Quotes & Notes 8/2: Wade Phillips can’t say enough superlatives about Aaron Donald

[CGI_Ram]

https://www.therams.com/news/quotes...-t-say-enough-superlatives-about-aaron-donald

Quotes & Notes 8/2: Wade Phillips can’t say enough superlatives about Aaron Donald

After each media session, Quotes and Notes will bring you what was said, who said it, and what it means for your Los Angeles Rams.

“I think the neatest thing is his peers rating him the best player in the league. I think that shows you. I think the coaches all vote the same way. Certainly, I would.”
— DC Wade Phillips

• Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald was recently revealed as the No. 1 player in the 2019 NFL Top 100 list.
• Phillips said he “can’t say enough superlatives” about the sixth-year defensive tackle.
• But as many good things as Donald has done, Phillips noted there are things the back-to-back AP Defensive Player of the Year can work on, too.
• And that’s something Donald embraces.

“It’s a good feeling any time your peers think of you that highly. That’s the No. 1 football player in the whole national football league, it’s surreal.”
— DT Aaron Donald

• Donald appeared to be very appreciative of his peers voting him No. 1 in this year’s Top 100 list.
• Donald recorded 20.5 sacks in 2018, setting a new league record for sacks by an interior lineman in a single season, and a single-season record for the Rams franchise.
• But as he always does, Donald said he has room for improvement and he’s only trying to get himself better.
• Better than 20.5 sacks from the interior — it doesn’t seem possible.
• But then again, Donald’s first sack didn’t come until Week 4 last year…

“He made some plays where he’s standing — they’re handing off the ball in the backfield and he’s standing right in front of the guy and there’s two guys supposed to block him.”
— DC Wade Phillips

• Phillips was still talking about Donald — describing plays from Thursday’s practice with the Chargers.
• Donald is known as a practice wrecker, and it’s much better if that comes against another team.
• Phillips added that it’s been great to have Donald both in the offseason program and at training camp because he has a great attitude at all times.
• “Besides being a great player,” Phillips added, “he’s a great person.”

“I thought it was really beneficial to see a really good team, and we’re looking forward to competing against them tomorrow, too.”
— HC Sean McVay

• Upon reviewing the film from Thursday’s practice with the Chargers, head coach Sean McVay said he noticed a lot of good competition in all three phases.
• McVay noted that there were both good things and elements to work on from the session, but overall the team got what it wanted — solid work from practicing with another strong team that won’t be seen during the regular season.

“You want to try to make sure that we’re being critical of ourselves and realistic because there were some things yesterday that maybe you feel like it’s a good play, and you go back and you say, ‘If that’s a real game, maybe that isn’t as good of a play as we thought.’”
— HC Sean McVay

• The Rams and Chargers weren’t tackling on Thursday and they likely won’t on Saturday either. That’s part of why McVay said L.A. has to be critical of itself when evaluating film of the practice.
• There are times when a quarterback may make a throw after he would’v been sacked in a live-game scenario.
• Or a player may make a catch over the middle that a safety would break up in a real-life scenario.
• But given the approach Los Angeles takes to joint practices, the club likely gained plenty from the experience.

“Brandin’s feeling good. … We expect him to be good to go tomorrow.”
— HC Sean McVay

• Wide receiver Brandin Cooks was held out of the later portions of Thursday’s practice with hamstring tightness. But McVay said the wideout should be fine to participate in Saturday’s joint practice.
• McVay added that wide receiver Cooper Kupp — who also did not participate in the joint portions of Thursday’s session — should be on the field for Saturday, too.

“I think all our guys are working hard but I think he’s seeing the opportunity and has seized it.”
— DC Wade Phillips

• Defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day has been working with the starting group at nose tackle, and Phillips has liked what the 2018 sixth-round pick has brought to the position.
• When L.A. selected DL Greg Gaines in the 2019 NFL Draft, the prevailing thought was Gaines could step in and compete right away for the starting spot at nose.
• But so far, Joseph-Day has held him off with some strong play.
• The nose tackle position will be important in improving Los Angeles’ No. 32 ranking in the regular season against the run from last year.

“They ran a lot of plays teams had run against us last year that had been successful, and they weren’t.”
— DC Wade Phillips

• Speaking of the run defense, Phillips noted that the Rams improved against run plays teams had success with in 2018 during Thursday’s practice with the Chargers.
• That’s good news considering the Rams allowed a whopping 5.1 yards per carry against the run last season.
• Run defense falls on the linebackers as well as the defensive line, and so far Phillips has been pleased with the results in camp.

