The logistics/support personnel will be busy as the Los Angeles Rams wrap up OTA sessions with a last two-day obligatory mini-camp. They will be tasked with preparing the moving vans and transporting the team’s infrastructure across town for the start of training camp and preseason games.
But the move won’t be to the Rams new state-of-the-art facility in Woodland Hills, nor will it be to UC Irvine, their training camp home since moving west in 2016. L.A. has inked a deal with Loyola-Marymount University to host preseason workouts for 2024. Apparently, the move was fueled by a lack of amenities/facilities at the Woodland Hills and Irvine sites, along with LMU’s proximity to SoFi Stadium.
Although AP News had reported the team was attempting to grow grass at the San Fernando Valley site, recent photos tell a different story. It appears that the facility is not near ready for use.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated believes that the problem at UC Irvine is just a matter of smart time management. He claims the dorms fell short of the expectations of today’s professional sportsmen, so the Rams put them up in a hotel 10 minutes away from the practice facilities.
“The problem there”, Breer said, “started with the 2020 CBA’s rules cutting the allowable scheduled daily hours with players from 12 to 11. With two back-and-forth trips from the hotel to the fields each day, and all the logistics that went into that, the Rams found that they were losing between an hour and a half and two hours every day due to the commute. So the team discovered that Loyola Marymount, which is also significantly closer to team headquarters in Thousand Oaks, had brand-new dorms on campus that would cut right through the efficiency issue with an easy walk to the practice fields and, theoretically at least, give the players and coaches those couple of hours lost back every day in Orange County.”
Preseason game schedule announced
Although the Rams have not yet officially the opening of training camp, teams are free to start camp after the passing of Franchise Tag Deadline which is July 17 at 4 p.m. eastern. This is the deadline for tagged players to sign with their individual teams.
The Hall of Fame game is the official kickoff of preseason, this year August 1, but the Rams won’t start action until 10 days later.
Sunday, August 11 – Dallas Cowboys vs. Rams, 4:30 p.m. at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Saturday, August 17: Rams vs. Chargers, 7:05 p.m. at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Saturday, August 24: Rams vs. Houston Texans, 1 p.m. at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
OTAs lead to questions
While the Rams make no bones about sitting out players in preseason games and prefer practice and scrimmages to determine the depth chart, strong efforts in these games are always important for players on the roster bubble. During OTAs the Rams are very shut-mouthed about daily goings-on, so for fans as well, it’s important to see how the players are doing on the field against live competition.
At running back, veteran Boston Scott appears to lead for RB#3, leaving Zach Evans and Ronnie Rivers needing to show out. In the wide receiver room, Jordan Whittington’s work has been getting shout outs, can he work himself into a WR#3 rotation with Tutu Atwell and Demarcus Robinson? Tight end Hunter Long is not back to full speed (knee surgery) and Tyler Higbee is out indefinitely with the same, TE#3 appears there for the taking for a relative unknown, or will L.A. go with two? On the offensive line Jonah Jackson and Rob Havenstein have working on the side and although it’s likely nothing to worry about, someone is getting those OTA reps and a chance to step up.
It’s like an open casting call on defense. L.A. has a phalanx of fire-pissers manning the defensive line and edge. There appears to be a solid chance at a deep rotation, the problem being sorting and delving out reps. Ernest Jones has been slowed with a knee, can Jake Hummel translate getting those extra snaps into passing Christian Rozeboom and Troy Reeder on the linebacker depth chart? The Rams could have four new starters in the secondary. Can Russ Yeast shore up last year’s bad tackling and fight back Kam Kinchens at safety next to Kam Curl? Tre White’s full strength return is not a sure thing at corner, someone is getting his reps and needs to be ready to go next to Darious Williams.
45 more days until fans can begin to expect answers.
