- Joined
- Feb 9, 2014
- Messages
- 20,922
- Name
- Peter
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2477384-st-louis-rams-early-rookie-progress-reports
St. Louis Rams: Early Rookie Progress Reports
By Steven Gerwel, Featured Columnist May 27, 2015
The St. Louis Rams will be introducing 26 new rookies at 2015 training camp. There's a long road between now and final cuts, but fans are still dying for a progress report on all the new faces at Rams Park.
Practice is not yet in full swing. There's very little available info on the rookies, and that will remain the case until training camp. But there are still headlines and small reports surfacing every few days, giving us an idea of where the rookies stand.
This article will round up several articles from around the web and provide an update on St. Louis' 2015 rookies.
Todd Gurley Still Waiting to Unleash His Talent
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
Peter King of MMQB released a highly complimentary article on Todd Gurley this week. In just over 1,000 words, King managed to praise St. Louis' decision to draft Gurley, compare Gurley to back Adrian Peterson and even give fans hope regarding Gurley's health.
The Peterson comparisons are pretty spot on. In King's mind, the two stack up nicely:
NFL teams saw Gurley as the best back to come into the draft since Adrian Peterson was picked seventh overall in 2007. The comparison is interesting. Peterson is 6-1 and 218; Gurley is 6-1 and 222. Peterson’s official 40 time is 4.40; Gurley’s estimated 40 time is 4.40. Peterson has reportedly run a 40-yard dash in 4.24 seconds, and Gurley, who ran the 110-meter hurdles at the World Junior Championship in 2011, has been recorded below 4.3 in the 40 too. Peterson has made his living being strong enough to make the tough yards between the tackles and fast enough to hit the home runs outside the tackles. Ditto Gurley.
Gurley is coming off a knee injury that abruptly ended his final season with Georgia. There's no clear timeline for his return, but he's at Rams Park with the other rookies soaking in mental reps (as seen in the above photo).
That's a bit concerning, especially since he cost St. Louis a top-10 draft choice. However, King reports in his article that the world-famous Dr. James Andrews is rather optimistic.
He wrote: "Andrews told teams the week before the draft that he’d put his professional reputation on the line that Gurley, when fully healed sometime late this year, will be as good as he ever was, and no more susceptible to chronic knee problems than any other running backs."
That's excellent news for the Rams—a team in desperate need of a game-changing offensive weapon.
It's frustrating to see St. Louis' top rookie watching from the sidelines. But as soon as he steps onto the field, the Rams will begin to tap into that Peterson-like potential. If the hype is warranted, the Rams will be a very dangerous contender down the stretch.
Bud Sasser Absent from Practice Field for Undisclosed Reason
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
Bud Sasser has been held from the practice field since arriving at Rams Park. The reason for his non-participation has been rather vague and unclear.
Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported quoted head coach Jeff Fisher, who made it sound like some sort of physical issue.
“We’re still doing some things, some physical tests, stuff like that,” Fisher said. “We should have it all cleared up here in the next day or so.”
According to Thomas, both Sasser and Fisher were unwilling to elaborate.
Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com also reported that Sasser simply needs to clear several physical tests before seeing the field.
"Sasser did not participate in last weekend's rookie orientation because of what he and coach Jeff Fisher termed some physical tests that he still needed to clear," Wagoner wrote.
The article reports and quote from Fisher do not appear to contain major panic or concern, but it's something to keep an eye on.
Sasser will likely be battling for a roster spot with fourth-year veteran Chris Givens. For his sake, he needs to be on the field getting as many reps as possible.
Jamon Brown Adjusting to the Speed of the NFL
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
According to 101 ESPN in St. Louis, Jamon Brown and his family had quite the reaction after the Rams drafted him in the third round. The celebration and overall commotion apparently rocked his entire neighborhood.
“Everyone was yelling,” said Brown. “We got the police called on us, so everybody was yelling that loud to where we made a ruckus in the neighborhood.”
