The Rams added veteran leadership, but also a new coach who empowers those leaders

Rams coach Sean McVay talks with players during warmups for Organized Team Activities on Monday, June 5, 2017, at the teamÕs practice facility at California Lutheran University. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)

By VINCENT BONSIGNORE

It was interesting to me as I talked to people while reporting my story on new Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth how appreciative players were for the infusion of veteran players the Rams added this offseason.

While a coach can talk about a culture and try to establish a culture, that culture is only as good or strong as the players that execute it. And often times, successful execution relies on veteran players who serve as examples and role models to the rest of the team.

But it also requires a coach strong enough and savvy enough to empower those leadership-type players to execute their clout in the locker room.

The sense I get is new Rams coach Sean McVay understands and respects the inner-workings of a team, and how empowering players who want to lead to actually lead is a vital component to overseeing a successful team.

And in talking to some people, I’m not necessarily sure the Rams previous regime understood or respected or was comfortable or inclined to give willing leaders the green light to lead.

McVay seems the polar opposite of that. Not just in words, but in action. He actively sought out strong, inclined leaders through free agency and commissioned them to carry the torch he handed them.

Not surprisingly, in talking to Rams players, they are ecstatic about it. This is a very young team, and a lot of these guys are not too proud to say they appreciate older teammates setting a tone, reaching out to them, or being an example they can emulate.

Not everyone is equipped to be that kind of leader. Or is willing to be, for that matter. Some guys lead, some guys follow, some guys just show up every day, do their thing, and go home. There’s no right or wrong to it. Everyone is wired differently.

And that’s fine.

The Rams, to their credit, understood they had an example/veteran leadership void and went out and added guys like Whitworth, Robert Woods, Connor Barwin and John Sullivan, among others, to fill it.

Just as importantly, in talking to folks, they have a coaching staff in McVay and his assistants who understand the importance in allowing those leaders to lead.

And the sense I get is, holdover players who have that kind of voice and embody the message and culture will now be empowered to express themselves.

[www.ocregister.com]

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Hey, guys, we decided to go with two episodes this week. We interviewed Kayvon today and we thought it went extremely well. We are excited to share that with you on Friday!

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I think these group of guys conversation reflects a lot of what I have read here on ROD.
Outside of being a rams fan and looking objectively at Goff and our offense I think some of their points are very valid.

Question?
Do you think Goff now has the potential to be a top 15 or 20 QB this year?

Did Rams coach Sean McVay open the door to a QB competition between Jared Goff and Sean Mannion?

Rams coach Sean McVay, left, talks with quarterback Jared Goff, right, as offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur stands between them during practice, Monday, June 5, 2017, in Thousand Oaks. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

By VINCENT BONSIGNORE

Quite a bit was made last week when Rams coach Sean McVay commented on his team’s quarterback situation with second-year starter Jared Goff and third-year backup Sean Mannion.

To recap, McVay said Goff “has done a nice job getting better,” but then added: “but you always want to make sure that you’re playing the guy that you feel like gives you the best ability to win football games, because we owe it to our coaches, to our players and to this organization to do that.”

The second part of that quote led some in the media — mostly national reporters who weren’t present when McVay made the comment — to speculate that perhaps Goff wasn’t playing well enough in OTAs to keep a tight hold on his job as the starter, or that the quarterback competition is a dead heat with Mannion potentially on the verge of supplanting Goff.

Having been on hand when McVay made those comments I didn’t read too much into them. Quite frankly, McVay has preached the same message almost from the moment he was hired. And he has carried it out through OTAs as there’s been a lot of mixing and matching throughout the first team offenses and defenses.

Wide receiver and tight end, in particular, have offered an assortment of different personnel groupings and packages. At times, rookies Josh Reynolds and Cooper Kupphave lined up with the first unit alongside Robert Woods and Tyler Higbee. Other times, Nelson Spruce, Woods and Kupp were the first-team wideouts with rookie Gerald Everett at tight end.

