Robert Quinn’s not sure if he’ll be “full tilt” for the start of training camp

  • 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.

Prime Time

PT
Moderator
Joined
Feb 9, 2014
Messages
20,922
Name
Peter
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...inn-aiming-to-get-back-to-pass-rush-dominance

Rams DE Robert Quinn aiming to get back to pass-rush dominance
Nick Wagoner/ESPN Staff Writer

OXNARD, Calif. -- Two short offseasons ago you couldn't take part in any conversation about the NFL's best pass-rushers without Los Angeles Rams defensive end Robert Quinn's name figuring prominently.

Quinn was coming off a franchise record-setting 19 sacks in the 2013 season. That dominance landed him first-team All-Pro honors and his first trip to the Pro Bowl. Pro Football Focus rated Quinn the No. 2 player in the league, the NFL Network placed him 13th and ESPN.com declared him the sixth-best defensive player.

Fast-forward to this offseason and Quinn appears on no such lists. In fact, he's become something of a forgotten man, lost in equal parts because of the back injury that cost him half of last season and the emergence of teammate Aaron Donald.

As Quinn continues to rehabilitate from back surgery, he's not exactly keeping detailed notes on those who have forgotten what he can do, but he does acknowledge that he's aware of it.

i

Robert Quinn recorded 50 sacks in his first four-plus seasons. Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports

"I’m not the first to have an injury or overcome an injury, but not having half the season, of course you get put into the shadows a little bit," Quinn said. "I don’t need other people to motivate me. Seeing some of that stuff might somewhat add some fire, but at the end of the day I have got my personal goals I want to achieve and that would turn the doubters into believers. I just come to work, put a smile on and see what I’ve got to prove to myself and no one else. I think that’s the way everyone should approach the game."

That approach allowed Quinn to post 50 sacks in his first four and a half seasons. But 2015 saw Quinn on the outside looking in for the first time in his career. After playing the first five games, Quinn was mysteriously absent from the team's bye-week practices. When the Rams returned to action, Quinn played 23 snaps against Cleveland. He played again the following week against San Francisco before sitting out at Minnesota.

In Week 10 against Chicago, Quinn played 14 snaps before shutting it down for the season. Throughout that time, Quinn dealt with knee and hip issues, but it was his back that ultimately needed the attention.

As you can imagine, back surgery was no joke, but Quinn is starting to feel normal again.

"Fresh out of surgery it was real rough," Quinn said. "I guess I’m six or so months out now, so it’s starting to feel more normal, in the weight room I’m pretty much full go, out here just playing it slow. They’ve got a good plan set up for me. I just listen to the trainers. Whatever they allow me to do, I go out and do. But again, we’ve still got some time before they really let me go full tilt."

Indeed, the Rams are allowing Quinn to get back to a normal regimen in the weight room, though he says he's not back to where he once was in terms of lifting. During organized team activities, Quinn said the Rams are allowing him to do some individual work, and he does some extra conditioning on the side, but the plan is to take it easy during practices.

"I’m not trying to rush it," Quinn said. "It’s a pretty serious injury and you don’t want to mess it up again. I’m just taking my time. We’ve got plenty of time before the season. The trainers here have been working well with me."

Quinn hasn't yet been told a plan beyond OTAs, which means it's unclear if he'll be ready to go at the start of training camp.

"It’s all on the trainers," Quinn said. "This is their game plan. They say one thing one day and then say, 'Relax.' It’s a day-by-day thing. We’ll see throughout OTAs what they allow me to do and then they’ll probably put a game plan in for me for training camp also."

When Quinn does get back to action, the Rams will count on him to return to form. The two-time Pro Bowler is a key to the defense, and with Donald able to wreak havoc inside, it's reasonable to expect opposing offenses to allow Quinn more one-on-one opportunities as they focus on trying to slow Donald.

If Quinn can get back to a reasonable approximation of his formerly dominant self, it would go a long way toward helping the Rams defense finally deliver on expectations.

