Welcome to NFL Daily, where not only football is back, but my tortoise, Norri's back too. More on that in a bit fun show today. We were at Rams camp at Loyola Merrymount earlier and Jordan Rodrigue of the Athletic joined me. We played a fun if then game about the whole league, like if Rashad Bateman stings healthy, you know that man is getting a thousand yards this year.
Then we talked a little bit about the Rams practice that we watched and about the team this year, and then finally wrapped it up with a fun interview with defensive Rookie of the Year runner up Kobe Turner and emerging Rams second year center Steve Agula. Who are buddies, And I'm gonna say it, they were delight They were delightful people. But I'm adding this to the top of the show because we got a sneaky amount of news
and a game to talk. Yeah, football is back, Randy, hit the news drop, Okay, So I will get to the Hall of Fame game soon.
That was the plan.
We just got to take two minutes at the top to cover a little Hall of Fame game and feel as fresh as you can when you listen to this, but look, that game is never going to end. It's technically going on forever. And then suddenly this afternoon became the biggest day of news we've really had in training camp. So I'm going to go over the big stuff first.
This Justin Herbert foot injury is a bummer. He has an injury to his planter fascia, so he will be in a walking boot for two weeks, but the team has publicly said the expectation is he will be ready for Week one against the Raiders. Very very interesting by the Chargers how much information they did gave give after Jim Harbaugh was giving no information in terms of injuries just earlier this week. So there's an important distinction to
be made here. An injury to the plan fascia is not the same, according to medical experts, as having planter paschitis, and so there's a hope here that this injury is not something that drags his whole season down as he plays through pain. As we've seen with planter phauschitis over and over. It's a really terrible injury. So that's the hope because I've seen enough Justin Herbert playing through injuries over the last few years, and it's just not fun.
And maybe being in a walking boot for a couple of weeks and then ramping up as activity gets him better. We will see, because it should go without saying. This team just cannot compete without him. We were at practice on Monday. The difference between East and Stick is like the difference between me and Kobe Turner and Steve Avola. If you check out my socials, I look like a
tiny little baby next to these men. And so I think even with East and Stick running the offense in the next couple of weeks, it's gonna make it harder to install the offense and get the receivers good reps. But hopefully Herbert can come back. I'm gonna be optimistic. Also, hert DeAndre Hopkins of the Titans is out about four
weeks with a knee injury. According to our NFL Network reporter Tom Pellasero, that four weeks number is so definitive that that gets him back before the season, But a knee injury to a receiver his age obviously a big concern that he won't be one hundred percent right this season. Hopefully they're being extra careful they are deeper than they were a year ago. They've got Calvin Ridley, They've got Tyler Boyd, they still have Nick westbroog Akina and Treylon
Burke's you know, gets in the mix. So do the math. Hopkins should be better, but it's a concern. Also a concern. Gino Smith has missed practice the last two days with issues to his knee and hip, which doesn't sound that bad until you heard Mike McDonald, their coach, talk about him getting some imaging that usually means an MRI. And so we are holding our breath. NFL Daily is officially not taking any questions on this matter at the time.
And yeah, we wish you know the best. We ask everyone to send their thoughts, their best thoughts to the Pacific Northwest Bucks were in the news today made Tristan Wurf's the highest paid tackle in the league. On the same day, they got some rough injury news. They lost one of their guards to a peta for the season to a torn aco and then Yaya Diabe, who's the best edge rusher on a pretty thin group, is out four to six weeks, so we will see if he can get back in time. All right, let's wrap this
up with the Hall of Fame game. This was fun. It got stopped midway through the third quarter, which you know, stinks for the players that were got to get some snaps. But I wouldn't you know, maybe that's perfect for the preseason. It was a crazy lightning storm. I hope our friend Nick Shook is all right. He was there. Colleen Wolf was there. The game ended twenty one to seventeen Bears win. Well played game, kind of fun. Davis Mills and case
Keatam like lit it up. They cooked. Brett Repin had three touchdowns for the Bears, a couple of small nuggets. Khalil Herbert at running back for the Bears, played behind Roshawn Johnson. The Bears receiver Colin Johnson, who was once with the Giants, once with the Jags, I believe made some big time plays. This is what happens in Week one, but will keep an eye on him and then Cam Akers. His numbers don't look amazing, but this is a guy coming off his second torn achilles in a few years,
and I thought he had a lot of juice. He looked good. He made some people miss. I think he's going to make that Texans team. Joe Mixon, by the way, has not hit the practice field since the first day of camp. That is something to worry about. Also, of course, the kickoff rule, the dynamic kickoff, that was really the main story of the night. It's going to be the main story of the month. It's gonna be a big
story all season. It looked weird. I don't think teams are going to break out exactly all the wrinkles they're going to add to this in the preseason. But Matt Eberflu said after the game, the Bear's coach, He's like, yeah, we don't want to break everything out, but we also are trying to figure it out. And you could see that the Texans looked a little lost on how to
block this. That they could not get the ball deep on their kickoff returns at all, and you could see the returners just like looking back to the ball, which is just not what you want to do to figure out when the guy catch it. The Bear seemed to have it more under control. They ran some plays like a trap, almost like you see an offense. It's going to be very interesting. But we had seven returns on the night and only one touchback, and I think that's
the idea. Get more plays, get another talking point. It is going to be interesting. And yeah, that's it for the first preseason game of the year. We'll get a full slate of games in about a week and we will cover all those on NFL Daily. And finally, thank you to everyone who really cared about my tortoise, Nori, who was lost and remained lost for hours after I stopped haping, and it was driving me crazy. I had
to leave at one point and come back. I was on my hands and knees digging through my backyard, but in the corner, about a foot under the ground was my lovely tortoise, Nori. So I thank you for all the good wishes you sent her, and she scared me and I'm putting a track and device on her.
Now.
All right, let's get to the rest of the show. This was fun. Jordan and I are gonna play a little game off the top, and then, like I said, we will get to some RAMS coverage. I will be down at Saints camp on Friday, not doing that for NFL Daily, but if you're watching NFL Network, I'll be on Inside Training Camp Live. We will be back with NFL Daily Monday, morning, covering every team in the AFC with Camp notes with Nick Schuk and in the meantime,
I'll throw it to myself in Jordan. All right, excited to be welcoming in Jordan Rodrigue, our friend, our coworker. I don't know why I'm using the Royal Wei, but I'm speaking for Randy and Jason, Drake and Cynthia, the whole crew we have out here at RAMS Camp, your home, and we're gonna get to some Rams talk. Jordan, Welcome, Welcome.
Greg, Welcome to my domain. Doesn't the grass smell amazing?
It is really nice?
Totally our first take doing this.
It was it was not Sonny before while they were practicing. Nicely cool. You got the ocean breeze. It is great.
I think I'm insane for wearing a jacket. It was about to rain a second ago, but I'm feeling good.
Yes, everyone should check out the YouTube version of this show, like subscribe. We could use the help there because you can find Sean McVay and Jordan talking in depth right behind my interview that's coming up a little later in the show with Steve Avula and Kobe Turner. But first, before we get to the Rams talk. We're gonna play a game. It's gonna be a fun game, and Randy is in charge here and it's gonna be an if then proposition. You came up with this idea, Why don't you you explain it?
Yes?
To be clear, Yes, came up with it very last minute.
It's a great one.
It's a great one, as you after you sent me a very strange photo of Skip Bayless without any context or captioning.
It was just a funny tweet. If you saw the tweet, you would know Ernestine caught a can.
It was a candid It was a candid shot.
It was okay, it was amazing.
If then the concept is literally what it sounds like. If X happens, then I believe why will happen? Yes, so these are takes, but there takes with steaks because we are timed and I already had the poop scared out of me by the air gun that is going to go off once we run out of time, yes.
Thirty seconds. So we wanted to get as many teams takes as we could in the show. Great analysis. Why don't you kick us off? Are you ready? Jordan?
I'm ready? You let me know when the clock starts, right.
Let's start the clock, Randy, Let's go.
Okay, if Tajy Spears and Tony Pollard can stay healthy, then I think the Titans have a top five rushing attack this season. I also think think that Will Levis at quarterback does provide a little bit of help and support there because they're going to be able to do some of the run pass misdirection stuff, and you know, the quarterback being able to run the ball is always going to help the running backs. Running backs being able to run effectively is always going to help the quarterback.
And I just think that this could potentially.
Be a top Oh see.
This is the good thing about this because I ramble, So we actually started this is a this is we actually started this idea because we both honk.
I don't think you ramble, but yeah, we're both big time honkers. Sometimes we need to be a little more concise. And nothing like allowed airhorn to motivate us. I thought you were going to get it stopped there at the end, and I like that take. It's a lot of faith in the Callahan father son duo to turn that offensive line around, but just pure running back talent, that's one of the best duos in the league. All Right, I'm
going to stay in the backfield, start the clock. If Randy's Packers get good year Josh Jacobs, And if you look at Josh Jake his career, it's either incredible or it's really not incredible, like injuries or just he doesn't look like the right guy. Last year he had both of those guys in the same year. But if they get good year Josh Jacobs, they have a top three offense in the NFL.
Wow.
And he put a little bow on it too with the shoulder shrug. YouTube watchers can can see that you like you kind of like, did the the shrug at me a little bit?
I mean, and I feel confident in that I'm emphasizing the Packers having a top three offense. I just I just have so much faith in Matt Lafleur and what Jordan Love can do, and this receiver corps and how dynamic like I think they have the absolute perfect combination of continuity and youth at the exact same time.
I think they're blessed with great quarterback play and they should be again this year. They also have tight ends who are super active both in the run and the past are going to be using those a lot.
We've talked about this.
Everything springs forth, everything else, everything like unlocks everything else.
That's the way that offense works.
I think you should, also, Randy, have just kind of the freedom to use the airhorn whenever you want, whenever Jordan talks too much? Right, go on, It's not I'm joking.
Because I see there we go.
All right, let's start too much Jordan.
No, I'm joking because I am a chronic overtalker. Let's go.
Okay, ready, keep it moving. Oh are we going right now?
Start the clock.
Okay.
If quote unquote the media is finally tired of quarterback and VP candidates, then candidates I believe who will be in MVP conversation non quarterbacks this year Tyreek Hill, justin Jefferson pending the quarterback situation.
I'm on raw Saint Brown, TJ.
Watt, and Max Crosby unlocked by Christian Wilkins.
Okay, you can use the response as part of the thirty seconds to here. Defensive players are never going to get it. If JJ Watt in twenty fifteen or whatever it is, are never going to get it. Aaron Donald never really got considered, you're.
Talking about most valuable, most valuable.
Okay, okay, I'm gonna get one more word in there. A receiver I think someday maybe could may maybe, And you can't add a qualifier with it if the quarterback situation doesn't work. All right, I'm gonna go to my next one. This is what I'm calling a medium warm take start the clock. If the Broncos offensive line holds up, they will be an efficient offense. You know, it's just I'm setting the bar a bar so medium, so low though, but people just think this is going to be a
tire fire. I think if you're looking at their skill position players, you can make an argument they're the worst group of skill position players in the entire league. There's probably about five or six groups. If you're counting quarterback as a skill position, which I do, that would be in that mix. They're one of those five or six teams. But I actually think it's a good offensive line. If it holds up like I think it will, they'll actually
be like efficient. They'll be like a fourteenth best offensive league.
A.
You are totally under selling the apparent whispers coming out of training camp. Everybody is a buzz over the Josh Reynolds bo Nicks connection.
So let's not let's not get crazy here.
Second, you basically what you basically did was you proverbially gave the meme of the gold star that says you tried. That was your handoff to the Broncos.
Just now. It was just a realization that the Russell Wilson Broncos, which were hard to watch if you looked at the end of the year like, they were totally average in terms of DVOA. And that's just what Sean Payton can do. So I've been quite down on Sean payn on this show in various shows for some reasons. But he's gonna make a efficient offense, all right, go ahead.
Ready, start the clock.
If the Giants dropped four of their first six, then the house is clean. The defenses in their first six are Vikings, Browns, Cowboys, Seahawks, Bengals quarterback exposed rough scene.
If they drop the first four or six.
Cleaning house that early. I disagree. Let's start the clock again, because I have one very close to that I want to talk about them together. If the Saints starts slow, they could be picking in the top five of the NFL Draft. They start with the Panthers, gotta win that. But then at Dallas, Philadelphia, at Falcons, at Kansas City,
the vibes there are funky. The depth chart is funky and so okay, I think we're looking at these two teams Giant Saints as potential ones for slow starts where it could go really bad.
The reason I say this is cleanhouse slash blow things up is because you always have to try to recoup anything you could possibly get before the trade deadline. I'm not saying that they two more words. I'm not saying I'm not saying that we combined two in one time.
Oh my god, I'm dying.
All right, I guess we have to move on. But I don't know why. I don't get get the Hanks too much.
Yeah, Greg, Greg think the.
Saints is I'm not trying to be too harsh. I actually think they could go nine and eight and that wouldn't surprise me. But they just feel like a team if they start one in three that the whole thing could fall apart because the foundation just feels a little.
Rickety one more point, please please, yes, I brought you a water bottle. Okay, So the why I'm saying this. I don't think it's like, Okay, you lost four of your first six, Okay, it's October thirteenth, goodbye. I'm just saying you try to recoup anything you can possibly exchange in the franchise, obviously keeping a few people around player wise, including ones that have been highlighted here on hard knocks.
But I do think that if you drop that and your quarterback is exposed in that way, you do have a serious conversation about not only trying to recoup things before the trade deadline, and then you have a serious talk about personnel and head.
Coach Hm just got in there. I agree, we're going to see some Drew lock. They don't really have many veterans to through out there. I'll go again, what the heck start the clock and I'm keeping mind simple, so I'll give you part of the thirty seconds if you If Anthony Weaver's scheme is as good as I think it's gonna be, h and gets Chop Robinson one on ones, he can win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Oh I like that.
Take a lot of buzz, a lot of Dolphins. I feel like we've had some negative Dolphins buzz, a lot of good buzz of chop. Robinson might just be a pass rusher only as a rookie, like kind of like Byron Young was here. But that's fine. You can win the Rookie of the Year by getting twelve sacks and five hundred snaps.
Yeah, I like his upside too.
I'm sorry, I'm just setting you up, all right. The rules say you gotta move on.
My next start the clock, Randy. Okay.
If Russell Wilson misses much longer I guess he did individuals today, then the Steelers will full on go to Justin Field's Art Smith ooh, he of the overhauled.
Dynamic, a new lease on life.
He's gonna love the dynamic playmaking ability of Justin Fields. I want to see them spam the slants. One point two two epa per play for Justin Fields on slants the highest in the NFL. Didn't actually use him enough in that previous offense and lean into the run game with an extremely explosive quarterback who can run do it art.
But that was the most perfect one. I can can't possibly add anything to that. I'm gonna say, if Bill Belichick has enough fun this year, we doing the media that we may never see him on the sideline again because he realizes what a good gig it is. He's making a lot of money, I'm sure between his four jobs, Underdog, our friend Josh Norris, great job by him, getting Bill
Belichick signed up. We got the Monday Night Football Belichick with Manning, we got McAfee, we got inside the NFL like we're getting a lot of Belichick as a Belichick a file. I love it, and I have a feeling he might really love it too, and not ever coach.
Again, I have nothing to add.
Okay, ready, please, this isn't even if I'm changing the rules of my own game here. Even if Justin Herbert gets that planner fasciitis in his right foot addressed properly, and I hope he does, he has so much fun to watch, then I'm still worried.
That is a lingering injury.
That's one that can pop up randomly years down the road. That's one where a quarterback who we really wanted to see run a little bit more this year, a quarterback who that's his plant foot. That's something I'm really concerned about. John Jim Harbough is going to run the hell out of the ball anyway, So just protect him a little bit.
And I mean, Jim Harbory is going to be playing quarterback at these practices because he's going to see enough at East and Stick and say I want to get in there. I'm bummed out because that is a long term concern. Maybe we'll be proven wrong, but I am bummed out about that.