The competition runs deep. And that will continue through the rest of off-season workouts, training camp and into the season. Across the board.

Thing is, McVay can’t preach that team-wide message only to reverse course when it comes to quarterback. Especially at this point of Goff’s career when, frankly, he hasn’t yet established himself as an NFL starter. That wouldn’t sit well with the rest of the locker room. Nor should it.

All that said, of the practices I’ve attended Goff has taken all the starter snaps and looks crisp, sharp, decisive and assertive. Nothing in his play thus far — or in comments by teammates or coaches on or off the record — indicates any sort of pause or concern that Goff isn’t making a strong stand for himself.

Quite the opposite, actually.

Just to be sure, I circled back to McVay about last week’s comments after the Rams finished up their workout Monday.

Here’s what he said:

“We talk about we’re going to constantly evaluate guys. Jared is our guy. We have a lot of confidence in what he’s done. But, we have confidence in Sean as well. It was certainly just what we preach to our team about – we’re going to play the guys that give us the ability to win football games and the guys that are competing at the highest level.

“Clearly, Jared has done that so far. It’s a one-day-at-a-time process, but what he has done is just picking things up. He’s getting better every single day and he’s definitely commanded that role. He did that again today. I think you guys saw how well he performed in a lot of the different situations. It’s encouraging and that’s why we can’t wait to go back and look at this tape.”

McVay also talked specifically about the early stages of working with Goff:

“It’s hard until you actually work with a guy. You evaluate the traits and the characteristics, but I think what he’s done above the neck in terms of the way that he’s handled the different things and situations that we’ve put him in, been very pleased so far,” McVay said. “We know that game-like atmosphere, you try to create that so that you can mimic and emulate those situations in practice. But, until you’re actually live as a quarterback, that’s when you truly get challenged. You’re having to move with the rush, avoid guys that can really tackle you. That’s always the best evaluator. I think he has done a nice job improving every single day and that’s what’s going to give us a chance.”

My take is this: I’d be shocked if Goff doesn’t emerge as the clear-cut starter by the time the Rams open the season against the Indianapolis Colts. That isn’t a knock on Mannion — who has looked good in OTAs — but the more you watch Goff, the more you see the skill-set that made him the consensus No. 1 or No. 2 quarterback in last year’s draft.

It’s up to him to keep that job throughout the season, of course. And his success doing that will rely on him continuing to develop and improve as well as a revamped offensive line, wide receiver group and new coaching staff holding up their end of the bargain.

As McVay likes to say: “We not Me.”

But for now, I wouldn’t read anything unusual or alarming into what McVay said last week.

By all indications, Goff is making a strong case for himself as the starter. And the Rams are noticing.

[www.ocregister.com]

Only thing I've heard from coaching staff is "Hav is a smart guy". But I believe the change is for other reasons. I've heard lots of different speculation here at ROD and I have my own theary. I think some of it is due to his foot and toe injury he dealt with last year. After watching him in TC and last season He had issues with speed rushers. He's a bit slow footed and stiff at the waist. I think they want someone more stout and able to give the QB more time in the pocket.

I'm sure McVay Kromer and his staff have gone over every available video of the OL and have discussed how to make it better "ad nausem".

Maybe I've missed it ,but has the coaching staff given any other explanation?

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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...l-defense-was-as-an-nfl-starting-quarterback/

Brett Favre didn’t know what nickel defense was, as an NFL starting quarterback
Posted by Mike Florio on June 7, 2017

Getty Images

Most football fans believe star players know significantly more about the game than they do. Sometimes, they don’t.

Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, in his third NFL season and second as the Green Bay starter, didn’t know some of the most fundamental aspects of defensive alignments in football.

“I would always sit in these meetings,” Favre said in a video from a speaking engagement recently posted on Twitter by Zach Dunn. “If you don’t know what’s going on, the trick is to act like you do. And I’m the starting quarterback, and [coach Mike] Holmgren would be up there and he’d say, ‘All right, look guys,’ he’s writing nickel defenses in, ‘We’re gonna do this, we’re gonna attack this.’

