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Bonsignore: Five things the Rams must accomplish in training camp
The Rams are counting on new left tackle Andrew Whitworth to bolster a position that has been a problem area for the team for years. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
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By Vincent Bonsignore | vbonsignore@scng.com | Daily News
PUBLISHED: July 25, 2017 at 4:44 pm | UPDATED: July 25, 2017 at 5:42 pm
A year ago this time the Rams were still getting used to their new Southern California surroundings after making the 1,825-mile trip back home from St. Louis.
There was so much still hanging in the air.
An entire franchise was making the move across country. A practice facility was hurriedly being constructed to be ready in time for the regular season.
Families were still settling into new homes and neighborhoods and schools. Directions were required to find the nearest grocery store, let alone figure out how to get from one temporary practice site to another across three counties and more than 100 miles.
“In flux” is as good a way to describe it as any. And that’s not even getting into the actual football side of things. Although we all know how that turned out.
That isn’t to excuse the depths the Rams fell to in the eventual 4-12 season. Many of their problems were carryovers from their former home, unrelated to distance and upheaval.
It’s simply to point out there was an obvious and constant undercurrent of instability this time last year. And no matter how much the Rams tried to deny or manage or work around it, it was just wishful thinking. Instead they spent a year trying to get comfortable while never really getting comfortable.
The difference now can’t be understated. The Rams are no longer the new family on the block. They are established members of the community.
And as they approach their second training camp at UC Irvine as the Los Angeles Rams, you get the sense 100 percent of the focus is back on football rather than spread across various different areas.
The question is, will stability equate to a much-needed on-field turnaround?
For that to be the case, here are five things the Rams much accomplish over the next four weeks:
OFFENSIVE LINE MUST GET SQUARED AWAY
It would be easy to point to second-year quarterback Jared Goff or running back Todd Gurley as the keys to finally getting the Rams offense out of first gear, and their contributions are critical. But the reality is Goff and Gurley remain beholden to the point of attack.
There are tangible reasons, however, to believe the offensive line can at least elevate itself to average rather than the league worst it was last season.
The addition of free agent left tackle Andrew Whitworth changes the whole dynamic. A two-time Pro Bowler who continues to get better with age, Whitworth, 35, immediately locks down a position that has baffled and sabotaged the Rams for years. It means Goff’s backside is better protected, often as a one-man operation that allows tight ends to be more active in the passing game. It means Rodger Saffold can settle in at left guard full time and gives new Rams coach Sean McVay the flexibility to move Rob Havenstein from right tackle to right guard and move Jamon Brown to right tackle after playing guard last season.
Coupled with the addition of veteran center John Sullivan, the Rams offensive line has undergone almost a complete facelift from last year, when left tackle Greg Robinson’s ineffectiveness was a liability. If the changes equate to a significant improvement in play, it alters the whole feel of the Rams offense and gives Goff and Gurley a chance to succeed.
GOFF NEEDS TO TAKE CONTROL
It wasn’t like the Rams’ entire offseason was designed and executed with their second-year quarterback in mind, but close to it. And they desperately need the coaching change from the defensive-minded Jeff Fisher to the offensive-minded McVay and the rebuilt coaching and personnel infrastructure around Goff to help pave the path he takes to being a productive NFL quarterback.
The cards were stacked against Goff last year. To deny that would simply be dishonest. He was working behind the worst offensive line in the league, with wide receivers who struck little fear anyone and under an offensive coaching staff that lacked creativity and development experience.
All of which led to Goff playing under siege, his 0-6 record as a starter and questions about his validity as the top pick in the draft.
The Rams didn’t just clear the deck for Goff in year two, they pretty much built him a new ship and hired a new captain and crew. Now it’s on him to take advantage, which means developing trust that an improved offensive line will give him that extra blink of an eye to hang in the pocket and make the throw. It means building chemistry with new receivers Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Gerald Everett and holdovers Tyler Higbee and Tavon Austin.
And mostly it means Goff being able to digest a new offense, settle into his role as both a player and leader and prove he is the quarterback to lead the Rams into the regular season.
IT’S TIME FOR GURLEY TO REAPPEAR
The fall of Todd Gurley is one of the more inexplicable tumbles in recent NFL memory. Here’s a guy who burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2015 with 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns in 13 games only to limp through 2016 with 885 yards and six touchdowns.
There is no doubt Gurley was running behind an offensive line that couldn’t consistently open holes and alongside a quarterback and wide receiver group incapable of challenging teams down field. And it all conspired against Gurley in the form of little to no running room while facing eight- and nine-man defensive fronts.
