Latest news with #Rams
USA Today
an hour ago
- Sport
- USA Today
79 days until the Texans' 2025 season opener: Who has worn No.79?
The Houston Texans are less than 100 days away from kicking off the 2025 season in Los Angeles against the Rams at SoFi Stadium and we're counting down the days until a victory ensues on the west coast. Texans Wire will each day tell you which player has worn the number of the day leading up to kickoff and pick the player who ensured the number best during their time at NRG Stadium. As for today, let's take a look at who has won No. 79 since the inaugural season in 2002. Texans players to wear No. 79 No. 79 currently belongs to rookie offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery. The Texans believe he can be the long-term replacement for five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil following his trade to the Washington Commanders earlier this offseason. Ersery, who was drafted 48th overall, was considered the best offensive lineman prospect of Day 2. During his three years as the Golden Gophers' starting left tackle, the Kansas City native only allowed just five sacks and 11 QB hits in over 1,400 pass-blocking snaps in Big Ten games. Ersery was also named the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2024 and a third-team AP All-American. "He's steadily gotten better at the things off the field, of finding his routine, and also on the field, just seeing his footwork, his pad leverage, is getting better, it's improving," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said earlier this month. "So, I can't wait to see him actually put pads on and have to block [Danielle] Hunter and [Will] Anderson, that's going to be a really good challenge for him." Since Ersery hasn't played a snap yet, it's hard to envision him as the No. 1 option ever to wear No. 79. That could change in the coming years, but there's really only one option who should be fighting over G.O.A.T. status entering fall camp. Best Player: Brandon Brooks Brooks is the only legit option since Allen ended up becoming a bust. While his best years came in Philadelphia, the three-time Pro Bowler was a part of two playoff-bound teams during his tenure in Houston. That's enough to make the list on a short-term.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
'It's different': Andrew Whitworth feels confidence oozing from Rams' building
Whitworth says there's an 'arrogance' about this team, but 'in a good way' Andrew Whitworth just got back home after spending a few days with the Los Angeles Rams in Maui for minicamp and he seems to have a good feeling about Sean McVay's squad in 2025. Having been around the Rams for part of the offseason, Whitworth sees a team that's exuding confidence and arrogance – 'in a good way.' During an interview with Rich Eisen, Whitworth said he would put the Rams in the category of being Super Bowl contenders and believes there's no question they feel the same way about themselves. 'There's no doubt about that. I would definitely put them in that category,' Whitworth said. 'In that building, being around them, being around them this week, there's a confidence that these guys carry of who they think they are right now and where they think they can go. You can definitely feel that. It's different. I can tell that they really believe this football team is built – if it stays healthy – to try to go after winning a Lombardi. Not that that's, like, 'Hey, that's the only thing we care about and the only thing we're saying.' But they really have this arrogance in a good way of, 'You know what? We're a good football team and we're going to go to work every single day, have a whole lot of fun doing it.'' Davante Adams, Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford have all talked about the close-knit locker room the Rams have this year, blending young energy with veteran leadership. Whitworth loves the camaraderie he's seen from the team, too, whether it's on the practice field or outside of football. 'They've got a great locker room and one that's going to be really competitive on the football field this year so I'm excited to see what their year looks like,' he added. While in Maui with the Rams, Whitworth went out and played a round of golf with several players, including Stafford, Adams, Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson. He was particularly impressed by Adams' golf game, saying the receiver shot 76 and has a ton of talent on the course. As Whitworth said, the Rams are going to be a fun and exciting team to watch this season. They could be building something special as they pursue another Super Bowl ring.
