Tag: rams camp

Watch a funny ‘Hard Knocks’ clip of DBs racing at camp

Jalen Ramsey was convinced he won the race.

This season of “Hard Knocks” may not feature any preseason games or as many training camp practices as usual, but the unprecedented nature of this offseason should make for some funny clips.

We already saw Sean McVay talking to Rams staff members while wearing a face shield to prevent the spread of germs in the building. And most recently, NFL Films shared a hilarious video of Jalen Ramsey and the rest of the Rams’ defensive backs racing during practice.

It wasn’t a typical 40-yard dash race, but one that tested players’ footwork and reaction skills.

The result was players arguing about who won, with Ramsey pleading his case.

“Hard Knocks” premieres on Aug. 11 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and will feature both the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers. Teams can’t put on pads for practice until Aug. 17, so it’ll be a while before we see a full-speed session on the show, but it should still be entertaining.

Jared Goff jokes the weight he put on is either muscle or ‘a couple of cheeseburgers’

Jared Goff’s comment about putting on weight is completely relatable.

The coronavirus pandemic brought everyday life to a screeching halt this spring, forcing people across the country to first self-isolate with businesses everywhere closed, and then practice social distancing to prevent the spread of the virus. Working out and staying in shape was a challenge with gyms closed, and with the majority of employees working from home, it’s been easy to put on a few pounds.

Jared Goff hasn’t just been lounging on the couch all spring and summer, but even he admitted he gained a little bit of weight during the pandemic – either muscle or from the burgers he ate.

“I may have put on a couple of pounds. I don’t know if that’s muscle or a couple of cheeseburgers, I’m not sure,” he joked on a conference call Monday. “But I feel good. … I feel good putting in a lot of work this offseason. I had a lot of time. I had a lot of time to really reflect and figure out what you want to get better at and really focus on what you want to get better at. We had the whole offseason. So, hopefully we come out this year and put the right foot forward.”

Goff and the rest of the Rams’ players weren’t afforded the chance to work together during OTAs and minicamp this year, so they had to train on their own. Goff did organize some small-group workouts for those out in Los Angeles, just throwing the ball around and doing some light training, but the lack of team practices has been tough.

He’s done a lot of work on his own, particularly with regards to his footwork. He’s tried to improve that aspect of his game, even training at 3DQB, which is a renowned quarterback training facility in California.

“It’s always footwork. That’s something I’ve always said – it’s my footwork trying to clean that up and keep it as sharp as possible,” he said. “A lot of the posture stuff in the pocket, the way my body is positioned in the pocket and maneuvering, whether it’s O-linemen or D-linemen within the pocket. A lot of that was [an] emphasis. And then, just keeping my body healthy. Getting stronger. Getting more fit. Whether that’s core or lower body, is mainly what I focused on. A lot of stuff.”

The Rams finally got on the field together for the first time Monday, going through a walk-thru as a team. Goff could see an extra level of energy from his teammates after months of isolation.

“It felt good, man. It felt really good,” he said. “It was exciting, all this energy built up until this point and finally were able to let it go. I saw a lot of guys out there in our walk-thru that were going a little bit faster than a walk-thru tempo, and understandably so. Everyone was. It was fun and it was a good day.”

Look: Photos from Rams’ first walk-thru of 2020 camp

The Rams took the field for the first time this year on Monday.

Training camp is officially open for the Los Angeles Rams after a week of COVID-19 testing and collecting equipment for the upcoming month or so of practices. While the team hasn’t gone through a regular practice yet, players were on the field for a walk-thru on Monday.

The Rams also held meetings, including a full team meeting in the new (and massive) tent outside the facility where players typically park. It’s unclear exactly what the Rams worked on during the first official day of camp, but players seemed thrilled to be back on the field.

Check out some photos from the first walk-thru of the year, featuring shots of Jared Goff, Darrell Henderson, Tyler Higbee and others.

Over the weekend, Sean McVay laid out the tentative schedule for training camp leading into the season. They’ll work from Aug. 3-7, then have another three days from Aug. 9-11. The 13th will begin the “ramp-up” portion of camp, as McVay put it, before real practices with pads begin on Aug. 17.

With no preseason, the Rams plan to scrimmage a couple times at SoFi Stadium, though that will mostly be for the guys fighting for roster spots instead of the top starters.

Rams plan to scrimmage a couple times at SoFi Stadium

There will be no preseason this year, but the Rams will still find a way to take the field at SoFi Stadium before the season.