But there also is evidence to suggest when Gurley did have room to run, he didn’t always make the most of it. Maybe he wasn’t seeing things correctly. Maybe he was shell-shocked after taking the beating he did. Or maybe he was so stunned at actually seeing the occasional open running lane he didn’t react well.
Whatever the case, Gurley had a downright awful season, and the Rams have to figure out a way to get him untracked during training camp.
The Rams addressed the offensive line and wide receiver problems through free agency and the draft, and year two Jared Goff should be better than year one. Still, the personnel and maturation improvements remain only in theory for the time being.
However, Gurley should get some help in the more creative offense McVay brings, which features man-on-man blocking schemes that favor a north-south downhill runner like Gurley. Yes, McVay will also rely heavily on the spread-it-out, shotgun offense he’s historically preferred, but history suggests he does a good job using man and zone blocking schemes in the shotgun in order to take advantage of a power back like Gurley.
PASSING GAME WEAPONS NEED TO EMERGE
The Rams went heavy on wide receiver help through the draft and free agency while also adding a new vertical tight end threat. And the hope is newcomers Woods, Kupp, Everett and Josh Reynolds combine with holdovers Higbee, Austin, Nelson Spruce, Pharoh Cooper and Mike Thomas to lift a receiving group that struck little fear in the hearts of opposing defenses.
Woods and Kupp, in particular, fit a skill-set profile that should translate into much needed dependability, polish and accountability for Goff to tap into. Meanwhile, Higbee and Everett are envisioned as the ideal multi-faceted tight end tandem to operate in McVay’s offense.
SEAN McVAY MUST MAKE AN IMPACT
The Rams had an accountability and leadership problem under Fisher, with players privately complaining about a lack of urgency to get problems fixed and a sentiment that players weren’t being empowered to lead.
The hiring of McVay, 31, was intended to change that narrative by establishing a new culture in which players are held accountable but also given a voice to lead. Those changes were apparent during OTAs when players spoke highly of the veteran presence and leadership of newcomers Whitworth, Robert Woods and Connor Barwin, but also the communication and teaching skills of McVay and an experienced coaching staff that includes long-time defensive coordinator and former head coach Wade Phillips.
This is McVay’s first go-round as a head coach leading a team through training camp, and though most of the groundwork was laid during the offseason, it’s imperative he establishes the culture, identity and direction he intends to be the foundation his team rests on.
http://www.ocregister.com/2017/07/2...gs-the-rams-must-accomplish-in-training-camp/
The Rams are counting on new left tackle Andrew Whitworth to bolster a position that has been a problem area for the team for years. (Photo by Michael Owen Baker)
0 Comments
By Vincent Bonsignore | vbonsignore@scng.com | Daily News
PUBLISHED: July 25, 2017 at 4:44 pm | UPDATED: July 25, 2017 at 5:42 pm
A year ago this time the Rams were still getting used to their new Southern California surroundings after making the 1,825-mile trip back home from St. Louis.
There was so much still hanging in the air.
An entire franchise was making the move across country. A practice facility was hurriedly being constructed to be ready in time for the regular season.
Families were still settling into new homes and neighborhoods and schools. Directions were required to find the nearest grocery store, let alone figure out how to get from one temporary practice site to another across three counties and more than 100 miles.
“In flux” is as good a way to describe it as any. And that’s not even getting into the actual football side of things. Although we all know how that turned out.
That isn’t to excuse the depths the Rams fell to in the eventual 4-12 season. Many of their problems were carryovers from their former home, unrelated to distance and upheaval.
It’s simply to point out there was an obvious and constant undercurrent of instability this time last year. And no matter how much the Rams tried to deny or manage or work around it, it was just wishful thinking. Instead they spent a year trying to get comfortable while never really getting comfortable.
The difference now can’t be understated. The Rams are no longer the new family on the block. They are established members of the community.
And as they approach their second training camp at UC Irvine as the Los Angeles Rams, you get the sense 100 percent of the focus is back on football rather than spread across various different areas.
The question is, will stability equate to a much-needed on-field turnaround?
For that to be the case, here are five things the Rams much accomplish over the next four weeks:
OFFENSIVE LINE MUST GET SQUARED AWAY
It would be easy to point to second-year quarterback Jared Goff or running back Todd Gurley as the keys to finally getting the Rams offense out of first gear, and their contributions are critical. But the reality is Goff and Gurley remain beholden to the point of attack.
There are tangible reasons, however, to believe the offensive line can at least elevate itself to average rather than the league worst it was last season.
The addition of free agent left tackle Andrew Whitworth changes the whole dynamic. A two-time Pro Bowler who continues to get better with age, Whitworth, 35, immediately locks down a position that has baffled and sabotaged the Rams for years. It means Goff’s backside is better protected, often as a one-man operation that allows tight ends to be more active in the passing game. It means Rodger Saffold can settle in at left guard full time and gives new Rams coach Sean McVay the flexibility to move Rob Havenstein from right tackle to right guard and move Jamon Brown to right tackle after playing guard last season.
