Rams receiver Allen Robinson II catches a pass during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams receiver Allen Robinson II catches a pass during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams offensive lineman Logan Bruss goes through a drill during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams head coach Sean McVay talks with backup quarterback John Wolford during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams players work out during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford scans the field during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen talks with quarterback Matthew Stafford during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen watches the action during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams tight end Tyler Higbee, runs a drill during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford looks on during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford looks on during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams receiver Allen Robinson II goes through drills during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams receiver Allen Robinson II catches a pass during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams receiver Allen Robinson II catches a pass during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams offensive lineman Logan Bruss, center, goes through a drill during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams offensive lineman Logan Bruss goes through drills during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams tight end Kendall Blanton, catches a pass during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams offensive coordinator Liam Coen, left, looks on as quarterbacks Matthew Stafford (9) and Bryce Perkins (16) go through drills during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford talks to offensive coordinator Liam Coen during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford looks on during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams head coach Sean McVay walks the field during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams receiver Tutu Atwell catches a pass during a drill on the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams kicker Matt Gay, left, and punter Riley Dixon look on during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, center, and offensive lineman Brian Allen go through drills during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp runs routes during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford talks with head coach Sean McVay during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams receiver Allen Robinson II, right, and safety Nick Scott go through a drill during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford looks on during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. Stafford is on the field for OTAs, but he might not throw passes until training camp after receiving an injection in his elbow. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford listens to head coach Sean McVay during the first day of organized team activities on Monday in Thousand Oaks. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
THOUSAND OAKS — A couple of things looked different Monday when the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning passing offense ran through the first drills of the organized team activities phase of spring workouts.
For one, Matthew Stafford wasn’t throwing passes, although he was on the field, running truncated plays.
The quarterback confirmed reports he received an injection in his right elbow after the Super Bowl to relieve “something I was dealing with.” As a result, he said, he doesn’t know if he’ll throw during OTAs or June minicamp. Coach Sean McVay indicated Stafford, who hasn’t missed a game since 2019, might keep his arm holstered until July.
“We’re taking it a day at a time right now,” McVay said, “but the goal and the thought process was he’ll start to ramp that up when we get closer to training camp.”
This is a long way from being a problem since the Rams haven’t even reached the midpoint on the calendar between their Super Bowl LVI victory in February and their season opener on Sept. 8 against the Buffalo Bills.
Besides, the focus at this time of year is on mental work, like getting to know new players and updating the playbook to stay ahead of NFL defenses.
Which brings up the more substantial difference in the passing attack on the first day reporters and camerapeople saw the 2022 Rams in jerseys.
Allen Robinson, the former Pro Bowl wide receiver signed to a three-year, $46.5 million contract in March before the Rams traded Robert Woods, is looking like a good fit with McVay, Stafford and NFL Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp.
Robinson, 28, thinks the Rams’ offense will help him have a bounce-back season after a hamstring injury and COVID-19 limited him to 12 games with the Chicago Bears in 2021, and his per-game and per-target production fell to multi-year lows.
“It’ll bring the best out of me, and I’ll be able to display all the elements of my game,” Robinson said last week.
Those elements are impressing the Rams even more than some expected after watching the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Robinson with other teams.
Stafford said of Robinson: “His professionalism, attention to detail, all those things, he fits right in with that (Rams wide receiver) group.”
Said McVay: “He’s a stud. I think the first thing that stands out is the body control for a bigger receiver. I bet you he is a baller on the basketball court. Some of those bigger guys that play as big as he does typically don’t have the ability to get in and out of their breaks as seamlessly as he does.”
Said Kupp: “He’s a lot bigger than I think people think that he is. He’s a big dude that can do a lot of things that smaller receivers do. I’m excited about being able to have somebody like that that can do those things and be a big target.”
On a relaxed day, McVay and Kupp joked about how the coach welcomes brainstorming by players on offensive plays.
“The thing I appreciate is, no matter how crazy an idea is, you can go in and write it up on Sean’s wall,” Kupp said. “He’ll tell you, ‘Stupid idea.’ (But) if he sees something in there that he likes, he wants to work through that.”
Kupp has stupid ideas?
“Sometimes with Cooper, (an idea would work ) if we could protect with 13 offensive linemen,” McVay said. “These plays he likes to draw up, I say, ‘That’s great for the seven-on-seven league.’”
Offseason workouts are voluntary until minicamp, which is June 7-9 for the Rams.
Rams will be home for Christmas vs. Broncos and Russell Wilson
As expected, All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald and cornerback Jalen Ramsey didn’t take part in the start of OTAs, which are scattered over five days this week and next.
McVay said he spoke with Donald, who celebrated his 31st birthday Monday, and “dialogue’s been good” as the team and the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year work on a contract extension.
NOTES
The Rams finalized their preseason schedule. Their home game against the Houston Texans will be played on Friday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. They’ll open the preseason vs. the Chargers (a Rams road game at SoFi Stadium) on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 7 p.m., and end it vs. the Bengals in Cincinnati on Saturday, Aug. 27 at 4 p.m. PT. … McVay and his finance Veronika Khomyn combined with Campbell’s Chunky Soup to make a $50,000 donation to American Red Cross in support of Ukraine. Khomyn is from the country that is under attack by Russia. “It hits home,” McVay said. “As a coach, you’re always so solution-oriented. Sometimes you feel helpless. But these are the small things you can do that contribute to hopefully ending this sooner than later.” … The Rams start OTAs with three quarterbacks in Stafford, John Wolford and Bryce Perkins. McVay indicated they won’t sign a fourth arm to help during training camp. “We’ve got enough fourth arms on our coaching staff,” he said. … The Rams re-signed defensive back/linebacker Jake Gervase, who had been released after spending most of 2021 on the practice squad.
