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By JT of the P-D
Nothing really new if you've been paying attention
Tight end Jared Cook still isn’t sure what was more taxing about his recent weekend in Oklahoma. Three practices in two days with quarterback Sam Bradford and assorted Rams skill-position players. Or three days helping Bradford at his youth football camp over the same weekend.
“Those kids run you ragged,” Cook said with laugh.
High energy, huh?
“Oh man, I wish I had maybe a half of what they’ve got,” Cook said. “They’re never run down.”
On Saturday and Sunday, July 13-14, Cook and several Rams teammates helped Bradford run his youth camp in Norman, Okla. About 350 youngsters ages 7-14 participated.
But for Cook and the Rams, their weekend began that Friday with a pair of two-hour workouts with Bradford.
“Almost like a two-a-day if you will,” Cook said. “Good quality work. Two passing sessions. And it just gave us time to get our rhythm with the quarterbacks, and just some time for (Bradford) to learn us a little more.”
On Saturday, July 13, the Rams worked the youth camp in the morning, and then practiced by themselves in the afternoon. On Sunday, July 14, they worked the youth camp only and then scattered for home.
“It was some long days,” Cook said. “It was a lot of work.”
Among Rams also attending the camp, Cook said, were wide receivers Austin Pettis, Chris Givens, Brian Quick, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey; quarterbacks Kellen Clemens and Austin Davis; tight ends Mike McNeill and Cory Harkey; and running back Isaiah Pead.
Working with Bradford and the other QBs served as a refresher course for the backs, tight ends and wide receivers just 10 days before the full-squad start of camp.
“It helps a lot because it gives you the opportunity to kind of hear your quarterback talking to you,” Cook said. “It gives him a chance to explain things to you instead of having coaches that’ll intervene. That way, it’s a better atmosphere to make you learn each other.
“Which is imperative especially when you are out there going to work. It gives you even more opportunity to get to know each other better. To know (the quarterback’s) passing strengths, to know how he throws stuff. And for him to know my steps, to know how I run the routes. To know how Tavon runs the routes.”
Every passer and every receiver has his own idiosyncrasies, and the extra time together can only help. That’s especially true under the new collective bargaining limits on how much time the coaches and players can spend together.
With that in mind, coach Jeff Fisher was pleased to see Bradford gather his teammates together for Camp Bradford.
“That’s part of today’s way,” Fisher said. “You’ve got a quarterback that’s in charge, that’s your franchise quarterback. That’s what they do, and it’s good to see him do it for the second year.”
There was also some bonding that took place after “work,” with the players going out together for dinner and otherwise hanging out once they completed the day’s football activities.
“We had fun in camp playing with all the little kids, and just joking around with each other,” Cook said. “It was a good bonding experience.”
Nothing really new if you've been paying attention
Tight end Jared Cook still isn’t sure what was more taxing about his recent weekend in Oklahoma. Three practices in two days with quarterback Sam Bradford and assorted Rams skill-position players. Or three days helping Bradford at his youth football camp over the same weekend.
“Those kids run you ragged,” Cook said with laugh.
High energy, huh?
“Oh man, I wish I had maybe a half of what they’ve got,” Cook said. “They’re never run down.”
On Saturday and Sunday, July 13-14, Cook and several Rams teammates helped Bradford run his youth camp in Norman, Okla. About 350 youngsters ages 7-14 participated.
But for Cook and the Rams, their weekend began that Friday with a pair of two-hour workouts with Bradford.
“Almost like a two-a-day if you will,” Cook said. “Good quality work. Two passing sessions. And it just gave us time to get our rhythm with the quarterbacks, and just some time for (Bradford) to learn us a little more.”
On Saturday, July 13, the Rams worked the youth camp in the morning, and then practiced by themselves in the afternoon. On Sunday, July 14, they worked the youth camp only and then scattered for home.
“It was some long days,” Cook said. “It was a lot of work.”
Among Rams also attending the camp, Cook said, were wide receivers Austin Pettis, Chris Givens, Brian Quick, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey; quarterbacks Kellen Clemens and Austin Davis; tight ends Mike McNeill and Cory Harkey; and running back Isaiah Pead.
Working with Bradford and the other QBs served as a refresher course for the backs, tight ends and wide receivers just 10 days before the full-squad start of camp.
“It helps a lot because it gives you the opportunity to kind of hear your quarterback talking to you,” Cook said. “It gives him a chance to explain things to you instead of having coaches that’ll intervene. That way, it’s a better atmosphere to make you learn each other.
“Which is imperative especially when you are out there going to work. It gives you even more opportunity to get to know each other better. To know (the quarterback’s) passing strengths, to know how he throws stuff. And for him to know my steps, to know how I run the routes. To know how Tavon runs the routes.”
Every passer and every receiver has his own idiosyncrasies, and the extra time together can only help. That’s especially true under the new collective bargaining limits on how much time the coaches and players can spend together.
With that in mind, coach Jeff Fisher was pleased to see Bradford gather his teammates together for Camp Bradford.
“That’s part of today’s way,” Fisher said. “You’ve got a quarterback that’s in charge, that’s your franchise quarterback. That’s what they do, and it’s good to see him do it for the second year.”
There was also some bonding that took place after “work,” with the players going out together for dinner and otherwise hanging out once they completed the day’s football activities.
“We had fun in camp playing with all the little kids, and just joking around with each other,” Cook said. “It was a good bonding experience.”
