Rams’ first day in pads: Ty Simpson cuts it loose, Aaron Donald buzz builds

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Rams put on the pads for the first time in training camp, and it made for a livelier day on the grass fields at Loyola Marymount University. Five days into camp, some elements of this team are starting to come into better view.

Here are six thoughts on what took place during Friday’s practice:

1. Ty Simpson saw his most action yet as a Rams quarterback, and it led to an eventful day with some highs and lows.

After four days of a slow build-up for the No. 13 pick in this year’s NFL Draft, the Rams unleashed a bit more of Simpson’s playmaking. Matthew Stafford was resting as part of his maintenance plan, and Simpson split reps pretty evenly with Stetson Bennett, with Bennett taking the first crack.

The Rams finally had Simpson operating on longer dropbacks and less predetermined, short-range throws compared to previous settings. In this one, he went to the intermediate part of the field for a nice strike to sixth-round rookie wide receiver CJ Daniels for a chunk gain. He scrambled deep to the left on another play before reversing course with a turn back to his right and delivering an on-target strike along the sideline, although it was dropped.

The day had some lowlights, too, as Simpson had two passes nearly picked off, including one where he didn’t appear to see Emmanuel Forbes Jr., and Forbes dropped what should have been an easy interception. He also bobbled one snap for a fumble.

It offers some tape to clean up, but Simpson at least didn’t look timid in going across the middle despite holding the ball a little longer, which is something he can do with better mobility than Stafford at this stage in his career.

“Just being able to call the plays in the huddle where we get in and out,” McVay said of Simpson’s growth from the spring to now. “And then I think some of the things mechanically about being able to speed up his release, some of the timing and rhythm in terms of with his lower half being married up with the routes.”

Simpson’s internal clock will need to speed up over time, but this is a long development process for a rookie who started just 15 games at Alabama. He isn’t supposed to see the field until at least next season, if the Rams can keep Stafford upright, and so working through highs and lows in real time are exactly what they will be looking for in these settings that don’t offer a true pass rush — while knowing that preseason games will offer those live rush situations.

2. The Rams don’t have an update on Aaron Donald’s potential return from retirement. But even in that, they generated a little buzz on Friday.

McVay said the team won’t have any news on this front until it’s finished with training camp at Loyola Marymount University and is back working at the facility in Woodland Hills. The Rams remain in contact with Donald, who continues to train in order to put himself in position to decide whether to come back at age 35, two years after he retired as a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.

But the vibes still remain strong about the potential of re-adding a three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

“If there’s an arrow, it’s trending upward,” McVay said.

3. The biggest highlight of the day for the offense was a wheel-route touchdown by Kyren Williams. He beat a linebacker around the right edge, caught a Bennett pass and high-strided into the end zone to a chorus of cheers.

It was a glimpse at an area of Williams’ game that I think has been underutilized with the Rams, though understandably so. Williams caught 77 passes for 672 yards and four touchdowns across his final two seasons at Notre Dame, but he has yet to top 300 receiving yards in any season with the Rams.

Last year was his best receiving season yet, with 36 catches for 281 yards and three touchdowns, and he really showcased his potential in the first matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, when he caught eight passes for 66 yards and two touchdowns.

Williams is one of the best pass-protecting running backs in the league, and that strength is key to how McVay designs passing concepts for Stafford and ensures the most important function of the offense: keeping Stafford upright. Blitz pickup, in particular, is critical in eliminating the most dangerous hits to Stafford’s back from free rushers with a running start, and it’s been hard not to use Williams in this way when he’s so elite at it.

But if the Rams can field another healthy offensive line and grow some of their two- and three-tight end sets to manipulate the blocking numbers, this is a wrinkle I think they could tap into more. The advantage to running it with extra tight ends on the field would be in forcing defenses into heavier personnel, where Williams could feast on some matchups against linebackers, much like he showcased with that touchdown in Friday’s practice.

4. Puka Nacua didn’t quite have as high of a volume day as in other practices, likely due to not having his MVP quarterback on the field. But he did turn in one impressive grab by going up high over a defender in the middle of the field, reeling the ball into his hands and contorting his body to land safely on his feet.

With a noticeably slimmer frame than he played with last season, Nacua has been working to balance his across-the-middle physical style with a bit more finesse and burst for perimeter alignments. He’s entering a unique stage of his career in his fourth season as a two-time Pro Bowler, with an understanding of defenses and spacing that the Rams can hope will translate his skills into a more sustainable and versatile style.

“Repetition is the mother of learning, and he’s got a quarterback that he’s got an incredible amount of rapport with,” McVay said. “He’s one of those guys that when you watch him, even when you go back to his career at BYU, the game just makes sense to him. Certain guys have a great spatial awareness. And he’s so tough. He doesn’t flinch on inside routes. He showed a real capacity to be able to win on the perimeter last year. And the way he works at it, he’s only getting better.”

5. The Rams are working on a maintenance schedule for several of their top players. It isn’t just Stafford, who will practice two out of every four days, with one of the off days being a jog-through.

Pro Bowl outside linebacker Byron Young sat out Tuesday’s practice to manage the right knee that bothered him in last season’s playoffs and led to an extended recovery. Left tackle Alaric Jackson sat out Wednesday’s practice to manage a blood-clot issue. Newly acquired two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett sat out Friday’s practice, as did Pro Bowl wide receiver Davante Adams, though neither appeared to be health-related.

The Rams also won’t play their starters in the preseason, as is tradition under McVay.

Not only do the Rams have 17 games of a critical season approaching, but they have a unique Week 1 trip to play the 49ers in the NFL’s first game in Australia. The long flight and time change will be a hurdle to adjust to, and they don’t want to push it with players they already feel are too established to need training camp as much as rookies and players attempting to earn a roster spot.

6. Daniels has had a busy camp, easily leading the second team in catches through the first five practices of training camp. And on Friday, he showed a little more versatility by lining up on the outside for more snaps, including the one where he ran an intermediate route and settled in for a chunk play on a throw from Simpson.

Daniels is in an interesting spot, as the Rams have an opening for a No. 3 wide receiver behind Nacua and Adams. But they also have a potential roster crunch at the position. Behind those top two options, Los Angeles needs to reserve roster spots for Jordan Whittington and Xavier Smith due to their special teams prowess.

The team could keep all six of its top receivers, ensuring spots for Konata Mumpfield and Daniels, but the presence of four tight ends with the return of Tyler Higbee and the second-round selection of Max Klare could eat into the numbers. So could deciding to carry three quarterbacks if the Rams want to hold on to Bennett along with Simpson and Stafford.