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USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Colin Cowherd doesn't think Rams will win NFC West
The Los Angeles Rams will defend their NFC West title for the first time since 2022. L.A. finished third and second in the two years following their Super Bowl win, but returned to the top of the division in 2024. But while the Rams kept most of their roster intact for 2025, the Herd's Colin Cowherd isn't too confident in L.A.'s ability to repeat as division champions. He picked the Seattle Seahawks to win the NFC West and put the Rams at No. 2. His biggest worries stem from the offensive line. Left tackle Alaric Jackson is still dealing with blood clots, while right tackle Rob Havenstein is 33 and could be playing his last NFL season. It doesn't help, either, that Matthew Stafford is still not practicing with a back injury. Cowherd still has the Rams making the playoffs as the No. 7 seed, but that doesn't inspire much confidence for a team that was a few plays away from the NFC Championship game a year ago and went toe-to-toe with the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles.
USA Today
22-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
6 important things to know from report day at Rams training camp
Los Angeles Rams coaches arrived at Loyola Marymount University on Monday but on Tuesday, players reported to training camp on campus. While there were no major surprises from report day – Kyren Williams was among those to show up despite his contract situation – there were some notable takeaways from the team's press conferences. Sean McVay provided updates on Alaric Jackson and Matthew Stafford, while Rob Havenstein shared the latest on his health heading into training camp. Players will begin practicing this week, with the first open practice taking place on Thursday, so they're ready to get to work at LMU. Here are six important things to know from Tuesday's press conferences. Rams will meet with Kyren Williams' agent on Wednesday to continue contract talks The Rams and Williams continue to talk about a potential contract extension for the star running back, though no deal has been struck yet. McVay told reporters that they've made progress and the team will sit down with Williams' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, on Wednesday to keep those conversations going. Williams is confident a deal will get done at some point and he made it clear that he wants to stay with the Rams, so it's about getting a deal over the finish line. 'We have gotten closer,' McVay said. 'Haven't gotten a deal over the finish line, obviously. He has done everything that he can control that makes you want to say, 'Let's try, in good faith, to try to figure this out for this guy because he's representing all the things that are right about the Rams.'' Alaric Jackson won't start on an injury list and could play Week 1 Jackson is currently dealing with blood clots in his leg, which he was diagnosed with this offseason. The good news is he won't start training camp on the PUP or NFI list, so he'll be a participant in practice. He just won't do the team drills and physical work with the other linemen. Instead, he'll stick to individual drills as the Rams take it one day at a time with their left tackle. McVay did say he wouldn't rule out Jackson playing in Week 1, saying that's a 'very real possibility' if all goes according to plan. Matthew Stafford will be limited in the beginning of camp Perhaps the most surprising news coming out of McVay's press conference was the fact that Stafford will be limited to start camp. He will only do individual work with trainers for the first week of practice as he manages some back soreness that 'crept up' leading into camp. McVay isn't concerned about Stafford's status for the season and they planned to give him additional days off anyway, but it's a situation to monitor. Rob Havenstein will be a full participant in practice Havenstein is coming off shoulder surgery and decided to continue playing rather than retiring after the 2024 season, which was in consideration for the right tackle. The Rams were smart with him in the offseason program and didn't push him too hard, but he'll be back to full strength this week. He told reporters that he'll be a full-go in practice, which is great news given Jackson's uncertain status on the left side. At the very least, the Rams will have one of their starting tackles in the early stages of camp. Braden Fiske comfortable playing at a heavier weight Fiske said in his press conference that he's feeling good after having minor knee surgery. He even bulked up a bit, adding more muscle to his frame and cutting his body fat. He said he's comfortable playing at a heavier weight, especially after changing his diet and working with a dietician this offseason. He worked hard to take care of his body and is up to 292-293 pounds after playing below 290 last season. 'That's where I feel the best at,' he said. 'Last year, I kind of floated under 290, which was fine but I feel a lot better when I'm a little bit heavier. I don't get moved around too much, so feels a lot better at that weight.' McVay can feel 'youthful energy' despite Rams being older The Rams are right around average when it comes to the overall age of their team, but the offense is undeniably older. With veterans such as Stafford, Havenstein, Tyler Higbee and even Davante Adams, the offense is a little bit on the older side. However, McVay still feels a lot of energy coming from that group, which he loves to see. 'It does feel like a youthful energy that we have, and I even feel that from some of our players – you watch the way Matthew Stafford's running around in the offseason and how he feels and his vibe. So even some of these guys that are older by age, they feel young,' he said.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
