First LA Rams practice attended by 10K fans

First LA Rams practice attended by 10K fans

By Rich Hammond,

[www.dailynews.com]

IRVINE >> The first loud cheers came when quarterback Jared Goff jogged onto the field Saturday. The first loud groans came an hour later, when Goff badly underthrew a pass for an interception.

This is now normal life for the Rams, who are followed by television cameras everywhere they walk on the UC Irvine campus. Given the stakes, they might as well be starring on The Goff Channel.

“Walking on the field was cool, seeing all the people out here,’’ Goff said. “There were people yelling and screaming. It’s awesome to be back in L.A. with what looks like to be a pretty big fan base.”

According to the team, 10,112 fans attended Saturday’s free practice, the Rams’ first training-camp session in Southern California since 1994. They stood outside for hours before gates opened, then filled temporary bleachers wearing jerseys and carrying signs for a team that has returned after 22 years.

The stars, most notably running back Todd Gurley and defensive tackle Aaron Donald, received loud cheers when they entered the field, but the roar for Goff reached a different decibel.

That’s not unexpected. Not only is Goff, drafted in April with the No. 1 overall pick, a new homegrown star, but soon he will be counted upon to lead a Rams offense that needs improvement if the Rams are to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

So how did it go? Goff started out taking second-team reps behind Case Keenum but also got first-team work. The playcalling for both quarterbacks was rather conservative, apparently by design, but Goff made the big mistake when his pass landed softly in the hands of backup safety Cody Davis.

“It was OK,” Goff said of his first training-camp practice. “There’s stuff you always want to work on. I felt good about a lot of plays and there’s some plays you want back. That will be the way it is for a long time. In college, I would try to be 100 percent every day, and you probably never do it.”

There’s plenty of time for improvement. The Rams will hold 20 more practices in Irvine, plus four preseason games, and there’s no timetable for naming a starting quarterback. Also, Saturday’s practice was held without pads or tackling.

“This is the first day of installation,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “Today, the ball wasn’t designed to go down the field. It was underneath, short passes.”

That didn’t give the thousands of fans much of a chance to cheer for dynamic plays, but they seemed to appreciate the Rams’ presence, and vice versa.

Donald, among other players, stopped as he jogged into practice to sign autographs and take selfies with fans who lined the field, and Fisher said he felt the need to calm down the players because of the presence of the large crowd. The mid-afternoon heat also helped.

“I was so tired today that I couldn’t even hear half the people,” Gurley said with a laugh. “I was just trying to get my wind back.”

MCDONALD IN, MASON OUT

T.J. McDonald, who missed optional practices in June after his May arrest, took first-team reps at strong safety but backup running back Tre Mason, arrested in March for reckless driving, resisting arrest and marijuana possession, was placed on the “did not report” list.

McDonald declined to discuss his arrest (on suspicion of non-alcohol DUI) or the case. The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office has not yet decided whether to charge McDonald with a crime. The Rams kept McDonald away from the OTA practices but allowed him to return for training camp.

“I knew that I would be able to be in shape to be here in camp and be able to come out and play ball,” McDonald said. “There was no doubt in my mind.”

Fisher said regarding Mason: “Tre has made a decision not to communicate with us, not to talk. He’s not talking to teammates. Right now, we’re more concerned about Tre Mason’s well being than his football career. We’re going to continue to try to reach him and see where he’s at.”

HAVENSTEIN HURT

Fisher said starting right tackle Rob Havenstein, placed on the “physically unable to perform” list this week, is recovering from “a little foot injury during the offseason and he’s still not ready.”

Fisher said Havenstein, who was on the field watching practice, could miss two weeks. Rodger Saffold, usually a starting guard, moved to right tackle in first-team reps while Cody Wichmann played guard.