain from such an injury, in the unlikely event we had pectoral muscles like Kiser’s to begin with. Kiser played four more downs before coming out.

He made that revelation, about trying to stay in the game, Friday in a Zoom chat with reporters. Some reporters were incredulous. The linebacker explained it matter-of-factly.

“I couldn’t really run, I couldn’t really move,” Kiser said of the effect of the freak injury. “At the time, I was competing with Bryce (Hager) to get a lot of playing time, and I was like, ‘I’m not going to waste this opportunity.’ They were going to have to pull me out of the game for me to come out. I was ready to go out on my shield.”

Kiser went on injured reserve and missed the 2019 season, undergoing surgery and five months of rehabilitation.

On track for a starting role at middle linebacker before the injury, the Rams’ fifth-round draft pick in 2018 out of Virginia had to put off that goal for a year.

Now, with star middle linebacker Cory Littleton gone to the Raiders and Hager not re-signed, Kiser, 25, is competing with Troy Reeder, Travin Howard and Kenny Young at the Rams’ middle-linebacker spots.

“You see the instincts, you see the awareness, great communication ability,” coach Sean McVay said of Kiser, whose only action as a rookie was on special teams. “He’s been attacking at the football, he’s forced a couple (of fumbles in practice).”

Kiser, listed at 6 feet and 244 pounds, was All-ACC and the conference’s leading tackler in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, and won the William V. Campbell Trophy, the award known as the Academic Heisman.

“He’s got an innate feel (for the game). Football makes sense to him. It’s been good to see him out here healthy, and we’re optimistic he’s going to be a big contributor this year,” McVay said.

That optimism was tested. Among the Rams medical staffers helping with Kiser’s recovery was sports psychologist Carrie Hastings.

“It’s been pretty tough mentally,” Kiser said. “The easiest thing was to feel sorry for myself. It took a while to get over that, honestly. Going to the games was tough, not being able to be in the foxhole.”

He said that after recovering, he spent the offseason working on his ability to change directions and make plays in the open field.

“I’m trying to have a Cooper Kupp-like comeback,” he said, referring to the wide receiver’s 1,100-yard season following a 2018 knee injury.

Kiser’s first time in uniform at an NFL stadium in more than a year comes Saturday evening in the first intrasquad scrimmage at SoFi Stadium, the Rams’ and Chargers’ new home in Inglewood. The Rams will hold one more scrimmage at SoFi on Aug. 29. They open the season there Sept. 13 against the Dallas Cowboys.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Kiser said of getting on the field.

The Rams know that once he’s on the field, it won’t be easy to get him to leave.

Notes

• The Rams will follow other sports franchises and put cardboard images of fans in the stands at home games. The team said fans can pay – $70 for season-ticket holders, $80 for others – to have their photos placed in end zone seats at SoFi Stadium. Proceeds will benefit the Los Angeles Rams Foundation “to address social injustices including poverty, education inequities, food insecurity and homelessness.” Details are online at therams.com/game-faces-for-good. The Rams haven’t said how many fans, if any, they’ll have at home games.

• The defense was ahead of the offense in the Rams’ practice Friday in Thousand Oaks. McVay wasn’t happy how it ended for the offense, with two-minute drills in which a deep pass by Jared Goff to Robert Woods was intercepted by Jalen Ramsey and the second team, led by John Wolford, let the clock run out. “We had a lot of guys that panicked, frankly,” the coach said of the clock mismanagement. “Guys have to learn from it, and that’s part of why you practice. Those things will not be tolerated from us, and it’s not good enough.”

• McVay was asked if he’s surprised Blake Bortles hasn’t been picked up by another team after last year’s backup quarterback wasn’t re-signed by the Rams. “I am surprised, just because he’s played a lot of good football in this league,” McVay said. Wolford, who hasn’t taken an NFL snap, is on track to back up Goff. Both should see action in Saturday’s scrimmage.

2020 preseason All-NFC West Team: Aaron Donald leads dominant defense packed with superstars

Over the next two weeks, we will unveil our preseason All-Division teams. They were compiled largely by a panel of one, though there was significant input from the writing and editorial staff at CBSSports.com after I took an initial run at the rosters on my own.

We began Tuesday with the NFC East, continued with the NFC North and NFC South, and finish out the conference today with the NFC West. Next week, it's on to the AFC.

Offensive skill positions

QB: Russell Wilson (SEA)

RB: Raheem Mostert (SF), Chris Carson (SEA)

WR: DeAndre Hopkins (ARI), Tyler Lockett (SEA), Robert Woods (LAR)

TE: George Kittle (SF), Tyler Higbee (LAR)

Let Russ cook.

Mostert looked like the best back in San Francisco last season, and he remains an excellent fit for Kyle Shanahan's scheme due to his speed and vision. The 49ers didn't have to give him more money this offseason but they did it anyway, which would seem to indicate they have plans for him to be heavily involved again this year. Carson has fumbling issues and the Seahawks keep bringing in more and more backs to compete with him, and he just keeps out-performing them on the field. He is an incredibly physical runner and last season he showed more ability to contribute in the passing game.

