2014 Rams Training Camp Notes

[Retroram52]

Since Tarining Camp 2014 is in full swing, I am starting this thread where you all can post daily notes related to the team and training camp, obviously.

After two days, the wow factor guys on offense and defense are Britt at WR for the offense and Aaron Donald on defense.

On offense the big news has been the noticable dominance of Kenny Britt. Granted this is controlled practice but ESPN, SBNation, and The Bleacher Report have made mention that Britt has demonstrated a new committment to distancing himself from his 9 arrests and felonious behavior and has become a leader figure for the team. Britt has become the outstanding receiver that Fisher envisioned when Fisher drafted him in Tennessee. Obviously Britt has grwon up and has bought into Fisher's message. Some have suggested that the Rams may have finally found their number one receiver even though others think that is a stretch.

On defense, Aaron Donald is creating a massive headache for the O-line that have to block him. He is working primarily with the second unit defense but we all know that many of those guys get game playing time in Williams and Fisher's schemes. Many of the articles I have read suggest that Donald is just as, if not more explosive than Robert Quinn and many liken him to Robert Quinn in disruptive quality that features explosive power AND speed only on the inside of the D-line. Because he built so low to the ground, he generates such leverage problems that causes the O-lineman fits. Nobody likes blocking Donald as he has become a regular in the backfield. Again, this is after two days of controlled practices.

On ST's Hekker and Zeurlein are the guys. There are a couple of players brought in for competition but right now, there is no contest. No story here.

 

[jacobarch]

Here's a report from STLtoday forums.

Camp Report 7/26/14
Players not participating: Ethan Westbrooks; Christian Bryant; Sammy Brown; Johnny Millard; Kadeem Jones.

William Hayes, Matt Daniels, Scott Wells and Jake Long participated in the unit drills, but did NOT participate in TEAM DRILLS

Trumaine Johnson left practice after coming up hobbling after a contested ball with Quick in the 7 on 7 drills. Did not return.

Justice Cunningham and Emory Blake were limping noticeably mid-way through practice. Were limited after that.

Kenny Britt seemed to be having cramping issues, was stretching with trainers on sideline, he returned to 11 on 11 drills.

Offensive Line:
1st Unit: Long Saffold Wells Joseph Barksdale (this was how they lined up during the unit drills)
2nd Unit: Van Dyk Person Jones Bond Hooey
3rd Unit: Van Dyk Washington Barnes Morrell Dill

• I need to point out, the Depth Chart above indicates how they lined up during the UNIT DRILLS and Walk thrus.

• Once they got into any team stuff, bump up both the Center and LT spots.

• So during teams activities it looked like:
o Robinson Saffold Jones Joseph Barksdale
o Van Dyk Person Barnes Bond Hooey

• Davin Joseph was a constant at RG with the 1st unit throughout practice.

• It looks like similar to last year’s DAILY rotation between Shelley Smith and Chris Williams, they have plans to alternate Barnes and Jones at Center this year. Will be interesting to keep an eye on.

Defensive Line:
1st Unit: Long Brockers Langford Quinn
2nd Unit: Sam Carrington Conrath Sims
3rd Unit: Sam Donald Harlan K. Brown

• Donald and Conrath both took reps in team drills with 1st and 2nd units.

Linebackers:
1st Unit: Ogletree Laurinatis Dunbar
2nd Unit: Steward Bates Armstrong
3rd Unit: L. Wilson Schiller Sabino

• After hearing the wrath of G. Williams on more than one occasion yesterday, Daren Bates was flying around today. May have been the best LB on the field.

Defensive Backs:
1st Unit: Jenkins Woodard McDonald McLeod
2nd Unit: McGee Gaines Davis Alexander
3rd Unit: Roberson/J. Bryant/Reid A. Cunningham Alexander

• T. Johnson DNP in any of the 11 on 11 team drills… Woodard stepped into his spot with the 1st unit.

• They got some work in the Nickel Package today.

