This offseason has been an eventful one for the Los Angeles Rams, whether it be all of their changes on the roster and coaching staff, moving into a new stadium or dealing with the challenges of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The pandemic, in particular, has been difficult to navigate for all NFL teams as they were forced to do the 2020 draft virtually, and now the same can be said for the offseason program.
The Rams are trying to make the best of a tough situation though, and all reports have indicated that virtual offseason meetings have been going well. Rams offensive tackle Rob Havenstein confirmed that in an interview with Sarina Morales of TheRams.com, believing that he and all of his teammates have remained professional throughout:
“I appreciate the way that everyone has come to work (showed up for the Zoom meetings) and brought the same professionalism to the calls that they would if we were in the building. That really shows me that guys are ready to work and ready to improve individually, and that will help the team in the end.”
Rams head coach Sean McVay has come up with different ways to keep his team engaged during this difficult time, with one of them being guest speakers. Among the people known to have spoken to the Rams are Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers and NFL legend Peyton Manning.
Havenstein shared appreciation for what Manning, in particular, talked to them about:
“The team meetings have been awesome. It’s great to hear from some of the best to do it in their respective positions. With Peyton, I really appreciated when he was talking about his routine and his advice concerning routines. More specifically, I really liked that he said to write down your in-season routine and also your off-season routine. We all take notes on the game plan the whole week so why not translate that note taking to your in-season and offseason routines. Make a plan and then stick to that plan.”
With the state of California beginning to loosen its stay-at-home orders, it may not be long before the Rams are back at their practice facility meeting in person.
Until then though all they could do is continue with these virtual meetings to try and get prepared for the 2020 season where expectations will once again be high.
