Look: Joseph-Day and Higbee training with Saffold, Fox and other former Rams

Sebastian Joseph-Day is back playing medicine volleyball and training with some former Rams.

While we don’t yet know what offseason workout programs will look like across the NFL this year, players are training and getting ready in case the league does hold traditional OTAs and minicamps. Sebastian Joseph-Day, Tyler Higbee and Johnny Mundt were seen training together this week, but not just in the weight room.

They played a few games of medicine ball volleyball, which is as challenging and exhausting as it sounds. Joseph-Day shared a clip on Twitter for his followers to see, and while he may make it look fun, there’s nothing easy about throwing a medicine ball repeatedly over a net.

There were a lot of recognizable faces training with Joseph-Day-Higbee and Mundt. Former Rams such as Morgan Fox, Samson Ebukam, John Kelly and Mike Thomas also played medicine ball volleyball, as spotted on trainer Taylor Ramsey’s Instagram stories, while Joseph-Day took a photo with guard Rodger Saffold.

Fox signed with the Panthers this offseason, while Ebukam joined the 49ers as a free agent. But they’re sticking around in L.A. for now, training with some of their former teammates.

Check out the second photo in the post below for the shot of Joseph-Day, Fox and Saffold.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CM3FZ5yFGcL/

Additionally, Jordan Fuller has been training at the Sports Academy in Los Angeles, putting in work ahead of his second season in the NFL.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CM2uFiULc5O/

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Check out Sebastian Joseph-Day’s offseason workouts in rapid-fire montage

Sebastian Joseph-Day has been putting in work this offseason, sharing a look at his regimen on Twitter.

Sebastian Joseph-Day has quickly gone from overlooked sixth-round pick in 2018 to a key player on the Rams’ defensive line, starting 31 of a possible 32 games in the last two seasons. He’s recorded three sacks, four batted passes, six tackles for loss and 99 total tackles, hitting the quarterback nine times in the last two years.

As a nose tackle, he’s not meant to be a prolific pass rusher like Aaron Donald, but he does much of the dirty work on the interior by stopping the run and eating up blockers. Coming off a career-best season, Joseph-Day isn’t resting on his laurels.

He’s taken a page out of Donald’s book and put in a ton of work this offseason, hitting the gym to work on his strength, speed and hands. Joseph-Day shared a montage of his workouts on TikTok, which he then tweeted on Thursday.

Joseph-Day isn’t a hulking nose tackle like the ones from 10 years ago. He’s a quick and versatile defensive lineman who can play all across the front. Though not a household name, he’s become a fan favorite in Los Angeles for his personality off the field and his play on it.

Next season will be the final year of his contract with the Rams, so he’s hoping to put his best games on tape in case he hits free agency next March.

Sebastian Joseph-Day to play Call of Duty tournament with other NFL stars

Sebastian Joseph-Day is playing a Call of Duty tournament against the likes of Justin Jefferson, Chase Claypool and Jarvis Landry.

Sebastian Joseph-Day put together a terrific 2020 season, emerging as a key player on the Rams’ top-ranked defense. While not yet a household name or an NFL star, per se, Joseph-Day has stood out for all the right reasons in Los Angeles – both on the field and off it.

This week, the Rams’ nose tackle will be playing in a “Call of Duty” tournament with professional gamers and other NFL stars. It’s called the “In The Know Bowl,” with this being the second edition of the tournament.

It’ll be held on Friday, Feb. 5 at 5 p.m. ET and will be livestreamed online for fans to watch. Here’s a list of the participants and their professional partners.

  • Justin Jefferson and Josiah “Slacked” Berry
  • Chase Claypool and Colt “Havok” McLendon
  • Henry Ruggs III and Joseph “Owakening” Conley
  • Mark Ingram and Cesar “Skyz” Bueno
  • Jarvis Landry and Travis “Neptune” McCloud II
  • Stephen Jackson and Thomas “OGRE 2” Ryan
  • Sebastian Joseph Day  and Ricardo “Altura” Lugo
  • Devonta Smith and Jordan “Legiqn” Payton

It’ll be a single-elimination two-on-two tournament, one Joseph-Day feels he has a good chance to win.

“My coach always says ‘We Don’t Feel Pressure, We Apply It’ and I’m looking forward to taking that mindset into the tournament,” he said. “I’ve been playing Call of Duty for years now, and I’m really excited to take my talents to the next level and compete amongst some of the best in the game!”

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PFF: Sebastian Joseph-Day is a breakout candidate in 2021

Sebastian Joseph-Day had a great season, but PFF thinks he could be even better in 2021.