• McGee worked with the 1st unit in the Nickel CB role

• Joyner worked with the 2nd Unit in the Nickel CB role

• Alexander was “called out” by G. Williams in the 7 on 7 drills, on his lack of recognition of developing routes in a particular coverage

Theme of the day: Offense answers back
-------]Much better tempo, and production vs, the defense. After a less than stellar day yesterday, the offense had much better luck attacking today, utilizing some 3 WR sets, and pushing the ball down field.

Special Teams:
Started practice with drill work on Kickoff Coverage

1st Unit:
Reynolds Reid Armstrong Pead Bates Zuerlein McLeod C. Davis Cunningham McGee McDonald
2nd Unit:
Woodard Bailey Daniels Harkey Steward Zuerlein Ogletree Veltung Hill Alexander T. Johnson

7 0n 7 & 11 on 11 Drills:
Highlights:
Bradford looked much better with his timing. Completions to Bailey Britt and Quick which drew plenty of attention from the crowd

Bailey turned Brandon McGee inside out on a couple of corner routes

Lamarcus Joyner made a nice interception off a pass from S. Hill

EJ Gaines had his 2nd pick in two days, peeling off his man and reacting to an errant throw

Kenny Britt out muscles an underthrow ball from Roberson, adjusting to the ball in the air, and using his size and strength to win the ball… then let the DBs know about it. To the point that Coach Fisher had a brief “conversation” with Mr. Britt.

Lance Kendricks continues to catch everything thrown his way.

Brian Quick had a good day. Catching a nice intermediate pass thrown from Bradford (his best throw of the practice) after coming out of his break vs, Zone coverage

Bailey, Quick and Britt were the best WRs on the field.

Tre Mason sighting. Made a nice catch and run on a route to the sideline, turned it up and showed his burst.

Zac Stacy had a few break thru runs.

Lowlights:
Defense still having its way vs. the O-Line.

Secondary still having some issues with communication.

Blitz pickup still looks to be a concern.

Still too many dead ball penalties… today Bradford did a good job drawing the D-line offsides with a hard count


CAMP OBSERVATIONS:
• Kenny Britt continues to show is leadership. He is VERY vocal and has shown to be very supportive of his fellow WRs. When someone makes a play, he is usually the first to acknowledge it. He just has the “look” of a NFL WR. Something that has been missing from this roster.

• Aaron Donald took his share of reps with the 1st & 2nd units. Showed flashes, but was not nearly as “unblockable” vs. Joseph

• Janoris Jenkins looks like he is refocused and has made some nice plays in coverage.

• Joyner continues to show why they are so high on him. The kid can PLAY.

• Greg Williams is VOCAL
---Day 2 and he can be heard regardless of where he is on the field. “Old School” Football
---The good news….. more than often the player who is called out, responds and gets a “great job, that’s what I’m talking about” from GW

• Continue to see them using a SLB (Ogletree) and WLB (Dunbar) when in Base 4-3. Ogletree looks very good in coverage when lined up across from TE. He runs with Kendricks and/or Cook all over the field.

o This also frees up Dunbar to make more plays in the same role he played in 2012

Also in attendance: HAMMER made an unexpected appearance. Seemed like old times!!!!!!

 

[Retroram52]

Wow, good stuff jacobarch. Yea, K. Britt is really become a leader on this team and I like what he is doing. Greg Williams will be the difference on defense this year. We all knew Walton was in over his head and Finnegan's assessment was correct and not just an-out-the-door, last-minute cheap shot of a disgruntled ex-player.

Stay tuned.

 

[mutigers1fan]

EJ Gaines had his 2nd pick in two days, peeling off his man and reacting to an errant throw

This kid is gonna turn heads, mark my words. He will turn out to be one of the biggest steals of the draft.

 

[Retroram52]

I agree Mutigers. Gaines is quick as lightning and he has very good instincts on when to break on the ball. The key will be whether he can adjust with some of the elite receivers in the league without getting snookered and then beat.

 

[Vitamike]

William Hayes, Matt Daniels, Scott Wells and Jake Long participated in the unit drills, but did NOT participate in TEAM DRILLS

Good to see Jake not a DNP status for any part of training camp....

Trumaine Johnson left practice after coming up hobbling after a contested ball with Quick in the 7 on 7 drills. Did not return.

As Retro says.... Stay tuned..... I see a pattern with Trumaine.

