THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Workouts this time of year during the offseason program are voluntary. For players who don't call where their team is located home, they can spend that time working out in that location instead if they so choose.
The Rams' offseason workout program in the spring has typically been well-attended, and that's due in large part to the camaraderie around the building and also the example set by veterans like offensive lineman Rob Havenstein.
"First things first, it's just fun," Havenstein said. "And then guys like Matthew (Stafford) and myself and a lot of the older guys on defense, and Ernest (Jones IV) coming into a leadership role there, guys want to be here, we want to be around. We think leading from the front is kind of the way to go. And so it's always something on the back of your mind."
It's a crucial time to be doing it, especially for the Rams' offensive line.
Steve Avila is moving to center, Los Angeles signed Jonah Jackson to a 3-year deal to be their new left guard, and last year's starting right guard from Week 4 on – Kevin Dotson – was re-signed to a 3-year deal.
According to Havenstein, head coach Sean McVay told the offensive line during their meeting Monday morning that it's on all of them – not just Avila – to ensure Avila gets the calls right. Havenstein also said "we just need Steve to be Steve." Outside of the meeting room, Havenstein mentioned jumping on a couple calls with Avila to go over some defensive stuff.
"Continue growing the way he's been growing, the same growth that he had when he was in OTAs to training camp and then throughout the season (last year)," Havenstein said. "I thought he did a great job, he's continuing to do a great job."
Just like with the slightly reconfigured offensive line, Havenstein said that no two teams are the same.
The 2024 Rams will be different than the 2023 Rams, and the work toward building off of last season starts with these workouts and meetings in the spring.
"It's up to the players, the leaders and everyone in this building to start over, start fresh," Havenstein said. "We have done nothing to this point in the 2024 NFL season, right? And then you starting building. The success is for the team and the culture, but then you've got to rebuild that culture and find those identifiers of what this team is going to be, and go from there."