The Cardinals pulled off an absolute heist with the Hopkins trade. It still makes no sense. He may not see quite as much raw volume in Arizona as he did in Houston, but he'll remain one of the best weapons in football. Lockett and Wilson just make magic happen. It's one of the most efficient quarterback-to-receiver combinations in the league, and if the Seahawks ever let them get to something resembling real volume, everybody would know it. It was a tough call between Woods and teammate Cooper Kupp for the final spot, but Woods' consistency and more secure role as the guy who stays on the field when the Rams go into two-tight end sets gets him the nod.

Kittle is the best tight end in the league right now. Travis Kelce might have a slight edge as a pass-catcher, but Kittle is basically a third tackle as a blocker and is arguably they key to San Francisco's run game. He seems likely to take on a larger pass-catching role this year with Deebo Samuel and Jalen Hurd injured, and he's due for some positive touchdown regression as well. Higbee had largely worked behind Gerald Everett before breaking out down the stretch of last season. With the Rams trading Brandin Cooks, Higbee is seemingly in line for a larger role in the offense as well.

Offensive line

OT: Trent Williams (SF), Andrew Whitworth (LAR)

G: Justin Pugh (ARI), J.R. Sweezy (ARI)

C: Weston Richburg (SF)

Williams has been one of the very best tackles in the league for a long time. Taking a year away from the dysfunctional Washington franchise should not change that, and he'll easily step into the role formerly filled by Joe Staley. Mike McGlinchey would have been an equally good choice for the second tackle spot, but we instead bet on Whitworth getting back to the level he had previously maintained for about a decade.

This is not a great division for guard play, but the Cardinals' interior duo look like the best of the bunch. They are, at least, reliable starters. Richburg went down with an injury midway through last year and the 49ers didn't miss a beat, but that doesn't make him any less quality of a center. Back in the lineup, he should be back to playing well in the middle of one of the NFL's best offensive lines.

Defensive front

EDGE: Chandler Jones (ARI), Nick Bosa (SF)

IDL: Aaron Donald (LAR), Michael Brockers (LAR)

LB: Bobby Wagner (SEA), K.J. Wright (SEA), Fred Warner (SF)

Jones has more sacks than anybody in the NFL since arriving in Arizona four years ago, and Bosa might be the best bet of anybody in the league to top that list over the next four years. Still in his prime at 30 years old, Jones is an absolute terror coming around the edge, and as good a bet for double-digit quarterback takedowns as anybody in the league. Bosa deservingly won Defensive Rookie of the Year last season, and he arguably could have won Defensive Player of the Year. He'll compete for that award annually as long as he stays healthy.

Donald is the best defensive player in the NFL. Full stop. He might even be the best player, period. You can actually make it an argument with him and Patrick Mahomes, which is completely insane. Brockers, meanwhile, benefits from Donald's presence, but is a productive interior lineman in his own right.

Wagner remains one of the league's premier linebackers, and he is particularly proficient in coverage. Seattle loves nothing more than staying in its base defense at all times, which puts a ton of pressure on both him and Wright to cover a lot of ground over the middle of the field. More often than not, they are up to the task. Warner and teammate Dre Greenlaw both could have gotten a spot here, but we ended up going with Warner, who carries a bit more responsibility in the middle of the defense.

Defensive backfield

CB: Jalen Ramsey (LAR), Richard Sherman (SF), Patrick Peterson (ARI)

SAF: Jamal Adams (SEA), Budda Baker (ARI)

Woooo boy this secondary is good. Ramsey is as good a corner as there is in the league when he is on his game. The Rams let him shadow guys a bit more often than the Jaguars would, and that should continue in 2020. He's going to get paid and he's going to deserve it. Sherman had another fantastic season a year further removed from his Achilles tear. He looked great, like his usual self prior to the injury. We're betting on that guy showing up again. Peterson was suspended for six games last season but had otherwise never missed a single game -- or the Pro Bowl -- in his entire career. We're fully expecting that same guy this year.

Adams moving from the AFC East to the NFC West changed the construction of these teams a bit, as he absolutely had to take one of these spots. He is one of the best box safeties in the league, and a better cover guy than almost everybody else who plays that role. Baker, meanwhile, is turning into a versatile playmaker on the back end of the Arizona defense and should only get better in his fourth NFL season.

Not sure what we’ll see today, coverage-wise? Starts 5:20pm PDT

Competitive situations, stadium acclimation primary goals of first scrimmage

Rams head coach Sean McVay said he thinks the last time he stepped foot inside SoFi Stadium was when the turf was in the process of being laid down, though he's not exactly certain.

"I mean, shoot, every day runs together for me right now," McVay said with a smile after Friday's practice. "It was probably about a month and a half ago that I was there."

Fortunately, he and the rest of Los Angeles' coaches and players will have an opportunity to get acclimated with the team's new home venue tomorrow when they host their first of two scrimmages inside SoFi Stadium.

This scrimmage, which is scheduled to kick off at 5:20 p.m, will serve two purposes.