2nd Unit: Van Dyk Person Jones Bond Hooey

Good to see this 2nd year mammoth of a man moving up the ranks! Nice pickup last season.

Davin Joseph was a constant at RG with the 1st unit throughout practice.

Excellent depth add for Paul B's Offensive line.. A probowler just a few seasons ago should be able to provide top tier play as a sub and step right into a starting role if needed.

It looks like similar to last year’s DAILY rotation between Shelley Smith and Chris Williams, they have plans to alternate Barnes and Jones at Center this year. Will be interesting to keep an eye on.

Hopefully this is the year we see Jones push Wells for the starting job at Center...

Donald and Conrath both took reps in team drills with 1st and 2nd units.

1st Unit: Ogletree Laurinatis Dunbar
2nd Unit: Steward Bates Armstrong

Dunbar hanging onto his starting spot despite his recent event. I'm guessing Williams sees value in defensive guys with 'fight'!

After hearing the wrath of G. Williams on more than one occasion yesterday, Daren Bates was flying around today. May have been the best LB on the field.

This UDFA from a year ago just seems to be getting better and better. Are we ready yet to pencil him in on the 53 roster again? Good find by Snisher!

Defensive Backs:
1st Unit: Jenkins Woodard McDonald McLeod
2nd Unit: McGee Gaines Davis Alexander
3rd Unit: Roberson/J. Bryant/Reid A. Cunningham Alexander

This guy can play and I wouldn't be surprised to see him at FS in the future. Hope he makes the roster because he wont survive waivers for the practice squad.

1st Unit:
Reynolds Reid Armstrong Pead Bates Zuerlein McLeod C. Davis Cunningham McGee McDonald

No Tavon? They are probably being careful however I hope this group works out ST penalties this year! We gave up way too much last year in that category.

Lamarcus Joyner made a nice interception off a pass from S. Hill

I have a gut feeling this guy will be a star in this league!

Kenny Britt out muscles an underthrow ball from Roberson, adjusting to the ball in the air, and using his size and strength to win the ball… then let the DBs know about it. To the point that Coach Fisher had a brief “conversation” with Mr. Britt.

Let's this story continues to be nothing but a positive one!

Lance Kendricks continues to catch everything thrown his way.

Always like this guy, if he continues to shine as a receiver, he makes Cook expendable, especially because he is the better of the two when lining up tight in protections.

Brian Quick had a good day. Catching a nice intermediate pass thrown from Bradford (his best throw of the practice) after coming out of his break vs, Zone coverage

Could it really happen this year for Brian?

Bailey, Quick and Britt were the best WRs on the field.

No Tavon?

Tre Mason sighting. Made a nice catch and run on a route to the sideline, turned it up and showed his burst.

Zac Stacy had a few break thru runs.

Tre is special, we could see a breakout year in the Rams backfield if these two can stay healthy!!

Defense still having its way vs. the O-Line.

Good Lord, I hope so!!

Secondary still having some issues with communication.

Blitz pickup still looks to be a concern.

Still too many dead ball penalties.

It's early in camp, these things can all be cleaned up.

Kenny Britt continues to show is leadership. He is VERY vocal and has shown to be very supportive of his fellow WRs. When someone makes a play, he is usually the first to acknowledge it. He just has the “look” of a NFL WR. Something that has been missing from this roster.

I like the 'role' this guy is playing. Challenge a man to lead and dammit you just might find a leader!

Janoris Jenkins looks like he is refocused and has made some nice plays in coverage.

This guy has the 'potential' under Williams to be considered for a Pro Bowl IMHO.

Joyner continues to show why they are so high on him. The kid can PLAY.

• Greg Williams is VOCAL
---Day 2 and he can be heard regardless of where he is on the field. “Old School” Football
---The good news….. more than often the player who is called out, responds and gets a “great job, that’s what I’m talking about” from GW

I liked every thing I read here! Good stuff!

Continue to see them using a SLB (Ogletree) and WLB (Dunbar) when in Base 4-3. Ogletree looks very good in coverage when lined up across from TE. He runs with Kendricks and/or Cook all over the field.

There are going to be some hard decisions when we start paring down the roster! Alec is a stud!