All right.
Last one for me, I'm gonna say, if the NFL thinks they can prevent the quote unquote cheat motion, they are dead wrong. And I don't even think they're necessarily trying to prevent it. All right, let's take We're gonna take a time I'm taking a time out. I'm making new rules as we go because this is too complicated to explain in less than fifteen seconds. You've dived deep
into this on Thursday. Here, explain it to me. Explain a little context, because Mike Florio wrote about how they adjusted some of the rules that was maybe going to curb what Kyle Shanahan had called the cheap motion, which was a very NFL dorks bonanza of the motion that Tyreek Hill started to do in Week one where he was just suddenly jumping out at the last second from the inside, and all the teams in the league, like
the Rams, started copying it. Explain how maybe it was this adjustment was a little misunderstood.
Yeah, and I love how deep Mike Florio gets into the rule book because someone has to do it. It's not fun work. Someone has to do it, and he really is deep into the rule book and all of those things.
The thing is is.
That motion rule that you cannot move upfield before the snap. That's been the motion rules, the rule since motion began, and so the way that it's been described to me, We've had an entire crew of officials led by Sean Hockeley here. They're basically training with the Rams for the next few days. They're going to do a couple of other camps as well, but I grilled them this morning
pleasantly on what this actually was and what it means. Basically, they are still looking to make sure this pre snap motion that offensive skill players are not moving forward towards the line of secuit.
Is what they do in the CFL. But that was the rule last year as well.
It's been the role, it's been the rule that has.
Maybe some players were getting away with it a little bit, but I went and watched and when Tyreek Kill did it, they timed it up perfectly. He wasn't moving forward and the only times players probably were moving forward it was like half a step and they just didn't time it right. But in that's the rule.
Chain has more to do with players, skill players who are vacillating between a two point stance and a three point stance, which one coach described to me as what are we returning to f N nineteen sixties football, which for those skill players that's just not something that comes up very much, for specifically wide outs people like that. So this is not that actual. The actual rule change was more pertaining. This is how it's explained to me by the crew and by people I talked to here
today at Thursday at RAMS camp. This was more to do with that part of it. Now, the motion can still be used, so cheat motion or fast exit motion, and the Dolphins have a really funny name for it that I don't think I can use without Randy bleeping out. But the short fast exit motion that you saw Tyreek Hill and other players across the league really excel with that can still happen. It's just the rules are still
the same for that motion. You have to time the snap perfectly with the receiver in order to get upfield at the snap. Cannot get upfield before the snap.
I thought Randy was going to hit you with the horn there.
You were trying to go to him into hitting me with the horn, and I'm like, so upset.
With you, dare you? I just thought it'd be funny. I just thought it'd be funny. It was a time out, So I'm just breaking all the roals. No, it's badass. I mean you were talking, thank you, my hero. You're talking to you're you're a real Capital R reporter. You're talking to the officials. You have this conversation that's going on with Sean McVay right behind me, getting into the weeds.
Just like a sasquatch side. I was behind your interview, just.
Just trying to understand this rule. Do you want to throw out one more if then? Or you want me to? I want to.
I want you too. You have some good ones.
Let's go. If if Marvin Harrison Junior is that dude, time in all right, start the clock.
This is a very official, serious game.
So if Marvin Harrison Junior is that dude, the Cardinals will be top eight in EPA per play this year.
Offensively, I'm gonna put him top twelve. I'll give him a little bit more of a like on ramp for that. But I love, I already love what I'm hearing.
Do you know what they were weeks ten through eighteen last year with Kylery like fifth, they were top ten around? They think they were in eighth or ninth or something. Yeah, second and running.
I think with anything, you're gonna need an on REMP. You're gonna install a bunch of new things and try to, like again, stay ahead of the curve. So I think that's very possible.
I'm buying. I don't buy a lot of hype.
I set you up for that. I saw his hand moving.
I'm weirdly buying this a Jones type just that, like, oh, he's a nice fourth receiving option. When you have Harrison Junior and Trey McBride and Michael Wilson's probably third and zee nice.
They're gonna run the hell out of the ball. They're going to run the hell out of the ball.
That nice little group of offensive players there maybe not as good as the ones here with the Rams. Let's take a quick break. Then we'll come back on the other side and Jordan and I are going to talk about the Rams, and then we're also gonna talk to Kobe Turner and Steve Avula right after this. Okay, we are back with Jordan rod Rieg doing her favorite thing to do in the entire world, talk about the Los Angeles Rams.
I do see your tweets, folks.
Oh, don't be don't be hard.
I talk about them too much.
Don't be hard on Jordan.
Uh, she's team that I cover.
She's usually gonna be covering the whole league. And yes, we're here at the RAMS practice because we live in Los Angeles. It's twenty minutes from work, and it is great to come out to the practice. And I like that these first these couple of weeks of camp is a different vibe of NFL daily because we're not going to be out in the field at all moving on. But it is cool to see live football and this was a perfect practice to be at. It was very competitive.
A lot of sessions with a certain amount of time is on the clock, they have to go down the field. Rob Havenstein, I guess was the biggest. You know, just a little item of news. He had an injury appeared to be a foot or an ankle injury, Yeah, and had to leave the field. So it's been a lot of injuries for the Rams. This training came.
