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Rams Notes: Roster cuts will begin immediately
By RICH HAMMOND / STAFF WRITER
[www.ocregister.com]
MINNEAPOLIS – Soon after the game ended, nervous time commenced.
The Rams’ preseason finale, Thursday at Minnesota, provided a final opportunity for players on the roster bubble to prove themselves. By Saturday afternoon, the Rams must cut 22 of their 75 players and get down to the NFL-mandated maximum of 53. It won’t take that long, though.
The Rams’ coaches and management members plan to convene Friday morning and begin the process of telling players that they won’t be on the roster for the Sept. 12 season opener at San Francisco. There’s still hope, because starting Sunday, NFL teams can sign 10 players to a practice squad.
“They’re not easy,” Coach Jeff Fisher said of the cuts. “I’ve been doing them for a long time and I do each and every one personally. I’ve always done that. You tell them the truth and you stand behind that.”
Most often, though, the truth is evident on the field.
The Rams on Thursday started running back Aaron Green, an undrafted running back who looked solid in the preseason opener, then got hurt. They also started fifth-year receiver Brian Quick, who has struggled with dropped passes throughout training camp.
Green gained only 10 yards on his first five carries, and dropped a screen pass. Quick dropped the first ball throw to him, by rookie quarterback Jared Goff.
Defensive fringe players took better advantage. Reserve defensive linemen Morgan Fox and Ethan Westbrooks recorded first-half sacks and lineman Matt Longacre was disruptive, as he has been throughout the preseason.
The Rams, at least those secured of a roster spot, now will get a chance to unwind at home.
After six weeks of training camp at UC Irvine, players can return to their families and homes – most of which are in Ventura County – and slowly start building until the season opener.
The Rams will be off Friday, Saturday and Sunday, then practice Monday and Tuesday.
“That’s going to give us a chance to hang pictures,” Fisher said. “We just have to unload boxes and get ready. All the (information technology) and the video and everything has to be set up and running so the coaches can get going. We have a lot of work to do over the next couple of days, but I’d say by the middle part of the week, we should be ready to go, we shouldn’t have any glitches at all.”
NEW DIGS
The Rams likely got a glimpse of their future when they played in the Vikings’ new U.S. Bank Stadium, which opened last month and on Thursday hosted its second preseason football game.
The Rams’ stadium in Inglewood, set to open in 2019, will be designed by Dallas-based HKS Architects, the company that designed the Minneapolis stadium plus recently opened venues in Arlington, Texas, and Indianapolis.
Minnesota’s stadium has a roof covered by transparent glass-like panels, and large doors beyond one end zone that allow in fresh air and natural light. The Rams expect to incorporate similar doors and roof panels, although unlike in Minnesota, the roof won’t need to be slanted to prevent snow accumulation.
The Minnesota stadium cost $1.13 billion. The Rams’ project, which totals 300 acres, has risen to an estimated cost of $2.6 billion.
By RICH HAMMOND / STAFF WRITER
[www.ocregister.com]
MINNEAPOLIS – Soon after the game ended, nervous time commenced.
The Rams’ preseason finale, Thursday at Minnesota, provided a final opportunity for players on the roster bubble to prove themselves. By Saturday afternoon, the Rams must cut 22 of their 75 players and get down to the NFL-mandated maximum of 53. It won’t take that long, though.
The Rams’ coaches and management members plan to convene Friday morning and begin the process of telling players that they won’t be on the roster for the Sept. 12 season opener at San Francisco. There’s still hope, because starting Sunday, NFL teams can sign 10 players to a practice squad.
“They’re not easy,” Coach Jeff Fisher said of the cuts. “I’ve been doing them for a long time and I do each and every one personally. I’ve always done that. You tell them the truth and you stand behind that.”
Most often, though, the truth is evident on the field.
The Rams on Thursday started running back Aaron Green, an undrafted running back who looked solid in the preseason opener, then got hurt. They also started fifth-year receiver Brian Quick, who has struggled with dropped passes throughout training camp.
Green gained only 10 yards on his first five carries, and dropped a screen pass. Quick dropped the first ball throw to him, by rookie quarterback Jared Goff.
Defensive fringe players took better advantage. Reserve defensive linemen Morgan Fox and Ethan Westbrooks recorded first-half sacks and lineman Matt Longacre was disruptive, as he has been throughout the preseason.
The Rams, at least those secured of a roster spot, now will get a chance to unwind at home.
After six weeks of training camp at UC Irvine, players can return to their families and homes – most of which are in Ventura County – and slowly start building until the season opener.
The Rams will be off Friday, Saturday and Sunday, then practice Monday and Tuesday.
“That’s going to give us a chance to hang pictures,” Fisher said. “We just have to unload boxes and get ready. All the (information technology) and the video and everything has to be set up and running so the coaches can get going. We have a lot of work to do over the next couple of days, but I’d say by the middle part of the week, we should be ready to go, we shouldn’t have any glitches at all.”
NEW DIGS
The Rams likely got a glimpse of their future when they played in the Vikings’ new U.S. Bank Stadium, which opened last month and on Thursday hosted its second preseason football game.
The Rams’ stadium in Inglewood, set to open in 2019, will be designed by Dallas-based HKS Architects, the company that designed the Minneapolis stadium plus recently opened venues in Arlington, Texas, and Indianapolis.
Minnesota’s stadium has a roof covered by transparent glass-like panels, and large doors beyond one end zone that allow in fresh air and natural light. The Rams expect to incorporate similar doors and roof panels, although unlike in Minnesota, the roof won’t need to be slanted to prevent snow accumulation.
The Minnesota stadium cost $1.13 billion. The Rams’ project, which totals 300 acres, has risen to an estimated cost of $2.6 billion.
