Official Training Camp Thread - Day 10!

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RamBill

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Practice Report 8/10: Williams Sees Big Potential
By Myles Simmons

View: http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-practicereport/Practice-Report-810-Williams-Sees-Big-Potential/7fb2ebd4-74f2-4f32-aff6-dbc17d52841c


Last year, the Rams’ defense came in with high expectations that took some time to live up to. But in 2015, the team is looking to translate 2014’s late success to a fast start. Having Gregg Williams back for a second year as coordinator has made a difference so far in training camp.

“There’s an understanding of how we go about doing things,” Williams said after Monday’s practice. “More familiarity for them, and more familiarity for me, too. So it’s been good to see that.”

With Friday’s game against the Raiders approaching, Williams is looking forward to seeing some of the team’s younger players in action. Aside from staying healthy, Williams said one of the most important factors of the first preseason contest is introducing players to stressful situations.

“Until you get into a live game, you don’t see live pressure, you don’t see live tackling, you don’t see live situations,” Williams said. “I need to see them handle stress. And that’ll be a good part of the game.”

No longer a rookie, Aaron Donald has impressed the defensive coordinator thus far in camp. Head coach Jeff Fisher said yesterday that the defensive tackle started the offseason “on a mission,” and Williams reiterated how good the Pitt product has looked.

“I really believe he just scratched the surface last year,” Williams said of the 2014 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. “He’s a rare person instinctive-wise. He’s a rare person intelligence-wise about that position. And he’s a rare person leverage-wise.”

“He’s going to have to stay healthy,” Williams continued. “That’s a tough thing to do in our business when you’re playing in the trenches the way he plays. But he’s got a good injury history in the past. So if he continues to stay healthy, I think you’ll see even more production out of him.”

Williams also gave plenty of credit to Michael Brockers -- who became a father yesterday -- for how he can handle double teams, freeing Donald to make plays in the backfield.

“‘Brock’ has his back on a lot of things on some of the things situationally that we teach,” Williams said.

Sticking with the defensive line, one of the factors that should aid in a fast start is be the health of Chris Long. But while the defensive end missed 10 games last year with a lower-leg injury, Williams said Will Hayes did an admirable job filling in.

“Will Hayes was our defensive-production leader on how we go about grading for the season,” Williams said. “He led in production on the intricate way that we go about disrupting the timing of opponents offenses. So Will got a chance to play more and he stepped in and did a good job.”

If that health can continue through the entire unit, the Rams’ defense can be one of the best in the league.

“We always think that,” Williams said. “I’ve had some really good defenses in the past. I’ve had some really good ones across the league in other teams. They have the makings of it, but, again, we have to stay healthy.

“And some of the offenses, hopefully they’ll cooperate, too, and not play as well,” Williams added with a smile.

BEATING THE HEAT

Though it was pouring rain around an hour and a half before practice was scheduled to start, the sun came out in Earth City and the Rams held their session outside. But it was a hot one, with temperatures hovering around 90 degrees.

With the high temperatures over the last couple of days, Fisher said the training staff has done a good job of keeping players hydrated.

“We’re monitoring everything from a recovery standpoint and [the players] came back really well last night, today,” Fisher said. “They know. Today, we were back-to-back padded days. Tomorrow we’ll take the pads off and start our preparation for the preseason.”

E.J. GAINES’ STATUS

Second-year cornerback E.J. Gaines was injured in practice early in camp, and Fisher said on Monday that there is still no clear update on him.

“The only thing I can say is that he’s seeing the specialist right now and we haven’t gotten any results yet,” Fisher said.

PREPPING FOR THE PRESEASON

As usual, Fisher said that the Rams would not be doing much game planning for the first preseason game against the Raiders. But there are tasks the team must complete before Friday night at 9 p.m. CT.

“We have to go through our pregame warm-up routine and go through all that stuff,” Fisher said. “Of course, then we have that unique opportunity to go out in between the two games, one and two, and practice against the Cowboys, so that will be a great experience for us.”

While the head coach added the staff will discuss playing time on Tuesday, don’t expect much from the starting units. But with a few players dinged up, there should be plenty of opportunities for younger players to make an impression.