Yeah, they're currently without by the way, welcome. Doesn't the grass smell good? Yeah, it's incredible. I will be in many fields over the course of this year, and this is my happy place. So I am so happy that you guys are here today, that we're bringing the listener in as well. Yeah, they're missing three offensive linemen right now, three starters. They invested millions upon millions, including in that interior line.
Each guard a three year deal.
We have some great background sound as well, some excitement, some great excitement behind us.
Yeah.
They extended the the right guard, Kevin Dotson, three years, three year, forty eight million. They also paid Jonah Jackson three years fifty one million, and he's injured. He's got a shoulder injury. He's weak to week. Left tackle Aleric Jackson is not playing right now. He has an ankle sprained. I asked Sean McVay when we can expect to see Aleric back, and he seems optimistic that he'll be back by the char the Chargers scrimmage in a couple of days.
Rob Havenstegin though that that one's a little bit scary. The foot injury. You know, he is there stalwart on the offensive line. He's the veteran, he's a team captain. I don't like seeing, you know what I'm seeing from the backups right now. There was a lot of pressure on those backups today. A lot of run plays that got blown up. I'm not confident in that backup group right now, but getting those guys back, it does seem like Sean believe they're going to get them back at some point.
Yeah, I know that would be a massive injury. It's so crazy to think about the rams and I think just like going big picture, not just about what we saw today. Although the offense got plenty of wins, you might say you didn't like what they you saw and there was a lot of pressure on Matthew Stafford. But let's just say that they looked a lot better than the Charters offense on Monday that I was witnessing, like Puko is making play after play, Cooper Cup was open
all day. Matthew Stafford is getting a lot of hoots from his teammates because he's you know, dodging defenders and making people miss and throwing spin moves out and doing Matthew Stafford things. So the offense look pretty good on balance, But it is crazy to think the way this Rams team has evolved since you've started covering them that now the offensive line is just a huge part of their identity. How nasty they are, and they kind of need that.
They need that group to be great to do what they want to do.
Yeah, Matthew Stafford staying upright is literally the key to this season going the way that the Rams wanted to go. They have extremely high hopes and high aspirations for themselves. It's whispered about in this building here and there about what they believe they're potentially capable of doing.
And they had a lot.
Of momentum, sorry, momentum going into the end of last season before that Detroit Lions loss, and this this offensive line is was planning on moving people, on running whatever the heck run concept they want it to run, not staying in a world of mid zone and outside zone, which you know, not stretching the field wide, going right at your face if they needed to, and also protecting matt Stafford entering his sixteenth season. They got the Stafford deal done and he's out here dealing. This was his
best day so far. Now, granted, the first two days he was out here and the first two pads days it was a very run heavy installation day, so less juice, less energy. I thought they looked flat on Tuesday, and then they came out here. Someone said something to someone because they came out here and Matthew Stafford played what I politely call his very particular brand of fu football, and guys are getting open for him and he can still sling it around.
It was awesome to watch, just like that high.
It doesn't get old. He can throw that high.
Level of skill between him Pooka and now that Cooper Cup is looking like Cooper Cup. That feels like one of the big takeaways from camp. Just you know, cross your fingers. But he just I'm guessing at no point last year he certainly didn't ever on the field in a regular game ever, really look like the guy that we've seen dominate the league. Maybe he hasn't quite looked like that for a couple of years, but he looks different this year.
You're saying, yeah, one day, Cooper Cup looked like Cooper Cup last year. And it was the first joint practice between the Rams and the Denver Broncos in Denver. And then he heard his hamstring again, and so that one day is now carrying over and over and over and over. He looks like that. It's it's you know, he's crossing thirties past thirty this this season. When the season starts, we know about the injury history, we know at what
point receivers start to drop off. But when I watched these practices, this is the best time a year for me because we get to be right on the sideline up close.
Obviously I didn't even know where you were.
Where's George?
He lost me multiple times.
I was over in the back corner of the end zone when they were working, when they were working on red zone, I was watching Cooper literally in his cut split, moving an inch to the right because that movement, you know, resetting it and making sure he was right on the detail of the space he needed to be on pre snap. And then that play ended up springing DeMarcus Robinson loose for a big catch in the end zone. And it's just those little tiny details. But then also he like
broad step against Quentin Lake. It almost was like a heavy but it wasn't. But it was like almost like that at the beginning of his route in order to catch that you know, that high flying leap that he made in the back of the end zone. And you didn't see him pushing his body like this last year when I saw him take those strides the way that he did in that one particular play, you just never
saw that last year. He was so worried about his body, and for good reason, because it just wasn't right last year.
Yet he skied for what would have been a touchdown, but he only got one foot down. But I think I got I was like the only play I recorded. I fanned out, I guess, and recorded one play the whole practice and that was it. So I got some ig heat coming.
Maybe I hope it luck because dart to the neck. These guys don't let you report or record scheme. I'm going to give you a lot of scheme.
It's just him jumping in the end zone or whatever. But he also had another play where Stafford was scrambling around, and like I said, Stafford looked very mobile today. And he comes back to the ball on, you know, to get it close to the end zone. That to me, that was just such a Cooper Cup and Stafford no each other is doing. But then you also have for the first time healthy Gooper Cup next to the best receiver on the team. I'm just going to assume Pooka
Akua is the best receiver on the team. He looks extremely quick. Everything's going to him, and those two together that special. Let's talk about the defense before we go, because it is it's such a weird thing to expect a defense that loses Aaron Donald to get better, or that loses Raheem Morris to get better. But it is kind of year two of this rebuild with the defense, and there are some reasons, i think to believe that they can be at least where they were last year
or maybe better. Like what stood out to you from the defense sos far well, the.
