THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Rams head coach Sean McVay, defensive lineman Michael Brockers and general manager Les Snead each held video conferences with local media Monday afternoon to discuss the start of Week 1 of the regular season and construction of the initial 53-man roster, among other important topics. Here are some of the highlights and key takeaways from those virtual conversations:
"(Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley) identified (linebacker Justin Hollins) as a guy that could really help us." – McVay
- Defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson's placement on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list opened up a spot on the Rams' roster, and they filled it by claiming Hollins off waivers via Denver.
- Per McVay, the reason they targeted Hollins was because he has familiarity with what Staley will be doing schematically with the Rams defense and can contribute on both defense and special teams. Hollins' versatility as someone who could play as an on-ball or off-ball linebacker also stood out.
- McVay said the plan is for Hollins to be active for Sunday night's season-opener against the Cowboys.
"Definitely was a shock to learn (that). I think a couple days ago, I was like, 'Oh man, we about to play in a week or so.'" – Brockers
- Asked about the first game week of the season finally arriving, Brockers indicated he was caught off guard at how quickly it came up amid the pandemic-shaped preseason.
- Brockers said he's excited to get back into the regular season routine and see what the regular season holds for the Rams.
"It does feel a little bit younger than most years." – Brockers
- Brockers – who, entering his ninth season, is one of the most experienced players on the roster – recognizes how youthful this season's initial group of 53 players looks overall.
- At the same time, Brockers said the roster still has great "core leaders" who embody the characteristics the team wants and needs, in addition to younger players who can be mentored and are capable of making plays.
"We liked the superpower (Raymond Calais) brings of explosiveness, speed, and that being able to translate on the football field." – Snead
- Snead confirmed a report that the Rams, pending a physical, will sign rookie running back Raymond Calais off the Buccaneers' practice squad.
- While "the odds of him getting a jersey on Sunday Night Football is slim," Snead said that at the same time, you never know when the big picture view of a player becomes narrower. The examples Snead gave were impressing the team's evaluators with his explosiveness in practice, or the natural attrition that occurs during an NFL season.