“That’s always the case in preseason,” Fisher said. “If you got guys that are nicked that you’re going to hold out or that can’t potentially go, the younger guys get more play time and so that’s what we’re going to evaluate.”

ROBINSON’S PROGRESSION

Left tackle Greg Robinson has made plenty of progress since the start of the calendar year, having spent much of it at Rams Park recovering from surgery early in the offseason. Offensive line coach Paul T. Boudreau said Robinson is much further ahead of where he was last year.

“It’s like night and day,” Boudreau said. “And usually, the biggest transition for a lineman is between that first year and the second year -- the offseason is invaluable. You can’t see them until April anymore, but the fact that he was injured [meant] he was here every day. He was watching tape and it was really good for him because he was in the building.”
 

LACHAMP46

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Hammer raised a concern that Robinson has lost too much weight.
I've heard that b4.....When I see him, reminds me of the LT at Philly...the one that made the successful transition from TE...It definitely will help against the speed rushers...But every player I've seen...or person, has never been able to lose significant amounts of weight without losing some strength...Unless of course they were a complete butterball b4 said weight loss....We shall see....
People see different things when it comes to Havenstein as well. We will see soon see I suppose.
C'mon coder....don't you go holding out on us....what's what? Battle better get ready asap?
Thanks for the twitter updates @LACHAMP46
gotta do something on the left coast huh, I was seriously missing @jimitroutboy ....
On another topic....Man, what's up with the dodgers & relief pitching?!?!?
 

CanRamFan

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A Few Random Observations:

No massive new revelations today.

It rained about an hour before practice but it wasnt cancelled although the parking lot was closed. The sun came out and it was hot and humid as hell. I had to walk a mile from where I had to park. Although @RamzFanz snagged a spot for us in front of the fan which was nice.

The 101 crew was broadcasting next to us. Demarco Farr actually came over to chat with us (coach mostly) which was cool. Farr made a comment about having four probowl quality defensive linemen and wondered when coach Williams would realize he doesnt have to blitz all the time....probably a rhetorical question.

Got to meet hammer. Dude knows his crap. He's a cool guy and I like him but I can see how he rubs some people the wrong way if you dont know how to take him. He has his opinions and there is no filter. As he says, just being honest.

It is interesting the different perspectives people have. While most of us have expressed excitement at Grobs new body, Hammer raised a concern that Robinson has lost too much weight. People see different things when it comes to Havenstein as well. We will see soon see I suppose.

Punting was something they worked on quite a lot today... hmmmmm

Defense was not nearly as aggressive again today.

It seems odd to me that Jones is listed as the staring center this morning for pre game 1. He seemed to me to be third but what do I know.

They worked on the run game a lot but it was nice to see a little downfield passing as well. They got a nice one to Austin over the middle and and britt looks good running a seam.

A concern was raised by hammer that they dont practice the 3 wide set enough.

One last practice tomorrow.

I read Hammers post on the...umm...other site. The dude seems super negative. Here's a small snipit : "I've just come back from practice and I'm so disgusted that I'm ready to explode"

Is it really that bad ? Seems contradictory of everything else I've been reading.
 

CodeMonkey

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I read Hammers post on the...umm...other site. The dude seems super negative. Here's a small snipit : "I've just come back from practice and I'm so disgusted that I'm ready to explode"

Is it really that bad ? Seems contradictory of everything else I've been reading.
See thats what i mean about knowing how to take him. He makes a lot of great points that sometimes people either dont see or dont wanna say...and guess what? It aint all peaches and light out there. Also I think he rubs a bit of sarchasm into everything he says.
 

JackDRams

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I read Hammers post on the...umm...other site. The dude seems super negative. Here's a small snipit : "I've just come back from practice and I'm so disgusted that I'm ready to explode"

Is it really that bad ? Seems contradictory of everything else I've been reading.

Are you taking it out of context? What was he referring to? It coulda been the shitty tasting American beer, man. Don't leave us hanging.
 