Defense has been feeling themselves a little bit through the first part of camp, particularly when the pads got on.
They've been making plays.
They've been getting into the backfield on a lot of these run plays Byron Young was really active today, both you know, in the pass rush, but then also he was getting out into the flat on some of those little underneath plays and some of those checkdowns to Kyroen Waban he.
Took out Blake Korum mean, actually, we saw a nice moment here by the set as Blake was leaving the field and he he came over young came over to him and it was just apologizing PROFUSI like, I would never mean to do that, man, and I didn't do that on purpose, and Blake was kind of like, yeah, okay, man, but this was still yeah.
The Byron has a good saying. They got it from a team meeting where you're not gonna make it. You don't have any enemies on your own sideline, and so it's basically reminding them. Because the defense came out so fired up the last couple of days, there were some moments where you thought, oh, could this boil over. It's a young group. It's a lot of new guys mixing with guys who are now in their second year, their third year, and then a couple of vets, especially on the back end.
I think Trey White looks great.
Some of the plays today that Matthew Stafford made against him. Only two quarterbacks maybe in the league could fit the ball where they fit it. The other being Pat Mahomes when Cooper cup was was kind of in that he was doubled back there in that back corner and then Trey let another one go through. But it was it was in basically, there's nothing you could do about it. It was one of those where you just shrug your shoulders and the and the DB's coach comes over and congratulates
Cooper because there's nothing you can do about it. And so, but I think Trey White looks really good. They obviously miss Darius Williams had the had the hamstring issue. They do expect him to be back at some point as well. But yeah, this this is a really scrappy young defense. They're fired up about life. It's kind of energizing to be to be out here listening to them talk to each other. Braden Fisk does not look like a second round pick at all to me so far. His hands
are good, his feet are great. When the pads came on, he validated all of those better so far. It's different positions, you know, so I think they've been you know, you know me, I don't like comps, right like I don't like rankings or comps, And it's different so obviously for the listener, Jared versus playing.
Where I am? You know, just a bunch of ranthing. Jared versys to calm down a little bit, though he ran right through Stafford hit him fairly hard today.
Yeah, he's got to pull it back.
That was just the dicey moment. Stafford got out, just not looking old or anything, but looking like he just got run over by a two hundred and seventy pound guy.
And I'm just that's what a first round pick looks like.
Right, But also just like that, you do not want to do that. It could have gone very poorly. I'm worried about the defensive coordinator change, but talent wise, I'm with you. I kept my eyes on Trey White, who just was not healthy at all the last two years in Buffalo and could be a big difference maker. And then Cam Curl was a big addition at safety coming off a really good season with Washington. Good player and the two point conversion that the Rams tried today and
was unsuccessful. If I was reading the play right, and I think I was, Curl really took away where Stafford wanted to go on that play and it was unsuccessful and the defense went absolutely crazy, and Sean McVay was not happy about, you know, the offense not getting it, but that was like what a heady older safety is going to do. So that's interesting what you said about the whispering in the building of what they think they can accomplish. I mean, I guess we can guess, Hugh
je expect to win a Super Bowl. They think they can do that.
This team thinks that if they can stay healthy, that's being the key, and we're going to go to if then my if then for the Rams, if they can keep Matthew Stafford healthy, then this team believes that they are Super Bowl contenders.
M I believe it. Why not in this NFC they look like it. At the end of last year they had a chance, and yeah, it's no fun losing Donald, But I think for the most part, this is a really young team with a couple key older guys sprinkled in, but for the most part, it's one of the youngest teams in the league. That's our RAMS talk. But we're not done with Rams talk. We are going to hear from Kobe Turner, the conductor and Steve Avula, one of
the best young offensive linemen in the league. Left handed who just happened to be best friends are good friends. I don't know why I'm saying best friends, but that they're friends. You can as it was fun sitting down with them. Let's take a lesson. That's good. You gave us our sound check for us. I love it all right, let's get going. Oh, sure, there you go.
Wait did you hear the sound of that? That sounded like the start of a dreams by?
Uh?
He wouldn't.
Let's just start the interview that way. We're keeping this out here with Kobe Turner and Steve Ovula.
There we go.
Right, you're a star. You're not if it was your rookie year, but you're the center. You had a great rookie season. And before we even started talking, you come over to me and you're like, oh, Erica said, you're the little one.
Yes, you know. I told her.
She was like, yeah, just say it.
I'm like, dude, I don't want like, am I gonna offense? I don't want to anybody. You gotta let me know what the inside joke.
There's not an inside joke. She made that up, but just no, that's Erica. But she's right. I'm standing sitting next to two large humans who has great rookie seasons and from what I can tell, our good buddies. Kobe Turner gave out, what just because the rookie class, you guys bonded.
Yeah, I mean it kind of start. I mean we have our lockers are right next to each other there. But I mean off Rip, I mean I just knew I could feel, you know, just the energy that he brings. I feel like we're kind of like each other in a lot of ways. So I mean it also helps,
you know, going against each other every day. But I mean the whole rooky class last year, I mean we were bonding over the things we were going through, just you know, with adjusting to a lot of things, just the coaching staff adjusting two different experiences.
So it was cool.