There's the logistical nature of learning their way around the building and figuring out a new routine after having the same one from playing at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for three years (or four for some). And then there's creating competitive situations to help further evaluate the roster.

When L.A. has been going through team drills in practice, most of the reps at quarterback, for example, have gone to starter Jared Goff and reserve John Wolford, resulting in undrafted free agent signees Bryce Perkins and Josh Love not getting many opportunities. McVay said the coaching staff will look to get Perkins and Love "a couple opportunities to compete a little bit tomorrow." Additionally, McVay expects all three kickers – Miami (Ohio) product Sam Sloman, former XFL standout Austin MacGinnis and former CFL standout Lirim Hajrullahu – to see the field and get some chances.

McVay said he wanted to wait until he received the injury report for Friday's practice before finalizing the structure of the scrimmage, but still gave reporters a general idea Friday morning of what it will look like.

"We'll have some different situational stuff set up where we want to get at least eight or 10 plays in this sequence, and then we'll have a phase of special teams in between it," McVay said. "We'll get some good ones on ones competitive work a lot of the time, but we'll also get a chance to evaluate some developmental guys that will look to play some, some live ball with."

Collectively, McVay said the goal is to reach 65-70 plays by the end of the scrimmage, including "every phase of special teams and a couple of them we'll hit more than once."

The Rams' second and final scrimmage this month, scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. at SoFi Stadium on Aug. 29, will serve as a dress rehearsal for the regular season.

Sorry, been busy the last few days. Getting a little burnt out with this too

Here’s a millennials choice in players.

Login to view embedded media View: https://youtu.be/ZZuy8QNF5i4

Login to view embedded media View: https://youtu.be/2N3RbKdD4n4

Login to view embedded media View: https://youtu.be/xNg2tYfInck

7 Rams standouts from first week of padded practices

The Rams wrapped up their third of 14 padded practices on Friday, their last session before Saturday night’s scrimmage at SoFi Stadium. The team has to take advantage of every practice it can get because of how limited the offseason work has been, and it seems to be doing just that.

To put a bow on the first week of padded practices, we selected seven standouts for the Rams – led by a bunch of impressive rookies who have stepped up in a big way.

1 S Jordan Fuller

Fuller is only a sixth-round pick but he’s not playing like one in practice. The rookie safety has made a strong first impression on the coaches and his teammates, with Sean McVay specifically name-dropping him for the plays he’s made on the field.

“You know, I’ve been really impressed with all these guys, but those two young safeties, when you look at (Terrell) Burgess and Fuller have really been standouts the last couple of days,” McVay said.

He picked off three passes in the first week of padded practices and on Friday alone, he made two huge plays on defense. He has a legitimate chance to contribute at some point this season behind John Johnson and Taylor Rapp.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/gregbeacham/status/1296859517079023616?s=21

2 WR Van Jefferson

Jefferson has also caught the eye of McVay early in camp for his strong hands, route running and physical play in practice. He caught a nice touchdown pass from John Wolford in the end zone, coming down in bounds with good awareness.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/ramsnfl/status/1295511084267266051?s=21

Jared Goff loves the way he’s played so far, too, saying Jefferson reminds him of Cooper Kupp’s rookie year in 2017, getting up to speed quicker than expected.

“Van has been really good, man. He’s been really good. I say that cautiously because you never want these young guys to get too far ahead of themselves,” Goff said. “But he’s been really impressive and done a good job. It reminds me a lot of when Cooper was a rookie, and he was just so far ahead of where a rookie kind of should be.”

3 OLB Terrell Lewis

Lewis just looks different than most rookies. He’s tall, long, fast and powerful, which is a deadly combination for an edge rusher. Michael Brockers even thought the Rams brought him in to take his job at first before realizing he was a linebacker.

Lewis dominated individual pass-rush drills against Bobby Evans on Wednesday, showing off his power and speed on the edge.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/camdasilva/status/1296134595902136320?s=21

4 S Terrell Burgess

Burgess is right there with Fuller as a standout in the secondary, showing good range and versatility on the back end. He too has picked off at least one pass in practice thus far, which McVay recognized his hands for.

“He’s done a really good job. Smart player, great athleticism for a safety,” McVay said. “He has some flexibility to be able to play at the nickel position at the star for us. Really, very conscientious, made some big plays. When he gets his hands on the ball, he’s catching it. That’s one of the things I’ve been really impressed with. Our DB group as a whole, if they’ve gotten their hands on the ball, they’ve pretty much caught it.”

Burgess has to earn a role as a rookie, but he’s off to a good start, especially with the increased opportunities due to Taylor Rapp’s injury.

5 LG Joseph Noteboom

Noteboom is coming off a knee injury suffered last season but he appears to be 100% healthy – or at least healthy enough to participate in all aspects of camp. He’s grabbed hold of the starting left guard spot, which wasn’t expected after Austin Corbett and David Edwards were originally with the first-team offense to start “Hard Knocks.”

McVay has been impressed with Noteboom’s play thus far, highlighting his performance in practice.