8 biggest storylines entering Rams training camp
Players are reporting to Los Angeles Rams training camp at Loyola Marymount on Tuesday as they get settled in for the next week-plus of work. The Rams' roster looks like one of the best on paper, but as is the case with every team, there are storylines to follow and questions to answer. From contract negotiations to injuries to position battles, here are the eight biggest storylines to keep an eye on as training camp rolls on. Alaric Jackson's health There's no bigger question mark entering training camp than Jackson's status. He's dealing with blood clots in his leg and there's no real timetable for him to return. No one really knows when he'll be back on the field, whether it's during training camp or in the middle of the season. Sean McVay said last month that he'd have an update on Jackson when they get to training camp so we await word on when the Rams can expect their starting left tackle to be back in the fold. Until then, it'll likely be D.J. Humphries and David Quessenberry competing for reps at left tackle. Kyren Williams' contract situation Last year, it was Matthew Stafford's contract that got done at the 11th hour before the start of training camp. This year, Williams is looking for a new deal and while his contract isn't as dire as Stafford's was, negotiations have been going on for months. Training camp is typically when the Rams sign their players to extensions so it's possible Williams' deal will get done in the coming weeks. But heading to Loyola Marymount, there will be a lot of attention on the running back's financial situation. The Rams are seemingly reluctant to give him top-market money but it's easy to see why he believes he deserves a raise after the last two seasons he put together and he's a potential 'hold-in candidate,' according to Ian Rapoport. It's definitely a situation to monitor. Sorting out the cornerback group The Rams have talent at cornerback, but there's also a lot of uncertainty with that group. Darious Williams is getting older, Ahkello Witherspoon has been up and down, and Cobie Durant is still waiting for that breakout year. Then there are Emmanuel Forbes Jr., Josh Wallace, Derion Kendrick and others competing for snaps. Williams, Witherspoon and Durant are the favorites to start, with Quentin Lake also manning the slot again. But Forbes is a promising young player and Kendrick is back from injury. Piecing the secondary together will be a primary task in camp. How will newcomers fit with the Rams? Davante Adams, Poona Ford and Coleman Shelton are all new to the team and remain on track to be starters. But when the pads come on and the competition heats up, we'll get a much better idea of how these three players fit with the team. Adams is a perfect partner for Puka Nacua at wide receiver, Ford is an upgrade at nose tackle and Shelton brings familiarity at center. The Rams also have Nate Landman at linebacker, who will be competing for snaps alongside Omar Speights and Chris Paul Jr. He could wind up being a starter for Los Angeles this season, too. Tutu Atwell's golden opportunity Atwell is in position to play his biggest role yet as a member of the Rams. Fresh off signing a $10 million extension, Atwell is penciled in as the No. 3 receiver behind Adams and Nacua. That alone will earn him a lot of playing time on a team that often has three wideouts on the field at a time. The question is whether Atwell will capitalize on it and become a full-time contributor or remain a situational player who does most of his damage on deep routes. The Rams would love for him to finally emerge as the weapon they thought he'd become when he was picked in the second round and there's never been a better opportunity for him to accomplish just that. Diversifying the offense beyond 11 personnel McVay said after the 2024 season that he wanted to diversify the offense this year. They were fairly one-dimensional last season due to their lack of explosive plays, forcing the offense to methodically march down the field with long drives. After drafting Terrance Ferguson in the second round, the Rams are poised to change things up a bit. With Ferguson, Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson all being starting-caliber tight ends, the Rams can mix and match their personnel much more easily this season. They won't give everything away in camp but we could get a better idea of how they plan to deploy their five eligible receivers this season. There should be more 12 personnel with two tight ends on the field together, but will it become their base package? Doubtful. Who steps up as the No. 3 OLB? Michael Hoecht left to join the Bills in free agency, which left a void at outside linebacker behind Jared Verse and Byron Young. The Rams weren't very aggressive in attempting to replace the veteran edge rusher, with their only notable addition being Josaiah Stewart in the third round of the draft. It's obvious Los Angeles is confident in its young edge rushers, including Brennan Jackson and Nick Hampton. Between Jackson, Hampton and Stewart, someone has to step up and become the third edge rusher in the rotation – a key role with how frequently players at that position need a break throughout each game. If the backups struggle in camp, look for the Rams to potentially add a veteran before the season begins. Wide-open ILB competition Seriously, though. Who is going to start at linebacker? Omar Speights and Nate Landman? Speights and Chris Paul Jr.? Landman and Paul? Troy Reeder and Shaun Dolac?? It's without question the most wide open position group on the roster, with no clear frontrunner emerging just yet. Speights should be considered the favorite after he finished the year strong, but Landman was a notable free-agent addition and Paul was a fifth-round pick. The Rams need someone to stand out from this group in order to elicit some confidence about the weakest position on the team. Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and Threads for more coverage! This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams training camp: 8 biggest storylines to watch this summer