"It’s a long process to get back to my old self, but one day at a time I’m feeling more and more comfortable," Quinn said. "Overall, I’m feeling pretty good."
 

jap

Legend
Joined
Jan 12, 2013
Messages
6,537
The goal is to be going full tilt in Game One. Let The Mighty One do what he needs to do to get himself back fully in gear. His natural passion and uber athleticism will take care of the rest.
 

Elmgrovegnome

Legend
Joined
Jan 23, 2013
Messages
21,603
DE could be a priority next off-season Quinn's injury and Hayes age are concerning. The Rams need to find a young DE for insurance. I thought they might sign a few in the UDFA period.
 

Corbin

THIS IS MY BOOOOOMSTICK!!
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
11,099
The goal is to be going full tilt in Game One. Let The Mighty One do what he needs to do to get himself back fully in gear. His natural passion and uber athleticism will take care of the rest.
Exactly, not concerned unless he cannot go for game 1 100%
 

So Ram

Legend
Camp Reporter
Joined
Jun 18, 2014
Messages
14,052
I guess that is one of my biggest concerns on the defense right now.

Robert Quinn is such a humble guy.I know there are doubts about his back.Is he ever going to be the same player ?

Eugene Simms & Ethan Westbrooks add good depth.That will take pressure off.

Still 12-20 sacks would be nice.He adds so much to the defense when healthy.
 

DaveFan'51

Old-Timer
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Apr 18, 2014
Messages
18,666
Name
Dave
"I’m not the first to have an injury or overcome an injury, but not having half the season, of course you get put into the shadows a little bit," Quinn said. "I don’t need other people to motivate me. Seeing some of that stuff might somewhat add some fire, but at the end of the day I have got my personal goals I want to achieve and that would turn the doubters into believers. I just come to work, put a smile on and see what I’ve got to prove to myself and no one else. I think that’s the way everyone should approach the game."
Quinn covers all that need be said in this^!!!!(y):snicker::shades::cheers:
 

OntarioRam

Hall of Fame
Joined
Sep 22, 2015
Messages
3,168
It's good to see they are taking their time with him. Even if he has to miss several regular season games, Quinn should sit until he is good and ready. I'd rather Quinn come back week 5, and be able to put this injury behind him, than come back for week 1 only to never be the same player.

When healthy and able to go full-tilt, Quinn is easily a top 3 DE in this league IMO. You can't just easily replace guys like that, even picking at the very top of the draft. His loss was huge last year. We definitely need the mighty Quinn going forward. It sucks losing Jenkins and McLeod. It's also a bummer Gaines has health concerns. But Quinn is the only guy that *really* worries me. The others are all replaceable enough. If Quinn can't return to his same level of form, this team is set back at least a couple of years on the defensive side of the ball.
 

PowayRamFan

Hall of Fame
Joined
Aug 15, 2011
Messages
2,359
I'm worried if he will be able to bend around the edge as well as he did pre-injury. That puts a ton of pressure on the back and it's his signature move, a move that he NEEDS to be dominant again.
 

BonifayRam

Legend
Joined
Jan 14, 2013
Messages
13,435
Name
Vernon
DE could be a priority next off-season Quinn's injury and Hayes age are concerning. The Rams need to find a young DE for insurance. I thought they might sign a few in the UDFA period.
Looks to me the priority here next off season will be to try to control & manage the pending "Mad Mad World" spectacle in LA. It will be much broader than one Right DE post. Fact is the Rams will be trying to fill many starting positions due to the large size numbers of 2017 Ram UFA's like CB Trumaine Johnson, NT Michael Brockers, SS TJ McDonald, WR Kenny Britt, SSLB Akeem Ayers & OLG Garrett Reynolds just to name a few.