Aaron Donald built on his remarkable legacy this season, finishing second in the NFL with 13.5 sacks and a league-high 98 pressures. But while he deserves all the attention and recognition he’s received, he wasn’t the Rams’ only productive defensive lineman in 2020.

Sebastian Joseph-Day stepped up in a big way in his second year as the starting nose tackle, lining up between Donald and Michael Brockers most of the time. In 16 games, all of which he started, Joseph-Day made 55 tackles, had one sack, hit the QB four times and batted three passes.

He finished with an overall grade of 80.6 from Pro Football Focus, which was one of the highest for a defensive interior player. And heading into 2021, PFF sees Joseph-Day getting even better.

Sam Monson picked one breakout candidate for each team next season and Joseph-Day was the selection for the Rams.

Aaron Donald is a one-man pass-rush upfront, but the Rams have been trying to find quality help alongside him for a while. Michael Brockers has been solid, but the team wouldn’t mind moving on if it found a cheaper alternative. Sebastian Joseph-Day has played a little under 500 snaps in each of the past two seasons, seeing his impact and overall PFF grade steadily improve over that time. He had 38 defensive stops and a 72.0 PFF run-defense grade in 2020, including the playoffs, and could be in line for a bigger role in 2021.

Joseph-Day had big shoes to fill in 2019 after Ndamukong Suh left, and he did an admirable job in his first season as a starter. He got even better this season, clogging up running lanes and proving to be a big reason the Rams ranked third in rushing defense.

Los Angeles should feel good about Joseph-Day remaining a starter in 2021, which will be the last year of his rookie contract. He’s shored up that position in a big way.

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Sebastian Joseph-Day shares how he got ‘Seabass’ nickname, which he hates

Sebastian Joseph-Day made it very clear: he does not like being called Seabass.

Sebastian Joseph-Day hasn’t exactly become a household name in Los Angeles just yet despite putting together a terrific 2020 season as the Rams’ starting nose tackle. He’s a versatile defender in the middle of the defensive line, contributing alongside Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers – especially against the run.

His name is a mouthful to say, so he’s adopted the nickname “Seabass” for short. It turns out, Joseph-Day doesn’t like being called Seabass and he let everyone on Twitter know it. He shared the story behind the nickname, blaming Brockers for making it stick despite knowing Joseph-Day hates being called it.

It’s not just fans and Brockers who call him Seabass, either. The Rams use that nickname all the time, even creating a funny video series called “Fishing with Seabass” where he interviews teammates on the practice field.

So remember: It’s Sebastian, not Seabass. He’s not a fish.

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Watch: Seahawks block Aaron Donald with 3 linemen, allow sack to Sebastian Joseph-Day

Aaron Donald draws a lot of attention his way.

When you play on the same defensive line as Aaron Donald, you get a lot of one-on-one opportunities to rush the passer. And every now and then, you’ll even get a one-on-none chance – which is exactly what Sebastian Joseph-Day got in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Seahawks.

Donald drew three blockers on third down, leaving Joseph-Day alone to bring down Russell Wilson for a huge sack, his first of the year.

Rams injury report: Joseph-Day questionable, Lewis ruled out vs. Cardinals

The Rams will be without Terrell Lewis due to a knee injury.

The Rams wrapped up a solid week of practice on Friday with their third session of the week. Their injury report is fairly clean considering it’s Week 13, with just two key contributors carrying injury designations into Sunday’s game against the Cardinals.

Sebastian Joseph-Day returned to practice Friday after being held out Thursday, but he was still limited to close out the week. He’s listed as questionable to play, though Sean McVay indicated Thursday that there’s optimism Joseph-Day will play.

Terrell Lewis has already been ruled out after missing last week’s game, too, due to knee swelling. His knee had to be drained and is considered week-to-week.

Brian Allen is questionable with his lingering knee injury, as well. Here’s the full injury report, including the Cardinals’ side.

Watch: Rams NT Sebastian Joseph-Day was mic’d up in Week 2

Sebastian Joseph-Day is always entertaining.

Sebastian Joseph-Day is in his second season as a starter for the Rams, but he has yet to emerge as a household name. That’s not uncommon for a nose tackle, which is a position that doesn’t generate much praise from fans and analysts.

However, he’s become one of the most entertaining players on the Rams, as well as a leader off the field. His interviews are always insightful, and when he’s spotted in videos on social media, it’s impossible not to smile or laugh.

Joseph-Day was mic’d up for the Rams’ Week 2 win over the Eagles and it didn’t disappoint.

Covering the Eagles’ tight ends was a big focus of the Rams, and Joseph-Day joked during the game that he would cover them if need be.

Joseph-Day also pointed out that he and the Rams are only getting better, which is encouraging for this defense as the season goes on.

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Who will replace A’Shawn Robinson while he’s out with injury?