“I’ve been particularly impressed with Austin Corbett and Joe Noteboom,” McVay said. “Joe was really playing good football before he ended up getting injured against the Niners early on in the (2019) season. I think he picked up where he left off. Looks very comfortable, looks healthy, looks explosive and strong.”

6 RG Austin Corbett

Corbett has shifted to right guard with Noteboom on the left side and hasn’t missed a beat. Like Noteboom, Corbett also received some nice compliments from McVay for how he has stepped up in practice.

McVay said Corbett has “done a really nice job,” and “really has some position flexibility” – a valuable trait for an interior offensive lineman. At this point, it seems Corbett will be one of the starting guards, depending on whether the Rams go with Edwards or Noteboom at the other spot.

7 WR Nsimba Webster

Webster’s roster spot will most likely be tied to his return ability, but he’s impressing on offense in practice, which will only help his stock. He caught two touchdown passes from John Wolford on Wednesday and continued his strong week with a good finish on Friday.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/jb_long/status/1296143159609528320?s=21

Webster is buried on the wide receiver depth chart behind the top four pass-catchers, but anything he can do on offense will help his chances of making the team as a return specialist.

10 Observations from the third practice of the Rams' contact integration period

After each practice of Rams Training Camp presented by UNIFY Financial Credit Union, Rams staff writer Stu Jackson will share 10 observations from the session. Here are his notes from Friday, Aug. 21.

1) Cornerback Jalen Ramsey made an amazing over-the-shoulder interception on a Jared Goff deep pass intended for wide receiver Robert Woods. It was a clutch play, too, coming during a 2-minute drill. Ramsey also had a nice pass breakup during team drills.

2) On the second 2-minute drill series, the defense got the best of the offense again. It nearly ended with another interception too, with cornerback Darious Williams – who has already recorded one pick this week – in the vicinity. Though Wolford was at quarterback this time, the series featured a lot of rotation and substitutions, so it was a good test for him.

3) Rookie safety Jordan Fuller continued a strong week, scooping up a Woods fumble forced by second-year cornerback David Long Jr. during team drills. Shortly thereafter, he broke up a Wolford pass intended for wide receiver Trishton Jackson.

4) Wolford continued to get the majority of the live backup reps, but McVay said this was intentional and that he plans to give rookies Bryce Perkins and Josh Love more opportunities during the scrimmage.
5) On another positive note for Wolford, he had a nice deep completion to rookie wide receiver Earnest Edwards IV against members of the first team defense during 7-on-6 work.

6) Overall, the defense seemed ahead of the offense based on the outcomes of the 2-minute drill, and McVay's post-practice comments to reporters reflected that. "We had a lot of guys that panicked, frankly," McVay said when asked why he was unhappy with the offense. "That's something that will not be tolerated." Chalk it up as teachable moments to learn from.

7) During 7-on-6 work, wide receiver Cooper Kupp made an impressive catch off a Goff pass attempt. Goff fired a ball over the middle that Kupp juggled to keep off the ground and secure it. Both his awareness and the awareness of inside linebackers Micah Kiser and Travin Howard deserve credit, though, as both were in a position to make diving interceptions.

8) As hinted at in observation No. 6, Kiser's instincts were on display during today's practice. Kiser told reporters afterward he didn't feel like there was a drop-off mentally while recovering from last year's pectoral injury because he got so many mental reps watching practice and film, and that was very much evident today.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/stujrams/status/1296855473635749889?s=21

9) Unlike Wednesday, we didn't get a chance to see the kickers in pressure situations during today's team drills, but McVay said after practice that Austin MacGinnis and Sam Sloman kicked today. However, like the reserve quarterbacks, opportunities will be created for all three kickers – MacGinnis, Sloman and CFL product Lirim Hajrullahu – during tomorrow's scrimmage according to McVay.

10) Joe Noteboom and Austin Corbett held down first team left guard and right guard respectively for the third straight practice.

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEGTUpCpmmk


Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xBVFgQLeyo

I'm just watching this now so no comments yet.

Login to view embedded media View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTBgqZResp4

.

Login to view embedded media
.

Will the Rams get Darrell Henderson more active in passing game?

The LA Rams need to create more mismatches on offense. While the offense is working on the receiver configuration, the team has many options to create more opportunities on offense. The LA Rams need to rethink the offense in 2020. The team learned in 2019 that sometimes the team needed to sacrifice receivers on the offensive line to shore up the blocking. Fewer big plays, but more dependable results.

Now, the team must flip the offense and look at it from the other direction. Where are the team’s hidden talents? Where can the team harness skills for more production on the field? Speed, power, elusiveness are all resume cliches for a player on a football team until that football gets into that player’s hands. Then? It’s yards gained. Production. Moving the chains. So how can the Rams get the ball into the hands of a player who has speed, power, and elusiveness?

Positive possibilities

There are several options available to Rams head coach Sean McVay. Of course, chasing him down on a football field is not something we recommend. But it does trigger the concept we want to discuss. Getting the ball to Henderson as a route runner in the passing game has a myriad of positive possibilities.

