8 takeaways from first week of follow

[ad_1] A breakout for Whittington? Secondary a energy?

The Los Angeles Rams kicked off coaching camp with their first follow on Wednesday, going 4 straight days on the sector earlier than getting a break on Sunday. Practices have diverse in size and depth, however the group is making progress because the season approaches.

The Rams are scheduled to wrap up camp on Sunday, Aug. 3, so they have another full week of follow at Loyola Marymount College earlier than heading again to Woodland Hills. After 4 productive days of camp, we have already realized lots about this group.

Listed below are eight takeaways from the primary week of follow.

Matthew Stafford’s again harm is creating trigger for concern Stafford missed the primary 4 practices of camp, which wasn’t excellent but additionally not the tip of the world. He’s amassed a number of expertise, as Sean McVay at all times says, so he doesn’t want as a lot work as different gamers.

Nonetheless, when McVay stated after Saturday’s follow that the Rams are actually taking it a “week at a time” with their quarterback, that set off some alarms. Stafford will not return to follow on Monday as initially anticipated, and he’s not anticipated to follow in any respect this week.

McVay doesn’t sound overly involved, however he additionally downplayed Stafford’s elbow harm two years in the past till after the season he stated, “folks overlook what a giant deal that was.”

Are we headed down the identical path with Stafford this 12 months the place he barely participates in follow earlier than the season and battles by means of discomfort all season? We haven’t fairly reached that time but, however the mixture of a 37-year-old quarterback and again ache is at the very least a little bit worrisome.

Jordan Whittington is standing out Everyone seems to be pointing to Tutu Atwell as a possible breakout candidate because of the departures of Cooper Kupp and Demarcus Robinson, however Jordan Whittington may very well be poised for the same emergence.

The second-year receiver labored arduous this offseason, as he at all times does, and was recurrently within the gymnasium with Kupp, Puka Nacua, Tyler Higbee and others. He’s a formidable younger participant who didn’t get many alternatives as a rookie final season however at all times capitalized on them with sturdy performances every time.

This summer season, Whittington has proven to be a playmaker in camp and will push for vital taking part in time on offense.

“I have been tremendous impressed with him,” McVay stated of Whittington on Saturday. “He is accomplished such an ideal job. You have a look at a man that got here in and was mature past his years as a rookie final 12 months. He is acquired the flexibility to play all three spots. He can actually compete within the run sport and I feel he is actually persevering with to extend his route quantity. He’s performed very well. He is sturdy. He is so conscientious. He is simply a kind of guys that you do not wager towards. He is soccer participant. You may't have sufficient guys like that. We love J-Whitt.”

Stetson Bennett is benefiting from his alternatives The excellent news with Stafford being out is that Bennett has gotten extra alternatives than he ordinarily would have. He’s been working with the second-team offense and by all accounts, he’s appeared improved from final 12 months.

Clips from follow present a assured thrower who’s appeared snug within the pocket and in addition used his mobility to flee bother. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur loves what he’s seen from Bennett thus far, sharing this reply when requested how far the younger quarterback has come from final season.

“I nearly do not need to let you know. I nearly need you to see it for your self,” he stated. “I am so glad for him. I do know I am talking volumes about all these guys, but it surely's how I actually really feel. He’s in such place mentally. When you're in such place mentally, now you can enable your bodily skills to take maintain.”

He hasn't locked up a roster spot but but when he performs nicely within the preseason, he may land on the 53-man roster – particularly if Stafford's again harm lingers.

Nate Landman has emerged because the chief at inside linebacker Earlier than camp started, it appeared like a four-horse race at inside linebacker with Landman, Omar Speights, Chris Paul Jr. and Troy Reeder. After one week of follow, it’s clear Landman has emerged because the frontrunner in that group.

He was carrying the inexperienced dot in Friday’s jog-through and has been working with the first-team protection, relaying calls from Chris Shula to his teammates on the sector. Sean McVay couldn’t be extra impressed by the Rams’ offseason addition, saying he’s “accomplished an ideal job main the way in which for that group.”