Also in attendance: HAMMER made an unexpected appearance. Seemed like old times!!!!!!

 

[Vitamike]

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- A daily review of the hot topics coming out of St. Louis Rams training camp.

• For the first time since suffering the knee injury that ended his 2013 season nine games too early, quarterback Sam Bradford practiced on back-to-back days as he went through another entire workout Saturday. Bradford appears to be feeling just fine and also looked to be throwing the ball a bit better Saturday than he did Friday as he continues to knock some rust off. According to coach Jeff Fisher, the challenge for Bradford isn't knee-related as much as making sure his arm is managed. Bradford's excitement for returning to action has to be controlled a bit and the Rams have had to back him off of throwing on occasion.

• Now that camp is here, we can finally start talking about football when it comes to rookie defensive end Michael Sam. From Saturday, there were some good things to discuss as Sam flashed some of the pass-rush ability that afforded him so much success at Missouri. The caveats that the Rams aren't yet in pads and he's working against backups such as offensive tackle Sean Hooey need to be mentioned, but Sam took a good step in the right direction Saturday and drew some praise from some of his coaches. He beat Hooey several times to get to the quarterback in team drills and followed by doing the same in one-on-one pass-rush drills. On one play in team drills, Sam beat Hooey quickly and forced backup quarterback Shaun Hill to throw the ball sooner than he'd like, resulting in an interception for cornerback Lamarcus Joyner.

• The daily offensive line update didn't change much from Friday. Greg Robinson (left tackle), Rodger Saffold (left guard), Davin Joseph (right guard) and Joe Barksdale (right tackle) were in the same positions as Friday. But with Scott Wells still not practicing Saturday, Barrett Jones got some work with the first-team offense. Tim Barnes took the bulk of the repetitions Friday, but it's clear the Rams are set on following through with their plan to mix and match.

• Most of the same names as Friday did not practice Saturday. That includes Wells, safety Christian Bryant, fullback Kadeem Jones, linebacker Johnny Millard, end Sammy Brown and offensive tackle Jake Long. End William Hayes did some work on the side, but Sam took his reps with the second-team defense. A few Rams were also shaken up during practice. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson departed with an apparent leg injury and did not return, though it didn't look serious and he watched the rest of the practice standing on the sideline. Receiver Emory Blake and tight end Justice Cunningham also came up with injuries. Joyner briefly left the field but was able to return and finish practice.

• The Rams had some interesting twists on a couple of normal drills during Saturday's practice. During one-on-one passing drills, the coaches are putting an emphasis on getting the defensive backs to cover without using their hands as much. So defensive quality control coach Dennard Wilson gave the corners a pair of tennis balls before each play. When the ball was thrown, the defensive backs were allowed to drop the balls to make a play on the football. Clearly, the Rams are hoping to cut down on defensive pass interference and illegal contact in 2014. Also, the Rams changed things up to work on leverage in some individual drills, clearing space in the crowd and having the linemen take turns driving each other up the hill on the south end of the practice field.

• Rams Preseason Live
  
  
  
  Follow reporter Nick Wagoner's live updates from training camp in Earth City, Missouri.
  Preseason Live
  
  
  By league rule, the Rams can't put the pads on until early next week. When they do, they're almost certainly hoping that it evens things up a little bit when it comes to pairing the top offense against the top defense. Once again, the defense controlled the action for most of the team drills with Bradford having little time to throw in the face of consistent pressure. It's coming from all angles, whether it's ends Robert Quinn or Chris Long or up the middle from tackles Kendall Langford, Michael Brockers or Aaron Donald. On one play there was light contact on Bradford, but it didn't bother him much. Still, they'll have to be careful as camp progresses. For what it's worth, Fisher said the top offense won't match up with the top defense as much when the pads come on.

• Stedman Bailey looks like the most consistent receiver on the team in terms of route-running and catching the ball. He had a good day again Saturday, creating separation with a double move for one touchdown and beating Janoris Jenkins down the sideline for another. Fellow receiver Kenny Britt made a nice grab on a contested ball against rookie cornerback Marcus Roberson.

• The Rams are back at it Sunday with a 6:30 p.m. ET practice.