A total of 20 current Rams will enter free agency in March of 2017. One should also add Demoff will have to pay big $$ for the 5th seasons in 2017 of WR Tavon Austin & MLB Alec Ogletree work. I would imagine that the loss of NT Brockers will be devastating as the now diminished DE Rob Quinn. All causing a serious power drain in the DL that will make the Rams DL very dim from that point.

Many have posted that finding a new starting nose tackle to replace Brockers is nothing & easy. But if that was true....I would ask the question on where is the success on finding a bona fide reserve NT for Brockers going.....:whistle: ....oh I forgot we have one named Doug Worthingtono_O. Thanks LACHAMP46!:)

On the concerning of age of Sims &Hayes.....Two of the three top Ram DE's are over 30. These well aged vets were the primary starting DE's last season sadly they only contributed to 7 sacks in 2016. These two are not pass rushers. Fisher does have several young DE's already for insurance now. Two are UDFA's & one who is on his 3rd team & is only 25 yrs old (Westbrooks/Longacre & Coples). There is a problem here too, both these young insurance reserve DE's are UFA's in less than a year.

To summarize here none of our other 5 DE's on our roster have displayed anything close to the pass rush abilities of the post injury Rob Quinn did.
 

blackbart

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Dec 29, 2010
Messages
6,211
Name
Tim
I'm just happy to finally see an update on him.

The league and refs should be accountable for allowing tackles to get that arm bar across his neck. He got or had that special ability to bend and bet them and he should be awarded for it.

With the additions they have made this year and Fishers ability to get the "troubled" guys to play for him I expect the d line to be ready with or without Quinn to start the year. I like that they are willing to bring him back slowly and hope he can get to that 12-15 sacks a year again. That would be plenty with contributions from the other guys.
 

Ram65

Legend
Joined
Apr 30, 2015
Messages
9,597
Be nice if Quinn could play 25-30 snaps from game one and build from there. Rams missed his play and pass rush last year. Can't replace him but, the Rams have depth and scheme to help out.
 

Faceplant

Still celebrating Superbowl LVI
Rams On Demand Sponsor
2023 ROD Pick'em Champion
Joined
Aug 11, 2010
Messages
9,597
The league and refs should be accountable for allowing tackles to get that arm bar across his neck. He got or had that special ability to bend and bet them and he should be awarded for it.
This^^^^. 1000 times this. Those arm bars could very well be part of what has caused the back injuries. It is fucking ridiculous that the refs turn a blind eye to that shit. I would bet that RQ gets held on 80% of his rushes.
 

hotanez

NRA Member for Life
Joined
Jun 17, 2014
Messages
7,351
This^^^^. 1000 times this. Those arm bars could very well be part of what has caused the back injuries. It is freaking ridiculous that the refs turn a blind eye to that crap. I would bet that RQ gets held on 80% of his rushes.
What surprises me more is that our coaching staff doesn't bring it to the attention of the refs and the league. It's on film and it's clearly holding (n)
 

Elmgrovegnome

Legend
Joined
Jan 23, 2013
Messages
21,603
Looks to me the priority here next off season will be to try to control & manage the pending "Mad Mad World" spectacle in LA. It will be much broader than one Right DE post. Fact is the Rams will be trying to fill many starting positions due to the large size numbers of 2017 Ram UFA's like CB Trumaine Johnson, NT Michael Brockers, SS TJ McDonald, WR Kenny Britt, SSLB Akeem Ayers & OLG Garrett Reynolds just to name a few.

A total of 20 current Rams will enter free agency in March of 2017. One should also add Demoff will have to pay big $$ for the 5th seasons in 2017 of WR Tavon Austin & MLB Alec Ogletree work. I would imagine that the loss of NT Brockers will be devastating as the now diminished DE Rob Quinn. All causing a serious power drain in the DL that will make the Rams DL very dim from that point.

