My observations from Rams Camp on Tuesday

  • To unlock all of features of Rams On Demand please take a brief moment to register. Registering is not only quick and easy, it also allows you access to additional features such as live chat, private messaging, and a host of other apps exclusive to Rams On Demand.

VeteranRamFan

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Camp Reporter
Joined
Oct 28, 2012
Messages
2,215
Name
Dale
Now this is important to understand. I have followed this team through the highs and the lows. The move from LA (Anaheim) to St. Louis didn’t deter me. I have watched this team every year and hoping that this is the year. 1999 was magical, we all know that. I can’t put my finger on it but this team is different. They are going places. Whether it is the play calling of Boras, the route running of the receivers, the line blocking of the offense. Something is different and in a good way. To add to this, the intensity level was cranked way up. The players were showing what they could bring to the table. It made for an enjoyable practice.

On to the camp report. The usual warm ups took place. Special teams kick off and returns. Defense was on the far field so I didn’t see much of what was going on over there.

Battle and Havenstein were dressed but did individual drills on the sidelines. Kenny Britt didn’t participate in the practice but was on the field helping out. Never saw #3 WR North. Quinn was dressed but didn’t participate in any contact drills.

During 7 on 7, Goff went through his progressions but in four passes, he went to Higbee three times and Quick once. Quick dropped a sure catch, hit him in the hands and it would have been a TD. Higbee caught one about 3 yards’ shy of the end zone along the sideline, made a spin move and fought his way in for the TD. Nice move. Two takeaways from the 7 on 7. Goff went through his progressions and chose the safe outlet, Higbee. Modest gains in yards but they add up. The corners were covering well. That would be Tru J. and EJ. It wasn’t no picnic for the WR.

Keenum looked good during 7 on 7 as did Mannion although Mannion was not as crisp. Did well but didn’t make you go WOW. Hemmingway caught a TD from Keenum that looked real good. Good route, good patience from Case to wait for the open man. If I remember correctly, Hemminway was lined up in the slot on that play.

The real fun started when Goff started the 11 on 11 session with the 1st string. He was a different QB from what we have seen so far. He got the play call through the headset in the huddle, called the play, every skill position player lined up correctly (no last second changes from Goff) and executed the count. My point is he showed a command of the huddle, an understanding of the play called and his teammates responded like pro-football players should. The O line provided good protection and I didn’t see anyone getting close to the QB for a sack.

There were the obligatory hand offs to Gurley that went smooth as silk. Goff was showing a good fake after the hand-off too. The D line and linebackers did their part too. Run players were pretty much a stalemate. Then the passes started.

We all know Goff has a quick release. He demonstrated that a plenty Tuesday. One of his most impressive throws was a streaking Lance Kendricks going up the left sideline, made some sort of move to create separation from an unknown defender, had a two-step cushion and Goff throws a pass like he did to Cooper in the Dallas game. A frozen rope, a line drive. Hit Kendricks in stride, right in the hands and Lance trots in for the TD. This was a 30-40yard throw in the air. Most QB’s tend to arc the ball up high and let it fall into the receivers’ hands. Not Goff. His type of throw does not allow a safety to react and have a chance for a pass breakup. It was beautiful and the crowd responded with claps and cheers.

Other throws were right on the money. Higbee caught a pass at the right sideline then spun towards the inside of the field freeing himself from a sure tackle or knocked out of bounds then fought his way into the end zone.

T. Magee took a screen pass out of the backfield and gained some good yards. Can’t wait to see Gurley do that. By the way, Gurley was used sparingly.

Case Keenum came in with the second team for his turn during the 11 on 11. It was not all that good for him. First he did a simple handoff to the running back Brown but either Brown didn’t take the right angle or Case stepped too far out and they had a mild collision. No fumble but Brown was stopped at the line. Is this a case of a new QB playing for the first time with this unit? Maybe. But Case had difficulties connecting with his receivers. On a deep post route to the end zone, a fast moving David Richards #12 was open but the ball was horribly overthrown.

Hemmingway looks like a keeper. Could be used in a WR role and not so much shoe horned in at TE. Higbee is riped and has great hands. Didn’t see if he had blocking assignments but he sure knows how to get open and catches the ball. Missed seeing Spruce, still in a knee brace. Cory Harkey is very good at blocking and can catch although he was only targeted I think once during 7 on 7 and once more on 11 on 11. The other receivers did well with the exception of Quick.