Coupled with the addition of veteran center John Sullivan, the Rams offensive line has undergone almost a complete facelift from last year, when left tackle Greg Robinson’s ineffectiveness was a liability. If the changes equate to a significant improvement in play, it alters the whole feel of the Rams offense and gives Goff and Gurley a chance to succeed.
GOFF NEEDS TO TAKE CONTROL
It wasn’t like the Rams’ entire offseason was designed and executed with their second-year quarterback in mind, but close to it. And they desperately need the coaching change from the defensive-minded Jeff Fisher to the offensive-minded McVay and the rebuilt coaching and personnel infrastructure around Goff to help pave the path he takes to being a productive NFL quarterback.
The cards were stacked against Goff last year. To deny that would simply be dishonest. He was working behind the worst offensive line in the league, with wide receivers who struck little fear anyone and under an offensive coaching staff that lacked creativity and development experience.
All of which led to Goff playing under siege, his 0-6 record as a starter and questions about his validity as the top pick in the draft.
The Rams didn’t just clear the deck for Goff in year two, they pretty much built him a new ship and hired a new captain and crew. Now it’s on him to take advantage, which means developing trust that an improved offensive line will give him that extra blink of an eye to hang in the pocket and make the throw. It means building chemistry with new receivers Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Gerald Everett and holdovers Tyler Higbee and Tavon Austin.
And mostly it means Goff being able to digest a new offense, settle into his role as both a player and leader and prove he is the quarterback to lead the Rams into the regular season.
IT’S TIME FOR GURLEY TO REAPPEAR
The fall of Todd Gurley is one of the more inexplicable tumbles in recent NFL memory. Here’s a guy who burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2015 with 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns in 13 games only to limp through 2016 with 885 yards and six touchdowns.
There is no doubt Gurley was running behind an offensive line that couldn’t consistently open holes and alongside a quarterback and wide receiver group incapable of challenging teams down field. And it all conspired against Gurley in the form of little to no running room while facing eight- and nine-man defensive fronts.
But there also is evidence to suggest when Gurley did have room to run, he didn’t always make the most of it. Maybe he wasn’t seeing things correctly. Maybe he was shell-shocked after taking the beating he did. Or maybe he was so stunned at actually seeing the occasional open running lane he didn’t react well.
Whatever the case, Gurley had a downright awful season, and the Rams have to figure out a way to get him untracked during training camp.
The Rams addressed the offensive line and wide receiver problems through free agency and the draft, and year two Jared Goff should be better than year one. Still, the personnel and maturation improvements remain only in theory for the time being.
However, Gurley should get some help in the more creative offense McVay brings, which features man-on-man blocking schemes that favor a north-south downhill runner like Gurley. Yes, McVay will also rely heavily on the spread-it-out, shotgun offense he’s historically preferred, but history suggests he does a good job using man and zone blocking schemes in the shotgun in order to take advantage of a power back like Gurley.
PASSING GAME WEAPONS NEED TO EMERGE
The Rams went heavy on wide receiver help through the draft and free agency while also adding a new vertical tight end threat. And the hope is newcomers Woods, Kupp, Everett and Josh Reynolds combine with holdovers Higbee, Austin, Nelson Spruce, Pharoh Cooper and Mike Thomas to lift a receiving group that struck little fear in the hearts of opposing defenses.
Woods and Kupp, in particular, fit a skill-set profile that should translate into much needed dependability, polish and accountability for Goff to tap into. Meanwhile, Higbee and Everett are envisioned as the ideal multi-faceted tight end tandem to operate in McVay’s offense.
SEAN McVAY MUST MAKE AN IMPACT
The Rams had an accountability and leadership problem under Fisher, with players privately complaining about a lack of urgency to get problems fixed and a sentiment that players weren’t being empowered to lead.
The hiring of McVay, 31, was intended to change that narrative by establishing a new culture in which players are held accountable but also given a voice to lead. Those changes were apparent during OTAs when players spoke highly of the veteran presence and leadership of newcomers Whitworth, Robert Woods and Connor Barwin, but also the communication and teaching skills of McVay and an experienced coaching staff that includes long-time defensive coordinator and former head coach Wade Phillips.
This is McVay’s first go-round as a head coach leading a team through training camp, and though most of the groundwork was laid during the offseason, it’s imperative he establishes the culture, identity and direction he intends to be the foundation his team rests on.
http://www.ocregister.com/2017/07/2...gs-the-rams-must-accomplish-in-training-camp/