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/nflfilms/status/1295916696318992385?s=21


One option is to find new ways to harness the raw energy of second-year running back Darrell Henderson. After his almost token rookie season, the Rams know almost as little about his potential this year as last season. That needs to change. And so far in training camp, it may be changing for the better.

Rams Rusher receiver combination

The New Orleans Saints have had great success over many years by featuring at least one running back as a primary receiver weapon. Other successful teams have incorporated successfully into their offensive scheme in the past as well. That wasn’t really an option because the LA Rams had “He-does-it-all” with running back Todd Gurley. But Gurley’s gone, and the Rams will be rethinking how to make use of talent in the running back room.

Enter Darrell Henderson. He is that promising rookie running back who was intended to be the change-of-pace back of the Rams 2019 offense. But Gurley never really got on track, which meant that the Rams never truly to shift to another running track. By the end of the season, the Rams handed the ball to Henderson 39 times and threw his way six times. No touchdowns. No hoopla. No impact. No reason to look forward to 2020.

Reset and run it again

The Rams changed things up in 2020. The team was so successful with Todd Gurley, that the team fell into the rut of just handing the ball to Gurley and watching him do his thing. In 2020, the coaching staff will need to have a better plan.

Henderson is a 5-foot-9 200-pound offensive weapon who pulled in 63 passes in college for 758 yards and eight touchdowns. The Rams need more of receiver Henderson in their offense this year. Could the Rams be working on that?

Login to view embedded media View: https://twitter.com/ramsnfl/status/1295463639625809920?s=21


Henderson could be used with deadly effectiveness as a receiver in 2020. Imagine the LA Rams lining up with two tight ends, two wide receivers, and Henderson in a slot. Who defends Henderson? Linebackers and safeties are too slow. If the defense uses a slot CB, that opens up a tight end with linebacker coverage if the defense loads up on defensive backs, place Henderson in motion and either handoff or pitch out for a perimeter run.

The Rams can dictate from their offense where they create mismatches. Hopefully, Henderson is part of their offensive playbook in 2020. Not just as a rusher, but as a target in the passing game as well. He has the jets. It’s time for the Rams to turn them on.

Sean McVay lays out plan for two SoFi Stadium scrimmages

It turns out we won’t have to wait until Sept. 13 to see the Rams on the field at SoFi Stadium. Sean McVay previously said the team would hold a couple of scrimmages at their new home, and on Wednesday, he set the dates for those two games: Aug. 22 and 29.

While they won’t be replacements for preseason games, it’ll allow the team to be more competitive and also get a feel for the stadium.

“The first scrimmage we’ll have, which will be the 22nd, and will start around 5 o’clock to simulate a similar kickoff time to Dallas. Then on the 29th, it’ll be around 1 o’clock that we’ll start that to get a feel for what a lot of our home games will feel like. Those are the general times that we’ll end up starting that. But, as far as the specifics around it, I’ll wait until I get the injury report, but it will be a lot of good work. We’ll try to mimic and emulate a game-like situation as much as possible in those two opportunities.”

Jared Goff said recently that there will be an acclimation period at SoFi Stadium because of the vast differences between the new building and the Rams’ old home, the Coliseum. Whether it’s the clock placements, the shadows or simply the Oculus hanging above the field, Goff said he’ll have to get used to the stadium early on, which shouldn’t be too difficult.

McVay hasn’t decided who will and won’t play in the scrimmages, but it sounds like there will be tackling and more contact than they’ve had in the early portion of camp.

“We still want to practice smart, but we will have some opportunities with specific players, like I mentioned. Play real football, might tackle. Who those guys are is yet to be determined,” he said. “I think that will provide a real opportunity for us to use and not necessarily use the lack of preseason games as an excuse to not evaluate these guys. Those two opportunities will serve as a chance for some guys that would have gotten a lot of snaps in the preseason to maybe play some real football where we’re tackling and doing things that a real one would entail.”

It’s highly unlikely the Rams will share much from the scrimmages, so as not to tip their hand to other teams on social media, but hopefully we at least get some photos and a few videos of players on the field at the $5 billion stadium.

"Iron sharpens iron": Woods, Kupp share in each other's success

They each enter their fourth season with the Rams, having established themselves as two of quarterback Jared Goff's most trusted pass-catching targets.

And yet, for all the success wide receivers Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp have endured in Los Angeles since 2017, numbers have never negatively impacted their friendship. It's an "iron-sharpens-iron" relationship, as one reporter described it earlier this month, in which both players sincerely care about seeing the other succeed.

"Their friendship enables them to really push one another in a positive way," Rams head coach Sean McVay said during an Aug. 6 video conference. "I mean they're pushing each other, don't get me wrong, but it's a nice competitiveness, where they are really sharpening one another, as you (KABC-TV reporter Curt Sandoval) said."

Perhaps the greatest example of this can be found in what Woods and Kupp both accomplished as recently as last season.

Returning from a 2018 season-ending ACL injury, Kupp led the Rams in receptions (94), receiving yards (1,161) and touchdowns (10) while Woods posted 90 catches for 1,134 yards and two scores after being the team's 2018 leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns.

