4 takeaways from Day 2 of Rams training camp: Gurley sits as planned
By:
Cameron DaSilva | 13 hours ago
The second of seven training camp practices is in the books for the Los Angeles Rams, wrapping up Day 2 on Sunday. Players still practiced without pads, but that doesn’t make it any less meaningful than padded sessions.
Here are four takeaways from Sunday’s session at UC Irvine.
Todd Gurley will be monitored closely
After practicing on Saturday, Gurley got the day off Sunday. He didn’t participate in any drills or team sessions but he was out on the field without a helmet. There’s nothing to be alarmed about, as this was the plan all along for the Rams.
Sean McVay made it clear that Gurley will get days off here and there to manage his workload and keep him fresh. It’s somewhat surprising to see his off day come so early in camp, but it’s clear the Rams have a plan for him.
And in Gurley’s mind, “it’s a good plan.”
Darrell Henderson is going to have a big impact
With Gurley sitting out, Henderson got more work than he did on the first day of practice. He appears to be the No. 2 back right now, though John Kelly also got first-team reps on Saturday and Sunday, too.
The Rams have been rotating their running backs in the first two practices, giving multiple players the chance to work with the starters. Henderson, however, has the greatest potential of anyone not named Gurley, and given how highly coaches have talked of him, he should have a significant impact right out of the gates as a rookie.
Things got chippy on Day 2
The pads haven’t come on yet, but things got a little heated on the field Sunday. According to Vincent Bonsignore of The Athletic, McVay stopped practice at one point and huddled the entire team together. It was likely to settle things down and give everyone a chance to regain their composure before the next rep.
McVay stopped practice a second time after Jared Goff was knocked to the ground, which should never happen in training camp.
Cornerbacks had a solid day
Expectations are high for the Rams secondary this season, particularly with the arrival of Eric Weddle. It’s still very early in the process, but between the first two days of training camp and spring’s organized team activities, the secondary is looking good.
On Sunday, Aqib Talib had a nice breakup in coverage against Brandin Cooks.
It sounds like Marcus Peters also had a nice day in coverage, breaking up a few passes.
If Talib and Peters can both stay healthy for all 16 games and meet expectations, the Rams defense is going to be dangerous.