LA Rams: Stafford’s eyes highlight Week 1 Training camp recap

The LA Rams reassembled the coaches and players after briefly making introductions during Organized Team Activities (OTAs) earlier in the year. This is a young and energetic group, a team of tykes as it were since this team with grand aspirations is also the young rostered team in the NFL. Young? Yes, But the team is led by some of the most talented and elite veteran stars in the NFL.

The team is now at the 2-2-2 mark. In two weeks, the LA Rams will play their first NFL preseason game against the LA Chargers. Two weeks after that, the team will finish off the three-game preseason schedule with a road trip to face the Denver Broncos. Finally, in two more weeks, the LA Rams will host the Chicago Bears in the home opener on Sunday Night Football to kick off the 2021 NFL season.

The team advanced to the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs a year ago, a surprisingly successful year when many predicted the team to finish dead last in the NFC West. The team found success by remaining confident in the offensive line, rolling the dice on a completely unheard of defensive coordinator, and sticking to the plan of investing in key veteran players to lead the team, and rounding out the roster with talented but a bit raw younger players who earn playing time.

The gamble paid off in a season where there was almost no time to develop and promote rookies. But that does not mean that rookies did not contribute mightily to 2020’s success. The LA Rams found an unexpected starter in rookie defensive back Jordan Fuller. The Rams found some huge upside in rookie running back Cam Akers, and wide receiver Van Jefferson, and even rotationally on the defense.

That success compelled the LA Rams to make another major move in the off-season, trading away the farm and the talented quarterback Jared Goff to land Detroit Lions veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford. In fact, Stafford was just the most visited move by the Rams, but the patter from the offseason was clearly intended to give the offense a greater opportunity to strike quickly and put up points on the board. So how is that going so far?