I’d always be sitting there going, ‘I hear this ‘nickel defense’ all the time but I’m not real sure what it is.’ Then he’d throw me for a loop and he’d say, ‘Long yardage situation, dime comes in.’ Dime, what the hell is dime? They would say, ‘Over under front’ and, ‘You got this, 3-4.’ I was afraid to ask, I’m the starter. Ty Detmer was over there.

“After about our second year, finally I said, I just got to know, ‘Ty, I got to ask you a question.’ Ty was about as goofy as I was. He says, ‘What’s that?’ I say, ‘What’s the nickel defense?’ He’s just real quiet, he says, ‘You serious?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I’m serious.’ He says, ‘Well, they basically take out a linebacker and bring in a DB.’

“I said, ‘That’s it?’ He said, ‘That’s it.’ I said, ‘Who gives a sh-t?'”

And that’s part of what made Favre such a unique personality in the NFL, with supreme talent overcoming his lack of concern about details. It’s hard not to wonder how he’d make it in today’s NFL, where quarterbacks make a full and complete commitment to their craft, relishing practice as much as they relish playing.

RAMS DT MICHAEL BROCKERS’ GRADE ON THE RISE FOR THIRD STRAIGHT SEASON

After a career-low grade in 2013, Brockers has risen his overall PFF grade each of the past three seasons.

MIKE CAHILL

In 2016, Los Angeles Rams DT Michael Brockers was one-of-six interior defenders who played more than 400 snaps and did not miss a tackle.
Brockers’ 2016 run defense grade of 79.5 was 19th best among 117 interior defenders.

He also earned a 71.9 pass rush grade, which was ranked 35th out of 118 interior defenders.

Both of Brockers’ two highest graded seasons have come during years in which he logged the two lowest total snaps so far during his career.

After a career-low grade in 2013, he has risen his overall PFF grade each of the past three seasons.



[www.profootballfocus.com]

Rob Havenstein knew something was up when he got the call, but the news could have been worse

By VINCENT BONSIGNORE

Rob Havenstein knew something was up when he got called into the Rams hierarchy offices shortly after the conclusion of last season and the hiring of new head coach Sean McVay.

After concluding his second year as the Rams starting right tackle, the young lineman from Wisconsin had starter clout and a positive film foundation going for him. But with a new coach and a new vision and only a pair of seasons playing on one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL, Havenstein was taking nothing for granted upon getting the call to come meet with the new staff.

And he braced for whatever the news might be.

Turns out McVay and his staff wanted to move Havenstein from right tackle to right guard. It was a dramatic change – from a position standpoint – but it also resulted in a sigh of relief from Havenstein.

After all, sliding over a few feet to his left is a whole lot different than packing his belongings and moving to Green Bay or Jacksonville or the waiver wire,

“They wanted to me to move to guard rather than going somewhere else,” a relieved Havenstein remembered. “I was like, anywhere I can play anywhere I can help I’m for it. Me not having played guard before doesn’t matter. I’m taking the same approach.”

And as he gets acclimated to his new position, he understands it’s in the same world he’s used to.

“I’m still playing offensive line. I’m not playing the X Receiver position or anything,” he pointed out, laughing. “It’s just a little bit different, but as they approached me I was very receptive. If that’s how they felt I could help the team, I’m 100 percent in.”

Nevertheless, there are subtle differences in the two positions. And misconceptions can result to the uneducated eye.Like, say, what might look as the guard position being more attack oriented and the tackle spot more reactionary.

Aggression, Havenstein says, is constant in both positions even if it might not look like it on film.

It’s all in the assignment. And it’s a fine line.