Quick dropped a sure TD that square in his hands in the end zone. He was covered tightly but the ball was perfect. Goff threw it. On another play I think it was Mannion throwing, Quick catches one going up the seam and scores a TD. Now this was with the second team defense and offense. If you read my posts from camp on August 23 you’ll recall a moment when there was a break in the action and Quick was on the near sideline talking with Britt and one of the coaches I couldn’t recognized. He was visibly upset with something. I walked down to the fence to try and hear what was being said but I couldn’t make it out. Quick was on one knee at times then would get up and pace around Britt and the coach then back to the knee. It appeared that Britt and coach were trying to lighten things up with smiles, jokes of sorts and such. Quick never smiled. He knows the pressure is on.

In summary, Goff looked totally different than in the past. Keenum struggled at times as did Mannion. It was Goff’s team that day and he made the best of it. If you saw Coach Fishers presser after that practice you could tell he was very pleased with Goff. As you can tell, I’m all about the offense in this report. I felt we know what we have in our DB’s now that Gains is back. We know our front four are set, OH! By the way, Easley is a great addition to the D line. Expect great things from him. He is very quick off the ball. Linebackers will take some work, learning to play with each other but I’m not worried.

I cannot wait for Saturday against Denver and I want to see Goff start the game. I think you all will be pleasantly surprised with his improvement.


Take care my Rams Brothers!
 

Ram_Rally

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Aug 15, 2014
Messages
5,957
Thank you for this. The brian quick reports are getting more and more common.
 

LARams_1963

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jun 29, 2016
Messages
3,014
Name
greg
Great report Bro! Quick sounds like he's already got a foot out the door.,
 
Joined
Apr 25, 2016
Messages
59
Name
rick
The BIG news of this report IS NOT QUICK!!!! It's the possible EMERGENCE of Goff surpassing Keenum. Geez, get over QUICK already...
 

TexasRam

Legend
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Messages
7,850
Dude, thanks for the report. A lot of us have to live through reports like this and appreciate and info provided.

I've watched the Rams Chiefs game about 7 times now since I've been sick at home with the flu. Easley really stands out. His first step into the backfield and hand usage pops off the screen. He terrorized the Chiefs all game. Mercy on the teams that have to face him and Donald inside. It's an exciting addition that offsets the Copels disappointing pickup.

Hemingway has been surprisingly good. When they drafted him I was thinking another Onubun project but Hemmingway is already making noise.

I'm excited about Goff. I have no doubts he will light it up once he gets fully comfortable. My only concern is Fishers run first philosophy that could hold him back.

And I love hearing about Higbee in practice. The dude is going to be key to our pass game and is my top fantasy sleeper.
 

Force16X

anti pedestrian
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jun 19, 2014
Messages
3,314
i'll wait for the season to start, but the Rams may have a steal in Higbee. and Goff trusts him. i'm wondering if the TD drive vs KC gave Jared a little boost of confidence in the form of "yes i can do this in the NFL". and / or the players are becoming more confident in him as well. hopefully Nelson Spruce recovers quickly so he can get back out on the field. his play is contagious to make others want to perform better.

thanks for your report VeteranRamFan. fans like you give fans like me a chance to know whats going on off camera, something that we otherwise wouldnt have the opportunity for.
 

TexasRam

Legend
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Messages
7,850
Higbee, Spruce as your primary 3rd down options. Cooper and Tavon your dynamic first and 2nd down options. Quick outs, WR Screens and reverses all day.

That's how I utilize the talent.
 

RamFan503

Grill and Brew Master
Moderator
Joined
Jun 24, 2010
Messages
34,837
Name
Stu
Thank you @VeteranRamFan for these reports. It is very cool of you to do this for those of us who can't be there. This was a really well put together report. Again - than you.
 

Loyal

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jul 27, 2010
Messages
30,548
Great report, and thanks for doing it for a fan in Kansas. I am thrilled at what Goff might become!:yess:
 

MarkMyWords

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Aug 7, 2010
Messages
1,328
Name
Mark
Another Thank You @VeteranRamFan. Really appreciate the report. Great to see Goff's confidence is building and things are starting to click for him. Knew they would, just didn't know when. Hope we don't keep Quick around to be what Cook was last year. A drive killer.....
 

DaveFan'51

Old-Timer
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Apr 18, 2014
Messages
18,666
Name
Dave
Now this is important to understand. I have followed this team through the highs and the lows. The move from LA (Anaheim) to St. Louis didn’t deter me. I have watched this team every year and hoping that this is the year. 1999 was magical, we all know that. I can’t put my finger on it but this team is different. They are going places. Whether it is the play calling of Boras, the route running of the receivers, the line blocking of the offense. Something is different and in a good way. To add to this, the intensity level was cranked way up. The players were showing what they could bring to the table. It made for an enjoyable practice.