 

[CGI_Ram]

https://www.therams.com/news/aaron-...ining-camp-could-lead-to-faster-start-in-2019

Aaron Donald’s presence at Rams training camp could lead to faster start in 2019

If you’ve been to Rams training camp over the past two years, there’s been one conspicuous absence.

Sure, everyone knew defensive tackle Aaron Donald was in his hometown of Pittsburgh, training as hard as ever when the Rams and Donald’s representation were negotiating a contract extension. Donald proved as much by becoming just the third back-to-back AP Defensive Player of the Year since the award began back in 1971.

But now the league’s best player — a title that’s fair to give him since his peers said it themselves — is back at training camp, setting the tone for what could be another record-setting season in 2019.

“You’ve been watching? He looks pretty good,” head coach Sean McVay said of Donald. “Like I said, I think the biggest thing is just the way that he affects his teammates. Having him here, what that represents — when he turns it up, you see why the production is what it is and why he’s the special player that he is. It’s just been great having him out here.”

“It’s good to be back working with the guys, grinding and here with coaches — you know, getting better,” Donald said. “So, it feels good.”

Getting better, he said.

It’s easy to look at the 6-foot-1 defensive tackle with a six pack who picked up 20.5 sacks in 2018 and say, “Wait, how can he possibly get any better?”

But Donald didn’t reach the current heights of his career by being complacent. He often says, “There’s always room for improvement.” And that’s part of why he’s enjoyed being around new defensive line coach Eric Henderson through the offseason and camp.

“He knows football. He’s a young coach that’s hungry, that loves football, that loves teaching football,” Donald said. “He’s breaking down film, he broke down film and he’s coaching me so that’s what I like the most. He’s telling me my weaknesses and things I need to clean up and trying to teach me things that I can do better and work better that can help my game. When you’ve got a coach like that, you just sit and listen and you try to keep what you’ve been doing but also add what he’s trying to teach me and make me that much better.”

Donald noted that Henderson’s presence was “100 percent” a reason he stayed around for as much of the voluntary offseason program as he did.

“He’s definitely a guy, once I saw the drills, after I got to talk to him and get to pick his brain a little bit — he’s a big reason why I wanted to continue to learn and I felt like what he was teaching me could benefit me and help me a whole lot as far as improving my game,” Donald said. “It’s like I always say I want to get better, and that’s what I’ve got to do. Listen to coach and work it.”

Watching the drills over the course of training camp, it’s clear that Henderson emphasizes staying low for proper leverage and quick feet. Those are two areas where Donald is clearly elite, but there are times when even he has to re-do a drill to successfully complete it.

So when it comes to getting better, Donald is serious about it. As he said, he wants to be coached. And with Henderson doing what McVay termed “an excellent job implementing some different things” with the Rams’ front and DL rotations, there’s reason to believe Donald actually could be better in 2019.

“The best part about Aaron is, he’s going to look at himself, he’s going to be critical and he’s come out tomorrow expecting to improve on some of the things he did today,” McVay said.

Again, you might ask how?

Being here and getting myself in football shape and working my moves, hopefully it won’t take me four games to get going this year,” Donald said. "I think it’s going to be a plus for me getting here, getting going right away.”

 

[den-the-coach]

IMO, having Donald improved left Guard Joseph Noteboom as well, as going up against the best only makes you better when the one's are against the one's....I believe everyone feels strongly that the defense will be better this season because of depth and players being in better positions.

Also find it comical on social media (mostly twitter) that you have what seems fair weather fans and impostors as well....One fan kept downing Sebastian Joseph-Day because he was a 6th round pick from Rutgers and that regardless of the reports, that Gaines is far superior. Just because I like Joseph-Day does not make me root for Gaines any less, just found it odd as certain individuals continue to amuse me....I got him going a bit informing him most Rutgers alum (which I am not) do not recognize Washington as a State, let alone a University.

 

[snackdaddy]

Wide receiver Brandin Cooks was held out of the later portions of Thursday’s practice with hamstring tightness. But McVay said the wideout should be fine to participate in Saturday’s joint practice.

Whenever I hear about hamstring with a guy who relies on speed I get nervous. If there's even a hint of a hamstring problem I'd prefer he sits it out until they're sure.