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Rams open OTAs
Nick Wagoner
http://blog.stlouisrams.com/2012/05/16/rams-open-otas/
- The Rams just wrapped up their second of 10 Organized Team Activities and with nearly a full 90-man roster on the field, it’s a bit crowded at the Continuity X Training Center.
- For the coaching staff, this time of year is a joy. They get to be out on the field coaching the team of which most of the players will form the team come September. Head coach Jeff Fisher falls in that line as well and it’s clear he’s happy to be back on the field.
“It’s the first time the rookies got to meet the vets and the vets got to meet the rookies,” Fisher said. “From that point on, it went very smooth. I was really pleased with what we got done yesterday. We added a bunch of things today. We have a lot of base in, we’ve got third down, we got the red zone today. We have thrown a lot at them but they have responded very well and they are practicing very well together.”
- There have already been a few alterations to the roster after the Rams signed veteran tackle Barry Richardson and linebacker Mario Haggan yesterday. Still, the Rams aren’t quite at the 90-player limit. On Wednesday, a number of players weren’t in attendance. Here’s the rundown:
- WR Brian Quick, WR Chris Givens and RB Isaiah Pead were in California for a rookie event signing autographs, getting their pictures taken for football cards, etc. Quick and Givens will return next week but Pead can’t return until June 7 after he goes back to Cincinnati to finish school.
- Pead, RB Nick Schweiger, TE Cory Harkey and P Johnny Hekker are all on the quarter system and won’t return until their class has taken their final round of tests in June.
- LB Derrick Choice, an undrafted free agent from Stephen F. Austin, met with Fisher on Wednesday morning and let him know that he is all out of football. Choice was waived on Tuesday afternoon after opting to leave the game.
“He decided he’d had enough football,” Fisher said. “He decided he wanted to go on and go back to school or start a career. You’ve got to respect somebody that can walk away with his head up and that’s what he did this morning.”
- Fisher likes to have some fun with his rookies so he has them introduce themselves in a unique way:
“You have them stand up and say their name, position and school, his favorite movie, the name of his first pet and what happened to it and his nickname…it was good,” Fisher said.
- On the injury front:
LT Rodger Saffold has not been fully cleared yet from his pectoral injury. He was limited Wednesday with Kevin Hughes taking reps in his place. Saffold is very close according to Fisher.
WR Danario Alexander also was limited (knee).
S Matt Daniels had a knee scope about seven weeks ago and the Rams are “backing” him down a little to ensure he makes a complete recovery. He did not practice Wednesday.
TE/FB Ben Guidugli is wearing a walking boot on his right foot and also did not practice. Fisher said he has a foot issue that he’s working through.
- RT Jason Smith is taking his fresh start serious. He switched his jersey number from 77 to 72. Rookie OT Joe Long is now wearing 77.
- As for the action on the field, the Rams got a lot done with a couple of standouts from a few of the passing drills.
- CB Josh Gordy is still working with the first team as the likes of Bradley Fletcher recovers from injury and the rookies such as Janoris Jenkins settle in. It’s been widely assumed that Jenkins will eventually win the job opposite Cortland Finnegan and though that still seems likely, Gordy doesn’t seem willing to just hand over the gig. He had a number of pass breakups during Wednesday’s practice.
- WR Greg Salas is coming off a serious knee injury but you wouldn’t know it watching him on Wednesday. He made a few grabs for touchdowns during some red zone work including one perfectly run route where he turned Fletcher inside out.
- The competition at left guard is only just beginning. I’ll have more in a story for this site later today but it’s starting to heat up. Fisher acknowledged that a number of players will get a shot there. For today, it was mostly Bryan Mattison getting the work there.
- Not much hesitation throwing rookie DT Michael Brockers in the fire. He got some work with the top unit on Wednesday.
- That’s going to do it for today. Thanks for reading. I’ll be out of pocket until early next week but will be back with updates for next week’s OTAs.
