WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – With the second week of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) underway, local media got a chance to talk with more Rams players and coaches.
Wide receiver Puka Nacua, outside linebacker Jared Verse, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, defensive coordinator Chris Shula and special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn all spoke to the media after practice. They discussed their observations from OTAs, personal and collective improvements and the influence of new faces like wide receiver Davante Adams.
Here are the most significant quotes and talking points from those press conferences:
"I think (Nacua has) just fine-tuned some things. I think if we watched his routes on air from a year ago, I think he's cutting a little bit better than he was a year ago, I think he's breaking down a little bit better. He's always had incredible hands, that's an elite skill set of his, on top of toughness and his physicality, but I think he's even more confident in it." - LaFleur
LaFleur joked that Nacua almost "swallows" the football when he catches it, so much so that he's able to prepare for his next move before seeing the ball through. He noticed that Nacua has looked better in Phase 1 than he did last year, and his natural leadership ability has started to shine through. People see his "infectious smile" and his hard work and they follow that lead.
Meanwhile, the addition of Adams has brought a new veteran presence to the wide receiver room. LaFleur said Adams has "a lot of wisdom" and he hasn't been shy about sharing it with the group. When LaFleur was asked what he learned from his brother, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, who coached Adams in Green Bay, that helps Adams in his transition to a new team: "Throw him the football."
New tight end Terrance Ferguson has shown that the NFL is "not too big for him," LaFleur said. He's got a "swag" to his demeanor and is making strides in the offense. Meanwhile a familiar face in wide receiver Tutu Atwell is preparing for a potentially increased role in 2025 after re-signing with the team on a one-year deal. LaFleur said Atwell just needs to use his "superpower," which is elite speed, to scare defenses and put pressure on the back-end.
"Atwell might be 155 (pounds) soaking wet, but he is rangy, he's long, he's not a hard target to hit because he is loose in the upper body," LaFleur said. "You can throw him around and he doesn't feel like a small guy."
"Poona Ford has been great, he runs to the ball, he's got the easy power, he gets off, he plays the run, he's probably a better (pass) rusher than we anticipated. Nathan Landman has been excellent with his communication on the second level, and we had heard great things about him from Atlanta. So we feel really good about everybody that's come in." - Shula
The Rams added a few key pieces to the defense that Shula is excited about, including Ford at nose tackle and Landman at inside linebacker. There are also some familiar faces returning in different capacities than they have before, namely cornerbacks Ahkello Witherspoon and Emmanuel Forbes Jr.
Witherspoon is back for his third season with the Rams, but this is his first time being present for the whole offseason. Shula said that prolonged tenure means "everything" in terms of continuity within the defense as they iron out some of the little details that made it hard for him to be at his best as a mid-season addition last year. Forbes, who was a late-season acquisition, has done "a great job" in OTAs, Shula said, including two pass breakups today during the 11-on-11 session. Similar to Witherspoon, he will have a full offseason to learn the Rams' defense rather than rushing the process during the year.
Shula said that defensive end Braden Fiske has been in the building "more than the coaches" while rehabbing his knee and looks "like himself." That's exactly what he's telling Verse to be as well: the best version of himself, nothing more and nothing less.
"(We're) coming up with some different unique (kickoff) schemes, again that second level of the up-back off-the-ball player gives you some more versatility for what you would call pullers or trappers or different things like that... I don't think there's a limit, I think you can kind of move and maneuver different ways, you can go man-blocking, double-team schemes, you can overload the front as long as you have three on the back side, then it just depends about how you react about where they place the kick." - Blackburn
The NFL has changed the kickoff rules slightly so that touchbacks will be automatically placed at the 35-yard line. That has forced Blackburn and the special teams unit to come up with some new schemes for the second season of the new dynamic kickoff format. He also said they use analytics as a "good starting point" to understand how things like hang time, ball location and return styles play a role.
Blackburn has coached up punter Ethan Evans for a second-straight offseason, continuing their work on directionality while adding in some new types of kicks. Some of that is in an attempt to hide the direction of his punts for longer, Blackburn said. He added that having Evans, kicker Joshua Karty and long snapper Alex Ward back for another season has added a level of continuity that has helped every aspect of special teams.
Now, instead of working through rookie growing pains with Karty, they are focused on how they can improve the kicking operation before the season even starts.
"Probably the biggest thing I realized was how many sacks, not even just sacks, but big plays I missed out on. Dropping into coverage I could have done this, or rushing the passer I could have done that, even in the run game a couple times... So realizing that it really is a game of inches." - Verse
On ESPN's The Adam Schefter Podcast, Verse said he felt like he left 10 sacks on the table last season. Still, the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year doesn't feel any added pressure. He's taking the strides he needs to take and is going to be the best version of himself in 2025, just as Shula has been encouraging him to be. Verse said he feels "more prepared than I've ever been" with a full offseason of work.
Verse is taking on more of a leadership role, which should come naturally to someone who's voice can be heard from the next town over. He said the defense as a whole can get better in every aspect of the game, and that's what they're striving for.
"To have new faces, it's weird that they're asking me questions and I'm like, 'Wait, Coach (Eric Yarber), you want me to answer this for real? I feel like I have still have some of these similar questions.' But it's been good because it's a teaching moment for me as well to kind of solidify some of those things that we talk over, and things that we've run in years past to where we are now are not exactly the same, so it's been a great moment for me to learn." - Nacua
Nacua's third season in the NFL has brought a new dynamic. He's now one of the more senior players in the Rams' wide receiver room, so questions he would usually pass off to Cooper Kupp are now falling on him to answer. He said he's still getting used to life without Kupp.
Still, he's far from the most experienced wide out on the team, that would be Adams, who has been more than willing to share his wisdom. Nacua said Adams has "come in and been a great leader" for everyone, himself included. He's offered information, new drills and a different mindset as someone who's operated in various schemes.
Nacua also discussed his trip to his grandmother's village in Apia, Samoa, that he took with his mom and the hospital group from Utah Valley University. They went to do diabetes testing, which is how Nacua's father passed away. He said it "a truly great experience" and was his first time out of the country. He also looked forward to eating some Samoan food with his teammates in Hawai'i during Mauicamp in mid-June.
"I might have to go on a fast after, we'll have rice with breakfast, lunch and dinner," Nacua said with a laugh.
