Pads will be on this weekend finally. The buildup was appropriate, as the four-day block of camp leading into this weekend had me more interested than I expected going into the season. Let’s get to what actually happened in the back half of the first block since our last post.
Tuesday and Wednesday, where the story and the non-story were had. Tuesday, July 28, was Day 3 of the first block, a closed to the public light walk through to pace bodies, and Stafford had his scheduled rest day, as well as another yesterday, and the team is off today as I write this post
The news that day came actually off the field, as McVay was asked whether he will finally make a decision on Aaron Donald, and he gave pretty much the same answer as he had throughout the camp, that training is going well, but nothing is decided, and no deadline is looming over Donald’s potential exit. I actually don’t have much new to add on the subject myself, beyond the reading of the room, and feeling like this week’s speculation had more weight than usual. For what it’s worth, my own feelings on the Donald situation haven’t changed, as I think the team is best without him, but a fast, disruptive interior presence would be nice, but I want to see these guys play for a few weeks before I start lobbying for change.
But on Wednesday, the mood shifted completely, as the team opened up their practice to the public and Stafford was back under center, and looked good doing it in his first walk through at first team offense, Puka Nacua did Puka Nacua things, and rookie CJ Daniels continued his meteoric rise up rookie rankings, which seems less like a fluke this week after looking at his combine numbers. I saw his body stats recently, and therefore, I laid off lobbying for a wide receiver from the outside. Set Deebo Samuel aside. Unless Daniels cannot play at the level Diggs can play, let's wait and see Daniels in action.
Deebo Samuel is set to head back to San Francisco after signing a one-year deal with his hometown 49ers, with the incentives of up to seven million. So, the issue whether to bring in a player from another team or a free agent for WR3 is actually very simple, is Daniels better than Diggs? We will be able to tell within one to two weeks. His height appeals to me and that is going a long way for me right now. If he can catch the ball every time, I think the rookie can develop, and I think he has upside as a deep threat. I’ll know more after seeing him square off against actual defenses, and I want to see him make real plays. But as far as sheer production goes, it’s hard to argue with sallowing this to develop within. We do have three back ups that can play. I am not sure if they can all start.
Speaking of which, here’s the other reason why Wednesday’s practices are notable, albeit less exciting for fans, left tackle Alaric Jackson didn’t take the field. David Quessenberry stepped in at first team, and the news was unsurprising to most, given the personal conduct review with the league that’s already ongoing with Jackson.
The status for Jackson appears to be something of a medical issue, as he was managing a blood clot, a condition the training room is keeping an eye on, but he is otherwise not under investigation. When Jackson is suspended, my best guess at this point would be something in the range of four to six games, give or take, with the case against him already resolved for all intents and purposes, despite what the league’s findings may end up being. It is implied that you all know this is his second issue with the league. He was already suspended for two games because of another off-the-field incident. This is number two for the young man, and four games on a good day, with six being the real number. Everyone has known that they had to plan for it.
That said, I’m not worried about the offensive line, given that Quessenberry is more than capable of stepping in for now. He can already start for the Rams, and he could start on pretty much every team in the NFL.
McVay was asked to summarize the mood of the team, and he was characteristically brief, noting that he was just glad to see the pajama parties, so to speak, over with, and he was looking forward to actually getting the team out on the field now.
Friday is an off day, and the team will reconvene for the next block on Saturday, August 1st, with gates opening at 2:45 and practice starting at 4:15. The next block will see an earlier start, with gates opening on Sunday, August 2nd at 10:15 with a first team practice at 11:40. Monday, August 3rd will see similar if not earlier start times, with gates at 11:45 and practice at 12:55, with the next closed block ahead of us.
What I expect to see with pads on? The offensive line health and performance, starting with making sure that all five projected Week 1 starters are healthy, which is a good sign considering where we are in camp. The staff is due to get a good look at Warren McClendon to see if he can build upon his year and provide some stability along the offensive line, and if Jackson’s health issues are anything to be concerned with long term, as discussed above. Justin Dedich’s injury opens up another opportunity, and third-round rookie Keagan Trost is due for his first real taste of competition at guard, this time against an upgraded defense. We could easily have a diamond in the rough among any of the newbies on the offensive line.
Speaking of which, Myles Garrett is set to stop looking like just another elite pass rusher and start looking more like a destructive force now that pads are on. With Byron Young on the other edge, my biggest concern for the defense is if it can actually get consistent pressure on the quarterback for the entire game. This may end up being a coaching issue for Chris Shula to problem solve as much as anything.