“He is been superior. He’s an ideal communicator,” McVay stated. “He’s acquired nice command. He’s acquired the flexibility to raise folks. He is acquired an ideal really feel for attacking the soccer. He acquired one other punch-out right this moment. I identical to the way in which that this man's acquired an ideal vibe. He is simply acquired some pure management traits and communication abilities the place he understands what is going on on from an all-22 perspective. I feel while you're speaking a couple of man that is at that inside linebacker place, it is key and significant. He is accomplished an ideal job main the way in which for that group.”

Landman pressured a fumble in follow Saturday with an ideal punch-out, knocking the ball from Davis Allen’s arms to create a turnover for the protection.

If he can put collectively a breakout season, it’ll elevate the play of your entire protection after the Rams struggled at that place final 12 months.

The secondary will likely be higher than anticipated this season There’s no lack of depth within the secondary this 12 months, which is encouraging. The protection group encompasses a terrific trio of Kamren Curl, Kamren Kinchens and Jaylen McCollough, whereas the cornerbacks are led by Darious Williams, Ahkello Witherspoon, Quentin Lake and Cobie Durant.

Emmanuel Forbes Jr. and Josh Wallace are two gamers who may contribute, as nicely. That offers the Rams a ton of choices on protection, particularly with Lake’s versatility.

Durant has made some splash performs in camp by breaking apart passes and sticking near receivers in protection, whereas Forbes has been tasked with overlaying Davante Adams in follow and has accomplished a pleasant job, as nicely. Forbes is the wild card on this group as a result of if he can take his sport to the subsequent degree as a starting-caliber participant, the Rams will likely be flush with cornerback expertise.

The secondary as a complete may go from being a perceived query mark to a energy on protection.

Alaric Jackson appears to be making good progress It was an ideal signal that Jackson didn’t begin camp on the PUP or NFI listing, permitting him to take part in follow even in a restricted capability. By Friday, he was collaborating in group drills throughout the jog-through and remained a participant on Saturday, too.

The Rams will take it as sluggish as wanted with Jackson as he offers with blood clots in his leg however as McVay stated, there’s a “very actual chance” that he’ll be on the sector in Week 1. That will be unbelievable information for the Rams, regardless that they’re assured in D.J. Humphries because the backup plan; Humphries has been getting first-team reps in follow, as nicely.

Kyren Williams’ contract ought to get accomplished in some unspecified time in the future The Rams haven’t signed Williams to a contract extension but however there’s little question progress has been made. Williams’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, even visited Rams camp final week to take a seat down with the group as negotiations continued, a optimistic signal as the 2 sides work towards a deal.

Williams doesn’t sound in the least involved about it getting accomplished finally, even when that spills into the common season. He made it clear he desires to remain in Los Angeles and McVay has praised the younger operating again numerous instances as somebody who embodies what it means to be a member of the Rams.

Simply have a look at the truth that Williams hasn’t skipped a single follow amid these contract negotiations. He’s absolutely embraced his management function at operating again and hasn’t given Blake Corum or Jarquez Hunter any alternatives to overhaul his spot atop the depth chart.

Rookies are off to a quick begin Hunter has flashed along with his pace in follow, whereas Terrance Ferguson has impressed Jared Verse already this offseason along with his playmaking capacity. The truth is, Verse stated he’s been “very impressed” by your entire rookie class, saying they’ve all “been dominating” in follow.

He talked about Josaiah Stewart having his finest follow of your entire offseason final week, taking part in with nice pace and energy on the sting.

As for Ferguson, Mike LaFleur likes what he’s seen from the rookie tight finish thus far.

“Off of what he was doing in OTAs, it is simply not too huge for him,” he stated. “He simply has that look in his eye and he’s a very sensible child schematically. He picked it up no drawback within the spring. After which simply form of the evaluate as we have accomplished these previous couple of days, he actually picked up proper the place he left off when it comes to schematics. After which it’s going to be each single day, simply constructing and stacking and getting used to the pace of this sport. It’ll be nice to get the pads on for all these rookies, and for all the blokes, however for the rookies, having these pads on and taking part in ball for a month, taking part in within the preseason main as much as September, however actually impressed with them.”