8 storylines to follow during Rams minicamp

[theramswire.usatoday.com] 8 storylines to follow during Rams minicamp


Cameron DaSilva
June 6, 2022 1:25 pm PT

The Los Angeles Rams will progress from voluntary OTAs to mandatory minicamp, holding three practice sessions this week from Tuesday to Thursday. It’s the final time the Rams will have everyone on the field together until training camp, which will begin sometime in July.

While it’s possible there will be players who skip this week’s minicamp, the expectation is that the full team will be in attendance – including Aaron Donald.

His attendance is one of the biggest storylines heading into minicamp, along with a handful of others to follow.

(Update: Donald signed a new contract Monday and will attend minicamp)

1
Aaron Donald’s attendance
Sean McVay said the plan is for Donald to attend minicamp. Donald hasn’t said specifically what he’ll do, but the expectation is that he’ll be there despite ongoing contract talks with the Rams. McVay seems confident that those talks are going well and even said they’re “trending in the right direction,” so there doesn’t appear to be any real issues between the two sides, but you’d still love to see No. 99 suiting up in practice this week. If he does report to minicamp, it’ll be a really positive sign for his chances of playing in 2022.


2
Right guard rotation
Rookie Logan Bruss was getting reps with the Rams’ starting offensive linemen during OTAs, but McVay said not to buy into that too much because they didn’t have their complete group together yet. However, the fact that he’s already working into the rotation with the starters is encouraging.

In order to win a starting job, Bruss will need to beat out Bobby Evans, Tremayne Anchrum and Coleman Shelton, which he certainly seems capable of doing. We’ll get a better sense of his preparedness in minicamp when just about everyone will be in attendance.


3
Any standout rookies?
Whether it’s rookies who were drafted or signed as free agents, all eyes will be on the Rams’ first-year players as they try to carve out roles in Year 1. Decobie Durant and Derion Kendrick are two players to watch at cornerback, given the Rams’ need for help at that position.

Russ Yeast and Quentin Lake are two promising safeties who could get the opportunity to contribute on defense, while Bruss is obviously competing for a starting job already.

Undrafted receiver Lance McCutcheon received some promising reviews during OTAs, so we’ll see if he can carry that over into a more competitive setting at minicamp.


4
Tutu Atwell’s development in Year 2
Atwell has already impressed McVay and his position coach, Eric Yarber, with a good start in OTAs. Yarber sees a more prepared and motivated player in Year 2, which is a positive development for the young receiver who missed half of his rookie season. Atwell has latched onto Cooper Kupp and worked closely with him, and while he may not have bulked up much, he’s in better position to contribute this year.

It starts at minicamp where he’ll be in a receiver rotation behind Kupp, Allen Robinson and Van Jefferson. We’ll also have to see whether Atwell gets any opportunities to return kicks and punts.


5
Nick Scott or Taylor Rapp at safety?
Jordan Fuller is going to be one of the starting safeties, but we don’t know exactly who the other one will be. That’s because Scott thrived when he took over for the injured Rapp last postseason, showing impressive range and ball skills as a deep-half defender. There’s no question Scott is a better coverage safety than Rapp, and the Rams can still likely find a role for Rapp as a box defender, but we might see much more of Scott this season than we did in years past.


6
Running back reps behind Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson Jr.
Akers and Henderson are going to be the top two running backs for the Rams, but with Sony Michel now gone, they need a third-string runner behind them. Rookie Kyren Williams could take over that role, especially given his prowess as a pass protector. Xavier Jones and Raymond Calais will also try to earn reps of their own.

If Williams is fully healthy – he left practice last week with an injury – he could assert himself as the best option as the No. 3 back behind Akers and Henderson.


7
Who gets first crack at replacing Von Miller?
The Rams won’t replace Miller with one player. They can’t. He’s a future Hall of Famer, and they don’t have someone on the same talent level right now. What they have to figure out is how to generate pressure with a combination of Terrell Lewis and Justin Hollins opposite Leonard Floyd.

The Rams will probably use Lewis and Hollins interchangeably to begin with, but one of them will have to emerge as the starter eventually. It’s just a toss-up between the two of them right now. Minicamp could give us a better idea of who the Rams favor at this point in time.

8
Usage of Bobby Wagner and Ernest Jones together
The Rams didn’t sign Wagner to take Jones’ place. They brought in Wagner to use him with Jones. McVay said they’re still working on ways to make that happen, and it’ll come to life as we get closer to Week 1, but expect to see these two players on the field together during minicamp.

Wagner could be used as a pass rusher, with Jones dropping back into coverage. Or vice versa. They’re similar types of players capable of doing everything at linebacker, which will make life fun for Raheem Morris as he puts together a plan for his new tandem.