‘“Whether we want to go out and get on guys or we got slide help or something like that, or a double team or we’re kinda on our own, it’s just going to be where we can control our aggression,” he said. “Where we can be aggressive and know we have help and go after guys, or we can still be aggressive but we can’t over do it where we get beat right away and we’re kind of (screwed). So, tackle (to) guard, things are just going to happen faster. It might look more aggressive because, let’s say me and (Jamon Brown) are going against someone, I’m going to get on him way faster than JB is on (someone like) Robert Quinn running up field as fast as he can, which is pretty darn fast. So it’s gonna happen for me a lot faster then it might look – like I’m being more aggressive – but the actual (way we’re being taught) it’s about when we can control it and when we have help.”

[www.ocregister.com]

http://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/...er-on-bigger-role-with-rams-a-dream-come-true

Alden Gonzalez ESPN Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Practice was over, several of his teammates had showered up and driven away, and Lamarcus Joyner remained on the field, all alone, jogging laps, dripping sweat. After three years of proving himself in a part-time role, the Los Angeles Rams are finally giving Joyner the opportunity he always wanted -- to be on the field at all times, as both a free safety and a slot corner.

Joyner calls it "a dream come true."



"A lot of people make it to the league," he said upon finally coming off the field on Monday. "Some guys don’t pan out; some guys never get what they want. And to be in the driver’s seat of what you want to do as a professional football player, that’s really a dream come true."

Hard Knocks."

"A lot of people may have looked at that wrong," Joyner said, "but I don’t think a guy going to his boss wanting to play more, the way he’s putting in work, is disrespectful or arrogance or anything wrong. It's just passion. It’s a guy that loves football and wants to help the organization that drafted him to win."

Joyner played safety as a sophomore and junior for the Seminoles, a two-year stretch that was sandwiched between time at corner. Joyner often told Fisher and former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams that he wanted to also help at safety, "But the scheme didn’t allow it," Joyner said. "I had to master nickel in that scheme. That’s what I did."

Joyner played in 1,349 snaps over the past two years, fifth-most among Rams defensive players and trailing only Trumaine Johnson among cornerbacks. But that was largely due to Joyner's own durability and stability, not necessarily the magnitude of his role. Last year, Joyner finished 30th among 111 qualified corners by Pro Football Focus despite playing most of that season with a broken toe. When it was over, the Rams grew motivated to open up more playing time for him.

T.J. McDonald was allowed to leave via free agency, which moved Maurice Alexander to strong safety.

The plan now is for Joyner to play free safety in base sets and go back to his role as a slot corner on nickel downs. But nothing is guaranteed. The Rams also signed Nickell Robey-Coleman, another excellent slot corner. And they drafted John Johnson, who excelled as a high safety and and in man coverage at Boston College. Joyner can't let up.

"The difference between the league and high school and college is availability, accountability and dependability," Joyner said. "Some guys get fed with the golden spoon, some guys don’t. Unfortunately, I had to take the path where I had to prove myself year in and year out. It’s been paying off."

It could pay off even bigger. The Rams are trying to figure something out with star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who hasn't shown up for organized team activities while hoping for a restructured contract. But they also have several defensive players who are only one season away from free agency. The priorities among that group -- even more so than Trumaine Johnson, who is set to play under his second consecutive franchise tag -- are inside linebacker Alec Ogletree and Joyner.

The Rams are confident Joyner can take to free safety and impact their defense on every snap, a responsibility that he is embracing.

It's been long enough.

"A career in the NFL is like a lion," Joyner said. "It’s vigorous and violent, but it’s short-lived. Glory don’t last that long in the league. That’s just the nature of the beast. So, three years is a long time off my career to be waiting. But patience is everything."

Fat kid with personality, even has a little family resemblance going on I think... :rolllaugh:

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If the Jets are prepared to cut him, it probably wouldn't cost much to trade for him. We'd just have to open up cap room. He averaged 82 catches for 1085 yards and 10 TDs over the previous four seasons before his injuries last year.

I"m liking that Nelson Spruce is starting to make noise again. In a recent Top 6 ranked WR thread, I have Spruce ranked as the #6 WR and there were some ROD members that chimed in that Pharoh Cooper & Mike Thomas were the #5 or #6 visa/versa..

