'I'm Having a Blast!' Rams QB Matthew Stafford Praises Rookie Draft Class
The Los Angeles Rams are still in the early stages of summer workouts, but there's plenty of value to be found - especially for a team expected to be amongst the youngest in the NFL after considerable roster turnover.
As such, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has been introduced to several new faces as Los Angeles progresses through OTAs.
From the 14 draft picks to 26 undrafted free agent signings, rookies occupy nearly half of the Rams' roster for this summer ... and so far, Stafford has seen a lot of encouraging signs.
“It's been good exposure for those guys," Stafford said of OTAs. "I know it's probably a lot for those guys right now, but it's a lot of fun to kind of try to teach them on the fly and they're doing a great job of trying to grasp what they can grasp and lean on the vets to kind of help them out along the way."
Of the Rams' 14 selections, six were spent on offensive players. Of those additions, two of the first three were offensive linemen - second-round guard Steve Avila and fifth-round tackle Warren McClendon - which Stafford said was "great" from his perspective.
But Los Angeles also added a few playmakers around Stafford, including tight end Davis Allen and receiver Puka Nacua in Round 5 and running back Zach Evans in Round 6.
This time of year is centered around development, especially for the rookies, as they're getting their first taste of how NFL practices look and feel, in addition to grasping what Stafford dubbed a "complex system" that can be a lot to grasp.
And still, Nacua in particular has managed to catch Stafford's eye through the early portion of OTAs.
"Puka has done a nice job," said Stafford. "He's gotten some reps really in all three groups. Every time I look up, he's running around somewhere. So, he's done a nice job, made some catches for us."
What about Evans?
There was less of an evaluation from Stafford on the former Ole Miss standout, in large part because of how practices unfold for running backs, but there were still compliments sent in his direction for how he's handling the professional transition.
“Yeah, it's so difficult - (running back) is probably one of the toughest positions this time of year to really evaluate," Stafford said, "just considering nobody's getting tackled and those guys make their money breaking tackles, so it's hard to see. I know that he is doing a great job just trying to learn as much as he possibly can."
Perhaps the most intriguing of the Rams' rookies is quarterback Stetson Bennett, who, like Stafford, comes from the University of Georgia.
Thus far, Stafford feels that Bennett and undrafted rookie signal caller Dresser Winn have done a "great job holding their own and going out there and learning and executing."
Stafford added that Bennett did a nice job while under center for the Bulldogs and joked that Georgia "had it rolling better" with the latter at quarterback, in reference to winning back-to-back national titles.
But really, there were a lot of smiles from Stafford ... and perhaps even more praise to the rookie class, which has already helped rejuvenate Los Angeles' locker room and has Stafford ready to work this summer.
"It's fun and I'm having a blast," Stafford said. "All these young guys bring a lot of energy to the practice field and to the locker room."
Now, the challenge becomes turning that energy into wins -and if the Rams' rookies continue on their positive upward trajectory, they may do exactly that.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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