CJ Daniels is in line to have his stock taken seriously for the first time as well, and I mean that in the best way possible, because short walks through and air football simply cannot do justice to a player as Daniels. He wins through physicality, which means he either looks like a stud rookie or a first-round mistake, and the Rams either have a WR3 for years to come, or someone to move on from the roster by camp next year. Given everything above, this seems to be the week and the game where we decide which one that is, given the news about Deebo. I’ll know about Daniels and his hands in seconds or minutes. We can determine then if we need to go elsewhere to find anyone that can catch on that WR3 level.
Bennett and Simpson will get their reps as center due to it being the first day of the block, and Stafford continuing his maintenance plan. What I want to see from Simpson is if he can get the offense out there in the right look, handle pressure from a live defense, and get rid of the ball on time. The pre-snap procedure was last week’s homework, and this week it’s an exam.
I want to see more from the run game in general, as it’s impossible to actually evaluate without contact. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum were a good one-two punch last year, and the week ahead of us will tell us whether that continues to be the case, or if Corum’s high volume of work actually pays off in terms of his own carries this year.
Same goes for the cornerback position, Jaylen Watson is expected to be better in his first year with the Rams, and Trent McDuffie should be a much more versatile option than we had in place last year, but corners simply cannot make plays one-on-one without contact, and pads are the time to find out if they’re as good as the front office believes them to be.
Finally, the WR3 math, given the news about Deebo. Forget the numbers for a second, and think about value. As of today, independent sources have the Rams with approximately fifteen million in cap space for 2026, not including any possible changes that could come next year. That isn’t exactly a ton of money to sign a proven veteran WR, especially if you consider that any deal for a veteran would probably come with performance incentives as well. This makes the value for Diggs easier to estimate, at least from a production standpoint. He had a solid year last year, with over a thousand yards and a Super Bowl appearance, and reports from around the league indicate that his asking price will be somewhere in the short and medium term range, but nowhere near what he commanded before. I think it’s also important to say that Diggs had his own troubles last year, as he was accused of assault with a foreign object against his personal chef, and was put on trial for it last winter, but found not guilty by a jury in May. His case is apparently still under review by the league, which is understandable, but it does complicate things for both sides, at least from a non-football perspective. Most of all, him and I are Terps. In seriousness, I think it’s also important to compare his frame to Daniels, who is six feet two out of Miami, as compared to six feet even for Diggs. In this specific system, I think height matters more than most would care to admit, and it’s hard to argue with the value of an established veteran, but at this point, I think the value proposition is skewed by his troubles last year, and I think the production figures are closer to what Daniels can offer. I maintain that we are a week from making that ultimate decision.
That’s also before even considering that the WR3 isn’t may not even be as huge as an asset in this system, as far as targets are concerned. As mentioned above, it seems like McVay has been slowly shifting his offensive philosophy to be less reliant on the three wide receiver sets, and more on two WRs and two tight ends or maybe even three could be lined up this season. The personnel moves this offseason bear that out, as the Rams have one of the deepest tight end rooms in the league, with Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, and Davis Allen, along with Max Klare, who was drafted in the second round last season, and Terrance Ferguson, taken in the second round a year ago. It is the only thing I can think of as far as there being a reason to carry so many Tight ends. This means that the third receiver in any given set is going to be a tight end no matter what, which pushes the role of the third WR in this offense to blocking on the perimeter in the heavy sets, and providing size insurance in case of an injury to Nacua or Adams, and it’s hard to find a better option at a discount than Daniels, or to put it another way, it’s hard not to find value in a rookie who can provide that. So, if the Rams do want to upgrade their WR3, I think the amount of cap space committed to him would be somewhere in the five to seven million range, at least if we go strictly by value. But I think the value argument is beside the point, isn’t it? Is a C.J. Daniels as good as a Stefon Diggs? Because if so, it is a bargain considering we pay a rookie salary rather than a $7 million deal.
But the real value in making this move would be getting this young team an upgrade at an important position and moving forward with an eye toward the future. So yes, if the Rams are going to spend money on a receiver this offseason, they need to be better than Daniels, or it is not even worth the time and energy.
But that’s all theoretical anyway. The real question is whether or not Daniels can actually keep playing at the level we’ve seen in shorts and helmets, and whether or not he can catch up to the production level of a veteran like Diggs. This weekend is when we find out, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
But let’s not forget that contact means increased risk, and a team with championship aspirations can’t afford to lose any key piece to any injury so this season, and I think bumps and bruises are more than acceptable as far as camp injuries go, but anything more than that would be a real gut punch for the team.
We’ll see what happens next with Jackson’s health, the Donald situation, the new QB’s in action and how Daniels responds to contact.
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