Nick Wagoner
http://blog.stlouisrams.com/2012/05/16/rams-open-otas/
- The Rams just wrapped up their second of 10 Organized Team Activities and with nearly a full 90-man roster on the field, it’s a bit crowded at the Continuity X Training Center.
- For the coaching staff, this time of year is a joy. They get to be out on the field coaching the team of which most of the players will form the team come September. Head coach Jeff Fisher falls in that line as well and it’s clear he’s happy to be back on the field.
“It’s the first time the rookies got to meet the vets and the vets got to meet the rookies,” Fisher said. “From that point on, it went very smooth. I was really pleased with what we got done yesterday. We added a bunch of things today. We have a lot of base in, we’ve got third down, we got the red zone today. We have thrown a lot at them but they have responded very well and they are practicing very well together.”
- There have already been a few alterations to the roster after the Rams signed veteran tackle Barry Richardson and linebacker Mario Haggan yesterday. Still, the Rams aren’t quite at the 90-player limit. On Wednesday, a number of players weren’t in attendance. Here’s the rundown:
- WR Brian Quick, WR Chris Givens and RB Isaiah Pead were in California for a rookie event signing autographs, getting their pictures taken for football cards, etc. Quick and Givens will return next week but Pead can’t return until June 7 after he goes back to Cincinnati to finish school.
- Pead, RB Nick Schweiger, TE Cory Harkey and P Johnny Hekker are all on the quarter system and won’t return until their class has taken their final round of tests in June.
- LB Derrick Choice, an undrafted free agent from Stephen F. Austin, met with Fisher on Wednesday morning and let him know that he is all out of football. Choice was waived on Tuesday afternoon after opting to leave the game.
“He decided he’d had enough football,” Fisher said. “He decided he wanted to go on and go back to school or start a career. You’ve got to respect somebody that can walk away with his head up and that’s what he did this morning.”
- Fisher likes to have some fun with his rookies so he has them introduce themselves in a unique way:
“You have them stand up and say their name, position and school, his favorite movie, the name of his first pet and what happened to it and his nickname…it was good,” Fisher said.
- On the injury front:
LT Rodger Saffold has not been fully cleared yet from his pectoral injury. He was limited Wednesday with Kevin Hughes taking reps in his place. Saffold is very close according to Fisher.
WR Danario Alexander also was limited (knee).
S Matt Daniels had a knee scope about seven weeks ago and the Rams are “backing” him down a little to ensure he makes a complete recovery. He did not practice Wednesday.
TE/FB Ben Guidugli is wearing a walking boot on his right foot and also did not practice. Fisher said he has a foot issue that he’s working through.
- RT Jason Smith is taking his fresh start serious. He switched his jersey number from 77 to 72. Rookie OT Joe Long is now wearing 77.
- As for the action on the field, the Rams got a lot done with a couple of standouts from a few of the passing drills.
- CB Josh Gordy is still working with the first team as the likes of Bradley Fletcher recovers from injury and the rookies such as Janoris Jenkins settle in. It’s been widely assumed that Jenkins will eventually win the job opposite Cortland Finnegan and though that still seems likely, Gordy doesn’t seem willing to just hand over the gig. He had a number of pass breakups during Wednesday’s practice.
- WR Greg Salas is coming off a serious knee injury but you wouldn’t know it watching him on Wednesday. He made a few grabs for touchdowns during some red zone work including one perfectly run route where he turned Fletcher inside out.
- The competition at left guard is only just beginning. I’ll have more in a story for this site later today but it’s starting to heat up. Fisher acknowledged that a number of players will get a shot there. For today, it was mostly Bryan Mattison getting the work there.
- Not much hesitation throwing rookie DT Michael Brockers in the fire. He got some work with the top unit on Wednesday.
- That’s going to do it for today. Thanks for reading. I’ll be out of pocket until early next week but will be back with updates for next week’s OTAs.