 

[Retroram52]

Great read Vita and I agree with many of your conclusions. I am getting stoked to see this team play and see what we have this year. Stay tuned, man, Stay tuned!!

 

[UVA_Guy81]

Thanks for the updates all. I usually scan Nick Wagoner's updates on ESPN but that's usually all that I hear. Glad to hear Donald is looking like a beast so far. Hope that continues all throughout the season.

 

[Vitamike]

Thanks for the updates all. I usually scan Nick Wagoner's updates on ESPN but that's usually all that I hear. Glad to hear Donald is looking like a beast so far. Hope that continues all throughout the season.

Makes sense that Davin Joseph was holding his own vs Donald. Besides being that 2x Pro Bowler, he too is short for an OL man at 6'2" and can keep Donald from rooting him under by using his speed and lower center of gravity.

 

[Vitamike]

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- A daily review of the hot topics coming out of St. Louis Rams training camp.

• On a beautiful night in St. Louis, legendary Rams quarterback Kurt Warner took in the practice as part of his role with NFL Network. Warner spoke to quarterback Sam Bradford, spoke to the media and signed plenty of autographs but really held the crowd's interest when he stayed after practice and threw some passes to receivers Tavon Austin and Chris Givens. The crowd, one of the biggest the Rams have had at a training camp practice in St. Louis at 2,291 people, certainly had plenty to watch.

• And it wasn't limited to what was happening with Warner. The top offense finally found some traction in Sunday's practice and Bradford appeared to settle in a little more as he went through his third consecutive practice. Bradford connected with receiver Kenny Britt a few times, including in the red zone and also found Brian Quick for some big plays. Quick's finest moment came when he ran a deep in during red zone drills and use his frame to box out cornerback Janoris Jenkins for a touchdown. Quick later connected with Bradford again for a deep ball down the left sideline as Bradford threw a good ball with the blitz bearing down. Bradford even drew some cheers from fans who might be worried about his mobility when he took off scrambling in team drills near the end zone. It wasn't all good for the offense though as there were still some leaks in the offensive line and there were a couple of false starts on linemen during red zone team drills.

• In today's edition of as the offensive line turns, the Rams made good on their promise to continue rotating their linemen with a slightly altered look. Rodger Saffold and Greg Robinson swapped spots with Saffold moving outside to tackle and Robinson in to left guard. Tim Barnes took another turn at center with Scott Wells not practicing. The right side remained steady with Joe Barksdale at tackle and Davin Joseph at guard. Joseph, by the way, has looked pretty good in the opening days. He's a strong guy and one of the few who seems to be able to get his hands on defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

• On the injury front, not much has changed but there were a couple new additions to the list of those sitting out practice. Offensive lineman Brandon Washington and cornerback Trumaine Johnson joined the usual group that includes safety Christian Bryant, fullback Kadeem Jones, linebacker Johnny Millard, end Sammy Brown, Wells, offensive tackle Jake Long, end William Hayes and defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks, on the sidelines. Johnson appeared to tweak something in Saturday's practice and did not return then before sitting Sunday.

• With Johnson out, extra reps have been available for some young corners including Darren Woodard, Brandon McGee and, on Sunday, rookie Lamarcus Joyner. Joyner got some work as the nickel with the first team defense as the Rams shuffled the secondary in Johnson's absence.

• Rookie quarterback Garrett Gilbert is not lacking for snaps in this camp so far. He took a lot of reps Sunday, including some with the second-team offense. The results have been mixed. He dropped in a couple of nice throws early, including one to tight end Lance Kendricks for a touchdown in the modified seven on seven early in practice. Later, he airmailed a throw intended for open tight end Cory Harkey that should have been a touchdown. Clearly, the Rams are interested in getting him up to speed quickly.

• Zac Stacy, who is still the primary running back with the first team offense, has looked sharp in the opening days and had another good day Sunday. On one run in team, Stacy hit the hole, made a defender miss and took off for what would have been a long gain to the sounds of loud cheers from the crowd. Worth noting that Isaiah Pead is getting some work with the second unit as is Benny Cunningham and a few for Tre Mason. Appears to be plenty of rotating going on behind Stacy.