CanRamFan

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Are you taking it out of context? What was he referring to? It coulda been the crappy tasting American beer, man. Don't leave us hanging.

No dude definitely not taking anything out of context. He is basically saying the offense is terrible and Donald and Quinn are the only two on defense that look good. He's ripping the Rams (...and OC/Fish) a new asshole over there. Check it out. The comment I posted was just a small sample.
 

CodeMonkey

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C'mon coder....don't you go holding out on us....what's what? Battle better get ready asap?
Ok, specifically in the individual drills he has struggled a bit, but as coach pointed out those drills favor the D. Plus...we're talking about the likes of Quinn Brockers and Donald. As coach pointed out, it evens out more in 11 on 11s. The oline is better judged working as a unit.

Battle so far has been working, as far as I can tell, only at LT with the backup unit.

Don't panic yet, my friend.
 

jjab360

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No dude definitely not taking anything out of context. He is basically saying the offense is terrible and Donald and Quinn are the only two on defense that look good. He's ripping the Rams (...and OC/Fish) a new icehole over there. Check it out. The comment I posted was just a small sample.
Please, take everything that clown says with a sea full of grains of salt. He's lost touch with reality.

I used to enjoy reading that guys' posts. It's sad what's become of him.
 

iced

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No dude definitely not taking anything out of context. He is basically saying the offense is terrible and Donald and Quinn are the only two on defense that look good. He's ripping the Rams (...and OC/Fish) a new icehole over there. Check it out. The comment I posted was just a small sample.

based on the reports and what little we've seen on Tv,it's really not that hard to believe... not trying to be pessimistic but it is what it is - a lesser offense going against a very good defense
 

CanRamFan

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Please, take everything that clown says with a sea full of grains of salt. He's lost touch with reality.

I used to enjoy reading that guys' posts. It's sad what's become of him.

Same here. He's really changed his tone to ultra negative over the years. Seems borderline insane sometimes.

I'm guessing our D probably makes our O look worse than it really is, but I'm not expecting to see the second coming of the Greatest Show on Turf or anything.
 

jjab360

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I mean seriously, GRob at 315 lbs is too light? Based on what? With comparing him at that size to the rest of the LTs in the NFL, how does that even begin to make sense? Seriously? We're not talking about Jacob Bell at 285 lbs here, and we're certainly not talking about someone who would have trouble putting weight on if he felt that was best for his game.

I'm sure hammer's a nice guy in person, but all that statement shows is that he's in the state of mind right now where he'll take pretty much any info right now and try to twist it into a negative.
 

LACHAMP46

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specifically in the individual drills he has struggled a bit
Yeah...I get that...Drills are to tough to read a guy...It's like one on one db vs wr drills...they can go anywhere on the field, so a wr win must be taken with a grain of salt...headin over to da post to see what Hammer wrote....:sneaky:
 

RamzFanz

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  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
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I read Hammers post on the...umm...other site. The dude seems super negative. Here's a small snipit : "I've just come back from practice and I'm so disgusted that I'm ready to explode"

Is it really that bad ? Seems contradictory of everything else I've been reading.

Myself? While Hammer makes a lot of good observations live, it may be that he is focused on the limitations. I haven't read the full post.
 

iced

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Just hope the lost weight for GRob helps him pass block better - he struggled last year with speed rushers
 

Stranger

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I read Hammers post on the...umm...other site. The dude seems super negative. Here's a small snipit : "I've just come back from practice and I'm so disgusted that I'm ready to explode"

Is it really that bad ? Seems contradictory of everything else I've been reading.
can u PM with a link to where he posts. I don't go to any other site than this one.
 

RamBill

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Rams notebook: Barron is working his way back slowly
• By Joe Lyons

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_8ec0f020-579f-54d8-a9bb-e83ec336978f.html

Rams safety Mark Barron is not ready to push it just yet.

“I’m fine. I’m just trying to be careful, to make sure I don’t back-track,’’ he said following a recent practice at Rams Park. “I had surgery on the same knee a couple of years ago and I’m just trying to be patient. It’s tough not being out there because I love playing this game.

