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With end of OTAs, it's summer break for Rams
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_a7c8f216-668d-50c2-804e-5f20a432671c.html
With the spring practices known as OTAs ending Thursday, school’s out at Rams Park. The veterans and undrafted rookies were free to go immediately following practice.
Drafted rookies aren’t quite so lucky. They have a couple of days of weight training and conditioning work at Rams Park early next week, then head off to the NFL’s Rookie Symposium, June 24-27 for NFC rookies in Aurora, Ohio.
Coach Jeff Fisher’s fourth Rams team won’t reconvene until the end of July — July 27 is report day for rookies and July 29 for veterans — for what could be the team’s last training camp as a St. Louis-based franchise.
Fisher leaves for some down time (read: fishing), content with the early steps taken by the Rams’ rookie class and pleased with the progress made by the revamped offense.
“I feel from an installation standpoint everything’s about in,” he said earlier this week. “We’ve introduced a lot of situations to ’em and we’re happy to say we’ve got the rookies caught up ... they’re caught up on the field. The rookie class is doing an outstanding job mentally.”
Although a handful of players were either limited or didn’t participate in the 10 OTA sessions in June because of rehab from offseason surgeries, Fisher said there were no setbacks on the practice field.
“We haven’t had a single soft tissue issue or anything,” Fisher said.
Among the mending Rams, left tackle Greg Robinson (toe), left guard Rodger Saffold (shoulder), safety T.J. McDonald (leg), and wide receiver Brian Quick (shoulder) are all expected to be ready for the start of training camp.
As for running back Todd Gurley, the No. 10 overall pick in the draft, his training camp status is to be determined as he continues his rehab from knee surgery at Georgia late last season.
“It’s hard to say right now,” Fisher said, when asked if Gurley would be ready for the start of camp. “I can’t predict that. I know he’s doing well. ... He’ll be around; he’ll rehab with us during the break.”
There’s still a chance that Gurley could begin camp on the physically unable to perform list, or PUP. If he begins on the PUP, that lessens his chances of being ready for the Sept. 13 opener against defending NFC champion Seattle.
“If he’s not PUP-ed, then I think you could probably assume that he’s going to play sooner than you think,” Fisher said.
The Rams seemed to place more emphasis on situational work this year than in past springs, be it goal-line, red zone, two-minute, or “backed-up” drills. Another spring wrinkle: the vast majority of the work went to the first and second units during 11-on-11 or “team” drills, meaning reps were hard to come by for roster hopefuls on the bottom end of the depth chart.
With a new quarterback (Nick Foles) and a new offensive coordinator (Frank Cignetti) the Rams by design gave Foles and the starting offense more work than might usually be the case this time of year.
“Oh, it’s coming. It’s all coming (along),” Fisher said when asked about the progress on offense. “I think the players will tell you that. We shortened the play calls from a terminology standpoint.
“We have some flexibility to do some things that I think match up better with our personnel. We’re just gonna continue to work with it. Nick has done a good job.
“A good mark of where you are offensively is when someone like Sean Mannion comes in and he’s been here for a month and he has a good feel for it.”
Mannion is the rookie quarterback, and third-round draft pick, from Oregon State.
“It kind of gives you a sense that what we’re teaching is easily absorbed and translated to the field,” Fisher said.
Fisher rarely lets you see him sweat, so it’s very much in character that he continues to express no concern whatsoever on the status and capabilities of the offensive line. The Rams seems content at this point to enter training camp with rookies starting at right guard (Jamon Brown) and right tackle (Rob Havenstein).
“I’m pleased with where ‘JB’ (Brown) is right now at the guard spot,” Fisher said. “Rob has been real solid at right tackle. They’re not making mistakes.”
It’s difficult, though, to read too much into what happens on the practice field in May and June because pads aren’t allowed by league rule. Fisher and Cignetti and offensive line coach Paul Boudreau will have a much better idea of what they have — or don’t have — up front once training camp and the preseason games begin.
But as always, the Rams are monitoring the waiver wires and the available pool of street free agents. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that they bring in a veteran offensive lineman in camp.
“We’re keeping a lookout,” Fisher said. “We’ll see what happens.”
With nothing but time on their hands for the next five weeks during summer break, Fisher once again has stressed the importance of not doing anything stupid before the start off camp.
The message, Fisher said, “Starts with wave runners, then it moves over to four-wheelers, then it goes to family picnics, water skiing and all that. Then it goes into the off-the-field stuff, and be smart.”
Around the league, there always seems to be a handful of NFL players who get into some kind of trouble over the summer break. Fisher doesn’t want any of them to be Rams.
“We basically throw up the stats (on off-field issues),” Fisher said. “We have statistics by position groups. I have statistics based on months of incidents (occurring), and years of experience in the league.”
Does the research provide any insight on what players or position groups are more prone to such problems?
Fisher paused, smiled, and said, “I’ll just say that Coach (Gregg) Williams has his hands full.”