The Rams may not be able to play any preseason games at SoFi Stadium, but they will find a way to take the field in Inglewood before the regular season begins. Sean McVay said on a conference call Sunday that the Rams plan to scrimmage a couple times at SoFi Stadium during training camp.

The Rams were supposed to play three preseason games at SoFi Stadium this summer: two as the home team and one as the visitor against the Chargers. Those games have been canceled, and the Rams also won’t be able to hold joint practices against other teams, either.

So these scrimmages at SoFi Stadium will simply be Rams players lining up against each other like college teams do each year before the real games begin. It’ll give guys the chance to compete in a game-like setting, though it’ll still be controlled to reduce the risk of injury, too.

As for when the Rams will begin practicing, McVay said their first “true practice” will be on Aug. 17, which is about two weeks from now.

All Rams players have reported to the team’s facilities for COVID-19 testing and those who had three negative tests were able to get their equipment and get situated in the building.

There will understandably be a ramp-up period with walk-throughs and classroom work before practices begin because players haven’t had minicamp or OTAs to work through this year.

[vertical-gallery id=636082]

Rams will hold virtual tailgate for fans during training camp

Fans can register for the virtual tailgate, which will be on Aug. 9.

The Rams have gotten used to welcoming fans to UC Irvine each year for training camp, practicing in front of their supporters each summer. That won’t be possible this year, however, as the Rams (and every other team) won’t allow fans to attend camp amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The team hasn’t said yet when camp will officially begin, but fans have been invited to a virtual tailgate on Aug. 9. It will be hosted by Rams legend Torry Holt and Sarina Morales, and there will be interviews with Les Snead Sean McVay, Kevin Demoff and several Rams players.

It’s the closest fans will be able to get to training camp in this unprecedented year, though it won’t be anything like attending camp, watching practice and getting autographs from guys like Jared Goff and Aaron Donald.

But on the bright side, there will be chances to win Rams shop gift cards, with the grand prize being worth $2,020.

[vertical-gallery id=636082]

Take a tour of the Rams’ redesigned facility and locker room

The Rams made several changes to their headquarters this year to keep players and staff safe amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Rams have been highlighted on multiple occasions by the NFL for their work to get their facility ready for players’ arrival before camp. Commissioner Roger Goodell even pointed to the Rams as an example of how the NFL is working to keep players and staff safe amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The team has reworked areas of the facility like the locker room and weight room to accommodate players as they arrive for work this week. They also installed a facial recognition and temperature sensor at the entrance, and will outfit everyone in the building with location trackers to ensure everyone is adhering to social distancing protocols.

Steve Wyche of NFL Network took a tour of the facility and was shown these new features of the building by Rams head trainer Reggie Scott. Take a look at the changes the team has made, as well as a glimpse at the new helmet with mouth shields installed by Oakley.

Austin Blythe expects to be Rams’ starting center this season

It sounds like Austin Blythe, not Brian Allen, will be the Rams’ starting center.

The offensive line was a clear weak spot on the Rams’ roster last season, turning into a revolving door with eight different players starting at least six games. The unit is hardly sorted out heading into 2020, but it seems two positions already have starters lined up.

We’ve known that Andrew Whitworth will be the left tackle after signing a three-year extension, but after hearing Austin Blythe discuss his expectations, it seems he’s already locked up the starting center job.

He appeared on the Rams Revealed podcast with J.B. Long and all but confirmed he’ll be the starting center this season over Brian Allen. Long said that his conversations with Sean McVay indicated that Blythe will be the starting center, so he asked Blythe if that’s the feeling he’s gotten from the Rams, too.

“Yeah, yeah. And I think that was one of the main reasons why I came back to the Rams,” he said. “Because I came into the league initially thinking that I’d be a center. I never had an inkling that I’d start significant games at guard. I knew that a possibility just based on my position coming into the league, being an interior offensive lineman, playing those positions in college. But I did not by any means think I’d have this many starts at guard over center. So I’m very excited for the opportunity to play a position I’m very comfortable in and excited to grow off those eight games that I played in last year at center.”

The Rams re-signed Blythe to a one-year deal this offseason after he hit free agency, and it’s not as if he was paid like someone who would be a backup. His deal is worth $3.9 million with $3.5 million of that guaranteed for just one season.

Connecting the dots between his contract and his recent comments about playing center, it sure seems like he’ll be the one snapping the ball to Jared Goff to start the 2020 season.

Long asked Blythe how being the “assumed starting center” will impact his preparation and mindset heading into this season, and the fifth-year veteran didn’t downplay the significance.

“I think it has a huge impact. Last year going into the season, I didn’t take any reps at center. I would go out there for center-quarterback exchange five minutes before practice started and get some snaps there, but that’s just snapping the football – that’s easy to do,” he said. “In terms of actually preparing at the center spot, it’s a different animal. You’re on the line of scrimmage, you’re closer to the guy you’re going to have to block, versus guard where you’re a little bit further off the ball. Guys have a little bit more space to make moves – it just takes longer at the guard spot. I know it seems minuscule, but it does make a difference. So that sort of thing, I’ll be able to get comfortable with before even having to play a game versus going in there second quarter of the Steelers game and going with it on the fly. Offensive line is offensive line, but there are little nuances to different positions on the line.”

As Blythe said, he came into the league as a center before transitioning to guard out of necessity with the Rams. Now that he’s in line to start at center again, his confidence level should rise.

Assuming he is the Week 1 starter, it spells bad news for Allen, who injured his MCL and was placed on IR in November. He’s still recovering from the injury and he doesn’t have any experience at guard, nor the size to play anywhere but center.

He could be a backup to Blythe in 2020, or worse yet, a surprise camp cut when the Rams trim their roster to 53 players.

Look: ‘Hard Knocks’ was right there to film Jared Goff’s COVID test

Jared Goff’s COVID test was documented by a “Hard Knocks” camera crew.

When it was announced that HBO and NFL Films would cover the Rams and Chargers for this season of “Hard Knocks,” a lot of people wondered what would fill the airtime. With so much uncertainty surrounding the season due to the coronavirus, it was a worthwhile question to ask how the show would work.

Well, Jared Goff shared a sneak peek at one part of camp that will be documented on the show: COVID tests. He posted a photo from his first coronavirus test at the Rams’ facility, and right there was a camera and boom mic to document it all – from a safe distance, of course.

With the preseason canceled and training camps looking very different than a typical year, “Hard Knocks” will have to improvise this year. There won’t be joint practices to film or preseason preparation to document, making this a unique season of the show.

Goff has been outspoken about how much he dislikes “Hard Knocks” cameras always being around after his first go-around on the series as a rookie in 2016, and you can bet he’s not thrilled about crews being back this summer.

Rams’ emergency response plan approved as rookies arrive for COVID testing

The Rams are one of 20 teams with approved emergency response plans.

Rookies are scheduled to report to the Rams’ facility on Monday for the first round of COVID-19 testing ahead of training camp. It’s the first real step toward football returning in Los Angeles, though there are still plenty of other precautions that need to be taken.

In advance of rookies arriving, the Rams had their Infectious Disease Emergency Response (IDER) plan approved by the NFLPA, becoming one of 20 total teams to get the green light.

Once again, this is a small step forward, but it’s a step, nonetheless. It took a lot of work from the Rams’ staff to get the facility ready for players’ arrivals, including modifications made to the locker room, weight room and a massive tent set up in the parking lot for meetings to be held in.

The Rams have not yet set an official start date for training camp, but it won’t happen until all players are tested. Tests will take place on Monday and Tuesday, with a second round for each player taking place later in the week.

It could be a little while before players are back on the field for practice, but at least progress is being made – even if only minor progress.

Rams push back reporting date for training camp from July 28

Players won’t be reporting on Tuesday as initially expected.

It turns out the Rams won’t be reporting for training camp next week as previously expected. According to multiple reports, the Rams are pushing back the official arrival date for the full roster from next Tuesday, July 28.

Rookies were slated to report on July 21 with quarterbacks and injured players arriving on July 23.

The new date for all players to report is still to be determined as the team works through the logistics of getting everyone back in the building for camp.

The 2020 season is quickly approaching and teams need as much time as they can get to prepare for Week 1, but the safety of players, coaches and all staff is priority No. 1 right now. As of Wednesday, the Rams’ Infectious Diseases Emergency Response (IDER) plan was submitted to the league but not yet approved. Only eight of the 32 teams had their plans approved by the NFL.

According to Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic, players have been heading out to Los Angeles in advance of training camp. They’ll just have to wait a bit longer before they can report to Cal Lutheran for camp at some point this summer.