"Him coming back, I think it was just like a one, two, three punch," Woods said during an Aug. 6 video conference. "Me and Cooper, really just being dominant on our side of the ball, no slack off when we are in rotation and really, we're all number one receivers and that's what we like to think. We want to be out there and make plays no matter where the ball is going. We're all finishing to the end zone. Happy to have Cooper healthy, like I said, strong and ready to run."

Kupp, meanwhile, would be the first to tell you that Woods has been an integral part of his NFL success thus far.

"I've got so much respect for Rob," Kupp said during an Aug. 7 video conference. "I've, personally, learned more from Rob than I have any receiver."

The Eastern Washington product said he has been studying NFL receivers since high school and regards Woods as "one of the best receivers in the league, in terms of his ability to do everything."

While Woods' ability to play every receiver spot and run diverse routes has impressed Kupp, what resonates with him the most is Woods' willingness to share as the two have built trust.

"It's just the willingness to play off each other and be able to ask questions – there's never any feeling of like we need to know more than the other guy. It's always, we always want to learn," Kupp said. "Even if I feel like I've run the route the best that I possibly can, I'm going to ask him, 'How would you have run this? What's another way you can run this route?'. As you do this, as you build this up, it's like, 'Okay, no matter how many looks we get -- whether it's a block we need to get to, whether it's inserting to help spring our running back or it's a route we are running against three carry or different leverages.' It's like, 'Let's find a way to run this route three, four, five different ways and be successful'.

"Being able to run these things and bounce them off of Rob, who's just a receiver that I have so much respect for, it really helps make that really easy and just his willingness also to just take advice as well."
This season, Kupp will be vying for his second-straight 1,000-yard season; Woods, his third. Goff is doing his part to help them reach those marks by making three 1,000-yard pass-catchers one of his goals this season.

Whether one or both of Kupp and Woods accomplish the feat, this much is clear: They will celebrate the same regardless.

"Especially at that receiver position, where there's only so many touches to go around, sometimes somebody else's success means somebody else isn't getting the most touches and they've never felt anything but real, genuine, happiness for one another," McVay said. "I think their success has been reflective of that, because they've both equally been extremely productive for us and I think that's been a huge part of the success of the Rams' offense each of the last few years, both those two."

A detailed breakdown of the turf at SoFi Stadium

After playing on grass at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum over the last four years, Rams players' cleats will now be digging into Hellas Construction's synthetic Matrix® Turf system this season and beyond.

Laid down at SoFi Stadium earlier this month, the Matrix® Turf with Helix will provide "longevity, playability, and performance (that) is unparalleled in the industry," according to Hellas' website.

"As we were going through the process, it took a couple of years for ownership and the stadium to kind of figure out what they wanted in there, what type of system," James Towsley, Vice President of Business Development for Hellas Construction, told theRams.com in a phone interview this month. "I think it's really because of player safety and performance why they went in our direction."

Also used in the Texans' NRG Stadium and the Cowboys' AT&T Stadium, Matrix Turf with Helix is made up of multiple layers, starting with a Fiber configuration for the surface. The fibers are manufactured in Hellas' fiber factory in Dadeville, Alabama – roughly 25 miles from Auburn.

According to a brochure from Hellas, the Helix technology is similar to the memory and tenacity of a muscle fiber, allowing the turf to "bounce back after repeated use." The shape memory makes each fiber twist, and that twisted monofilament fiber in turn secures the infill to prevent migration and the infill from spraying, creating an aesthetically pleasing playing surface.

"The texturized fiber doesn't reflect light, so it keeps a uniform look more like natural grass," Towsley said.

Next, there is the REALFILL™ Infill with a unique pea gravel base and dust free SBR, cuboidal rubber granules. Per Hellas' website, the base facilitates "proper fiber support, energy restitution, enhanced shock absorption, and rapid drainage" – five crucial attributes for field longevity and player safety.

Energy restitution is defined as the amount of kinetic energy left over when two objects collide. Specific to football, it's important to have a playing surface that returns energy to a player running on it and doesn't slow them down. A common example used to explain this is running on wet sand that is compacted versus dry sand that shifts – you get back more energy from the former than the latter. It's what makes a secure infill and migration prevention by the fiber so important.

As for shock absorption, that's critical for player safety. It serves as a cushion which helps reduce the impact of landing on the turf, like when players are tackled to the ground hard.

Beneath that infill is a triple-player polyurethane backing. This backing is fused with Hellas' Proline® T44 from SIKA to create a tuft-bind, defined as "the force required to pull a 'tuft' out of a carpet, according industry-standard test procedure," per the company's website.

Towsley said the tuft-bind process takes place at the company's textile mill in Chatsworth, Georgia – about 170 miles north of Dadeville. The measurement is crucial for ensuring fibers withstand normal wear and tear over time.

For additional security, turf lock – defined by Hellas as "reinforced rivets that are injected into the turf at every inlay, logo, graphic, and field marking" – is installed. A draining stone foundation represents the last layer.