“Training camp is definitely important, but the main thing is making sure you’re ready for the start of the season.’’

Barron, a fourth-year pro out of Alabama, did not take part in organized team activities early this summer and spent the early days of training camp working on the side with team trainers. He has upped his workload in recent days but does not know if he will see action Friday when the Rams open their preseason schedule against the Raiders in Oakland.

“The preseason means different things for different players,’’ the 25-year-old Barron said. “It’s important to get out there because you want to play and try to get better. But you also want to be smart about it, especially if you’re not ready physically.’’

Barron, who was drafted seventh overall by Tampa Bay in 2012, was acquired by the Rams in October in exchange for fourth- and sixth-round draft picks. He made two starts and played in nine games with the Rams last season, finishing with 23 tackles (16 solo), three sacks and a pass defended.

“It was an adjustment, most definitely, but the guys here helped make the transition pretty easy,’’ said Barron, who started all 37 games he played with the Bucs. “Of course, I’m even more comfortable now, but even last year, coming in at midseason, I felt comfortable from the start with these guys.’’

Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams took advantage of Barron’s size (6 feet 2, 213 pounds), strength and versatility to add some interesting wrinkles down the stretch last season and has even more plans for 2015.

“We didn’t ask him to do some of the things last year that we’re asking him to do this year,” Williams said. “We’re trying to learn more about him and, you know, he’s also going from the bottom floor all the way to the top floor, learning the entire defense now. He did a great job in what we asked him to do last year. Now can we do more?”

Barron added: “In some ways I know what to expect, but Coach Williams, he always seems to have something different up his sleeve. Being in my first camp here has been a learning experience, but it’s going good, it’s moving forward.

“It’s a great defensive unit with talent from top to bottom and I think we’re all looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish this year.’’

PRESEASON TV CREW set

Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk and Rams Pro Bowler Torry Holt will again join veteran play-by-play man Andrew Siciliano on the broadcast team for Rams’ exhibition games.Siciliano and Faulk are teaming up for the fifth consecutive year, with Holt as part of the team for the third straight season. The sideline reporters are St. Louis sportscaster Martin Kilcoyne and new StLouisRams.com reporter Dani Klupenger.For the seventh consecutive year, KTVI-FOX 2 will serve as the flagship station for the Rams in the preseason, airing games Friday against the Raiders in Oakland as well as home contests against the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 29 and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 3. Fox Sports will nationally broadcast the team’s preseason game Aug. 23 against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.

With the exception of the Tennessee game, the Rams’ preseason games will be re-aired by KPLR 11 at 5 p.m. on the following Sunday.

MINORITY COACHES visit

The Rams had four visiting coaches in Earth City to take part in the Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship, which provides opportunities for minority coaches to observe, participate and gain coaching experience. The group included Regi Trotter, a secondary coach from Missouri Western, and Southern University wide receivers coach Chris Coleman, who were with the Rams for OTAs.Kenny Holmes, who played for Jeff Fisher at Tennessee from 1997-2000, was here for the start of camp but has returned to the University of Idaho, where he coaches the defensive line. The only coach still in camp is Kade Rannings, an offensive line coach from the University of Montana.RAM-BLINGSEarly-afternoon thunderstorms may have been a factor as the Rams drew 876 for their next-to-last training camp workout in Earth City. Camp will wrap up Tuesday with a practice to start at 5:30 p.m.Another sizable group of players sat out Monday’s practice: DE Chris Long, DT Doug Worthington, CBs Trumaine Johnson, E.J. Gaines and Brandon McGee, RB Isaiah Pead, TE Brad Smelley, LB Kory Toomer and OL Cody Wichmann.

Running back Tre Mason and safety Maurice Alexander dressed out after missing the last couple of workouts because of injury but did not do much.

Marcus Roberson, a second-year cornerback, is getting a lot of work with the starters.

There is no news on Gaines, who left practice after being stepped on late last week; Fisher said that the second-year cornerback from Mizzou is seeing a foot/ankle specialist.

• Visitors at Rams Park on Monday included NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and USA Today’s Lindsay Jones as well as scouts from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.