TRANSCRIPT: Rams Head Coach Sean McVay– August 19, 2018

Rams Head Coach Sean McVay – Conference Call – August 19, 2018



(On injury updates following Saturday's game)

“I spoke with (Senior Director of Sports Medicine and Performance) Reggie (Scott) earlier today. Sounds like everybody came out clean which is good. That's what we were hoping. The players had off today and then we'll get together a staff in the morning and kind of discuss the approach as far as how we're going to deal with Houston. But, that's something that we'll talk about tomorrow morning, but we came out of this game clean, which is good."



(On the progress of QB Sean Mannion yesterday and what he hopes to see from him during the remainder of the preseason)

“Yeah, I thought there was some improvement. I think he made some nice throws like we talked about after the game, but then there was also a couple plays that we expect him to make and that he can make – some of those on some of those bootlegs where we're changing the launch point a little bit, a couple of the plays early on on a third down we had a chance to get to (WR) Pharoh Cooper. But, he did do a nice job on one of the third downs, progressing past his primary, getting to (TE) Johnny Mundt on a big conversion, managed the huddle, got in and out there. Then, he made a couple throws on the play-action game that we talked about. But, it was definitely an improvement for (Q Sean (Mannion), but there's always things that we can do a better job of as well and that's something that we'll look to see him improve on going into next week as well."



(On OLB Samson Ebukam's preseason playing time)

“Well, he is a guy that we are projecting to be a big part of it. But, I think he's such a young player that didn't play really one of those roles last year that we felt like it was important for us to continue to evaluate – really, specific to our outside linebacker position. With (OL Matt Longacre, he hasn't really been available. Then, we wanted to continue to get him some experience where we felt like that game experience for him is at a premium, being able to maybe play some SAM and some WILL linebacker and then also in some of our nickel-rush packages. So, we felt like it was really important for him to get those snaps and I think he's done a nice job and it will help him in the long run."



(On free agent OLB Junior Galette working out with the team)

“Yeah, so he's coming in tonight. He's a guy we're going to workout. There's some history with him obviously with (Head Assistant Coach/Linebackers) Coach (Joe) Barry working with him in Washington. I was with him in Washington and (Defensive Line) Coach Bill Johnson has a lot of experience with him in New Orleans. He's a guy that's had a lot of rush production over the course of his career and he's somebody that we're going to work out tomorrow. If things go well, then there's a good possibility that we could sign him, but that's all going to be predicated on the physical, how the workout goes. But, I think with some of the history that a lot of our coaches have with the player and just him being out there, being available and potentially being able to add to our rush – that was something that was intriguing about bringing him in and seeing where he's at."



(On if OLB Matt Longacre being out plays a part in why they’re bring in LB Junior Galette to workout and what Longacre's injury status update is)

"(OL Matt (Longacre) is making good progress. He took part in the pregame warm ups the other day. We're anticipating him to make a recovery. Hopefully he'll be able to play in this game this week, as far as the Texans game is concerned. I would say it's really independent. I think it's more of a result of he's a guy that has had rush production, a guy that our coaches do have some familiarity with and know. A guy like that you want to be able to bring in, see where he's at and then be to make a decision that we feel like is best to really ultimately try to shape out our team. Specifically to some of those edge rushers in some of those known passing situations."



(On if they have narrowed down at all on the outside linebacker position)

"I think really, there's a couple of guys that have some versatility where you're looking at some edge players in some of our base packages that are just playing that SAM and WILL. Then you're looking at some interior guys. You look at a guy like a (DL) John Franklin (Myers), he's playing inside in our base package and then when you get into some of those nickel-rush situations you move him out to the defensive end. Like we talk about, you can't find enough guys that can rush the passer, create that pressure and make that ball come out a little bit earlier than offenses would like to with the timing, the rhythm and the pass game specifically. There are some guys that are doing a good job, but I think it's really important for us to kind of tailor in, find out who we think those guys are. Ultimately a lot of this is geared towards kind of our projection for our 53 (man roster), and then also who is going to be our active game day roster guys when we open up September 10."



(On progress updates for OL Jamil Demby, OLB Trevon Young and LB Travin Howard)

"(OL) Jamil Demby is doing a good job. He's the guy that has played some tackle, played some guard. He's moving around a lot. There's a lot of things that he's got to learn to continue to improve. I think he's show some progress, he's a young, raw player, but similar to (T) Joe (Noteboom) and to (C) Brian (Allen) as far as their progress. Those three rookies have done a nice job, but Jamil is a guy we expect him to continue to grow. He's got some physical tools and traits. He definitely has a nice demeanor where you can feel the game is not too big for him, but there's some things that he can continue to improve on. As far as (OLB Trevon Young) ‘T Young’ is concerned, a guy with great length. I think he has shown up, getting more comfortable, made a couple nice plays, drew a holding call on that one that bounced to the outside yesterday, he's just continuing to take those steps. Then I think when you look at (LB Travin Howard) ‘T Howard’ it has been unfortunate where he has had an ankle injury that's really slowed him. He is making some progress, he took part in some warm ups yesterday. Hopefully we'll be able to get him back out on the grass this week. He's a guy with great athleticism, has the ability to run from that inside linebacker spot. He was doing a lot of good things, and he kind of had a setback early on in camp that really has taken a little bit longer than we had anticipated. He's a guy that really hasn't gotten a chance to really practice at all since we started at camp. I think that set him back a little bit. Hopefully we'll be able to get him out there and start participating and we'll see that progress. I know (Defensive Coordinator) Wade (Phillips) and our defensive staff and (Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers) Joe (Barry) felt good about a lot of the things he was doing, specifically throughout the offseason program."



(On how DL John Franklin-Myers did in the game)

“Yeah, with (DL) John (Franklin-Myers) – I think very similar to kind of what we said all along, he showed up in some rush situations, he got there on the sack in the two-minute situation and created some different types of pressures and things like that. We anticipate John being a very important part of our defense this year. He's taking steps in the right direction day-by-day. Then as far as the other thing that you really look at, John has been a guy that's been really positive - like him - so, we'll see.



(On where OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is at health-wise)

“So, it's been disappointing because we anticipated him really being able to be back this week and start to practice – I think really for that Oakland week was kind of what we had targeted a while back. It isn't probably - the foot injury – it isn't probably progressing as quickly as we'd like. It is a day-by-day thing, but I think in an ideal situation – kind of what we had projected – we thought we'd be a little bit further along at this point. How that effects his status with us is kind of to be determined, just because we've still got a couple weeks. It's tough because you'd like to get him out there. You see the production that he had in college and specifically coming off that edge, but that has been a little bit slower process than I think everybody would've liked. You can't rush through these foot injuries, especially when you have surgery on them and that's kind of where we're at with (OL 'Obo' (Ogbonnia Okoronkwo).”



(On if he's leaning towards playing his starters or if it's still unclear)

“Yeah, we're going to lean towards playing those guys, but again, nothing is finalized yet. I think in a perfect world, you want to be able to get these guys some work, get them out there, going through the routine of being able to get a few snaps and different things like that. So, I would say leaning towards playing them. But again, that's something that we'll discuss as a staff and then we'll talk to the players about it and we should have a decision on that, but I would say definitely leaning towards playing them."



(On if that includes QB Jared Goff and RB Todd Gurley II)

“It does. Yes, it does."