3 early Rams’ ‘Hard Knocks’ storylines

The Rams were the subject of a surprising news story Tuesday morning when word broke that they will be part of HBO’s Hard Knocks series this summer.

It’s surprising for a couple of reasons. The Rams did the show just four years ago ... who can forget Jeff Fisher and his 7-9 BS?

Also, reportedly, the Rams will be featured on the popular series, which chronicles an NFL team’s journey through training camp, along with the Chargers. It will be the first time two teams have been featured at the same time by the HBO series. It makes sense though, because the Rams and Chargers will both begin playing in the new SoFi Stadium in L.A. this season, which will feature heavily in the series.

With the draft still coming, there will be more storylines that develop, but here are some early stories ‘Hard Knocks’ will probably focus on:

1. The affected season:
No matter what the future holds, this will be a different NFL season because of the coronavirus pandemic. While nothing is official, the offseason program and minicamp schedules are in major jeopardy of being canceled. Thus, training camp, whenever it may begin, will have an extra emphasis for coaches and players as they try to make up for missed time. This will be a storyline throughout training camp.

2. Sean McVay:
He was born for this. If a head coach is compelling TV, Hard Knocks will ride that storyline hard. Think Jon Gruden in 2019 and Rex Ryan in 2010. With his matinee idol good looks and charm, McVay will own the Hard Knocks’ cameras. He is must-see TV. Surely, Hard Knocks will explore McVay’s famous memory.

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

3. All the new faces:
Many players are gone from the 2019 team including Todd Gurley, Clay Mathews, Dante Flowers, Eric Weddle, Cory Littleton, Greg Zuerlein and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Among the new faces are A’Shawn Robinson and Leonard Floyd and new coordinators Kevin O’Connell (offense) and Brandon Staley (defense). There will be plenty to explore there.