Collectively, the entire process to assemble the turf – from Dadeville to Chatsworth – took 17 days, according to Towsley. The turf was then sent to Los Angeles to be installed.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCURcQ2JLOo/?igshid=1p6rmg0ntv6b6

When Rams players take the field, they and their fans will have peace of mind about the surface the team will be playing on.

"I think a lot of it really does have to do with quality and its player performance," Towsley said, when asked why the Matrix Turf specifically has been used in some of the NFL's newer venues. "They like a clean interface. And it's us working closely with the NFL, the players association, Biocore and other entities that do testing and clean interface. It's the best playing surface I believe that's out there, and it's artificial turf."

It’s really not all that hazy when you break it down a bit.

We already seem to know the names of three of our starters.

Whit
Blythe
Hav

Barring injury, those three guys are our opening day starters, I think.

Which reduces our unknowns to just the two OG positions. IOW, Kromer has the entire rest of camp to shuffle and tweak those 2 positions and he seems to have no shortage of quality candidates, does he?

I, too, am a bit surprised by who and where Kromer is inserting players. I had thought it would surely be Corbett at LG and Edwards at RG, but Kromer has forgotten more about OL play than I ever will know and if he wants to tinker then that’s fine by me. Certainly makes it appear that our OL depth might be even better than I had thought.

Rams' three bold predictions for 2020 season: Jared Goff leads Los Angeles back to the NFC title game

The Rams, as expected, shook things up this offseason after failing to make the playoffs last season for the first time under coach Sean McVay. Among the players the Rams parted with are running back Todd Gurley, receiver Brandin Cooks, and linebackers Dante Fowler, Cory Littleton and Clay Matthews. Los Angeles also said goodbye to safety Eric Weddle, who decided to retire following a highly successful career.

Despite the loss of talent, the cupboard is not bare in Los Angeles. The Rams still have Aaron Donald, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Los Angeles also has Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey along with quarterback Jared Goff. In the draft, the Rams selected several players who they hope will make an impact this season, including running back Cam Akers, receiver Van Jefferson, pass rusher Terrell Lewis, safety Terrell Burgess and tight end Brycen Hopkins, among others.

While the start of the regular season just around the corner, here are three bold predictions for the 2020 Rams.

1. Jared Goff will make All-Pro for the first time

While some may question his status as an elite quarterback, Goff has already put together an impressive resume as he heads into his fifth season in Los Angeles. A two-time Pro Bowler, Goff has compiled a 35-23 overall record as a starter while helping the Rams win two NFC West titles as well as the NFC title in 2018. Goff's 2019 season left something to be desired however, as he threw a career-high 16 interceptions.

The Rams have set Goff up to have success in 2020. After relying primarily on Gurley to get their running game going in recent seasons, the Rams appear determined to disperse the workload between Akers, Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson in 2020. As far as the passing game is concerned, Los Angeles has given Goff a new receiver to work with in Jefferson, who has been turning heads during the early portions of camp.

"Van's been really good," Goff recently said of his new receiver, via the team's official website. "I say that cautiously because you never want these young guys to get too far ahead of themselves. It reminds me a lot of when Cooper (Kupp) was a rookie and was so far ahead of where a rookie should be. He's done a great job. He's really picking things up fast. He's obviously extremely athletic. I think his ability to pick up the offense mentally (and) understanding the intricacies of it has been really impressive."

The Rams are also confident that they will receive better play from their offensive line. Earlier this week, McVay made it a point to give a shoutout to his guards, Austin Corbett and Joseph Noteboom.

Goff has also put himself in position to have a career season, as he appears to be leaner after putting more of an emphasis on his diet and workout regiment during the offseason. Goff, who also focused on improving his footwork during the offseason, is also hoping to be more mobile in 2020. Goff has also developed a quick rapport with new offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell, a 35-year-old who broke into the NFL ranks with the Browns in 2015. O'Connell wasn't a bad quarterback himself, as he was selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2008 draft following a successful college career at San Diego State.

"He's been incredible," Goff said of O'Connell, who served as Washington's offensive coordinator in 2019. "He's been really good, and you can tell that he's played at a high level."

2. Terrell Lewis will be in running to win DPOY

Lewis, based on what he has shown thus far in camp, is going to earn a significant role on the Rams' defense. A third-round pick who battled through injury during his time at Alabama, Lewis has a unique blend of size and speed that should make him a nightmare for opposing offensive lines. Matching Lewis' impressive play in camp has been his imposing physique.

"He's certainly looks like (how) you're supposed to," McVay recently said of Lewis, who collected six sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss during his final season at Alabama. "He is exactly what you want when you draw up a 'Madden' player in terms of what that outside edge player looks like … He's feeling good. He's looked good the last few days in practice. He's got a long way to go, but you definitely see the flashes."

"He's a massive dude," added defensive end Michael Brockers when asked about the 6-foot-5, 262-pound Lewis. "At first I was like, 'Yeah, that's the guy they have replacing me.' Then, I saw him at outside linebacker, and I was like, 'What?' He's picking it up very well. He's doing all the right things as a rookie. There are things he has to learn and adapt to at the NFL, but we have time, and he'll catch up and be up to par on September 13."

