4 hot LA Rams takeaways from HBO Hard Knocks: LA – Episode 2

4 hot LA Rams training camp takeaways from HBO Hard Knocks: LA – Episode 2

The LA Rams and LA Chargers set about once more to flood the living rooms across the nation with their training camp football with another episode of HBO Hard Knocks: LA. This week was Episode 2. Training camp ramped up, as helmets went on for this episode. The football drama ramped up a bit as well.

While there are limits as to how much of the LA Rams the program can reveal with this split duty assignment, I won’t lie. The Rams segments showed much more football, while the Chargers segments were more COVID-19 and general entertainment related. The main focus of Episode 2 was upon rookie linebacker Clay Johnston.  The challenges of a rookie learning NFL football were on clear display in this installment of Hard Knocks.  Johnston’s every struggle was captured on film.

Linebacker learning curve

The basics of the Rams defense is that the team has a very strong powerful defensive line, solid depth at outside linebacker, and secondary.  The Rams inside linebackers will be better at the starter level at Micah Kiser and Troy Reeder.  But there is a lot of ground to make up for both Johnston and Christian Rozeboom.  Surprisingly, I have yet to see or hear much about Kenny Young, a player I expected to be in strong competition for quality snaps this year.

The quality seems to drop a bit after the Rams starters at inside linebacker.  This feature had both Clay Johnston and Christian Rozeboom on the field, and the video showed the pair getting overwhelmed with so much coming at them so quickly.  Over time, it will slow down for the pair. But right now? It’s as though they are trying to watch a feature-length film in 30 minutes.  Can you say blur?