I like how you wanted to kind of interview voice there because you were like so live and so I was very professional now in a good way, in a way. I liked you came over and that's what I was talking about, Kobe. You seemed really excited, so for everyone listening. Kobe Turner, of course, one of the defensive Rookie of the Year candidates last year, the conductor my friend JB. Long nicknamed you I Belie, and you were really excited because today was your first day. I think back out
at practice, how did that go? How did your your matchups go?
Here?
It was so much fun.
Like I'm not somebody who takes for granted things, but I mean every step of the way, I would be dressed up for walkthrough and it's everybody else's down day. It's like third day, and I'm like, oooh, I'm out there with the ones today even though it's chogged through, or oh I get to put on my pads and I haven't put on my pads yet, but everybody else has been practicing, and then today to be able to
put it all together. You know, I'm still not getting the full snap count yet, but that'll be picking up in the next couple of days. But it's just such a blessing to be back out here with the guys.
And you guys seem competitive because you were saying, Steve, like you guys on the offense needed to bring the energy a little bit more, which I'm surprised having watched the defense got their wins early but the offense got their wins late.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean that's something that Sean emphasizes a lot. There's a lot of acronyms that he uses, but I know one of them has to do with energy, and I did feel like the defense brought it today. But you know, that's something that we definitely need to work on because I feel I mean, it's a long season, you know, so we definitely needed through the games.
But I feel like overall it was a good practice.
It was also it was nice having him back out there, so that's another person to get me better.
So yeah, it's really good to be able to go back and forth.
I mean, that's the sign of a good team, in my opinion, is that no one day dominates the entire day. It's about how you respond and whether that be play the play basis, uh, series of series basis, and so to be able to go out there and see the back and forth, uh, that leads to bigger energy on both sides, right, because it's an actual competition.
It's not just one side dog walking the other. The entire I feel, I mean that similates a game. I mean, we've been in a lot of different instances. I feel like this past year, like when we were playing the Colts, bro like we were up by so much and then towards the end it was.
Like, oh my gosh. The same thing with the.
Ro the same thing with the commanders.
That it seemed like Robert when when the defense broke up at two point play at practice today, like Sean McVay almost sounded like he was talking trash to the defense, almost that he was upset. Does that annoy you as a defensive player that like he doesn't seem to be rooting for y'all.
Oh no, no, no, not at all.
Like Sean is, he's a head coach, so you know, whichever way the day goes, he wins.
You know, his.
Office and defense.
But it's good because I'm pretty sure he's a play caller, right, So it's good to have that like little competition. And even with the head coach would be like I knew that one was coming. Or sometimes we'll be talking on the sideline and I'll call out his plays or something like that, and.
I'll be like, Okay, I was thinking about the identity of this team that you guys have. Because you have you're such a young team. You guys are great representatives of that too. Kind of I think of now Core Rams, young starters, but you also have obviously the veterans like Matthew Stafford. You have Tredevius White now coming in, but you no longer have Aaron Donald here, Like, how do you see the identity of this Rams team now that now that the younger guys have some some miles.
Under Yeah, I mean I feel like me and him definitely had a lot of talks this offseason just with the understanding and realization of those people are leaving, you know, I mean this is our second year. Uh, you know, I've set this for myself as well. I mean, you know, you have to be a leader. I feel like a lot of the reason why we had success last year is because the coaches trusted us, and I feel like the coaches me being moved to center was also another
indicated that the coaches trust me. So I feel like that will put me more in a leadership role. Overall, I feel like I'd have to earn that, you know, respect for my teammates. And I'm sure the same thing you know for you with ad departying and stuff.
Yeah, it's like a it's an everyday quest to just keep getting better and better and better and to keep bringing people to what I know and what I've experienced, and I haven't experienced much of anything, Like I'm only a rookie, but to keep bringing people along and keep only a rookie until we get some games under our belt this season. But to just keep bringing those guys along and you know, hoping that the work ethic that
I exemplify, my process is something that's worth following. But we have so many great leaders on this team, and even just thinking defensively like a d left. But at the same time, you have guys like Ernest Jones, who's just like the heart of the defense, the true heart and soul of the defense, and that makes it easier also to lead my respective group up under, you know, and and learning and kind of uh using his leadership
also as as fuel for that as well. And then you got got guys like Tradevius White who comes in and he's just a natural leader.
He's only been here, you know since the.
Spring, but he was talking like the photographer on the side.
He might be playing around, I don't know, but yeah, we have a lot of good guys and a lot of just strong character, uh a strong leadership guys, and you know, we're all building this up together. Now everybody has a piece of the puzzle and we're all putting it together.
I feel like one thing, and I'm sorry, I don't mean that.
It's good.
I feel like one thing for us last year is just the relationships that we had. You know, when you have siblings, man, you'll fight all the time. And that's how I kind of try to approach practice. Like there was talking, just talking all the time, like on the field, and I tried my best not to take it to heart because at the end of the day, you know, we're on the field, you know, leave everything on the field.
But at the end of the day, man, like we're all like teammates, you know, we're all brothers, and that's you know, how we how we treat each other. So we haven't had any thing go on in the locker room, and I feel like everything has been focused on trying to win games and trying to do it with the person next to you.
Is there something you learn from Aaron specifically just being next to him. It must have been. I don't know if it was intimidating at first, just coming into the league, and you I know it's different with Rob Havnstein, but I think of they were both on the Saint Louis Rams. Yeah, and now they're here. They've obviously won a Super Bowl. You guys had that success that you had last year, Like, what was it like and was there something you took from being next to those guys?