USA Today
18-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rams' 25 most important players for 2025 – No. 4: LT Alaric Jackson
Offensive tackles don't get the national recognition and praise that skill players do, but it's an incredibly important position – one that can often determine how far a team goes in a given year. The Los Angeles Rams are facing the real possibility of missing their starting left tackle while Alaric Jackson deals with blood clots, and he's not a player they can really afford to lose. Jackson just signed a three-year, $57.75 million contract this offseason but is now in danger of missing the start of the season. He remains one of the Rams' most important players, both because of the position he plays and how well he's performed in the last two seasons. How he got here Jackson has been a fantastic underdog story in L.A. He started his career as an undrafted free agent in 2021, signing with the Rams after he was shockingly not selected in the draft that year. He played four games as a rookie, eight in Year 2 (6 starts) and became the full-time starter in 2023, maintaining that job for the last two years. He's now signed through 2027 after inking an extension this offseason. 2024 stats 14 games (14 starts): 25 pressures allowed, 3 sacks allowed, 79.2 pass-blocking grade, 75.2 run-blocking grade (via PFF) Projected role Jackson's role wouldn't be difficult to project if not for his health scare. As a result of his blood clots, it's unclear exactly when Jackson will be able to suit up in 2025. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported initially that the belief is still that Jackson will play at some point this season, no one knows when that will be. When healthy, there isn't any question about his spot on the depth chart: he's the starting left tackle. But he may begin the year on the PUP list, which would cause him to miss a minimum of four games. Why he's important There's a reason the Rams gave Jackson $57.75 million this offseason, committing to him at nearly $20 million per year to be their left tackle of the future. He's one of the best young players at his position and gives the Rams stability at a critical spot on the offensive line. Without Jackson, the Rams have struggled to find consistency at left tackle, as evidenced by the poor play by Joe Noteboom last season. They have a couple of viable replacements after signing D.J. Humphries and David Quessenberry as free agents but no one else on the team can match the talent and potential of Jackson. Follow Rams Wire on X, Facebook and Threads for more coverage!
USA Today
15-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rams' Alaric Jackson not viewed as one of the 24 best tackles by NFL coaches and execs
Despite a strong 2024 season, Jackson was completely snubbed from the 2025 rankings. Ladies and Gentlemen, LT (77) Alaric Jackson cutups from the Rams divisional game against the Eagles. As training camp approaches, ESPN continues to survey league executives, coaches, and scouts on player position rankings. One of the most recent came within the trenches with the top 10 offensive tackles heading into the 2025 season. The list, which was voted upon by executives, coaches, and scouts, was categorized by the 10 best, followed by honorable mentions, and capped off by "others receiving votes." Notable names include Tristan Wirfs from Tampa Bay, Penei Sewell from Detroit, and Rashawn Slater from the Los Angeles Chargers. Other players who received votes include Ronnie Stanley from Baltimore and Jake Matthews from Atlanta. However, just like any rankings list, the debate is always who got snubbed, and in today's edition, the case can be made for Los Angeles Rams' left tackle Alaric Jackson. The veteran, who signed a three-year, $57 million contract extension back in February, wasn't even mentioned for a vote. Jackson broke out in 2024. Per Pro Football Focus, he graded 18th overall out of 140 tackles, 19th as a run blocker, and 23rd in pass protection. He allowed just three sacks, four hits, and 22 pressures last season and set a career-best 4.5% pressure rate allowed. His sacks allowed were fewer than Detroit's Taylor Decker (8), and he gave up fewer pressures than Stanley (35). He finished with a higher overall and pass-blocking grade than Buffalo's Spencer Brown, who graded out at 73.6 overall and 76.2 in pass protection. All of which are names who appeared on the list. Jackson also remains one of the most disciplined offensive linemen in the league, having been called for holding just twice in his career and has committed only five false starts. The Rams signed the 6-foot-7, 345-pounder as an UDFA in 2021, and has worked his way up the depth chart over his career. After appearing in 12 games with six starts in his first two seasons, the former First-team All-Big Ten selection from Iowa has since started 29 games over the last two seasons. While the team will count on him to continue to grow in his role, his status for the season remains uncertain due to his blood clot diagnosis. In response to his current situation the Rams brought in veteran tackle D. J. Humphries back in June as an insurance policy. Still, when healthy, Jackson is arguably the second most important piece on the Rams' offense, behind his veteran quarterback, Matthew Stafford, whom he has effectively protected.