On to the camp report. The usual warm ups took place. Special teams kick off and returns. Defense was on the far field so I didn’t see much of what was going on over there.

Battle and Havenstein were dressed but did individual drills on the sidelines. Kenny Britt didn’t participate in the practice but was on the field helping out. Never saw #3 WR North. Quinn was dressed but didn’t participate in any contact drills.

During 7 on 7, Goff went through his progressions but in four passes, he went to Higbee three times and Quick once. Quick dropped a sure catch, hit him in the hands and it would have been a TD. Higbee caught one about 3 yards’ shy of the end zone along the sideline, made a spin move and fought his way in for the TD. Nice move. Two takeaways from the 7 on 7. Goff went through his progressions and chose the safe outlet, Higbee. Modest gains in yards but they add up. The corners were covering well. That would be Tru J. and EJ. It wasn’t no picnic for the WR.

Keenum looked good during 7 on 7 as did Mannion although Mannion was not as crisp. Did well but didn’t make you go WOW. Hemmingway caught a TD from Keenum that looked real good. Good route, good patience from Case to wait for the open man. If I remember correctly, Hemminway was lined up in the slot on that play.

The real fun started when Goff started the 11 on 11 session with the 1st string. He was a different QB from what we have seen so far. He got the play call through the headset in the huddle, called the play, every skill position player lined up correctly (no last second changes from Goff) and executed the count. My point is he showed a command of the huddle, an understanding of the play called and his teammates responded like pro-football players should. The O line provided good protection and I didn’t see anyone getting close to the QB for a sack.

There were the obligatory hand offs to Gurley that went smooth as silk. Goff was showing a good fake after the hand-off too. The D line and linebackers did their part too. Run players were pretty much a stalemate. Then the passes started.

We all know Goff has a quick release. He demonstrated that a plenty Tuesday. One of his most impressive throws was a streaking Lance Kendricks going up the left sideline, made some sort of move to create separation from an unknown defender, had a two-step cushion and Goff throws a pass like he did to Cooper in the Dallas game. A frozen rope, a line drive. Hit Kendricks in stride, right in the hands and Lance trots in for the TD. This was a 30-40yard throw in the air. Most QB’s tend to arc the ball up high and let it fall into the receivers’ hands. Not Goff. His type of throw does not allow a safety to react and have a chance for a pass breakup. It was beautiful and the crowd responded with claps and cheers.

Other throws were right on the money. Higbee caught a pass at the right sideline then spun towards the inside of the field freeing himself from a sure tackle or knocked out of bounds then fought his way into the end zone.

T. Magee took a screen pass out of the backfield and gained some good yards. Can’t wait to see Gurley do that. By the way, Gurley was used sparingly.

Case Keenum came in with the second team for his turn during the 11 on 11. It was not all that good for him. First he did a simple handoff to the running back Brown but either Brown didn’t take the right angle or Case stepped too far out and they had a mild collision. No fumble but Brown was stopped at the line. Is this a case of a new QB playing for the first time with this unit? Maybe. But Case had difficulties connecting with his receivers. On a deep post route to the end zone, a fast moving David Richards #12 was open but the ball was horribly overthrown.

Hemmingway looks like a keeper. Could be used in a WR role and not so much shoe horned in at TE. Higbee is riped and has great hands. Didn’t see if he had blocking assignments but he sure knows how to get open and catches the ball. Missed seeing Spruce, still in a knee brace. Cory Harkey is very good at blocking and can catch although he was only targeted I think once during 7 on 7 and once more on 11 on 11. The other receivers did well with the exception of Quick.

Quick dropped a sure TD that square in his hands in the end zone. He was covered tightly but the ball was perfect. Goff threw it. On another play I think it was Mannion throwing, Quick catches one going up the seam and scores a TD. Now this was with the second team defense and offense. If you read my posts from camp on August 23 you’ll recall a moment when there was a break in the action and Quick was on the near sideline talking with Britt and one of the coaches I couldn’t recognized. He was visibly upset with something. I walked down to the fence to try and hear what was being said but I couldn’t make it out. Quick was on one knee at times then would get up and pace around Britt and the coach then back to the knee. It appeared that Britt and coach were trying to lighten things up with smiles, jokes of sorts and such. Quick never smiled. He knows the pressure is on.