If Spruce "Remains Healthy" through training camp & preseason, he could easily climb to the #5 ranking. I've heard the debates and I know how many slot WR"s the Rams already have.

I've read the SP-Teams "value" arguments made for Thomas and Pharoh as well but Nelson just seems like a pure football guy that can elevate his game no matter how big the competition gets and those special type of players find their way on the 53 man roster.

I could end up being wrong of course but to me, a healthy Nelson Spruce has a 90% chance to make the 53.


Myles Simmons
Rams Insider
June 6, 2017

A year ago, one of the biggest standout players during OTAs was undrafted rookie wide receiver Nelson Spruce.

The Pac 12’s all-time leader in receptions caught six passes for 51 yards with a touchdown in Los Angeles’ first preseason game against Dallas last year, but suffered a knee injury in that game that kept him sidelined for weeks.

Though he made the Rams’ 53-man roster, Spruce was never healthy enough to see the field and was placed on injured reserve in November.

Now Spruce is fully recovered and looks like he could potentially contribute. He’s continued to show precise route-running skills and has made a number of strong receptions during the offseason program.

“You see a natural football player. He’s got a good feel for the game. I think he’s got good aggressive hands,” McVay said of Spruce on Monday. “He was a little bit limited earlier this offseason with some things where we were just being careful with him.

Now that he’s been back and he’s moving around, you can see why he was able to make the plays that he did last year. It’s good to see Nelson out here.”

“It’s a lot of fun,” Spruce said. “I’m in my hometown. I get to play in the NFL — I don’t know if you could dream of a better situation. Every day I’m out here, I’m happy and I try to make the most of it.”
http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/index.html


This is the first season that I didn’t really touch the field because of an injury.
“At first it was tough, but it lit a fire in me a little bit.”

Spruce is hoping Rams’ quarterback Jared Goff can help keep the flame burning.

Goff, who played at California, met Spruce when both toiled in the Pac-12. They had a quality relationship before becoming teammates with the Rams.

“We are friends,” Spruce said. “Off the field we do a lot of stuff together. ”The Rams will hope the friendship off the field will translate into success on the field. Goff, a second-year pro, is now the unquestioned starter.

http://www.ramsfansunited.com/viewtopic.php?t=5616



Seems like 2 years ago since we all witnessed this.....

I watched this a few days ago and I can't stop thinking about it. Make sure to watch it all the way through. Real genius.


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http://www.espn.com/blog/new-englan...aroppolo-consider-1-year-24-million-extension

Would Patriots, Jimmy Garoppolo consider 1-year, $24 million extension?

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- While excitement and anticipation for the New England Patriots' 2017 season is as high as it has been in the region in recent memory, some looking to the future have asked the question, “With the Patriots not trading Jimmy Garoppolo, what happens with him after the year?”

Last week, Patriots Hall of Famer Willie McGinest touched on the possibility the club would put the franchise tag on Garoppolo, buying them another year with a top backup quarterback as they assess Tom Brady's ability to continue playing at a high level entering his 40s.

That would be an outside-the-box move, as teams don’t use the franchise tag -- projected to be around $24 million for quarterbacks next year -- on backups.

McGinest, now an NFL Network analyst, pointed out how anyone who has watched the Patriots operate shouldn't rule it out.

“Well, if you’re talking about things that never really happen that seem to happen in New England; yes, it’s a possibility,” he said during an appearance on “NFL No Huddle” with hosts Kordell Stewart and Brian Weber. “I’m not sure how long he is going to be in New England. His deal is coming up [after the 2017 season]. There’s a lot of quarterbacks that reached that point and they leave.”
The Patriots had a similar situation in the 2009 offseason when they placed the franchise tag on backup quarterback Matt Cassel and then traded him to the Kansas City Chiefs.

But if the Patriots placed the franchise tag on Garoppolo with the intention of keeping him because they view him as a potential franchise quarterback, that would run counter to their past approach of not devoting too much salary-cap space to one position. Instead, the team generally prefers to spread the wealth, which allows them to build a stronger middle class over all areas of the roster.

