-It’s hard to tell how much impact the afternoon off had on the Rams on Wednesday morning, but it was obvious that there was at least a little more bounce in their step. The team has been able to avoid any serious injuries such as Jimmy Kennedy’s broken foot a year ago and in the NFL that is huge. Keeping your starters fresh and away from serious injury during the preseason can only pay dividends down the line.
-Wednesday morning brought about an interesting twist to the pass rush drills of which I have devoted so much of my attention. This time, it was linebackers versus running backs. I would have to say that Chris Claiborne against
Steven Jackson is this drill’s version of Anthony Hargrove against
Orlando Pace. The collisions were violent and loud. Jackson’s yellow jersey meant little when this was going on. The two probably split the battles, but on a few occasions, Jackson got the better of the big middle linebacker. Jackson appears to have seriously improved his pass blocking, which might have been one of his biggest weaknesses a year ago. With his size, there is no reason Jackson can’t or won’t be a good pass blocker.
-Brandon Chillar is doing a nice job in his role as the utility guy of the linebacking corps. He looks stronger and more physical than a year ago and certainly has a better understanding of the system compared to his rookie season. Chillar will make a solid backup on the outside with the versatility to go inside if need be.
-Tight end Roland Williams’ enthusiasm is nothing short of infectious. His teammates love him, the coaches love him, the media loves him and the fans love him. Williams is a perfect leader for this team and is the unofficial captain of the team. After Jackson scored on a touchdown run during team drills, Williams ran up beside him and commenced hootin’ and hollerin’. Picking up on Williams’ cue, Jackson spiked the ball and began hamming it up with the big tight end.
-Brandon Green is high-energy all the time and seems to be the ideal backup on the outside. Any backup defensive end probably won’t play more than 15-20 snaps a game, but he better give all he has on those snaps. You probably won’t get any less than all he’s got from Green anytime soon. He has plenty to prove and, so far, he is showing he belongs.
-Cornerback Kevin Garrett had a huge cheering section in the Community Relations tent in a group of kids from the University City Children’s Center where Garrett is a frequent visitor. The kids chanted Garrett’s name during passing drills and it seemed to give him a little bit of a boost. Garrett is in the middle of a huge battle in the secondary and might have trouble making the team because some of the rest of the competition has stepped its game up. Garrett will need to make his move in the coming weeks to hold off the likes of Corey Ivy and Dwight Anderson, who have made strong charges early in camp.
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