So first of all, it was a little intimidating to start, Like, I don't think I was looking him in the eyes in the huddle till like week seven, maybe like after I started making a couple of plays or something like that. But no, I think the thing that I appreciated the most about him was his process. And he was a man of like few words, but when he said something,
he meant it. But to be able to have the impact that he had where people were following him just strictly off of this is the work that I'm putting in. You guys see what I'm putting in, and if it's worthy of being followed, then you guys are going to follow me. And that's something that I kind of try
to model the way in as well. If my process is worthy of being followed, then it doesn't matter what words I say, and obviously I can you know, my personality lends itself a little bit more vocal leadership, but regardless, like my if my example is worthy of being followed, then people will.
Yeah.
And for Rob, I mean I feel like it's a lot of the same thing. I mean they've been through a lot, man, you know, when you're part of a team for that long, you know, you go through ups and downs and you just I mean he's learned from people too. I mean Wit was on the team, so that's some knowledge from Wit that Rob you know, eventually, you know, passes down to us.
But that was one of the.
First people, you know, he has. He was actually one of the first people to text me when I got drafted. I remember that. But you know, I've always tried to learn under him. I remember one of the best things he told me. I was so nervous before this first game. He was like, you know, the difference between college and the NFL. And he was I was like what, and he was like nothing, you know, it's football and it's so simple. But like to know that he could, you know,
give me that advice. You know, it really called me for that game. And there's a lot of different stuff that he tells me, you know, during practice, during the meeting time, in the you know, weight room everything.
You know.
I'm just glad that I have someone.
Like him, who's someone you I like going against. That's a good challenge, not on this team necessarily like on another team. Yeah that you played against that, I'm not saying they gave you the business, but a good battle back and forth. And it was same for you too.
Uh for me, there's okay, people ask me who's the best person I go against. I feel like I kind of categorize defenses, you know, and I know that uh Dallas was was a good matchup for all of us.
You know.
I've learned a lot about myself, you know that game. But I will say, you know, Jonathan Allen had this one move that he does on offensive lineman I have never seen in my life, you know. Yeah, and like I have, I've seen it, I've never gone against it.
So it took me. It was a process, you know, in the game.
And I feel like Sean talks about having a growth mindset, and you know, that's what I have to have during that game to make adjustments, you know, to figure out what to do against that move.
You know.
But I feel like that was one of the h That was a good game and it definitely, you know, boosted my confidence to know that I can lock in you know, mid game and and and try to establish myself to figure out what I'm gonna do.
He's nasty, who's an offensive lineman, Kobe that that's tough. So other than other than your body.
Here right aside from our team, Uh, we faced a good couple. But I think some of the best battles that I've had have been against.
Is it Chris Lindenbaum from the Ravens the center?
Yeahland Yeah, Yeah.
That was one of the games where I look back and I'm like, that was just like good work, and I know he's a respectable center in this league, and I felt like there's a good back and forth. And then I'm excited for Week one too, uh to be able to go back and see Frank rag now again. You know, of course one of the top old linemen in the league, one of the top centers, and you know, there's just certain things going into that game where it's
like you gotta gotta lock in. See this he blocks a different way and picked up some wins and and took some losses.
But it was a really good battle. So looking forward to that as well.
Last thing I'll leave you with, My daughter, Ellis is a huge RAMS fan.
Okay, are you help me on the spot?
That's my girl. So I'm rooting for her happiness. But I grew up in Massachusetts and now you know, I got this, I got this logo on, so I'm not supposed to be rooting. But of course I want my daughter to be happy. So they gave her a moment at the Super Bowl that I'll never forget. It came out of her eyes. So so can you can you give her some optimism about these twenty twenty four Rams that you're gonna You're gonna speak to her and give her some great man.
Yes, well, I feel like a couple of things you'll get out of us. You know. One, you're rooting for some great guys. That's number one. You're rooting for some great guys.
And two, you're rooting for some guys that are gonna give it all every play, Okay, yeah.
Yeah, And that the work that we put in is something that's every day, you know, growing and going in the right trajectory. And at the end of the day, we all realize that we are one team, and we are one unit and We truly are our brotherhood in more ways than just words and uh and more than just cliches. And so when when you see us out there during the season, it's gonna be twenty two playing is one this entire time.
She's twelve.
She can understand it, right, Like, I don't know why I was thinking like time, I'm like, she's over here running the book.
They call them.
I can see that. I know you got the vocal range and you might have like a career in politics with that voice. All right, that's Kobe Turner and then Steve Avula, second year players of the Los Angeles Rams. Okay, wrapping the show up here. That was a fun one. That was a lot. We got a game, we got injuries, we played a game, We got the Rams. Kobe Turner and Steve Ovula were great, and we appreciate everyone that
has been listening to NFL Daily. This is our fourth week now and I think we're just getting going and I'm gonna have a little bit of a mailbag episode later in next week. And so if you want to send in any questions you have about the twenty twenty four season or about the show, whatever you want. NFL Daily Podcast at gmail dot com sending your questions. I want to hear from you, and I really appreciate all the
messages of support. We're doing this thing. Rate us, like us, subscribe on YouTube, the whole thing, and this was fun. We are gonna be back on Monday morning. First thing in your podcast feed, Nick, Chuck and I are going to go through the entire AFC and we're gonna do the same for the NFC the following day with Jordan. Really get you caught up on all the camp takeaways, the nuggets. It is really picking up now until then, see you next time.