One possible solution to avoid that: Offer Garoppolo, right now, a one-year extension through 2018 worth $24 million (a figure reached because it is projected to be close to the franchise tag).

By doing it now, the club could spread the cap hit over 2017 and 2018, making it much more tenable from a cap-management perspective. The Patriots currently have about $19 million in cap space.

It is unknown if the Patriots would be willing to do that, or if they’ve even discussed it with Garoppolo. But it could potentially be a smart (albeit unconventional) move as the club navigates keeping an asset while managing the unknown of how much longer Brady -- who turns 40 on Aug. 3 -- will play at a high level. It would also open up the use of the franchise tag for the team on a different player.

Then, of course, there’s this question: Would Garoppolo, who shares the same agent as Brady, even be open to signing such a hypothetical extension?

The benefit to him would be to gain financial security one year early. But in doing so, he also could be putting off his chance to be a starter for at least one more year.

On Tuesday, 6 June 1944, more than 160,000 Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline, to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which, “we will accept nothing less than full victory.” More than 5,000 Ships and 13,000 aircraft supported the D-Day invasion, and by day’s end, the Allies gained a foot-hold in Continental Europe. The cost in lives on D-Day was high. More than 9,000 Allied Soldiers were killed or wounded, but their sacrifice allowed more than 100,000 Soldiers to begin the slow, hard slog across Europe, to defeat Adolf Hitler’s crack troops.
----------

73 years ago today.

By Alden Gonzalez


Jared Goff has immersed himself in Sean McVay's offense, which is very pleasing to the new Rams coach. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Jared Goff stepped up in the pocket and fired a bullet, roughly 30 yards down the field, right into the hands of Robert Woods on a post route. Earlier, he hit Nelson Spruce for a long touchdown. And leading up to that impressive throw to Woods, he made crisp, accurate passes to Tyler Higbee and Cooper Kupp as part of a two-minute drill.

It's only organized team activities, which means players are not in pads and live contact is not permitted, but Goff looked good on Monday.

Rams rookie coach Sean McVay is nonetheless reserving judgement.

"Until you’re actually live as a quarterback, that’s when you truly get challenged," McVay said. "You’re having to move with the rush, avoid guys that can really tackle you. That’s always the best evaluator. I think he has done a nice job improving every single day, and that’s what’s going to give us a chance.”

Goff, with a 22.2 Total QBR in his brief NFL career, began his offseason by receiving instruction from noted quarterback guru Tom House. And ever since the official offseason program began, the 22-year-old has immersed himself in McVay's offense, spending almost every possible waking minute at the Rams' facility. McVay said he has been "very pleased" with what Goff has done "above the neck."

His teammates have noticed more confidence, more conviction.

"You can tell, especially just starting with the command of the offense, him being able to take that and control the huddle and get guys lined up, and keep that poise when things aren’t going well and when things are going well," said Higbee, Goff's roommate throughout training camp last year. "He looks good."

"More confident, more relaxed, more poised in the pocket" is how second-year receiver Mike Thomas compared this year's Goff to last year's Goff. "Letting the game come to him and taking his time, being patient on the field."

Goff is benefiting from having an entire NFL season under his belt and knowing from the start that he will be the starting quarterback -- but he must perform in order to keep his job.

McVay wasn't around when the Rams moved up 14 spots to draft Goff No. 1 overall last spring, and thus has no real loyalty to Goff, who struggled mightily over the course of seven rookie starts, all of them losses. If Goff doesn't show signs that he is making significant strides toward at least becoming a reliable starting quarterback for the foreseeable future, McVay probably won't have a hard time turning to his backup, Sean Mannion, a third-round pick in 2015 who hasn't seen much playing time yet.

McVay often has said he and his staff will "constantly evaluate guys."

Starting fresh allows him to keep an open mind at every position, including quarterback.

