As the Los Angeles Rams are set to begin their training camp at the University of California, Irvine, there are still many questions surrounding this extremely talented, but also very young squad. From quarterback battles to a seemingly thin secondary, the Rams are hoping to find the answer to some of those questions over the course of this next month.
What To Watch For:
Jared Goff’s Development: Aside from the relocation to Los Angeles, the Rams officially began the new era by making the biggest jump in NFL Draft history to take Goff with the first overall pick. However, as pro-ready as Goff may already be, head coach Jeff Fisher has maintained that he is in no rush to throw their young stud in before he is ready. The team backed that notion by re-signing Keenum to a one-year deal to help lead the team while Goff progresses. Regardless, Los Angeles is hoping their top pick can make some huge strides in training camp should he be needed to step in sooner than expected.
Questions in the Secondary: While the Rams pose one of the more formidable front sevens in the league, the loss of cornerback Janoris Jenkins and safety Rodney McLeod to free agency are certainly a cause for concern. Fortunately for Los Angeles, cornerback Trumaine Johnson has certainly come into his own as one of the more lockdown defensive backs in the league. Meanwhile, the battle for the other starting spot has seemingly come down to either E.J. Gaines and Coty Sensabaugh. Gaines was the starter in last year’s camp before sitting out the entire season due to Lisfranc injury.
Wideouts Look to Stretch Field: Last year, the Rams had the 32nd-ranked offense in total yardage in large part due to its passing game, or lack thereof. Luckily for them, running back Todd Gurley was able to take the league by storm by carrying the offense on his way to All-Pro honors. However, now that teams are presumably scheming around the young stud, Los Angeles will need to give their workhorse some space to work with if they are going to see any offensive success. They addressed their receiving needs by taking Pharoh Cooper and tight end Tyler Higbee in the fourth-round of this year’s draft to help re-bolster this lost passing attack.
Rams Training Camp Schedule:
