Tag: rams training camp

Rams announce new location for training camp in 2024

The Rams finally revealed where training camp will be held this year, their first time moving the location since 2016

For the first time since moving to California in 2016, the Los Angeles Rams will have a new location for training camp. With the New Orleans Saints taking over UC Irvine, the Rams are changing things up for 2024.

The team announced on Tuesday that camp will be held at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Calif.

Loyola Marymount is about an hour away from the Rams’ headquarters in Thousand Oaks, compared to the two hours away that UC Irvine was from Cal Lutheran. Fans will still be allowed to attend practices this summer, though the dates of those practices are still to be announced.

“We are thrilled to team with our partner LMU to bring Rams Training Camp presented by UNIFY Financial Credit Union to the heart of Los Angeles,” said team president Kevin Demoff in a statement.  “Our organization constantly looks to evolve our operations, and calling LMU home for these few weeks presents incredible opportunities for this new chapter of Rams Training Camp.  We look forward to bringing Rams fans and the LMU community together with our players and coaches as they prepare to compete for another championship.”

The Rams will be stationed at LMU for nearly three weeks, with the team staying on campus in the residence halls. It’s a change of scenery but one the Rams are excited about after spending the last seven years (2020 was held at Cal Lutheran due to COVID) at UC Irvine for their annual training camp setup.

Watch: Tyler Higbee made a leaping TD grab on a perfectly placed throw by Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford put this ball in the perfect spot and Tyler Higbee made it count with a terrific leaping catch in the end zone

The connection between Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp gets a lot of attention, but the veteran quarterback has also developed a strong rapport with his tight end, Tyler Higbee, in the last two years.

Higbee is one of Stafford’s favorite targets, seeing a career-high 108 passes thrown his way last season – some of which came from the Rams’ backup quarterbacks after Stafford went down.

With Stafford healthy again, he and Higbee have picked up right where they left off in 2022. On Thursday, the two connected for a touchdown during team drills, an impressive throw and catch between them.

Stafford put the ball where only Higbee could make a play, and that’s exactly what the tight end did, making a leaping catch in the end zone for six points.

Projecting Rams’ depth chart after first half of training camp

With the first half of training camp in the books, here’s a projection of what the Rams’ depth chart might look like

The Los Angeles Rams haven’t yet released an unofficial depth chart, though it’s possible they will before their first preseason game next week. Until then, we can only project how the depth chart looks, from the starters to reserve players.

With one half of training camp in the books, here’s how we see the depth chart on offense and defense, going position by position and predicting where everyone stands so far.

(*) = rookie

9 takeaways from Rams’ 6th practice of training camp

Logan Bruss getting reps at RT, Cobie Durant standing out in coverage and Ben Skowornek returns.

The Los Angeles Rams are into their second week of training camp, which means players are getting more confident and comfortable on the field – particularly the young guys who are in their first NFL camp.

After a sloppy day on Tuesday, the Rams bounced back with what seemed to be a much cleaner day, according to Raheem Morris and Mike LaFleur, who spoke after practice. There were a few standout players on both sides of the ball, including Cobie Durant, Puka Nacua and Stetson Bennett.

Here’s what you need to know from Thursday’s practice, the sixth of camp.

7 takeaways from Rams’ first padded practice of training camp

The Rams put on the pads for the first time Monday, though Matthew Stafford and Van Jefferson were given the day off

Practice looked a little bit different for the Los Angeles Rams on Monday. Not only were the pads on for the first time, but two key players were missing on offense: Matthew Stafford and Van Jefferson.

Both of them got the day off to rest, which Sean McVay attributed in part to the fact that the offense planned to be run-heavy in the first padded practice. It was a solid day for Stetson Bennett, who stepped up in Stafford’s place, while Demarcus Robinson had another great showing, too.

Here are notes and takeaways from the fourth practice of camp.

7 standout players from Rams’ first phase of training camp

The Rams wrapped up their first 3 practices of camp, which were all without pads. Here are 7 players who stood out.

The first week of training camp is in the books for the Los Angeles Rams, which means the acclimation period, as Sean McVay calls it, is wrapped up. On Monday, the pads come on, which marks the second phase of training camp – the time when the competition really heats up.

With less than two weeks to go before their first preseason game, the Rams will ramp things up starting today. But before we look ahead to their upcoming padded practices, we’re recapping seven players who stood out in the unpadded portion of camp.

Here’s how the Rams are making practice more ‘realistic’ for Aaron Donald this year

The Rams have made practice more difficult for Aaron Donald this year, simply by making it more realistic

Since the start of the 2017 season, Aaron Donald has been double-teamed 1,797 times. That’s 152 more than any other player in the NFL, which just goes to show how much attention the three-time Defensive Player of the Year gets from offensive linemen on a weekly basis.

Donald goes into every game expecting to be doubled often and it’s always the case. That’s exactly why the Rams have shifted their practice strategy with Donald this summer.

Donald said last week that the coaching staff is making practice more “realistic” for him this year, simply by sliding the O-line protection his way on every single snap. It’s what happens in games, so why not simulate it in practice?

“I’ve been like that because they’ve been sliding the protection this camp,” Donald said of whether he’s practiced with some added juice this year. “Sean (McVay) gave me a lot of double- and triple-teams. It’s realistic right now so me just trying to find ways to defeat that and obviously working with other guys with different games and things like that to trying to play off it. So right now, it is about two, three guys on me, so it’s what I expect on the season so I’m getting it now. So just getting the work that I need and trying to find ways to get everything going. Everybody clicking on the same page and trying to find ways to be successful.”

When coaches first told Donald they were going to slide to him every play, he was a little frustrated, but he appreciates McVay trying to make his job harder in practice.

“The coaches told me they were going to slide every single play so I was kind of mad because you want to be able to work different things,” Donald said. “But it’s realistic so I appreciate him doing that for me, allowing me to make my job hard at practice and making me study a little longer at night. Trying to find things that I need to do better and what I could do to try to defeat a hard slide protection and things like that. So it isn’t going to do nothing but make me better.”

Donald was asked if he ever remembers getting doubled this much in practice, but he can’t think of a time because usually, he gets one-on-one opportunities against the Rams’ linemen. Which, as we know, often ends with Donald getting into the backfield and blowing up plays before they can even start.

“Not this much. It’s just typically one-on-one,” he said. “They stay true to the slide but it’s a different type of year. So I appreciate the work and at the end of the day it isn’t going to do nothing but make me better.”

Donald is coming into this year with some added motivation after having a season that wasn’t up to his standards. He missed time with an injury for the first time in his career, playing 11 games and finishing the season with five sacks – a career-low for the future Hall of Famer.

He even feels like a “little fire” was lit into him, which could be bad news for the rest of the league.

“I’ve got a lot to prove,” he said. “I didn’t have the season I wanted, obviously coming off of an injury and things like that. I feel like to get to where you need to be, it’s like starting over from scratch again. It’s a brand new year. Last year was last year, but there’s a little fire lit into me.”

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Everything to know for attending Rams’ first open practice of camp

If you’re heading out to the Rams’ first open practice of training camp, here’s what you need to know

The Los Angeles Rams have already held two training camp practices this week, but Saturday’s session will have a different feel. That’s because it’s the first open practice of camp, which means fans are allowed to attend.

If you’re heading out to Irvine for Opening Day of camp, there are a few things to know.

Location: UC Irvine

Gates open: 2:45 p.m.

Practice time: 4:25-6:25 p.m.

Giveaway: 2023 schedule magnets

Post-practice autographs: Offensive linemen

Tickets: Sold out

Parking passes: Click here

Fans troll Rams on Twitter for ridiculously wordy T-shirt slogan at camp

“Mentally and physically tough players who play smart & love to compete” isn’t a mouthful at all

Training camp is underway for the Los Angeles Rams as the team held their first two practices of summer this week. On Friday, they revealed a pair of T-shirts with their new, unofficial camp slogans on them.

One read “Model the way,” which is perfectly fine, but the other was, uh, wordy.

“Mentally and physically tough players who play smart & love to compete”.

Got all that? It’s amazing they were even able to fit it all on the back of the shirt without dropping it down to size 11 font. Maybe Sean McVay will use the acronym MAPTPWPSLTC to remind his players what he’s looking for day in and day out.

Naturally, fans on Twitter trolled the Rams for their ridiculously long slogan and some of the jokes were pretty funny.

7 takeaways from Rams’ 2nd day of training camp

The Rams held their second practice of training camp on Thursday, which included a deep touchdown pass from Stafford to Kupp

Before the Los Angeles Rams welcome fans to training camp on Saturday, they’re working on getting up to speed in practice, holding two sessions already this week. While the competition is heating up and players are making strong impressions on their coaches, there’s still a long way to go before the season starts.

On Day 2 of camp, Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford showed there’s been no drop-off between the two of them since last season, and rookie Puka Nacua continues to look like a potential starter.

Here are seven takeaways from the Rams’ second practice.