Tuesday marked the Rams’ last practice of the offseason workout program, wrapping things up before training camp begins in July. It also marked their last practice at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks.
The Rams are packing up and moving to a new practice facility in Woodland Hills, leaving the place they called their headquarters since 2016. They’ll move into their new facility after training camp at Loyola Marymount, ushering in a new era at a once again temporary setup.
Sean McVay joked about his office feeling like a prison cell recently while appearing on ESPN, pointing out the fact that he didn’t even have a window, but he’s going to miss Cal Lutheran.
What he won’t miss are the windy conditions that come with practicing in Thousand Oaks.
“When I first got here, you thought it would be a temporary facility and here we are going into Year 8 and it’s been great. I love the privacy out here,” he said. “The only downside is really when it gets windy. The facility, I think it’s great. You’re in close quarters to people. That stuff doesn’t bother me. As long as the film works, as long as the players have enough space in the locker room and the weight room. My office… I’m more worried about the film. And then it is a great setting out here, but later on in the year, these Santa Ana winds inhibit your ability to get better so that’s the one thing I will not miss. But Cal Lu’s been great. It’s been awesome being here and we’ll probably just pick this facility up and go plant it at Woodland Hills and then we’ll see when the real thing is ready, eventually.”
Several times over the last seven years, the Rams have had to move practice or alter their schedule because of the high winds in Thousand Oaks. As McVay mentioned, it’s particularly bothersome for the quarterbacks and kickers when they’re trying to get ready for a game during the week.
“It’s not as big a deal for me as much as it is like inhibiting our ability to get better and do things. Kickers, I hate it for the kickers,” he said. “They have to adjust their stroke because they’re trying to overcompensate for the winds that usually aren’t in alignment with the settings that we’re going to be play in. Quarterbacks, that’s where you feel fortunate. Most of the quarterbacks we’ve had are able to drive the ball through the wind and they throw a tight spiral that kind of cuts through but still, it’s not conducive for getting better. And unless you’re playing in those settings, that’s where it’s important.”
That will hopefully improve in Woodland Hills where it should be a bit less windy, and eventually, perhaps the Rams will get an indoor facility where they can be out of the elements completely – similar to the way they are for their home games at SoFi Stadium.