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Feels good, don’t it? Football back? Expectations surging? Los Angeles Rams in the air? Nice just to get the first day of training camp in the books even if it was just a speedthrough without any contact or pads or anything.
Things should start to turn up on Sunday:
As expected, it’s a jersey/shorts runaround day for Rams. Sounds like Sunday could be first practice with pads.
— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) July 26, 2018
Injuries
We went in with two on the Physically Unable to Perform list and two on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list. It didn’t sound like anything went awry today in shorts, but we did learn that S Lamarcus Joyner came off the NFI. We’ve still got a whole two weeks before the first preseason game, so there’s no rush to anything right now.
Offense
RB Just Todd Gurley doin things...in shorts:
Todd Gurley has broken off a couple long TD runs today.*
— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) July 26, 2018
*This is two-hand touch
Even with the two-game suspension to start the year, RG Jamon Brown was in with the starting line today:
Jamon Brown still practicing with first-team offensive line in scrimmage drills, even though he faces 2-game suspension. Mark Barron not in team drills today. No surprise.
— Rich Hammond (@Rich_Hammond) July 26, 2018
I’d expect that to be the case for the majority of camp and the preseason, but I’d think we’ll get at least some work for the RG2 to prep for Weeks 1 and 2 at least to a small degree.
And QB Jared Goff continues to say the right things:
“I think we’re just so much more comfortable each other & so much more comfortable with the offense & we know what we’re doing Day 1. There’s no mechanical issues….everything’s working the way it’s should be & we feel good.”
— ESPNLosAngeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) July 27, 2018
- @JaredGoff16 on the first day of training camp
“There’s a million things…we didn’t go as far as we wanted to…I think as a team we felt like we had so much talent last year & we come back this year…feel like we have the same talent if not more & have a good chance to do some things this year."
— ESPNLosAngeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) July 27, 2018
- @JaredGoff16
Cont'd..."But it starts really today and earlier in the off-season OTAs with all of the work we put in and we get to go through this training camp now and go into the preseason and hope to get better.”
— ESPNLosAngeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) July 27, 2018
- @JaredGoff16 on what still stings from last season
“Honestly…like I said it before…we played well…we did some good things last year but we didn’t accomplish the ultimate goal…we won the division which was awesome the first time in a long time for our team here but we lost in the first round of playoffs."
— ESPNLosAngeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) July 27, 2018
- @JaredGoff16
Cont'd..."We wanted to do more than that and I think that’s the expectations this year and the standard we’re setting for ourselves.”
— ESPNLosAngeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) July 27, 2018
- @JaredGoff16 on reflecting on last season
The Rams also brought in one of college football’s more electric stars in Arizona QB Khalil Tate
.@ArizonaFBall’s QB Khalil Tate stopped by #RamsCamp pic.twitter.com/iK5kX7AGAb
— ESPNLosAngeles (@ESPNLosAngeles) July 26, 2018
Tate, who was born in Inglewood, went to high school just south in Gardena at Junípero Serra High School, the powerhouse program that Jacksonville Jaguars WR Marqise Lee, Washington WR Paul Richardson, Tennessee Titans CB Adoree’ Jackson and Rams WR Robert Woods attended.
If you’re trying to tie in Tate to the Rams, I’d slow your roll. Tate’s an absolutely electric college talent as a dual-threat QB at Zona, but his passing skills just aren’t NFL level. Perhaps a position switch could see him stretch out an NFL career, but let’s just take this for what it is. A local kid who is having a spectacular career stopping by Rams camp.
And here was a short interview with WR Brandin Cooks:
#RamsCamp LIVE with Brandin Cooks https://t.co/m1CuuiphJK
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) July 27, 2018
Defense
Again...shorts...
But highlights!
Defense making plays on day 1 of #RamsCamp!@WilsonRamik with the juggling INT! (Nice try @AqibTalib21 ) pic.twitter.com/f18wzoL7D9
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) July 27, 2018
An interesting observation from #Rams camp: CB's Marcus Peters & Aqib Talib - who are roommates - seem joined at the hip. Talib has clearly taken Peters under his wing, and it's obvious Talib is happy to oblige as he's already raved about Peter's love & respect for football
— Vincent Bonsignore (@DailyNewsVinny) July 27, 2018
And look at these two goobers:
We have our first fight* of #RamsCamp.
— J.B. Long (@JB_Long) July 26, 2018
*It was a water fight between @MichaelBrockers and @NdamukongSuh. pic.twitter.com/Soe3xq6VyG
This was pretty cool though — DL Michael Brockers working with DL Tanzel Smart and rookie DE John Franklin-Myers:
.@MichaelBrockers working with the young guys @tj_bchillen + @J_FranklinMyers post-practice #RamsCamp pic.twitter.com/RhP4MlrDUx
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) July 27, 2018
Not the most momentous day, but that should kinda be the aim when you’re in shorts and just getting going. It was Day 1. It was festive. A bit of a celebration. A kind of spring equinox rebirth celebration but less religious (slightly).
Training camp is back!