Many have posted that finding a new starting nose tackle to replace Brockers is nothing & easy. But if that was true....I would ask the question on where is the success on finding a bona fide reserve NT for Brockers going.....:whistle: ....oh I forgot we have one named Doug Worthingtono_O. Thanks LACHAMP46!:)

On the concerning of age of Sims &Hayes.....Two of the three top Ram DE's are over 30. These well aged vets were the primary starting DE's last season sadly they only contributed to 7 sacks in 2016. These two are not pass rushers. Fisher does have several young DE's already for insurance now. Two are UDFA's & one who is on his 3rd team & is only 25 yrs old (Westbrooks/Longacre & Coples). There is a problem here too, both these young insurance reserve DE's are UFA's in less than a year.

To summarize here none of our other 5 DE's on our roster have displayed anything close to the pass rush abilities of the post injury Rob Quinn did.


I predicted this after the RGIII trade. How can a team afford to sign so many players whose contracts will all be running out about the same time. If many of them walk like this year then that trade was all for naught.

I wonder if the Ogletree move was timed to see what his real value is. Is he more worthy of the money if he can handle the mlb slot? If he cant, will he be allowed to move on? Olbs aren't the premium position, that a mlb field general is.

I know that there is a lot of clamoring here about getting Brockers resigned. I hope he doesn't break the bank or cap because he is one of the more replaceable parts in this puzzle IMO.
 

BonifayRam

Legend
Joined
Jan 14, 2013
Messages
13,435
Name
Vernon
I keep hearing that he is moving inside.
Are you speaking about Coples here ? That thought (if it Coples were speaking about) could have come from many who recall Coples best college season which was his junior season. That big junior season was played at DT in the Tar Heels' 4-3 DL front. His senior season, Coples was moved to LDE & was slow to shine but he did come around late in a rush. Coples was then shoveled into a jets 34 defense as an OSLB'er & found total wash out after 3 seasons. If Coples comes in over 300 pounds & being close to 6-7 he could very well see a lot of action inside.

Guess no one knows where these newly restocked Ram DL'ers recently from other teams & are youthful discards i.e. Easley (NE), Coples (NYJ & MIA)& Thomas (Pitts) entering the picture.

Easley (if he can remain UNinjured) may be a lightning rod to this DL to off set the Rob Quinn back concerns & the lack of pass rush abilities of Hayes & Sims.
 

FrantikRam

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
4,713
DE could be a priority next off-season Quinn's injury and Hayes age are concerning. The Rams need to find a young DE for insurance. I thought they might sign a few in the UDFA period.


Agreed.

And if you look at how we have drafted the last few years, you can see the strategy they formed and I'm excited about it.

We have young ascending players at every position on offense now - the only question marks are at LT (but between Robinson and Battle, I feel good about it) and WR - and with all the new young WRs that are in, you have to think we get a few to stick.

Next year is shaping up to be an almost entirely defensive draft IMO. We will need two DEs, two DTs, possibly a S, definitely a CB and a LB as well....and honestly we could use multiple safeties, CBs and LBs too.
 

LACHAMP46

A snazzy title
Joined
Jul 21, 2013
Messages
11,735
I keep hearing that he is moving inside.

Are you speaking about Coples here ? That thought (if it Coples were speaking about) could have come from many who recall Coples best college season which was his junior season. That big junior season was played at DT in the Tar Heels' 4-3 DL front. His senior season, Coples was moved to LDE & was slow to shine but he did come around late in a rush. Coples was then shoveled into a jets 34 defense as an OSLB'er & found total wash out after 3 seasons. If Coples comes in over 300 pounds & being close to 6-7 he could very well see a lot of action inside.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/coples-718413-rams-kinston.html
OXNARD – Five months after they turned off the lights in St. Louis, the Rams still adjust to new ground.

Quinton Coples just leans over and rests his hand on it. Then he feels at home.

Coples is 6-foot-6 and 280 pounds and was the 16th pick in the 2012 draft by the New York Jets. If you were to pick out the 11 most-football-looking guys in Rams gear, Coples would probably be one.