• The Rams are eligible to begin wearing the pads Monday and they will do so according to coach Jeff Fisher. But, per Fisher's custom, the plan is to have a special teams practice in the morning as a way of getting the majority of the roster acclimated to being back in pads. For those that aren't participating in the special teams practice, there will be work in the recovery room. By the time the Rams have their next open practice, scheduled for Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. ET, the full squad can officially be back in pads.

 

[Retroram52]

Sounds like the Rams have found a pretty darn good guard in David Joseph and that Saffold will be over on the left side possibly at guard. The key is Jake Long and if he's ready to go by the opener. Another good read, Vita.

 

[Jermaine133]

hmm so Janoris is constantly getting beat in practice....sounds like a precursor for the season. Good thing we have a pash rush.

 

[bluepigpen]

Thanks for all the updates, keep them coming.

 

[Retroram52]

The major news of the day was that Sam is a pretty good blocker on ST and that Ray Ray and Darren Bates have been given the directive by John Fassel to take more of a leadership role on STs. Here is the mjor stories of today's practice.

Over half of the Rams 90-man roster took the field with shoulder pads for a very competitive and physical special teams practice at Rams Park today.

“It’s a great way to evaluate guys that are going to play NFC special teams,” Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel said.

Though early drills were scripted, practice concluded with an exciting period of 20-yard one-on-one coverage matchups, in which players were responsible for calling out their own reps.

“You can see a couple of guys who went three or four times and we’ll probably see on tape that maybe some guys didn’t go or maybe went one time,” Fassel stated. “We’re looking for better finishers as blockers as far as staying penalty free and then being better finishers covering kicks.”

NEWS AND NOTES

- Fassel restated his emphasis on cleaning up penalties on all phases of special teams, especially the return game.

“We let a few things go just because we want it to be physical and see who’s willing to fight, but we’ll clean up some of the things that couldn’t fly in a real game,” Fassel said. “That’s one of the biggest emphasis for us in the return game, kickoff return and punt return, is being clean finishers.”

- Second-year linebackers and special teams standouts Daren Bates and Ray Ray Armstrong demonstrated their newfound veteran roles on special teams early and often.

“[Fassel] told us to take a little responsibility and bring the other guys along,” Armstrong said. “Whatever the role is, I’m going to try my best at it.”

- Second-round draft pick Lamarcus Joyner faced a big challenge matching up against the “Miami Heat” duo of Stedman Bailey and Brandon McGee in a difficult punt coverage drill halfway through practice.

“They put me against the Miami Heat is what they call those guys – Stedman Bailey and Brandon McGee – two of the toughest guys in the league,” Joyner said. “They threw me in the fire early, but I enjoyed it. I love football. It’s a physical game and I love getting dirty.”

Fassel noted Joyner might not have much size, however, he is a “scrappy, tough feisty guy … he’s going to fight.”

- Seventh-round draft pick Michael Sam also made a strong impression on Fassel during today’s practice.

“I think he’s dropped probably about 15 pounds and you can tell the difference running like we did today, 30 to 50 to 70 yards, and that’s helped him a lot,” Fassel said. “At the end of the last drill – the competitive drill – he did a really good job as a blocker. I can see him being a good guy on punt return and kickoff return as a blocker.”

 

[Vitamike]

.

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- A daily review of the hot topics coming out of St. Louis Rams training camp.

• The Rams were finally able to put the pads on Monday morning and did so for a special teams workout before the full squad puts them on this week. Coach Jeff Fisher prefers to get his players acclimated to wearing pads in a special teams workout before throwing them into the mix of a real practice. It has been common practice in the previous two seasons as well.

• Believe it or not, special teams practices are pretty entertaining, at least near the end. In what has become a rite of passage for young players trying to make the roster, there are two full-contact drills that really promote competition. In a fairly basic punt cover drill, a gunner lines up on either side of the line with two players in front of him. When the ball is punted or shot out of the JUGS machine, the gunner's task is to beat the double team and get down the field as fast as possible. It is no surprise that linebackers Ray-Ray Armstrong and Daren Bates took the first rep in contact drills Monday. Special teams coach John Fassel wants that duo to take on more of a leadership role this season, and they helped set the tone by jumping into the first rep. The other notable moment from that work was defensive back Lamarcus Joyner taking on Miami natives Stedman Bailey and Brandon McGee. Joyner referred to Bailey and McGee as the Miami Heat, but acquitted himself well by battling tooth and nail. That was enough to draw Fassel's praise. Fassel has been impressed with Joyner so far and said the rookie embodies what he is looking for in a special teams player.

