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Here are five things we learned from Rams OTAs and minicamp
The Los Angeles Rams wrapped up minicamp in Hawai’i on Wednesday. With the conclusion of minicamp, the Rams will now break until July 22 when they begin training camp. While the pads won’t come on until later in the summer, there was still plenty to learn. Here is a quick look at several things we learned and some takeaways from OTAs and minicamp.
Last season, the Rams took a gamble when they claimed former first round cornerback Emmanuel Forbes off of waivers. Forbes had been drafted 16th overall by the Washington Commanders in 2023 and due to his frame and lack of schematic fit, he didn’t work. When the Commanders had a regime change, Forbes was cut midseason. While he didn’t play a lot for the Rams last year, Forbes will have an offseason to develop. As it stands, he seems to be a player that the Rams are excited about in the early summer. Said defensive coordinator Chris Shula,
“Forbes has done a great job thus far. We were really excited about him in the middle of the year...It’s nice to see how smart he is, see him communicate, and he does a really nice job.”
Forbes’ name has consistently come up in OTAs and minicamp. While he may not start over Darious Williams, Ahkello Witherspoon, or Cobie Durant, Forbes is at least good depth to have. If Williams struggles, the Rams may opt to give Forbes an opportunity. Forbes will need to keep this momentum through training camp, but the early signs are positive.
A serious argument can be made that the Rams should have selected a cornerback in the first, second, or third round of the NFL Draft. Instead, they didn’t address the position at all. There was some speculation that the Rams would trade for Jalen Ramsey. It’s possible they are being publicly indifferent, but as it stands, the Rams seem to be content with the current group. Said McVay,
“I think that the way that guys will approach, similar to the previous question, there are a lot of young guys, or maybe even guys that are new to the Rams but have accumulated a bunch of experience that I think are only going to continue to take steps.”
McVay has stated multiple times that he’s comfortable with where the Rams are at the position. While they cut Derion Kendrick for cap reasons, they opted to bring him back. Whether or not it’s the correct decision, the Rams feel good about this group. It doesn’t appear they are in any hurry to make an addition to the secondary.
Multiple things can be true when it comes to the Rams rookies. There are certainly reasons to be excited about this group. At the same time, at this...