Expect Lewis to be used in a variety of ways by new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who according to Brockers will be more exotic as it relates to how he uses his personnel within the Rams' 3-4 front. Lewis will also benefit from playing alongside several top-tier defenders that includes two-time NFL Defensive player of the Year Aaron Donald, Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey and fellow linebacker Leonard Floyd, who has also turned heads during the early portions of camp.

3. Rams reach NFC Championship Game

A year after coming up short in the Super Bowl, the Rams could not avoid joining the long list of teams who failed to live up to expectations the year after reaching the big game. But while things didn't go their way last season, the Rams (who would have made the playoffs in the NFL's recently expanded playoff format) were just a few plays away from making it back to the postseason in 2019.

Along with the new pieces they've added to their offense, the Rams are returning a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods along with tight end Tyler Higbee, who caught 69 passes for 734 yards in 2019. The Rams also have high hopes for Josh Reynolds, who has been running with the first team throughout camp.

On defense, the Rams' veterans have quickly embraced Staley, who has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the coaching ranks after serving as a Division III defensive coordinator just four years ago. Staley, who broke into the NFL as the Bears' outside linebackers coach in 2017, received rave reviews from McVay and Brockers earlier this week.

"It's been a great honor," Brockers said of working with the 38-year-old Staley. "He comes with a lot of juice every morning. He makes you feel like you want to play ... I wanted to put my helmet on during a Zoom call because he had me so fired up ... He's a perfectionist, but it comes all out of love. He wants us to perform and be the best players we can be."

While he is excited about the potential of his front seven, McVay is equally as excited about his secondary. He recently lauded the efforts of rookie safeties Terrell Burgess and Jordan Fuller, who are both expected to make an immediate impact in the Rams' secondary.

Will all of this optimism result in success? It's hard to say, especially considering the fact that the Rams play in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, a division that includes the defending NFC champion 49ers. That being said, if the Rams can get through the regular season mostly unscathed, their talent, depth, coaching, and previous playoff experience should make them an extremely tough out when the NFC playoffs begin.

10 Observations from the Rams' second 2020 training camp practice in pads

After each practice of Rams Training Camp presented by UNIFY Financial Credit Union, Rams staff writer Stu Jackson will share 10 observations from the session. Here are his notes from Wednesday, Aug. 19.

1) The loudest pop of the pads came during 11-on-11 drills, when cornerback Jalen Ramsey collided with running back and fellow Florida State product Cam Akers. Don't read too much into it, though: It's merely just one Seminole looking after another by helping him get used to the physicality of the NFL. "I think Jalen cares a lot about Cam, and he's welcoming him into the NFL, if you will," Rams head coach Sean McVay said after practice. Ramsey echoed similar sentiments on Twitter afterward, too.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/jalenramsey/status/1296164973484240897?s=21

2) The first team offensive line had Joe Noteboom at left guard and Austin Corbett at right guard for the second consecutive day. McVay praised both afterward, saying Noteboom "picked up where he left off" and "looks very comfortable, looks healthy, looks explosive and strong" while complimenting Corbett's positional versatility.

3) The defensive backs continue to make plays. A couple of near-interceptions, but perhaps most impressive was Troy Hill's third-down pass breakup covering Cooper Kupp on a goal-line slant.

4) Baptism by fire for rookie offensive lineman Treymane Anchrum Jr., who went one-on-one against outside linebacker Leonard Floyd at left tackle and later Ogbo Okoronkwo. In fairness, Floyd and Okoronkwo's speed and physicality present a tough test for any offensive lineman, let alone a first-year NFL player.

5) Kickers were put in pressure situations again during team drills, called upon to hypothetical game-winning field goals. Austin MacGinnis and Sam Sloman each converted a pair near the 40-yard line.

6) On days like Wednesday, it is easy to see why offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell is as confident as he is in John Wolford. Manning the second team offense against the second team defense, Wolford fired back-to-back touchdown passes to wide receiver Nsimba Webster during 11-on-11 work near the goal line.

7) Taylor Rapp did not participate in practice for the second consecutive day, but McVay later said he's hopeful to get the safety back on the practice field "in the next week or so." This meant that, for the second consecutive day, rookies Jordan Fuller and Terrell Burgess were afforded more opportunities.

8) Besides that hit against Akers, Ramsey had a nice pass breakup against wide receiver Josh Reynolds in the endzone during one-on-one drills.

Login to view embedded media
View: https://twitter.com/ramsnfl/status/1296152171860250624?s=21

9) Cornerback Darious Williams, who had an interception during team drills yesterday, continued his impressive play with a pass breakup against wide receiver Robert Woods in one-on-one drills.

10) Rookie running back Cam Akers had a nice moment against the second team defense, displaying patience and vision on a touchdown run to the right during 11-on-11 goal line work. "He's got great natural ability as a runner, I think he sees things," McVay said after practice. "He's got a great feel and tempo to his game."