Getty Jordan Fuller celebrates getting an interception in a 2020 game against the San Francisco 49ers. Fuller has been praised for his work ethic during 2021 training camp.
Last week we learned about the following: Jalen Ramsey is still a pick six king, DeSean Jackson still has jets in his 34-year-old legs and Matthew Stafford can execute a no-look pass not once but twice.
Stafford no-look to @DarrellH8 👀
But looks like week two is when the intensity really turns up. Why? This is supposed to be the week the pads come on.
Granted, it was supposed to occur Saturday. But per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, the league most hold five non-full padded practices before putting the entire armor on, which Sean McVay said was a miscommunication lapse on his part. In this case, looks like the pads will officially come on Tuesday.
One prediction: Someone – either a team reporter, the Rams Twitter account or a fan – will capture a Ram busting out the reality version of the Madden Hit Stick. But that’s not the only prediction I have. There are many others. Here’s what I’m calling.
Rookies Getting Increased Work
The 2021 Rams rookie class has had a rather rough start at the beginning of camp.
Tutu Atwell got placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Jacob Harris was limited due to a reported core injury that required minor surgery and recently, defensive rookies Bobby Brown III and Robert Rochell are expected to have minor surgeries early this week following Friday injuries to their thumb and wrist, respectively.
However, got a strong feeling the offense will get bolstered. Here’s why.
Harris will get increased reps: The tall 6-foot-5 option from Central Florida did catch some deep passes in individual drills to end week one of camp. Depending on the severity of his core injury, the Rams may opt to avoid lining him up in a three-point stance as a way to ease him into the offense. However, don’t be shocked if the Rams throw him in during red zone drills, which likely means Harris drawing one-on-one matchups to get an early test on how he handles the NFL side of making plays inside the 20, which was one trait he was dominant at during his UCF days.
Atwell Won’t Take Slow Approach: I’m still a believer in Atwell despite missing the first week of camp. He could be that Ferrari that is waiting to get out on the road. He won’t go slow, he’ll likely be pedal-to-the-medal in his projected camp appearance this week.
Meanwhile on defense…
Ernest Jones will continue to challenge: McVay said the rookie linebacker from South Carolina put together a strong first week, which means he was the one first-year defender who stood out the most in week one. With the pads soon to come on, fans will soon see more of his instinctive side.
Unheralded Veterans Have Great Opportunity to Shine
Outside of the rooks, here’s what else is worth following:
The Latest SMU Standout back getting a look: Xavier Jones hails from Eric Dickerson’s college alma mater. Maybe being an SMU Mustang on the Rams could mean a good omen for Jones, since it worked for Dickerson. Either way, with Darrell Henderson being saved for the season and with the August 14 preseason game against the Chargers 12 days away, I’m calling the Rams will work in Jones with the first team offense.
Undrafted WR won’t go down easy: Even with Harris and Atwell likely getting thrown into the mix, I wouldn’t write off Trishton Jackson just yet, better known as the wideout who took a bulk of their reps to start camp. I won’t be stunned if Jackson cranks up his focus this week as he continues to fight for a final roster spot.
Full pads means a show for Burgess: Terrell Burgess was among the talks of the defense last week – with a pick six and pass breakup right in front of DeSean Jackson. But the full football armor will show his ability to blow plays up near the line of scrimmage. He could have a “hit stick” moment in Irvine.
Rest of the safety group will turn up: Nick Scott proved to be valuable when called upon last season. Taylor Rapp is healthy and could be another box safety option along with Burgess. Jordan Fuller is showing his leadership side by wearing the green dot to relay the signals. Finally, veteran Juju Hughes and undrafted rookies Paris Ford and Troy Warner are fighting for a roster spot even if it’s on special teams (Hughes has made his early mark there). Full pads is perfect for safeties, because they can show their ball-hawking and hitting side. Got a strong feeling we’ll hear about how competitive and feisty this group becomes later this week.
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