The Rams now need to find a new starter along the defensive line.

It seemed like the Rams sunk a lot of money into the defensive line this offseason by re-signing Michael Brockers after already landing A’Shawn Robinson in free agency. However, they’re lucky they were able to retain Brockers after his deal with the Ravens fell through.

Robinson will be out for an undetermined period of time and won’t return until “some point this season,” according to Sean McVay. It was surprising news shared by the coach on his Sunday conference call, with very little detail being shared.

Assuming Robinson is out for at least a few weeks during the season, the Rams will have to find a replacement for him on the defensive line, specifically at nose tackle. Fortunately, it’s one of the deepest position groups and the Rams have two viable replacements on the interior.

Here’s what McVay said about Robinson.

“He’s doing really well, he’s going to be able to partake in meetings, get treatments, be around his teammates and then we’ll look forward to being able to get him back at some point this season,” he said. “When that is – don’t know specifically. I think a lot of positives came out of this, we were able to identify something and most importantly, look out for the player’s best interest, but he’s going to be around and I know that he’ll be excited about when he can return to action.”

First and foremost, Sebastian Joseph-Day should get a chance to fill in at nose tackle, just as he did last season after Ndamukong Suh left in free agency. Joseph-Day started 15 games and played in all 16 last year, making 44 tackles with two sacks and five QB hits.

He looked plenty capable as a starter, which made the signing of Robinson somewhat surprising for Los Angeles. Joseph-Day possesses great size and length at nose tackle, but he’s also athletic and quick enough to make tackles outside of his gap assignment.

He’s also a better pass rusher than he gets credit for, even though he had just two sacks. Nose tackles aren’t supposed to put up big sack numbers, and even Brockers has only averaged 2.8 sacks per year as a 3-4 defensive end since 2017.

The other option for Los Angeles is Greg Gaines, a 2019 fourth-round pick. The Rams moved up to draft him last year, showing a great deal of faith in the young nose tackle. At 6-foot-1, 312 pounds, he’s shorter and squattier than Joseph-Day, but he’s a good run defender and fits the mold of a true 3-4 nose tackle.

Gaines was likely third on the depth chart at nose tackle before Robinson went down, but he should see a bump in playing time this season if Robinson is out for a long stretch.

Robinson’s situation is obviously disappointing and somewhat concerning, the Rams are in a good spot to replace him in the starting lineup. They have the talent and depth across the line to make up for his loss, and it certainly helps that Aaron Donald remains one of the best defenders in the NFL.

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Kevin Demoff commends Sebastian Joseph-Day for being a community leader

Sebastian Joseph-Day has been active in the community this offseason, and Kevin Demoff has taken notice.

Sebastian Joseph-Day was a first-year starter for the Rams last season, effectively replacing Ndamukong Suh at nose tackle next to Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers. He played relatively well, recording 44 tackles, 2.0 sacks and five tackles for loss.

He didn’t exactly make a name for himself on the field, and he probably won’t be a starter in 2020 with A’Shawn Robinson’s arrival, but Joseph-Day has quickly become a leader for the Rams. He’s done some commendable community work on his own this offseason, both by helping hospital workers during the pandemic and joining the protests against racism.

On Thursday night, Joseph-Day joined Steve Wyche, Terrell Davis and Miami Gardens police chief Delma Noel-Pratt to discuss police relations with the community and accountability from law enforcement. Wyche asked how Rams players would react to Joseph-Day telling them they need to find ways to work with police and get them to reform, and this was his response.

“To be honest, I think guys would be more than glad to do that right now because at all-time high, there’s a huge lack of communication between obviously certain areas of this country and police,” Joseph-Day said. Like I said prior, what the chief is doing is outstanding, but unfortunately, we do not feel that that’s a consistent thing throughout this country. So just being able to get out there and connect with the police, for them to kind of see the issues that we are having and hopefully bridge the gap between the officers and obviously our community, would be a huge thing for us and be a positive thing for communities, as well.”

Rams COO Kevin Demoff saw the interview and complimented Joseph-Day for his work as a community leader.

Joseph-Day thanked Demoff for the kind words, and Demoff told him that the team will be right there with him fighting for justice and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Other Rams players have been active on social media during this difficult time, but most importantly, they’ve communicated with each other. Sean McVay held an open forum in place of a regular team meeting a few weeks ago, allowing players to voice their concerns after George Floyd was tragically killed by a Minneapolis police officer.

Jared Goff called it one of the most powerful meetings he’s ever been a part of, and Joseph-Day was likely among the most vocal players during that session. He’s been a leader off the field, even if he hasn’t emerged as a star on the field yet.

It’s great to see Demoff recognizing that, too, because Joseph-Day’s work is commendable.