LOS ANGELES – The Rams held their second practice – first open to the public - of training camp on Monday, in what was quarterback Matthew Stafford's first of this camp. Stafford's sharpness, including completions to wide receivers Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Konata Mumpfield, were among the standout moments, but cornerbacks Trent McDuffie, Cam Lampkin and others still had a say for the defense, too.
Senior staff writer Stu Jackson spent the afternoon watching the offense, while staff writer Zach Edwards watched the defense. Here are 10 things that stood out:
1. Stafford sharp in camp debut: After having a scheduled day off on Sunday as part of the Rams' approach for him to their four-day training camp practice blocks, Stafford took the field for the first time in this camp on Monday and looked like the reigning NFL MVP.
2. Stetson Bennett IV sees majority of reps with second team offense, but head coach Sean McVay not wanting to "pigeon hole" himself to that approach to reserve snaps with Bennett and Simpson on days Stafford practices: McVay confirmed Bennett got the bulk of the reps with the second team offense, but also said "I don't want to pigeon hole myself into a one-size approach."
"Stetson got the majority of those reps with the second group today, but Ty came in, did a nice job with the one set that he did have, and we'll just kind of continue to evaluate," McVay continued. "But being able to figure out what that looks like is important. I think both of those guys have done a nice job, and and obviously having number nine out there, he looked pretty damn sharp, so it was good to have him."
3. Wide receiver CJ Daniels has a strong day: Working mostly with the backup quarterbacks, the rookie caught just about every target thrown his way on Monday. "I'm excited about CJ, and he'll be another guy, when you talk about the importance of the preseason, he'll be a guy I'm looking forward to watching play and obviously in these practice settings as well," McVay said.
4. A pair of impressive catches for Nacua: The fourth-year receiver's connection with Stafford picked up right where it left off, as the two connected on a deep ball down the sideline at one point during practice and over the middle via a one-handed grab at another point.
- Back-shoulder and over the shoulder: Adams' over-the-catch in stride on a perfect Stafford throw and Mumpfield's back-shoulder catch near the sideline were two other highlights provided by the receivers Monday evening.
6. Cornerback Cam Lampkin comes up with an interception: For a second consecutive training camp practice, Lampkin came up with an impressive defensive play against the second-team offense. While Sunday's was a pass breakup along the sideline, Monday's was an interception across the middle as Bennett was forced outside the pocket by the second-team defensive line.
7. Impacting the game on every level, defensive end Myles Garrett lived in the backfield: Two plays that stood out for Garrett was his ability to sniff out a run headed his direction and break the offensive line to get to the ball carrier, and pass rush that forced Stafford into an incompletion on a check down. Both plays showed Garretts speed and intuition off the line of scrimmage, while also collectively showcasing his ability to impact the game at every level.
8. Cornerback Trent McDuffie, Nacua go back-and-forth: After Nacua recorded an impressive one-handed grab, McDuffie found himself one-on-one with Nacua running down the sideline two plays later. Rather than giving Nacua a play on the ball, McDuffie leapt up and knocked it down. "There was a lot of really high quality football, and we're not necessarily worried about who's winning or losing the drill, we want to see good, high-caliber ball," McVay said regarding the sequence of plays. "We want to see us be able to reset snap after snap, and I think that two-play sequence you're talking about is reflective of that."
9. Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. also goes back-and-forth with Adams: Similar to the McDuffie-Nacua stint, a few plays separated a reception from Adams where he was immediately met by Forbes across the middle, and a pass breakup by Forbes on a 50-50 ball on the sideline. The competition between receivers and corners has been intense during camp, and both sides of the ball are coming up successful.
10. Defensive end Braden Fiske forces Stafford to roll out: Early on in the 11-on-11 portion of practice, Stafford felt the discomfort of the Rams' bolstered defensive front. After the offensive line shifted to adjust to Garrett on the outside, Fiske found himself in a one-on-one position and crept into the backfield, forcing Stafford to scramble outside the pocket. Fiske finished last season with three sacks and is eager to boost that number this season, which he showed promise of early on against the first-team offense.
