WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – The Rams' offseason workout program is complete, which means training camp is on the horizon.
He are five things learned from from the last nine weeks, including OTAs.
1) Secondary making progress, versatility a strength
Head coach Sean McVay has been pleased with the teaching progression of the secondary, and also likes the positional flexibility they will have in the defensive backfield. While McVay said some players will play just outside corner or just safety, they still have other players capable of playing safety, star, dime and money. McVay said "you're seeing McDuffie all over," a nod to his ability to play inside or outside.
"Guys are learning really all the spots on the back end, no different than really when (offensive line coach) Ryan Wendell cross trains our guys from the inside to outside," McVay said earlier in OTAs. "You're seeing Trent McDuffie all over. There are certain guys that'll play just safety or just play outside corner, but then you got a lot of guys that can play safety, they can play the star position, they can play dime, money. But we're teaching concepts and so that flexibility and that understanding of what are the core coverage contours that we want to play? What does that look like out of three-down, out of four-down front mechanics out of some of the known rush packages? But I've really been pleased with the trajectory of the teaching progression and then the guys' ability to be able to give the feedback, show it in some of these jog-throughs, and then we've done some seven on where that's tilted towards the offense."
The new additions at cornerback and the depth and experience at safety, and really for the group as a whole, continue to make it one to watch when training camp opens.
2) A spring of "tremendous growth" for fourth-year QB Stetson Bennett
Between last year's backup Jimmy Garoppolo being unsigned and contemplating retirement, and the plan the Rams had for Stafford this spring, Bennett received more reps than he normally would. Although evaluations from OTAs must be taken with a grain of salt – rules prohibit live contact during this time of the offseason, and with the majority of the Rams' true team drills being 7-on-7, McVay said "this is not real football" – McVay was pleased with what he has seen out of Bennett.
"I've seen tremendous growth," Obviously, with Matthew not being out here based on the plan and the schedule that we've kind of thought was going to be best for him for now and for the long term, Stetson's gotten a lot more reps than he would've otherwise. I think he's done a really nice job. He's earning the confidence of his teammates in terms of commanding the huddle. Then, he's done a lot of good stuff in terms of reading with his feet. [Associate Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach] Dave Ragone does such a good job with those guys as a whole but both he and Ty have had good growth. Stetson especially, I think he's had a really good last couple of weeks, and I've been proud of him."
3) Better idea of Myles Garrett's impact on defense in training camp
Given the new Rams defensive end arrived toward the end of OTAs, the primary focus was getting him acclimated. He only did individual drills, watching team drills during the two OTA workouts open to media. Thus, it was too early to get a sense of how Garrett would be used – we'll likely learn more during training camp as Garrett gets more comfortable.
Because Garrett started out working with outside linebackers coach Joe Coniglio's group, defensive coordinator Chris Shula was asked if – given Garrett has always been a 4-3 defensive end – whether Garrett's arrival changes how he thinks about the structure of the defense, or if Garrett is an outside linebacker now.
"Obviously, we're still going to have our principals with that stuff, but we're going to let him do what he does best and we all know exactly what he does best," Shula said. "You're not going to take Michael Jordan, LeBron (James), all those guys and pull them out of their comfort zone. We're going to work with him and put him in the best spots that we think for him and the defense to succeed."
4) Garrett and McDuffie's value not just in skill sets, but also what they can teach teammates and coaches
Much has been rightfully discussed about the potential schematic impact of players of Garrett of McDuffie's caliber, but Shula also brought up how both players are vets that both players and the coaching staff can learn from. It is ultimately Shula's defense, but he tailors it to the strengths of the players, which is where those learnings and input will come in.
5) Ty Simpson (unsurprisingly) has the right attitude
Simpson understands the quarterback room he's in, and more importantly the shape of the roster overall, so he's content with learning from Stafford, Bennett and Los Angeles' coaching staff. He's also committed to putting in the extra work necessary outside of practice when it comes to familiarizing himself with the Rams' playbook.
