5 reasons why Rams HC Sean McVay smiles as Week 2 of 2024 training camp ends

The 2024 LA Rams Training Camp is over. The team must now pivot from the focus on learning, training, practicing, and assessing mode into a more proactive execute and implement on the football field mode. In many ways, this team has come a long ways by competing among itself. And for the immediate needs of learning the playbook and reestablishing the timing and the coordination for a new season, that has been enough.

But in terms of what this team wants to accomplish this season, it's time to turn to unfamiar opponents. And that is when and where joint practices, controlled scrimmages, and preseason games will yield the most benefit.

Coach McVay continues to exude a relaxed and confident state of mind in his pressers. That stands in the face of previous press conferences in which you could see the strain and pressure on his facial expressions, his verbiage, and even his hand gestures.

McVay is never at a loss for words, but in 2023 and even more in 2024, he has been even more expressive and open than ever before. His words are not just ramblings to fill time. He takes copious mental notes, has nearly total recall, and his ability to manufacture summaries about the team and players are second to none.

Press conference opened with facility updates

The final training camp press conference with LA Rams Head Coach Sean McVay opened with a bit of housekeeping matters. To be more precise, Coach McVay alerted the press and fans that the move to the newly constructed Rams Training Facility at Woodlawn Hills has been delayed by several days.

That will mean that the team will resume practices at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks, a step that nobody expected earlier in the season. But as is often the case. even the best-laid plans go astray. As a result, the team cannot transfer their practice sessions to the new facilities at Woodlawn Hills just yet.

The revised timetable places the team's anticipated move to the new Woodland Hills Training Facilty at the end of August 2024, and more specifically after their final preseason game against the Houston Texans:

While the new facility is not yet ready for occupancy, what can the Rams expect at their state-of-the-art team football training complex? As shared by Sports Illustrated writer Ricardo Klein, the new structure will serve all of the needs, present and in the future, of the LA Rams football team:

"The facility will be modern and include modular structures containing offices, a weight room, a locker room, and a media room. Outside, the plans call for two practice fields.

The Rams' new practice facility will be in the Warner Center. The project started nearly a year ago and is located at 21555 Oxnard Street, at the intersection of Canoga Avenue and Erwin Street."

Ricardo Klein

So what will it look like?

As you may note, the training site boasts two full sized NFL football fields. Thanks to the open design, fans in attendance will have the opportunity to see far more of what is happening throughout the roster, and on both fields of play.

5 - What did Rams see in final training camp practice?

The coaching staff surely had to hope for a strong finish to Rams Training Camp, and I don't think anyone was disappointed. Young players will be episodic, in that they will bounce back and forth from good days to bad days and back again as they grow accustomed to their new roles, and responsibilities, and encounter new scenarios and situations. And that is what training camp is all about. This is the laboratory of experimentation, pushing the limits of the body, mind, and instinctive responses to what is happening on the football field. and

So what did happen on the football field?

The Rams offensive line continues to be hampered with injuries to three starting offensive linemen: LT Alaric Jackson, LG Jonah Jackson, and RT Rob Havenstein. That has meant a lot of work for swing tackle Joe Noteboom, who has been showing plenty of great work so far on the practice field. With both Noteboom and Alaric Jackson on expiring contracts, it's probably a safe bet that the front office will re-sign at least one of the two veterans for 2025.

There were plenty of takeaways, and have been throughout training camp. But one that needs to be discussed in the one by DE Desjuan Johnson. He correctly read a screen pass intended for RB Boston Scott, picked off the pass, and returned the football for a pick-six.

There was plenty of excitement from both sides of the football. But before we turn over to the next slide, I did want to mention one thing. Turnovers, sacks and broken up pass plays may be viewed by some fans and a double-edged sword. That is, it's great for the defense, but raises alarms on offense. But the same can be said about stellar offensive plays that mean great optimism for the offense, but trigger concerns about the defense.

Keep in mind that this is training camp, and players are themselves pushing the boundaries of safety and their own physical limitations. Quarterbacks will thread the needle more often in training camp, just to see where the threshold of safe plays might be. So to defensive players may break for the ball, risking giving up a huge play. Training camp is when players tax themselves to see what they can, and cannot, do in the confines of a regular season football game.