Now that the fun part is over, Brown is starting to get a taste of what it actually takes to be successful in the NFL. According to the 101 ESPN article, he has already noticed a difference between the NFL and NCAA.
“They expect you to pick up on things quicker than when you were in college.” Brown said. “In college, you slow it down, they kind of walk you through a lot more things. But out here, they show you it, and they expect you to be able to soak it in and apply it to the drills.”
Brown was a Day 2 pick even though many analysts and sites, including CBS Sports, had him graded as a seventh-round pick (or possibly even an undrafted rookie). Since he's considered somewhat of a reach, it's in his best interests to adapt quickly in order to avoid a wave of unwanted criticism.
The fact that he acknowledges the differences between college and the pros, and he understands what is expected of him, is probably a good sign.
Sean Mannion Is Focusing on the Details
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
According to the same 101 ESPN article, third-round pick Sean Mannion—the only rookie quarterback on the roster—is meeting expectations and doing what he can to master his craft.
Soaking in the massive playbook and adapting to the on-field language is vital for any young NFL signal-caller. For now, Mannion is just focused on the details.
“I know just learning the offense, it wasn’t my first time with certain protections, it wasn’t my first time with certain patterns,” said Mannion. “But the detail that goes into every little aspect of each play is just so much higher. There’s always tons and tons of things to be sharp on, to learn about, so that way the offense can run at a high level.”
Grooming an NFL quarterback is a tedious process, but Fisher seems confident that Mannion can handle it.
“We spent a lot of time with him in the private workout, saw him make every throw. Picks everything up real quick, has a good sense for learning, huddle presence. He’s going to be fine. He’ll know what to do. He’s got a good arm.”
The Rams need Mannion to establish himself as soon as possible. Nick Foles will get his fair shot under center, but if that doesn't pan out, Mannion will be depended on as the long-term solution.
Steven Gerwel is the longest-tenured Rams Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and served as the Rams' game-day correspondent in 2014. You can find more of Gerwel's work by visiting his writer profile or following him on Twitter.
St. Louis Rams: Early Rookie Progress Reports
By Steven Gerwel, Featured Columnist May 27, 2015
The St. Louis Rams will be introducing 26 new rookies at 2015 training camp. There's a long road between now and final cuts, but fans are still dying for a progress report on all the new faces at Rams Park.
Practice is not yet in full swing. There's very little available info on the rookies, and that will remain the case until training camp. But there are still headlines and small reports surfacing every few days, giving us an idea of where the rookies stand.
This article will round up several articles from around the web and provide an update on St. Louis' 2015 rookies.
Todd Gurley Still Waiting to Unleash His Talent
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
Peter King of MMQB released a highly complimentary article on Todd Gurley this week. In just over 1,000 words, King managed to praise St. Louis' decision to draft Gurley, compare Gurley to back Adrian Peterson and even give fans hope regarding Gurley's health.
The Peterson comparisons are pretty spot on. In King's mind, the two stack up nicely:
NFL teams saw Gurley as the best back to come into the draft since Adrian Peterson was picked seventh overall in 2007. The comparison is interesting. Peterson is 6-1 and 218; Gurley is 6-1 and 222. Peterson’s official 40 time is 4.40; Gurley’s estimated 40 time is 4.40. Peterson has reportedly run a 40-yard dash in 4.24 seconds, and Gurley, who ran the 110-meter hurdles at the World Junior Championship in 2011, has been recorded below 4.3 in the 40 too. Peterson has made his living being strong enough to make the tough yards between the tackles and fast enough to hit the home runs outside the tackles. Ditto Gurley.
Gurley is coming off a knee injury that abruptly ended his final season with Georgia. There's no clear timeline for his return, but he's at Rams Park with the other rookies soaking in mental reps (as seen in the above photo).
That's a bit concerning, especially since he cost St. Louis a top-10 draft choice. However, King reports in his article that the world-famous Dr. James Andrews is rather optimistic.
