CAMP REPORT Camp Report DAY 2: Thur July 29

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CoachAllred

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I know it's early but I'm getting so excited about how good Stafford looks
Guess you have a clear understanding of McVays giddiness during press conferences.
He has that sideways cocky smile , like someone trying to hide a secret. :giggle:
 
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bubbaramfan

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It was brutal with no air conditioning. Just sat down at the PC and starting my write up of todays practice.
 

VeteranRamFan

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  • #53
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These
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are for you @Selassie I
 
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VeteranRamFan

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That placement. My goodness
That was right in front of us. A thing of beauty. More importantly the speed of DJ1. He was in a 3 WR bunch on the left side, they were in tight. He took off made to moves, one inside, one out and he was gone! Had a step and a half on the defender at that point.
 

RhodyRams

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Just got home. hour and 45 min to go 12 miles. gonna eat dinner drink a beer. Will have a write up posted in a couple hours.
Geez...Ive run a half marathon in under 2 hours...
 

CoachAllred

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Rams’ camp report: Matthew Stafford’s ‘disgusting’ throw, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods’ slick snags​

Quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) works out during the first day of training camp for the Los Angeles Rams in Irvine, CA, on Wednesday, July 28, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)


IRVINE, Calif. — There was only one word that could possibly describe one of the throws that Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford made during Thursday’s training camp practice, a completion across the middle to Robert Woods.

“Disgusting.”

That’s how receiver Cooper Kupp — who had a great outing of his own on Thursday, including an outstretched quick-snag in the red zone for a touchdown — described it, and it was hard to argue.

“I mean, he’s looking guys off mid-throw where he’s throwing across his body and the ball is out before receivers are looking,” laughed Kupp. “The self-ease within his drops and how he’s manipulating guys, that’s kind of the big thing I’ve seen. When you’re really watching him, the command that he has already over some of these concepts — that’s just going to get better over time.”

The throw itself, Kupp described, was a “fringe throw” during which Stafford held the safety to the backside.

“It was something crazy — we had a bust on the play, and the guy who was supposed to go on the safety on the backside busted his route,” Kupp said. “For (Stafford) to still hold that safety and then no-look this pass down the field, and being able to, on the no-look, move an underneath defender … was pretty insane. It was an unbelievable play.”

Stafford, though, continues to remind everyone how new to this system he still is, after just a few weeks in the spring with live reps as an entire offense.

“It’s brand new. Parts of me feel like a rookie,” he said. “I’m walking around and trying to learn everybody’s name, and who does what, and all that kind of stuff. Trying to perform at a high level in that atmosphere is a challenge, but I’m loving it. I’m welcoming it.”

Sometimes it’s visible when Stafford has to workshop or work through a play or concept. That’s when he’ll orbit around as many offensive guys as he can between reps, getting close enough to clack helmets and outlining the design of the play with his hands as he seeks advice, or sometimes gives it.

“These reps are just so important, to be able to get together and maximize the communication between reps as well,” Kupp said. “That growth is happening on the spot. … He’s been doing a great job with that. You see him hopping around to all of these different receivers, all of the running backs — he just wants everybody to be on the same page with him.”

More observations from Thursday’s practice:

• Rookie tight end Jacob Harris again was dressed out fully and went through speed ladder drills during the first portion of practice. Harris, as a source told The Athletic earlier this week, is not going to be practicing for the next couple of weeks because he suffered a minor core injury and had a corresponding procedure. All Rams players passed their conditioning tests, and nobody went on PUP, so it’s pretty clear that the team is just exercising extra caution.

• Second-year receiver Trishton Jackson is clearly making the most of the opportunity he has while Tutu Atwell spends substantial time on the COVID/reserve list. He lined up in the four and five spots during individual throwing periods, and worked into the offense at times as well, catching a pass through traffic from backup quarterback John Wolford near the end of the practice. Wolford also was “his quarterback” in individuals.

DeSean Jackson opened training camp with a gorgeous catch downfield, and did it again Thursday in 7-on-7s, although this time, there didn’t appear to be a coverage bust — just Jackson’s speed being what it is.

• Rookie linebacker Ernest Jones was close on a couple of balls, nearly picking off both Wolford and Stafford at various times. Keep in mind that the Rams rotate first team versus second team in a variety of ways when they are in the 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 periods, so Jones (and all younger or non-starting players) has been getting reps against both levels of offense, just as the offensive players receive the same benefit from the defense.

• Two Woods/Kupp highlights include: A tight sideline catch by Woods, after which he ran it back all the way to the opposite end zone amid loud cheers from the crowd, and Kupp’s red zone score in which he slipped through traffic — and, by the way, also looked to me to be a look-off pass from Stafford (but I don’t have the benefit of the film). Kupp also caught a nice ball at the far sideline with Jalen Ramsey in coverage.

It wasn’t necessarily a specific reference to that play, but after practice, Ramsey complimented Stafford on his ball placement.

“Sometimes, we may have really good coverage and he’ll throw a receiver open,” Ramsey said. “That’s been very impressive.”

• Rookie cornerback Robert Rochell had a great practice, and tipped two passes — the second, a tight contest between him and second-year receiver Van Jefferson, drew the biggest reaction from teammates.

• The Rams’ offense struck first in red-zone drills, with a touchdown pass from Stafford to Jefferson. But the defense had its say, too, with a Darious Williams pick of Stafford on a pass aimed over the middle and to the back of the end zone.

• If it happened Wednesday, I simply didn’t hear it — but if not, Thursday featured the first “Mamba” period of training camp. The Rams installed these periods to pay tribute to the late Kobe Bryant, and they feature a game-like atmosphere with offense on one side and defense on the other. The first-team offense and defense are given a specific high-pressure situation and awarded points for either conversions or stops.

• Punt returners worked with live legs on Thursday. Guys repping through the drill included Kupp, Raymond Calais, D. Jackson, JJ Koski, Jeremiah Haydel and Otis Anderson.

• As previously reported here, the Rams are indeed working their linebackers in complementary tandems and that in turn is predicated by their personnel grouping on the defensive side — so, a guy with certain traits may pair with a guy who possesses complementary traits. A good example was the tandem of Micah Kiser and Kenny Young last season, in which Kiser (and then Troy Reeder) filled the every-down, perhaps a bit more downhill guy, while Young is slighter, perhaps quicker from sideline to sideline and would be used on blitz and certain pressure packages. That might point us to tandems such as Kiser and Young, Reeder and Young, Reeder and Howard, Rozeboom and Howard, Jones and Young or Jones and Howard.

“I think one of the things we try to do defensively is stress people with a lot of personnel groupings,” coach Sean McVay said after practice on Thursday. “Sometimes, if a guy plays well in all of those (personnel groupings) and shows the versatile skill set, he might be on the grass for all of them. … We’ve got guys who have versatile skill sets, but that’s kind of predicated on the personnel, and what the intent is that we’re trying to get out of that personnel grouping.”

(Photo: Jeff Gritchen / MediaNews Group / Orange County Register via Getty Images)
 

So Ram

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This is so awesome. Earnest Jones being a factor this year is huge.
From my vantage point. Don’t get to excited. I talked about Kenny Young yesterday.I didn’t have a good look on the defense.Today was a different story.. He is getting 1st string looks.

-Yes - than was a nice play by E. Jones,but he has a long way to go.The Rams have a lot of depthThere is going to be a lot of tough cuts this season.