Random Ramsdom: Stan Kroenke going to build the coolest practice facility?

Practice (facility) we talking about practice (facility)? The first article for today seems speculative but there are some interesting details. If the Los Angeles Rams are about to have the best practice facility in the league that could go a long way to enticing players and fans to want to come to the facility.

I don’t think I’ve said this yet, but training camp is coming, pre-season is coming and the real live action NFL is just around the corner. Once that hits we are going to have so much to link about and so much to talk about. Cannot wait.

Thank you for continuing to check out these articles, thank you for the comments and it’s Saturday! No real question today (the headline counts right?), but please comment below and have a great weekend!

Details emerge for LA Rams practice facility at 21555 Oxnard Street in Warner Center (la.urbanize.city)

“A presentation to the Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee offers a closer look at the temporary office and practice facility that the Los Angeles Rams intend to build at 21555 Oxnard Street.

The project, which would replace a portion of the former Anthem Blue Cross building’s parking lot at Canoga Avenue and Erwin Street, would involve roughly 65,000 square feet of construction. After the demolition of existing parking, a visitor’s center, and a small theater, plans call for the addition of several modular buildings featuring office space, a gymnasium, and two football fields. The scope of work would also include restriping the rest of the remaining parking lot.

The temporary offices are described as “typical modular buildings with painted wood panels, exterior air condition[ers], doors, and windows with no architectural interest.” But pay no mind to them, as they will be shielded from view by perimeter fencing and landscaping along Canoga and Erwin.

Although the plans presented are relatively modest in scope, that may be a testament to their temporary nature. Since March 2022, Rams owners Stan Kroenke has paid a combined sum of approximately $650 million to acquire nearly 100 acres of Warner Center real estate, including the Anthem Blue Cross site, the neighboring Village Mall, and the Promenade Mall, which comes with entitlements for a 3.2-million-square-foot mixed-use project featuring more than 1,400 homes, hotels, offices, and a 10,000-seat indoor entertainment venue.

Kroenke, who has folded SoFi Stadium into an even larger mixed-use complex in Inglewood, is expected to develop a similar vision for the Warner Center sites, centered around a permanent practice facility and team headquarters for the Rams.”

Rams Moving? L.A. Working To Build New Practice Site Nearer SoFi Stadium (fannation/ramsdigest)

“Since moving back to Los Angeles in 2016, the Rams have practiced at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks. With Thousand Oaks being nearly 50 miles away from SoFi Stadium, it hasn’t been the most convenient setup. They also hold their training camp at UC Irvine, which is still over 40 miles away.

That could all be changing soon, though. Los Angeles City Councilman Bob Blumenfield confirmed that the Rams have filed paperwork with the Woodland Hills planning department to build a new practice facility in the city, according to KCLU. This news comes on the heels of Rams owner Stan Kroenke purchasing The Village mall in Woodland Hills for $325 million in January, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Woodland Hills is less than 30 miles from SoFi Stadium, much closer than the Rams’ current practice facility. It’s not yet known if they will move their training camp to the new facility as well, but it would likely be large enough to do so.

According to RamsWire, Blumenfield sent a letter to Woodland Hills residents, providing more details on the project. In the letter, Blumenfield says the Rams’ new practice complex would be “very similar” to their current one and it would be a “year-round” facility.”

‘Stafford Swagger!’ QB Health Vital To Rams Success (fannation/ramsdigest)

“Just a year after Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for the third-most yards and tied for the most passing touchdowns in his career, he was limited to nine games. We’ve made the point here often that a healthy Stafford could lift the Rams from above all the negative 2023 projections. And there are some who agree. On “Good Morning Football,” host Sara Walsh named Stafford’s health as the most important factor in a successful Rams season.

“There was a serious slump after the Super Bowl. We want to see (Sean) McVay get his swagger back and the Rams get their swagger back, and obviously that starts with the man up top,” Walsh said. “Stafford stays healthy, got to have it on the checklist. He played just nine games last year, and in more than a decade, it was the fewest yards, the fewest touchdowns he’s thrown.”

Stafford missed most of last year with an elbow injury, but he has been a full participant in minicamp and offseason workouts, as we know. In his limited action in 2022, Stafford completed a career-high 68 percent of his passes for 2,087 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Walsh mentioned the importance of wide receiver Cooper Kupp and the offensive line remaining healthy this season as well.

“That’s sort of this triumvirate up top about those guys staying healthy,” Walsh said. “But it starts with Stafford, who will be 35.”

3 LA Rams players who could be traded before Week 1 (ramblinfan)

“The fact of the matter is, Los Angeles might just be closer to rebuilding than we think. If that’s true, then the Rams should explore trading some of their notable names prior to Week 1. If the Rams want to look toward the future and ensure they have draft capital, for the first time in a while, then these three players could be dealt.

1. Tyler Higbee, TE

The first player LA should consider trading is starting tight end Tyler Higbee, who is in the final year of his 4-year contract.

Last season, Higbee saw a career-high 108 targets and played in all 17 games. That also resulted in a career-best 72 receptions for the 30-year-old.

Higbee is oen of the more underrated tight ends in this league, and could greatly help a contending team as one of the final pieces to their puzzle. Think about the effect T.J. Hockenson had last year for the Minnesota Vikings after he was dealt. Higbee could do similar things within the right offense, and the Rams would be smart to get something in return for a guy they might not re-sign next year.

2. Van Jefferson, WR

Since drafting him in the second round out of Florida back in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Rams haven’t used Van Jefferson exactly like fans pictured the team would. Jefferson came into the league as a long-striding deep threat who has ideal size as an outside receiver, but only one out of three seasons has seen him have anywhere near decent production.

We have seen flashes of what Jefferson can do, here and there, but the Rams have not targeted him enough within the offense over the years. Last year, he did play 78 percent of snaps. But, he was targeted just under five times per game.

In a season where Cooper Kupp missed a bunch of time, you would think the Rams would have gotten Jefferson involved more. But, they did not.

Jefferson is heading into the final year of his contract, and if the Rams can get anything for him, they should explore the option. At this point, we’re not sure if the team is going to re-sign him or let him test the waters in free agency next offseason.

3. Aaron Donald, DL

Rams fans might have just closed the browser, and that’s OK. But, hear me out. It might be impossible to see Aaron Donald in anything other than a Rams uniform, but let’s look at the facts.

The Rams are likely not a team that’s going to be within a winning window for much longer, if you could even call it that. This defense is nowhere near what it was during their Super Bowl run, and the roster looks far closer to retooling and rebuilding than contending at the moment.

Matthew Stafford might not last much longer in this league, and if that’s the case, then the Rams are starting over at the most crucial position in the sport. At that point, they might as well look toward the future.

There might be no better way to do so than by trading Donald, whom they could still get a haul of picks for, even at age 32. For a team that’s willing to make the contract work and looking to win a Super Bowl, Donald would be that missing piece. There is no doubt that Donald would make any of the top 10 teams even more of a solidified Super Bowl contender if traded there.”

I still think “The Playcallers” is worth checking out if you haven’t yet. I should listen to it again.