10 Observations from OTA No. 4

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den-the-coach

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10 Observations from OTA No. 4


1) OTA No. 4 got going at noon on a clear, sunny day in Thousand Oaks, Calif. While the special teams period was ongoing to start the session, quarterbacks were on the second field going through a drill to simulate passing on the run. Jared Goff and Blake Bortles, for instance, were moving in a large circle, throwing the pigskin back and forth.

2) During individual drills, the offensive line worked on double teams with the guards and tackles, while centers had to execute a one-on-one reach block against a player lined head-up against him. Those kinds of combination blocks with the guards and tackles are a foundation of the team’s zone run scheme.

3) With the offense and defense still on separate fields, the offensive unit worked on installing red zone plays, running them against air. Before the offense ran each play, head coach Sean McVay would provide detailed instructions on the routes for each receiver. And each eligible receiver would get a ball — so if there were two receivers going out, two would have to make a catch, same if there were three.

4) The Rams continued working on a number of misdirection plays during a jog-through session with just the offensive unit. With O players lining up opposite the starting 11, the Rams worked in different players to go through plays like regular running back handoffs and jet sweeps to wide receivers.

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den-the-coach

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  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
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Also enjoyed reading about what Aaron Donald had to say about his new position Coach Defensive Line Coach Eric Henderson A.K.A., "Coach Henny." who replaced Bill Johnson...Henderson is making an impact IMHO.


“I’ve been loving Coach ‘Henny,’ that’s one of the main reasons I’ve wanted to be here.”

-DT AARON DONALD
  • Donald was particularly enthused about the chance to work with the Rams new defensive line coach Eric Henderson, spending the offseason in L.A.
  • Henderson has quite literally taken a hands-on approach training his unit in OTAs, frequently posing as an offensive lineman and forcing Donald and Co. to swat their new coach out of the way.
https://www.therams.com/news/quotes...-on-cb-marcus-peters-upcoming-contract-season
 

shovelpass

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"7) Still in 7-on-7 but now in the middle of the field instead of the red zone, safeties John Johnson and Taylor Rapp combined to force an interception. Johnson had tight coverage on the defense’s left, batted a pass up, and Rapp was right there to catch it for a takeaway. The Rams were in a three-safety defensive package for this third-down play, with the veteran Eric Weddle being the final player at the position."


Rapp is really standing out in OTAs in a positive way, he's been mentioned in almost every OTA recap. It's looking like he's going to make an immediate impact.
 

PressureD41

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I really think our Def is going to be a top 10 unit. The vets and rookies combine really look good so far in the OTA's. Rapp will be a weapon, in blitzs etc
 

shovelpass

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I think it's been made clear that if they didn't report in shape, somebody else would have.
I read it as these players came to camp in great shape. Every player is expected to report to camp in shape, standing out physically is either really good or really bad.
 
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Karate61

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Third year, same offensive system. That's going to pay a lot of dividends in the 2019 season!
 

Akrasian

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I read it as these players came to camp in great shape. Every player is expected to report to camp in shape, standing out physically is either really good or really bad.

Yeah, that was my (poorly expressed) point. Besides a highly intelligent offense, McVay holds his players accountable for things that are within their control - like working out in the offseason with the plan that each player is certainly given by the staff. If someone chooses not to do so, then there are other players who will have and will gladly leap at the opportunity for more playing time.
 

Mojo Ram

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When was the last time the Rams went three consecutive seasons running the same offensive system with the same QB?
 
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oldnotdead

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You can't judge much of anything from OTAs. This is when cross training begins, and coaches experiment with concepts and other "what if". You just hope no one crucial gets hurt. It's where the coaches finalize things for TC when the experimenting stops and the serious work begins.
 

Mojo Ram

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When was the last time the Rams went three consecutive season running the same offensive system with the same QB?
Linehan/Bulger or Martz/Warner?

I was hoping for an answer. Lol