This weekend's practices are for the rookies and tryout players, but there was one observing veteran who made an impression.
A year ago quarterback Jared Goff was participating in rookie minicamp. Today he stood outside the team's weight room during the morning session, watching all that was happening on the field.
It was a sign of leadership that Goff's coaches and newest teammates certainly noticed.
"I think that encourages those guys that are coming in," offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur said. "I love it, that he's around. I don't think, if you go around the league, you're going to find too many teams where the starting quarterback is sitting there watching these rookies in their rookie minicamp. I know he's excited about some of the pieces we've added. I think it's great for us, as an organization."
"This isn't the first time I've seen Jared around," wide receiver Cooper Kupp said. "I worked out with him in during this draft process. And it was very clear the tenacity he has, and the desire he has to win. And that's going to show. It just so happens that there's people here to see it, but that's something that's going to be going on when there's no cameras here."
Check out the best shots from the Rams rookies first practice in Thousand Oaks, California. Photos by Jeff Lewis.
But more than that, LaFleur said he's been impressed with how quickly Goff has picked up the new scheme since the start of the offseason program.
"Goff has been awesome, man," LaFleur said. "When you get a new guy in an offense, there is a transition period with that. But he's doing a nice job of picking it up at a surprisingly quick pace."
After spending the last two years as Atlanta's quarterbacks coach, LaFleur noted there is an adjustment from working with a seasoned veteran like Matt Ryan to a second-year QB in Goff. But Goff's attitude in striving to improve has made it that much easier.
"I think anytime you're dealing with a young quarterback, you never assume anything," LaFleur said. "What's been so much fun for me is, he's a sponge and he is soaking up everything that you tell him. It's been a joy to work with him thus far. Hopefully we keep chopping wood and get a little better every day."
And on the field, Goff has apparently excelled from the voluntary veteran minicamp through the on-field Phase II workouts.
"I'll be honest with you — I think he's a little more accurate than I anticipated. That got me excited," LaFleur said. "Obviously, he's got a big arm. Until you work with a guy, you don't really know. Obviously I studied him coming out in the draft, and I knew he had some of the characteristics that you look for. He is a natural thrower. He's tough and he's throwing the ball with surprisingly, really good accuracy."
It's those qualities that have rookies like Kupp excited to get on the field with Goff.
"I can't wait," Kupp said. "Going through this, learning the offense, and making sure these next few days I'm getting everything down as best I can so when the quarterback steps out on the field, I've got things dialed and ready to go because I know he's going to be ready to roll."