In summary, Goff looked totally different than in the past. Keenum struggled at times as did Mannion. It was Goff’s team that day and he made the best of it. If you saw Coach Fishers presser after that practice you could tell he was very pleased with Goff. As you can tell, I’m all about the offense in this report. I felt we know what we have in our DB’s now that Gains is back. We know our front four are set, OH! By the way, Easley is a great addition to the D line. Expect great things from him. He is very quick off the ball. Linebackers will take some work, learning to play with each other but I’m not worried.

I cannot wait for Saturday against Denver and I want to see Goff start the game. I think you all will be pleasantly surprised with his improvement.


Take care my Rams Brothers!
Real nice Report thanks Vet!!(y)(y):D
 

rafa

Starter
Joined
May 20, 2013
Messages
826
Name
Rafael
Thanks @VeteranRamFan for these reports! i really apreciate it. I have one question for you. What about Duke Williams? is he performing good ? thanks again!

GO RAMS!
 

VeteranRamFan

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Camp Reporter
Joined
Oct 28, 2012
Messages
2,215
Name
Dale
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #13
Thanks @VeteranRamFan for these reports! i really apreciate it. I have one question for you. What about Duke Williams? is he performing good ? thanks again!

GO RAMS!

Man! I forgot about Duke. My first camp report was from the second day of camp, a Sunday. During that day, Duke should never have dressed. It has been reported that he knew he was showing poorly. Since then, he has made a believer out of me. I would like to see him replace Quick. He needs some seasoning, more reps or what ever you want to call it but the guy can play football. I've seen some replays where he is responsible for some downfield blocks that were key. He did catch a couple of balls on Tuesday while in traffic and most would just go, OK the receiver caught the ball. But when you go back and review what had occurred I'm sure it was a little more than that.

Again, nothing to write home about as it appeared to be a standard play catch but he did catch the ball.

I like him a lot now.
 

RamBall

Legend
Camp Reporter
Joined
Sep 3, 2011
Messages
5,732
Name
Dave
Thanks @VeteranRamFan, great report. Duke was really impressive the 3 days I made it to camp. I hope they are just waiting to unleash him in the regular season, I dont think he will clear waivers to make the practice squad, he was a top prospect before he got himself kicked off the team at Auburn.
 

Legatron4

Legend
Joined
Aug 10, 2013
Messages
9,478
Name
Wes
@VeteranRamFan thank you for doing these. I know you're getting tons of questions but I was curious about Tavon. Is he running good routes? I know it was said he improved dramatically from last year but I haven't seen him catch anything in pre season.
 

Florida_Ram

Hall of Fame
Joined
Jun 18, 2016
Messages
2,622
In summary, Goff looked totally different than in the past. Keenum struggled at times as did Mannion. It was Goff’s team that day and he made the best of it. If you saw Coach Fishers presser after that practice you could tell he was very pleased with Goff. As you can tell, I’m all about the offense in this report. I felt we know what we have in our DB’s now that Gains is back. We know our front four are set, OH! By the way, Easley is a great addition to the D line. Expect great things from him. He is very quick off the ball. Linebackers will take some work, learning to play with each other but I’m not worried.

I cannot wait for Saturday against Denver and I want to see Goff start the game. I think you all will be pleasantly surprised with his improvement.

Take care my Rams Brothers!

I'm trying to wind down the week until Saturday's game VetRam and you go and drop a magnificent, fire me up camp report like this one!!! I have faith in your eyes and this game at Denver just got more interesting if that was even possible (y)

Your perception of what your eyes seen and the description put into words, made this my favorite camp story to date.

raw
 

VeteranRamFan

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Camp Reporter
Joined
Oct 28, 2012
Messages
2,215
Name
Dale
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #19
@VeteranRamFan thank you for doing these. I know you're getting tons of questions but I was curious about Tavon. Is he running good routes? I know it was said he improved dramatically from last year but I haven't seen him catch anything in pre season.

He did catch a couple but was limited. The more I think about it with Britt sitting this one out it may have been the plan to incorporate the new guys into the first team reps. He was working on punt returns along with Cooper though.

Beyond that, I do recall from other camp days I visited he did look better on his routes. Meaning he was getting open.

What do I know about a route tree anyways!
 

shovelpass

Hall of Fame
Joined
Aug 4, 2014
Messages
4,567
Thanks. I like hearing good things about Hemingway. He's one of the guys that I'm hoping makes the final cut, but also can make an impact later on in the season.