Camp is over. Thursday was the last real practice at LMU. Friday was a closed, non-contact walkthrough. Now it’s game-week prep in Thousand Oaks ahead of Saturday’s preseason opener against the Chiefs. We’ll know so much more during that game, and the beauty of it is that what we watch matters this year. We’ll get our first look at the potential new wide receivers. We will see how each Quarterback throws for real and they should both get many snaps and probably the same amount of snaps. I’m not sure if any starters will play. I’m thinking not, and therefore, we likely won’t get to see the defensive backs playing against their old team. I hope none of the other starters play.
The Aaron Donald watch is still happening. McVay addressed the Donald situation again at the team’s Woodland Hills facility. His answer sounded almost identical to every answer before it, “He looked great, still going through his process, no new news on an actual decision.” They’re still not announcing anything, and then I heard that Donald worked out separately with Braden Fiske. That, I liked to see if that really happened. Fiske has talked during this camp about what the new-look defense could become. And as you all know about my feelings on it, I wish we weren’t talking about it.
I did hear of something called a “Blueprint” with regard to getting him going, but I’m not sure how real it is and nor do I know what it is but was about Donald’s entry way back to the team. Maybe a step by step process. LOL.
Anyway, Blake Corum closed camp looking genuinely explosive. He is sick. Stafford ran his modified schedule the entire way through, as expected, but still got real, meaningful work in with the team. Bennett and Stafford split the bulk of quarterback reps through the second block, with Simpson mixed in enough to keep developing without being rushed.
Myles Garrett spent these final days talking about building real chemistry with his new teammates. On the injury front, McVay finally gave a real update on Justin Dedich. His hand injury kept him out of the early portion of camp. Given that all five projected starters were reportedly healthy by the time pads came on, I'm taking that as a good sign.
Preseason opener plans, and a roster move worth noting
McVay confirmed that Ty Simpson will indeed see significant action in Saturday’s preseason opener against KC. I want to see both QB’s the same amount of time. They should each do a half each and then yeah, let me decide how to approach the back up situation. McVay said he just hasn’t made up his mind whether or not Steson Bennett wil play him at all in this game. He finished camp throwing accurate intermediate balls to both CJ Daniels and Jordan Whittington, so either way, this is where Bennett stands as he exits camp.
The Rams also waived CB Drey Norwood with an injury designation, which means that if/when he clears waivers, he’ll report to the injured reserve of the Rams, not another team’s practice squad, and LA signed veteran CB Zech McPhearson to their active roster to keep the cap space open for whoever needed it most as they entered camp. And, considering how much competition there was around CB5 during camp, the move of one of the competing players being released before training camp is expected or better yet, its not surprising to me at all.
Byron Young enters the last year of his rookie contract with the Rams. McVay mentioned that there are ongoing discussions about his future with the team. When speaking about Nacua and the rest of the rookie class, I would be surprised if they allow his sack total (12) to climb higher this year before seriously considering an extension with him. last about the D is that Garrett continued to be sidelined for the last few practices with some general tightness, but everything I’ve read about it suggests he will be ready to go for the opener. This is why he is sitting now.
Melbourne, and honestly, I forgot that we have to plan leading up to it. you know what I mean, McVay’s travel planning went well last year. As you know, the Rams open their regular season in Melbourne against the 49ers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. That will be the first regular season NFL game to ever be played in Australia, and McVay is planning on traveling there the same way he did when the team went to London last year. They will aim to arrive as late as possible while still getting enough work in for the players to prepare themselves for the game, and then they’ll turn right back around and head back out shortly after the game has ends.
If you can believe this one, the team’s administration apparently sent some people on a practice run from LA to Melbourne and back, just to get a good reading on how much jet lag the players would experience, and they based their entire travel itinerary off that, with them arriving the day of the game and immediately departing for home upon its conclusion.
It’s also not a stretch to say that they’ll have more recovery time between this game and their Week 2 Monday night matchup against the Giants than the 49ers will have on their return trip from Melbourne to SF, so McVay’s comments about trying to keep everyone as close to their regular routine as humanly possible are definitely music to my ears. Especially after seeing the results of his strategy from when they played in London last year, this one against a bigger backdrop than ever before is shaping up to be a really good idea.
That is right everyone, camp is over, and the evaluation period is over as well. Now we can watch these players actually perform starting this Saturday.
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