He wrote: "Andrews told teams the week before the draft that he’d put his professional reputation on the line that Gurley, when fully healed sometime late this year, will be as good as he ever was, and no more susceptible to chronic knee problems than any other running backs."
That's excellent news for the Rams—a team in desperate need of a game-changing offensive weapon.
It's frustrating to see St. Louis' top rookie watching from the sidelines. But as soon as he steps onto the field, the Rams will begin to tap into that Peterson-like potential. If the hype is warranted, the Rams will be a very dangerous contender down the stretch.
Bud Sasser Absent from Practice Field for Undisclosed Reason
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
Bud Sasser has been held from the practice field since arriving at Rams Park. The reason for his non-participation has been rather vague and unclear.
Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported quoted head coach Jeff Fisher, who made it sound like some sort of physical issue.
“We’re still doing some things, some physical tests, stuff like that,” Fisher said. “We should have it all cleared up here in the next day or so.”
According to Thomas, both Sasser and Fisher were unwilling to elaborate.
Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com also reported that Sasser simply needs to clear several physical tests before seeing the field.
"Sasser did not participate in last weekend's rookie orientation because of what he and coach Jeff Fisher termed some physical tests that he still needed to clear," Wagoner wrote.
The article reports and quote from Fisher do not appear to contain major panic or concern, but it's something to keep an eye on.
Sasser will likely be battling for a roster spot with fourth-year veteran Chris Givens. For his sake, he needs to be on the field getting as many reps as possible.
Jamon Brown Adjusting to the Speed of the NFL
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
According to 101 ESPN in St. Louis, Jamon Brown and his family had quite the reaction after the Rams drafted him in the third round. The celebration and overall commotion apparently rocked his entire neighborhood.
“Everyone was yelling,” said Brown. “We got the police called on us, so everybody was yelling that loud to where we made a ruckus in the neighborhood.”
Now that the fun part is over, Brown is starting to get a taste of what it actually takes to be successful in the NFL. According to the 101 ESPN article, he has already noticed a difference between the NFL and NCAA.
“They expect you to pick up on things quicker than when you were in college.” Brown said. “In college, you slow it down, they kind of walk you through a lot more things. But out here, they show you it, and they expect you to be able to soak it in and apply it to the drills.”
Brown was a Day 2 pick even though many analysts and sites, including CBS Sports, had him graded as a seventh-round pick (or possibly even an undrafted rookie). Since he's considered somewhat of a reach, it's in his best interests to adapt quickly in order to avoid a wave of unwanted criticism.
The fact that he acknowledges the differences between college and the pros, and he understands what is expected of him, is probably a good sign.
Sean Mannion Is Focusing on the Details
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
According to the same 101 ESPN article, third-round pick Sean Mannion—the only rookie quarterback on the roster—is meeting expectations and doing what he can to master his craft.
Soaking in the massive playbook and adapting to the on-field language is vital for any young NFL signal-caller. For now, Mannion is just focused on the details.
“I know just learning the offense, it wasn’t my first time with certain protections, it wasn’t my first time with certain patterns,” said Mannion. “But the detail that goes into every little aspect of each play is just so much higher. There’s always tons and tons of things to be sharp on, to learn about, so that way the offense can run at a high level.”
Grooming an NFL quarterback is a tedious process, but Fisher seems confident that Mannion can handle it.
“We spent a lot of time with him in the private workout, saw him make every throw. Picks everything up real quick, has a good sense for learning, huddle presence. He’s going to be fine. He’ll know what to do. He’s got a good arm.”
The Rams need Mannion to establish himself as soon as possible. Nick Foles will get his fair shot under center, but if that doesn't pan out, Mannion will be depended on as the long-term solution.
Steven Gerwel is the longest-tenured Rams Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and served as the Rams' game-day correspondent in 2014. You can find more of Gerwel's work by visiting his writer profile or following him on Twitter.
