The Los Angeles Rams have officially entered Phase 3 of their offseason workout program, which means the start of OTAs (organized team activities). It’s the next step in the process as they continue to prepare for the 2023 season, ramping up the intensity a bit before mandatory minicamp and eventually training camp.
The Rams begin OTAs on Monday, as do 19 other teams across the NFL. These won’t be high-tempo practices with tackling the way training camp sessions are, but team drills are now permitted.
Here are five things to know as the Rams get things underway on Monday in Thousand Oaks.
1
How many days of OTAs will there be?
Teams are allowed to hold 10 days of OTAs, which is exactly how many the Rams will have. They’ll begin with a two-day session on May 22-23, followed by one practice on May 25, two on May 30-31, one on June 2 and four straight days from June 5-8.
Reporters will only be permitted to attend the practices on May 23, 30 and June 6, so it won’t be like training camp where videos and highlights are shared daily by reporters. We’ll have to rely on videos and photos shared by the Rams’ social media accounts.
2
Are these practices mandatory?
No, these sessions are still voluntary, as workouts have been all offseason thus far. Players won’t be required to attend practice without potential fines until mandatory minicamp from June 13-15. After that, the team won’t be together again until training camp begins in July.
Even though these practices aren’t mandatory, it’ll be worth watching which players attend and which ones decide to skip them. Ideally, the Rams will have full attendance for OTAs.
3
Will rookies be in attendance?
The Rams didn’t hold a traditional rookie minicamp like every other team, but rookies will be on the field for these OTA sessions. They’ve been in the building for about a week now and have gotten in some individual drills, but during OTAs, they’ll get to participate in team drills and more organized practice sessions.
Competition won’t heat up until camp but this is valuable practice time for the first-year players in L.A.
4
What are the Rams allowed to do during these practices?
Up to this point, teams have only been allowed to run group and individual drills at a walk-through pace, with no offense vs. defense plays. They’ve only been able to have offensive players line up against offensive players, and defenders on defenders.
However, with the start of OTAs, the Rams can run offense vs. defense sessions. They just can’t have live contact, so tackling is not permitted yet. Players will be in helmets, though. And during OTAs, the Rams can run 7-on-7, 9-on-9 and 11-on-11 drills, so there will be more team settings on the field, which is exciting.
5
Who are some players to watch?
There are a lot of new faces on the Rams’ roster, all of whom bear watching. Some positions will get more out of these practice sessions than others, though. For instance, defensive linemen and running backs don’t benefit as much from these non-contact sessions as cornerbacks, wide receivers and quarterbacks do. And it’ll be almost impossible to get a gauge on how the offensive line or pass rushers are performing in practice, too.
That being said, it’ll be worth monitoring the development of Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick, as well as the initial impressions of Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson. Tight end Hunter Long will be one to watch, as well.
Ernest Jones is taking over for Bobby Wagner as the top linebacker, and with Jordan Fuller back healthy, he should be on the field with the first-team defense a lot. This is a good time for Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua to make a good impression on the coaches as they push for that No. 3 spot behind Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson.
Of course, Stetson Bennett is someone fans are very interested to hear about, even if it’s only during these spring practices.