Williams is the Rams’ defensive coordinator.
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_a7c8f216-668d-50c2-804e-5f20a432671c.html
With the spring practices known as OTAs ending Thursday, school’s out at Rams Park. The veterans and undrafted rookies were free to go immediately following practice.
Drafted rookies aren’t quite so lucky. They have a couple of days of weight training and conditioning work at Rams Park early next week, then head off to the NFL’s Rookie Symposium, June 24-27 for NFC rookies in Aurora, Ohio.
Coach Jeff Fisher’s fourth Rams team won’t reconvene until the end of July — July 27 is report day for rookies and July 29 for veterans — for what could be the team’s last training camp as a St. Louis-based franchise.
Fisher leaves for some down time (read: fishing), content with the early steps taken by the Rams’ rookie class and pleased with the progress made by the revamped offense.
“I feel from an installation standpoint everything’s about in,” he said earlier this week. “We’ve introduced a lot of situations to ’em and we’re happy to say we’ve got the rookies caught up ... they’re caught up on the field. The rookie class is doing an outstanding job mentally.”
Although a handful of players were either limited or didn’t participate in the 10 OTA sessions in June because of rehab from offseason surgeries, Fisher said there were no setbacks on the practice field.
“We haven’t had a single soft tissue issue or anything,” Fisher said.
Among the mending Rams, left tackle Greg Robinson (toe), left guard Rodger Saffold (shoulder), safety T.J. McDonald (leg), and wide receiver Brian Quick (shoulder) are all expected to be ready for the start of training camp.
As for running back Todd Gurley, the No. 10 overall pick in the draft, his training camp status is to be determined as he continues his rehab from knee surgery at Georgia late last season.
“It’s hard to say right now,” Fisher said, when asked if Gurley would be ready for the start of camp. “I can’t predict that. I know he’s doing well. ... He’ll be around; he’ll rehab with us during the break.”
There’s still a chance that Gurley could begin camp on the physically unable to perform list, or PUP. If he begins on the PUP, that lessens his chances of being ready for the Sept. 13 opener against defending NFC champion Seattle.
“If he’s not PUP-ed, then I think you could probably assume that he’s going to play sooner than you think,” Fisher said.
The Rams seemed to place more emphasis on situational work this year than in past springs, be it goal-line, red zone, two-minute, or “backed-up” drills. Another spring wrinkle: the vast majority of the work went to the first and second units during 11-on-11 or “team” drills, meaning reps were hard to come by for roster hopefuls on the bottom end of the depth chart.
With a new quarterback (Nick Foles) and a new offensive coordinator (Frank Cignetti) the Rams by design gave Foles and the starting offense more work than might usually be the case this time of year.
“Oh, it’s coming. It’s all coming (along),” Fisher said when asked about the progress on offense. “I think the players will tell you that. We shortened the play calls from a terminology standpoint.
“We have some flexibility to do some things that I think match up better with our personnel. We’re just gonna continue to work with it. Nick has done a good job.
“A good mark of where you are offensively is when someone like Sean Mannion comes in and he’s been here for a month and he has a good feel for it.”
Mannion is the rookie quarterback, and third-round draft pick, from Oregon State.
“It kind of gives you a sense that what we’re teaching is easily absorbed and translated to the field,” Fisher said.
Fisher rarely lets you see him sweat, so it’s very much in character that he continues to express no concern whatsoever on the status and capabilities of the offensive line. The Rams seems content at this point to enter training camp with rookies starting at right guard (Jamon Brown) and right tackle (Rob Havenstein).
“I’m pleased with where ‘JB’ (Brown) is right now at the guard spot,” Fisher said. “Rob has been real solid at right tackle. They’re not making mistakes.”
It’s difficult, though, to read too much into what happens on the practice field in May and June because pads aren’t allowed by league rule. Fisher and Cignetti and offensive line coach Paul Boudreau will have a much better idea of what they have — or don’t have — up front once training camp and the preseason games begin.
But as always, the Rams are monitoring the waiver wires and the available pool of street free agents. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that they bring in a veteran offensive lineman in camp.
“We’re keeping a lookout,” Fisher said. “We’ll see what happens.”
With nothing but time on their hands for the next five weeks during summer break, Fisher once again has stressed the importance of not doing anything stupid before the start off camp.
The message, Fisher said, “Starts with wave runners, then it moves over to four-wheelers, then it goes to family picnics, water skiing and all that. Then it goes into the off-the-field stuff, and be smart.”
Around the league, there always seems to be a handful of NFL players who get into some kind of trouble over the summer break. Fisher doesn’t want any of them to be Rams.
“We basically throw up the stats (on off-field issues),” Fisher said. “We have statistics by position groups. I have statistics based on months of incidents (occurring), and years of experience in the league.”
Does the research provide any insight on what players or position groups are more prone to such problems?
Fisher paused, smiled, and said, “I’ll just say that Coach (Gregg) Williams has his hands full.”
Williams is the Rams’ defensive coordinator.
