St. Louis Rams 2014 Training Camp Recap: Five Takeaways From Opening Two Days

Jul 25, 2014; Earth City, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams defensive end Robert Quinn (94) attempts to break away from Rams guard Davin Joseph (69) during training camp at Rams Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Rams are officially two days into their 2014 Training Camp schedule, which has been blessed with cooler-than-expected weather and some hints of soothing rain in Rams Park. Just like the other 31 teams trudging through offseason workouts, there is certainly plenty to be excited about as the players, coaches, and fans look ahead to the preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints. So, what are some of the key takeaways from camp so far?

1) Kenny Britt and Stedman Bailey appear to be the “toast” of the wide receiver corps so far at camp. Yesterday, Bailey pulled a double move on former 5th-rounder, Brandon McGee, that left the crowd cheering. Kenny Britt has made an impressively-physical catch on the sideline that got the crowd’s attention, including having some words with the secondary on his way back to the huddle,

2) Opposite the offense, there were a number of young defensive backs that have already made their presence felt on the field. Greg Reid, the former Seminoles standout, and EJ Gaines both have impressed thus far. On Friday, Robert Quinn even noticed,

"“He’s [Greg Reid] out there making plays,” Quinn stated. “If it’s a run play, he comes up and looks like he’s ready to make a tackle. When it’s coverage, he’s out there making plays.”"

3) Moving into the trenches, Aaron Donald continues to “do things the right way” and is quickly becoming one of the most intriguing rookies in the league. Not only did Donald receive a special shout out from Robert Quinn, he also got the nod from defensive signal caller, James Laurinaitis.

"“Donald has gotten into a nine-step drop faster than some of our quarterbacks.”"

However, it isn’t just the St. Louis Rams players have been enthralled by the performance of Aaron Donald at camp. An impressive array of beat writers, national reporters, and insiders mentioned the No.13 overall pick yesterday at one point or another…

4) Staying on the line, there are plenty of players getting reps on the offensive side, with both Jake Long and Scott Wells not doing much work during 11-on-11 drills. As a result, Greg Robinson (at left tackle) and Barrett Jones(at center) got some work with the first-team offense over the last two days. Fisher pointed out during his post-practice press conference that Robinson is learning quickly that Robert Quinn is “a really good [pass] rusher,” which will only help in his development as a pass protector; an area Robinson did not gain much experience in at Auburn. As the saying goes,” Iron sharpens iron.”

5) Most importantly, at least to this point, there have been no significant injuries at Rams Camp. Of notable players, only Trumaine Johnson has sustained any injury that kept him off the field for an extended period of time. However, according to NFL Nation Rams’ reporter, Nick Wagoner, the injury “didn’t look serious.” We’ll keep an eye out for Johnson when Rams Camps re-opens at 5:30 PM CT this evening.