LOS ANGELES — Defensive coordinator Chris Shula was quick in his response for immediate feedback on the new-look Rams' secondary.
"What I love is the command and the communication," Shula said after Day 1 of Rams Training Camp presented by CommunityAmerica Credit Union at LMU. "We want to provide those guys with a lot of clarity so they can go play fast and that's what it seems like. They've got a really good ownership of what they're doing and it seemed like they made some plays today and flew around. We'll see what the tape looks like, but it seemed like a really good first start."
As quick to echo that point was safety Quentin Lake, who spent the last two seasons as a captain for the Rams and the glue of Los Angeles' secondary and defense as a whole.
"You have to communicate when you're in the back end, no matter what," Lake said on Tuesday when asked about communication in the secondary. "I'm just trying to make sure that we're clicking on the same page because football is all language. Can we all speak the same language? ... The more you talk, the more you communicate, the more you're on the same page, the more plays you make, the more trust gets earned and the more you have fun with it."
Around the building, he's known as "Captain Q" or "Cap" and rightfully earns that title because of his appointment as a captain, but also because of the vocal leader he is on and off the field.
So far this training camp, Lake has been the adjudicator of the secondary's communication and whether or not the group can speak the same language. While the Rams' safety room remained intact, the cornerbacks have an entirely new look.
"Most importantly, (he's) modeling the way," McVay said when asked about Lakes's leadership. "But then also, he's got just a great consistent vibe and demeanor, being able to share, impart some wisdom on maybe, 'This is how we're doing it now, this is what we did before.' But he's also constantly curious as well."
That curiosity comes from the fact that, now, two players who won back-to-back Super Bowls are his teammates in the secondary.
Lake mentioned how he's constantly picking cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson's minds about their mentality and approach to the game after winning two Super Bowls together. Lake has especially appreciated their point of view because of the fact that they're rooming together during training camp and it's a chance to get to know them better.
"I always try to make it a space where they feel comfortable," Lake said. "Two great additions to our team, I want to know, 'Hey, what was your perspective on this? What was your mindset when you guys went all the way two times in a row?' And I opened the floor to them because I haven't (won two Super Bowls). They've done it. And I'm just making sure that each and every time that I can communicate with them, I'm making sure that the space and environment is a space where they can grow and become even better players."
The wealth of knowledge from his teammates is something Lake doesn't take for granted. Lake's role as the leader of the secondary becomes that much more clear as the secondary gets to know each other better, the communication continues to improve and they start playing plays on the field as a result.
"He's a linchpin and the glue of our defense," Shula said. "He wears so many hats for us. He's such a great player at all different levels of the defense. Communicating and the smarts and everything like that, we do see him like a coach on the field. For us as coaches to be able to collaborate with him, but they always want to hear it from a player's perspective of how we're playing certain things and he definitely provides that for us."