4 - Defensive backs got the memo

While there are far more 'who is that?' on the Rams roster in the secondary than recognizable stars, you cannot be disappointed with what this young and feisty group has been putting on display so far through training camp. While the team was disappointed to lose rotational player Derion Kendrick for the 2024 NFL season, and to lose the ability to get veteran DB Darious Williams in pads for training camp, other less-familiar players have certainly been showing up well to keep the competition going.

There have been a number of bright shiny stars in the Rams secondary. One of the brightest, the DAWG star, has been young defensive back Quentin Lake. He was arguably one of the team's most effective backs in 2023, and he is picking right up where he left off one season ago. So far, he has drawn the coverage assignment of WR Cooper Kupp, and the battles these two have fought throughout camp have been glorious. We know that Kupp is back and 100 percent healthy.

But is Quention Lake on track for a Pro Bowl season? Let's just push a pin in that thought.

One of the rookies who I am eager to see in live action is defensive back Kamren Kinchens. In almost everything I've read about his so far, I cannot shake the fact that he is a custom fit for Coach Aubrey Pleasant's secondary. He is fearless. He processes offensive formations and routes like a supercomputer. And he believes that anytime a football is in the air that it is fair game. He picked off a pass that sailed a little too high from QB Matthew Stafford to WR Puka Nacua.

I can see many more where that came from this season.

And while we tout the praises of standouts, let's not forget that Cobie Durant, Tre' White, and many others have been outstanding in training camp. And veteran DB Darious Williams, viewed as the leader of the secondary, will return from his hamstring injury in time for the regular season.

Do you want a solid secondary? I can see many fans being thrilled with what the team is bringing in pass coverage in 2024.

3- Defensive front players synching up well

The LA Rams cannot hope to have an elite All-Pro defensive lineman step up to lead the group on the defensive front in 2024. But what the team can do is promote gang-tackling, unpredictability, and a furious set of defensive players whose roles will oscillate back and forth on any given play. The ability to not only create but flourish on that type of defensive front means that players have got to work together, have each other's backs, and genuinely like one another.

Much like the way that Jared Verse and Braden Fiske operated in 2023 on the Floridar State Seminoles defensive front.:

What may be the most impressive about this team's defensive front so far is the fact that these players are not enclaved to tight circles. While we know that Byron Young and Kobie Turner had outstanding rookie seasons, and that Jared Verse and Braden Fiske dominate on the Florida State defense, they are quickly cross-pollinating with one another as the defensive line gets more experience playing side-by side:

There are many iterations of the Rams defensive front formation, and many are just as effective as the other. Now that DT Kobie Turner is suited up and playing, there are no doubts that this is a ruggedly physical and productive group. And the mix and match of Verse, Turner, Fiske, Young, Bobby Brown III, Tyler Davis, Brennan Jackson, Anthony Goodlaw means plenty of heated competition and great reps.

As it now stands, the Rams will not be playing starters in preseason games. But how far will the team lower the preseason participation in terms of depth players. If the team limits benching players on defense to true starters only, there will be a lot of playmakers on the field throughout preseason.

2- Tight ends are putting on solid display

While tight end Tyler Higbee's return to football is still weeks away, the team cannot be disappointed with the furious competition for playing time among the top three tight end candidates: Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen, and Hunter Long. In many ways, the void of no prescribed starter appears to have manifested into an abundance of tight end talent all peaking simultaneously.

So far, training camp reports seem to be giving the nod to veteran TE Colby Parkinson. But is that the way that the coaching staff views the tight end room. If Parkinson is the clear front runner, does that mean that fans will see either Davis Allen or Hunter Long in preseason games? Or better yet, perhaps both?

It would make my day to see the team get some 12-personnel plays onto the field in preseason games. While there is little chance of seeing any innovations that we haven't seen before should that happen, I am eager to see even that the blocking looks like for running plays with a couple of blocking tight ends out there.