• The other notable drill, the main event so to speak, is the one-on-ones that close the practice. The premise is simple: there is a blue tackling dummy set up and two players line up side by side. At the whistle, one player is responsible for getting to the bag and knocking it over while the other's job is to block the pursuer. It's the drill where Bates made his name in 2013 and opened eyes to the prospect of his making the roster. This time, Bates didn't participate, perhaps as a way of dialing him back a bit, but Armstrong was easy to find. Armstrong became tangled with linebacker Lawrence Wilson which set off a short exchange of shoves and words.

• Michael Sam also drew praise from Fassel for his work, particularly as a blocker on kick and punt return. Fassel said Sam's weight loss has made a noticeable difference, and he is a bit faster when running down kicks. For now, Fassel envisions Sam contributing in the blocking role while he works on developing the long speed necessary to run down kicks.

• Center Scott Wells isn't a part of the special teams, but he did do some work on the side with offensive line coaches Paul Boudreau and Andy Dickerson.

 

[Caynine29]

Love what I'm hearing about Kenny Britt. I heard that he and Quick were getting the majority of 1st team reps. And that Quick actually appears to be progressing!

REALLY hoping that Davin Joseph's play carries over to pads!

One thing I've been hearing/reading that I didn't notice here (unless I missed it) is that Janoris Jenkins has been struggling... a LOT. If so... I really hope that putting on the pads changes all that.

Also, something I didn't see mentioned... Tavon Austin has actually taken quite a few snaps out of the backfield.

 

[Retroram52]

I am hearing and seeing the same things about Jenkins and some of the young guys like Gaines are really pressing him for his spot. He is going to fool around and get demoted if he is not too careful. The same things for Joseph, Britt, and Quick. Britt and Quick are wowing everyone and I hope it carries over like you have stated.

 

[Retroram52]

It is very good to see Kurt Warner showing up at camp in St Louis and hanging around with Bradford. If Snisher were smart, they'd offer Warner a QB coaching position to work with Bradford because with the following article, Warner verbalizes everything he sees about Bradford all of which corroborate what SJ76, Boss, and Vita have been arguing about since last year. I find it a very good read and Warner addresses everything those aforementioned Ramsfans have addressed.

Kurt Warner wants more aggressive Sam Bradford - ESPN

 

[jacobarch]

Love what I'm hearing about Kenny Britt. I heard that he and Quick were getting the majority of 1st team reps. And that Quick actually appears to be progressing!

REALLY hoping that Davin Joseph's play carries over to pads!

One thing I've been hearing/reading that I didn't notice here (unless I missed it) is that Janoris Jenkins has been struggling... a LOT. If so... I really hope that putting on the pads changes all that.

Also, something I didn't see mentioned... Tavon Austin has actually taken quite a few snaps out of the backfield.

I've only heard of JJ struggling 1 day of practice. I've also heard he had one of his best days in camp on his 2nd day. I don't put much stock into camp practices. WR's always have the advantage with no pads on. Lets see how he fairs when they put on the pads and once he gets acclimated.

I think Joseph will be fine. He was hurt all last year and played no worse than Williams or S. Smith did for us. So with a healthy Joseph lets hope he can at least contribute at a high level if we have an injury or two. One thing I really like is we have depth now. It's something we haven't had in a long long time.

I am hearing and seeing the same things about Jenkins and some of the young guys like Gaines are really pressing him for his spot. He is going to fool around and get demoted if he is not too careful. The same things for Joseph, Britt, and Quick. Britt and Quick are wowing everyone and I hope it carries over like you have stated.

There's nothing wrong with drinking some cool-aid. Just remember not to drink too much of it. We heard the same things about Quick, Givens and Cook last camp....Lets just hope it carries over when it matters most.