"Jared is our guy; we have a lot of confidence in what he's done," McVay stressed after Monday's practice. "But we have confidence in Sean as well. ... We’re going to play the guys that give us the ability to win football games and the guys that are competing at the highest level. Clearly, Jared has done that so far. It’s a one-day-at-a-time process, but what he has done is just pick things up. He’s getting better every single day, and he has definitely commanded that role. He did that again today."

[www.espn.com]

@CGI ram - absolutely LOVE the pic in the header. That look on GRobs face is priceless.:cheers:

Click the link below to listen to podcast.
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The Top 10 Safeties in Football
Lots of Seahawks and Ravens, and a 2016 Defensive Player of the Year candidate gets left off the list?! A shocking mystery is solved on this episode of the 10 Things Podcast
By Gary Gramling and Andy Benoit

We’re unveiling the top 10, based on the votes of myself, Andy Benoit and researcher Katie Sharp.

The top 10 itself was full of the usual suspects, but there was one exclusion from this week’s list that was a jaw-dropper. A defensive player of the year candidate a year ago. Listen to the thing to find out who.

Number 10—3:20 - Tony Jefferson(Ravens)

Number 9—9:10 - Tyrann Mathieu(Cardinals)

Number 8—12:41 - Eric Weddle(Ravens)

Number 7—13:32 - Byron Jones(Cowboys)

Number 6—16:56 - T.J. Ward(Broncos)

Number 4 (tie)—20:43 - Devin McCourty(Patriots)

Number 4 (tie)—22:04 - Kam Chancellor(Seahawks)

Number 3—31:28 - Harrison Smith(Vikings)

Number 2—33:36 - Eric Berry(Chiefs)

Number 1—38:15 - Earl Thomas(Seahawks)

Alden Gonzalez


New Rams coach Sean McVay said his hope and expectation is that his entire roster will be present at next week's mandatory minicamp. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- Trumaine Johnson, the Los Angeles Rams' franchise cornerback, returned to practice Monday after missing organized team activities last week. But defensive tackle Aaron Donald remained absent, while hoping for a restructured contract. Right tackle Greg Robinson and outside linebacker Connor Barwin also were not present, but Rams coach Sean McVay said they had excused absences and both are expected back shortly.

OTAs are voluntary, and only Donald's absence seems to have a real motivation behind it.

But with the Rams having an entirely new coaching staff that is implementing an entirely new system on both sides of the ball, it is notable that key players have been missing throughout OTAs. The three-day, mandatory minicamp takes place next week, running from Tuesday to Thursday, and McVay is hoping everybody is accounted for.

"You always hope for it," McVay said. "Each day, you're kind of ready to take on new challenges and things come up. That's our hope, that's our expectation, and I guess we'll find out next week."

Johnson will play the 2017 season under a $16.74 million franchise tag unless he and the Rams agree to an extension by July 15. The Rams, though, have stated that they want to first see if Johnson can be a fit under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips' system. Johnson doesn't believe that will be an issue.

"I can play man, I can play off, I can play zone, I can play waterboy," he said. "I can play anything y'all want to play, man."

His absence, however, was "not at all" contract related, he said.

"I had a personal situation I needed to handle," Johnson said. "That's about it."

Johnson missed the second week. Robinson was joined by outside linebacker Connor Barwin and outside corner E.J. Gaines in missing the start of the third week. Donald, by far the game's best interior pass-rusher, has missed OTAs in their entirety. And it is no certainty that he will show up next week, though Donald would face about a $75,000 fine for missing the three-day minicamp.

"Real tough," Johnson said of being without Donald. "There's a business side of football too, but we'd love to have him back."

McVay's hope during this voluntary period is simply that "there is clear and open communication." Johnson failed to communicate the first time he was absent on Tuesday, but said he reached out to McVay and his teammates the following day.

"As a coach, you're always going to want the guys here," McVay said. "But you also understand the framework of the way this stuff is set up in the offseason program."

[www.espn.com]

Rams Insider Myles Simmons talks about defensive back Trumaine Johnson’s return to the practice field for the start of the third week of OTAs.

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