Yet in the NFL’s round-peg, round-hole world, Coples hasn’t consistently done the things that won so much scout approval when he was at North Carolina, playing with Rams’ defensive end Robert Quinn.

He hasn’t put his hand on the ground as an end in a 4-3 defense, and thus hasn’t gotten the green light to crash into quarterbacks.

This is Coples’ third team in six months. For the Rams, it’s low risk, possibly high reward. For Coples, the risk is more pronounced. He needs to make himself essential again.

“It’s an opportunity to put my hand in the dirt and get after the quarterback again,” Coples said. “I’m going back to what I did in college. This is a great defensive front. There’s always somebody who can go in there and do just as good as you. That’s a blessing in disguise.”

Do systems dictate personnel or vice versa? The Seahawks did not draft Russell Wilson because they already had an offense that played to his scampering strengths. They just believed in him, and then wrote a script he could read. Other NFL teams aren’t like that. They draw a blueprint and then go shopping for the parts.

Coples got caught in between the pegs. The Jets, with Rex Ryan, ran a 3-4 defense. A 3-4 defensive end has fewer free shots at quarterbacks. Coples played there, then became sort of a hybrid end/linebacker when the Jets drafted interior lineman Sheldon Richardson. Coples did that job well enough, with pass coverage responsibilities that did not keep him from collecting 11 sacks during the next two years.

Last year, Todd Bowles was the coach and the Jets drafted DE Leonard Williams from USC. When Coples did get on the field, Bowles didn’t like what he saw. The Jets cut Coples in November, which followed reports that Coples was acting disruptively on a flight after a loss at Houston. Bowles said one had nothing to do with the other, that Coples was a “tweener” who “wasn’t a fit for us. As an outside player we need a little more speed out there.”

Miami picked up Coples for the rest of the season and the Rams then signed him. The Rams’ D-line is a perceived strength, but sometimes teams flourish, i.e. Minnesota with Cris Carter and Randy Moss, when they make their strength stronger.

“The toughest thing about guarding receivers and running backs and tight ends is knowing where your help is,” Coples said. “The eyes and the feet go together. Asking me to cover was a crazy situation, but once I understood that, I just needed to be an athlete. A lot of people thought it was my job to get sacks and it wasn’t. I did a lot more covering.”

For a long time, Coples didn’t consider himself a football player, He played well at Kinston (N.C.) High, but his heart was with basketball. As a freshman, he shattered a backboard in his first day of open gym.

He says N.C. State offered him a full ride, and his godfather, Christopher Bradshaw, now the girls’ coach at Kinston, said Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest were interested.

“But we sat down one day and I said, ‘Look, if you’re 6-foot-6 and 280, that’s a guard in basketball,’” Bradshaw said. “I asked him which sport he was getting the most offers in.”

“I had about 50-60 in football, maybe 10 in basketball,” Coples said. “It worked out all right.”

Coples’ mother, Gail, worked multiple jobs to keep going. She earned a trucker’s license and drove a school bus. But as textile companies closed or moved elsewhere, Kinston, with a population of 21,000, lost opportunities. Coples saw that as a coverage responsibility.

On June 20, Coples will again present cash grants to Kinston high school students deserving enough to become “Coples Scholars.” On the second weekend of July, Coples will again sponsor a Community Weekend at Southeast Park, with games, auctions and enough food to accommodate 3,000.

“It’s not something he has to do,” Bradshaw said.

All Coples has to do is get his hand back on the ground. In Kinston, they know his feet are there already.
Me personally, I remember what I imagined Coples could do in the pros....and while not a pass rush artist, his measureable show he could in fact become a force...I mainly like the way he sets the edge...and has a lot of energy. No one knew Hayes pass rush skills were where they are when he arrived here either.....Coples in a rotation will become a beast...He may bump inside on 3rd and long, but I'd expect to see him on the edge, spelling Hayes & Quinn...