Rams 'Really, Really Pleased' With Rookie WR Puka Nacua
Positive vibes continue to surround the summer that rookie receiver Puka Nacua has had for the Los Angeles Rams.
Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur -- who joined coach Sean McVay's staff after being fired by the New York Jets from the same role -- glowed about Nacua's maturity and ability to move beyond any mistakes he makes.
“Yeah, again, he hasn't played in the stadium right now, but if I had to guess, it's not going to be too big for him, right? He's taken a lot of reps through the 11 OTA practices, through the six practices here, moved him around a little bit, he's comfortable," LaFleur said. " When he breaks the huddle, you can tell the guys that are comfortable and the guys that need help, and his comfort level's getting better and better.
"And what I really like about him, we're all going to make our mistakes, right? Particularly the young guys. When he makes a mistake, he doesn't blink at it, he's not looking back at a coach like this, that or the other, just gets in the huddle. He can self-correct. He's not afraid to ask the questions and really, really pleased with where he is at.”
After transferring from Washington, Nacua had 40+ catches in each of his two seasons at BYU, while also serving as a weapon in the running game as well. No one's suggesting that the fifth-round pick is going to be the leading receiver for the Rams in his rookie season, but he's the type of weapon that McVay and LaFleur will likely find ways to get involved in an offense that was far too reliant on receiver Cooper Kupp over the last two years.
Van Jefferson, TuTu Atwell and DeMarcus Robinson are among the additional receivers Los Angeles is counting on this year as they try to expand the options that quarterback Matthew Stafford has at his disposal.
Meanwhile, Kupp is currently dealing with hamstring injury, after a high-ankle sprain limited him to just nine games a season ago. There's no evidence that he's in danger of missing the team's Week 1 tilt with the Seattle Seahawks. But his temporary absence from practice only further reinforces how important it is for the Rams to develop depth that can impact the game at receiver. Perhaps Nacua will prove to be just that in his rookie season.
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