Tag: sebastian joseph-day

Watch: Sebastian Joseph-Day is putting in work this offseason

Sebastian Joseph-Day isn’t just going to hand over his starting spot.

Sebastian Joseph-Day essentially had his starting job taken from him this offseason after the Rams signed A’Shawn Robinson and brought back Michael Brockers in free agency. Joseph-Day was the starting nose tackle last season, but that appears unlikely to be the case again in 2020.

He may be lower than Robinson and Brockers on the pay scale, but he’s not going to just hand over his spot on the defensive line. He’s been putting in work this offseason and looks to be in excellent shape.

This week, he shared a video of himself working out and his footwork may not be on Aaron Donald’s level, but for a guy who’s 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds, he’s moving really well.

This video from last month also shows Joseph-Day’s footwork as he goes through an agility drill, again at 305 pounds.

On the Rams’ website, Joseph-Day is listed at 310 pounds, so he’s trimmed five pounds since the end of last season. It also looks like he’s added some muscle to his frame, putting in a lot of work in the weight room this offseason.

He took exception to a fan who called him out on Twitter, responding with this picture.

Is he poised for a big year in 2020? It’s hard to say right now because he has an uphill climb to a starting job simply based on the competition up front. But Joseph-Day is putting in the work necessary to improve in Year 3.

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Hekker, Joseph-Day mentoring youth in LA correctional facilities

Johnny Hekker and Sebastian Joseph-Day are doing their part to help troubled youth.

The Los Angeles Rams are always active in the local community, whether it’s by giving back in the form of donations or actually going out and helping those in need. Sebastian Joseph-Day has been especially helpful this year, providing meals for hospital workers during the coronavirus pandemic and joining a Black Lives Matter march recently.

Johnny Hekker is a leader of the Rams and is also frequently seen giving back, with this offseason being no different. Hekker joined Joseph-Day and former Rams linebacker Cameron Lynch to help guide troubled youth.

They were on a conference call with kids currently in correctional facilities, sharing their experiences and words of wisdom to get them back on the right track.

The goal, according to Jordan Rodrigue of The Athletic, is for Hekker, Lynch and Joseph-Day to mentor these troubled youth and allow them to speak out in an open forum-type setting.

It’s just another display of the Rams doing their part to help the community, with Hekker and Joseph-Day leading by example.

What Brockers’ return means for A’Shawn Robinson and Rams D-line

With Michael Brockers returning, the Rams’ defensive line is suddenly crowded.

The Los Angeles Rams appeared to find their replacement for Michael Brockers after the veteran agreed to terms with the Ravens, landing former Lions defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson. He agreed to a two-year, $17 million deal with the Rams, joining a defensive line that featured Aaron Donald and a pair of young nose tackles, Greg Gaines and Sebastian Joseph-Day.

Fast-forward a week and it turns out the Rams don’t actually need to replace Brockers. He’s returning to Los Angeles on a three-year contract worth up to $31.5 million after his deal with the Ravens fell through. Brockers’ physical with an independent doctor raised concerns about his ankle for Baltimore, which then pulled its offer.

So what does this all mean for Brockers, Robinson and the rest of the Rams’ defensive linemen? Brockers’ return certainly gives Los Angeles a crowded defensive line, but also one that features a lot of versatile players.

Aaron Donald will remain at 3-technique, most often rushing the passer from his traditional defensive tackle position. At nose tackle, it’s likely that Robinson will replace Joseph-Day and Gaines, who were the primary contributors inside last season.

There’s no doubt Robinson has the size to play nose tackle in the Rams’ scheme – he’s 6-foot-4, 320 pounds – but his length looked like an asset at defensive end with Brockers gone. Robinson is a space-eater and a great run defender, though, which will help the Rams plug up the A-gaps.

At defensive end, Brockers will reclaim his starting spot. The Rams aren’t paying him more than $10 million a year to be a backup, nor did they give Robinson $9.5 million guaranteed to ride the bench and play behind Joseph-Day.

There are only so many snaps to go around on the defensive line, and the Rams are deep across the front with players who deserve to get on the field, but that’s not a bad thing. Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley now has countless options along the defensive line.

The Rams could use a defensive line with Donald at 5-technique, Robinson at nose tackle and Brockers at 3-technique. They could also kick Joseph-Day outside to defensive end with Brockers at nose tackle and Donald at defensive tackle.

Their rotation will be deep, allowing them to keep players fresh over the duration of a game. That’s important and helps in the fourth quarter, especially when the Rams are trailing and teams are running the ball to kill the clock.

Brockers’ return will hurt the development of Joseph-Day and Gaines, since they won’t be getting nearly as much playing time as expected, but the Rams’ run defense has been upgraded with Brockers coming back – as has their depth.

After being hired, Staley emphasized the importance of versatility on the defensive front and in the secondary. He’s getting his wish with the Rams’ current group of linemen, almost all of which can play any position up front. All that’s left is to see how Staley utilizes all this talent.

Why Sunday’s game vs. Bears means so much to Sebastian Joseph-Day

Sebastian Joseph-Day will play his first NFL game with his parents in attendance on Sunday.

Sebastian Joseph-Day went from a healthy scratch for 16 games as a rookie in 2018 to a starter at nose tackle for the Rams this season. He’s done a great job replacing Ndamukong Suh on the interior, filling the very big shoes left by the former All-Pro defensive tackle.

Sunday night is a big game for the Rams as they host the Bears on Sunday Night Football, but it’ll be an emotional one for Joseph-Day, in particular. It’ll be the first time his parents get to watch him play an NFL game since he came into the league last year.

“Last year, they would come to home games, but I didn’t play at all,” Joseph-Day told Stu Jackson of the Rams’ official site. “They would still come to support me, but now, they could to see everything that they put into me come into fruition. It’s a big thank you to them.”

According to the team, Joseph-Day’s parents live in Pennsylvania, so getting out to Los Angeles is difficult. They were in attendance for Super Bowl LIII, but Joseph-Day was inactive – as he was the rest of the season.

He shared a post on Instagram expressing his excitement for this Week 11 matchup, and it’s easy to understand why.

Joseph-Day will try to put together a solid performance for his family, continuing his high-level play. In nine games (eight starts) this season, he has one sack, 20 tackles (three for a loss) and three quarterback hits. He does only have two tackles in the last three games, though.

“It’s finally starting to hit home because they’re talking about, ‘It’s the first time we actually get to see you start in person,” Joseph-Day said. “It’s going to be a Sunday night game, it’s going to be an amazing game. I’m just amped man, I’m ready to go. I’m ready to say thank you with my play.”