But the truth is that the Rams have some seriously talented tight ends. Not only as blockers but as pass catchers. The fact that the team has three competent tight ends vying for playing time and the inevitable return of starting tight end TE Tyler Higbee. Loaded for bear? Perhaps not. But I second the notion of QB Matthew Stafford that this group of tight ends may be the most talented groups in the past eight seasons.

1 - Kupp and Nacua appear to be unstoppable

While the headlines have been filled with reports of injured offensive linemen, the real newsworthy news about this offense is the fact that both WR Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are in NFL mid-season form, are healthy, and appear nearly unstoppable. While that should not surprise anyone, it's certainly a significantly positive development from pre-season projections that has mired this offense as a middle of the road offense.

This passing offense is going to shock the NFL in 2024.

it's difficult to keep a lid on unbridled enthusiasm this season. There are been so many reports about Cooper Kupp's return to full health this season that it's almost impossible to not envision 1500+ receiving yards and 10+ touchdowns from hm. And pairing that up with reports of the lean, mean, receiver-machine Puka Nacua who appears to be far more physically and mentally fit for a breakout season in 2024.

Can this duo put up 3000 yards and 15+ touchdowns combined?

While you ponder that sensational goal for this season, keep in mind that Demarcus Robinson is back, and was a true difference-maker for this offense in 2023. That is knowing that he did not even have a role in the offense until the second half of the season. The team also has veteran speedster Tutu Atwell back and ready to challenge center field of opposing defenses.

The team has been showering rookie WR Jordan Whittington with praise, and even moved him into the rotation with the 1s in camp. And then there has been the incredible production of speedy WR Xavier Smith, and a surging Tyler Johnson. The Rams have a solid compliment of play-makers and chain-movers in the wide receiver room this season.

What's ahead for the LA Rams next?

Much like the ending of OTAs and mandatory mini-camp, the end of Rams Training Camp is merely the transition to a new phase of of off-season program. Well, transitioning to the preseason program is more appropriate. Now is the time when the coaches engage in the mixing and matching of players through a series of joint practices, scrimmages, training sessions, and even preseason games to establish the team's updated depth chart, and ultimately, the 53-man initial active roster.

Joint Practice Schedule

The team has been very aggressive in scheduling joint practices with nearby teams. They will be held on the following dates:

• Sunday, August 4 - @ Los Angeles Chargers
• Thursday, August 8 - @ Dallas Cowboys
• Wednesday, August 14 @ Los Angeles Chargers
• Thursday, August 22 - @ Houston Texans

While joint practices may not afford themselves to allow close fans scrutiny, the Rams use joint practices as the method of tuning up the starting players, and even to the point of determining the order of key rotational players as well. So they are vital to ensure that the 2024 NFL season gets underway without any glitches.

But joint practices have taken on a new order of importance this season, as the Rams will be working with various strategies and players to implement their solution to the new NFL kickoff rules. Here is a quick ESPN graphic on social media that summarizes the new rules:

And the Rams not only must adapt to the new kickoff, but must also strategize the kickoff return in this new format.

The 2024 Rams Preseason Schedule (all times PT)

Since this is an even year, NFC teams play just one preseason game at home and get nine regular season games at home. This is the Rams preseason schedule:

• Week 1, Aug. 11: Dallas Cowboys | 1:30 pm PT | NFL Network
• Week 2, Aug. 17: at Los Angeles Chargers | 4:05 pm PT
• Week 3, Aug. 24: at Houston Texans | 10:00 am PT

While there is nothing to gain from winning preseason games, fans love to win everything. The Rams have historically put up their best regular season campaigns after struggling in preseason. The reason for that is logical. While many teams will task projected starters with some preseason work, this team benches all starters. Even rookies whose performance indicates a starting or significant rotational role have been benched throughout preseason games.

Couple that fact with the coaches insistence on implementing a vanilla game plan, and it becomes rather obvious that the game is treated by coaches like an extension of training camp, and not as a true competition.

It's time to get excited. The LA Rams are moving on to preseason. And this year will be as thrilling as they come.

Thanks for reading.