NBC Sports
2 hours ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Sean McVay: Rams' minicamp in Hawaii is about quality time together
The Rams made the unusual decision to have this week's mandatory minicamp in Maui, and coach Sean McVay said the trip was as much about togetherness as it was about football. Players were encouraged to bring their families with them for a Hawaiian vacation, and McVay said that meant a lot for the team's bonding. McVay also said that Los Angeles and Maui have in common that they're rebuilding from wildfires, and that the Rams wanted to bring some goodwill to the area. 'It's about connection and being able to get some time,' McVay said, via Sarah Barshop of ESPN. 'It's cool to be able to really, for me, meet a lot of these guys' families that maybe I haven't met quite yet or see their wives or girlfriends or their kids, and so that's been a really cool thing so far. This is about being able to get some good quality time with each other and then being able to use the platform that we're blessed with to be able to get back to a community that went through some similar things that we can all understand and kind of empathize with, and you see how excited they are to see our players and that's fun.' There was a time when summer practices in the NFL were brutal, and coaches were taskmasters. McVay represents a new generation of coaches who see the summer as a time to build camaraderie and make sure players are taking care of their bodies so they're healthy when the season starts. That buys him plenty of goodwill with his players.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rams primed to be Super Bowl contenders, but two critical areas of concern remain
Sean McVay's Rams are among the favorites to win the Super Bowl, but glaring needs on the offensive line and in the secondary could prove problematic. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Warm, breezy and feeling good. That was the prevailing feeling among the Rams this week as they ended their off season with a 'Mauicamp,' a low-key event heavy on bonding and light on drills for a team expected to contend for a championship. Advertisement Star quarterback Matthew Stafford is under contract for another potential Super Bowl run. The Rams also added star receiver Davante Adams, drafted tight end Terrance Ferguson and bolstered depth to an ascending defensive front. The Rams, however, have areas of concern as they head into a break before reporting to training camp at Loyola Marymount in July. Read more: Puka Nacua's rapid ascent an inspiration to Polynesian athletes and Hawaiian fans Offensive tackle and cornerback could be vulnerabilities for a team aiming to improve upon last season's 10-7 record and an NFC divisional round loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Advertisement Here's how confident the Rams were in those positions going into free agency and the draft: They did not sign or select a player at either spot. Whether that was wise is another matter. Stafford, 37, remains the Rams' most important player and — other than coach Sean McVay — their most valuable asset. So the tackles must foil edge rushers hellbent on hitting the quarterback while playing perhaps the most pressure-packed position other than Stafford's. With his play last season, Alaric Jackson convinced the Rams he was their longtime solution at left tackle. They awarded him a three-year contract that included $35 million in guarantees. Advertisement But uncertainty now reigns. Jackson sat out the final week of offseason workouts because he is dealing with blood-clot issues for the second time in his career. If, or when, he will be able to practice and play is unknown. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes during organized team activities on June 3. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) The Rams hurriedly signed D.J. Humphries, but the veteran is of late something of an unknown quantity. He played only two games last season for the Kansas City Chiefs after returning from major 2023 knee surgery and then suffering a hamstring injury. Right tackle Rob Havenstein, 33, is entering his 11th season and the final year of his contract. He is coming off two shoulder surgeries. Advertisement Swing tackle Warren McClendon Jr. started five games last season, but he has not established himself as a frontline player. The Rams also recently signed eight-year pro David Quessenberry, who made 17 of his career 30 starts in 2021. The Rams are confident in the secondary — in large part because of the defensive front. A rush led by rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske helped the Rams rank 20th among 32 teams in pass defense last season. That rush is expected to improve with the addition of tackle Poona Ford and rookie edge rusher Josaiah Stewart. Read more: Rams' Jared Verse and Braden Fiske look to run it back again Advertisement So the Rams stood pat with the same defensive backs from last season. Cornerback Darious Williams, 32, does not have salary guarantees beyond this season, according to Ahkello Witherspoon, 30, is playing on a one-year deal for the third consecutive season but was signed early enough this time to participate in offseason workouts. Cobie Durant is in the final year of his rookie contract, and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. is trying to prove that the Washington Commanders erred by releasing the 2023 first-round pick last season. Derion Kendrick, coming off a knee injury that forced him to sit out the 2024 season, was waived last week in a cost-cutting move and then re-signed with the Rams for a veteran-minimum contract. Josh Wallace and Charles Woods, undrafted free agents in 2024, also are on the roster. Advertisement McVay this week indicated that there were probably too many obstacles to trade for Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey, the three-time All-Pro who was an integral part of the Rams' Super Bowl LVI championship team. Read more: Rams' chances of trading for cornerback Jalen Ramsey appear to be fading Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander was recently released by the Green Bay Packers, but McVay said last week that was 'not a direction' the Rams would go. Alexander signed with the Baltimore Ravens, the Rams' Week 6 opponent. While the NFL largely shuts down until the start of training camp, general manager Les Snead in the past has added players before it opens and after it begins. Advertisement But for now, with their Hawaiian excursion behind them, the Rams appear ready to go with what they've got. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Rams primed to be Super Bowl contenders, but two critical areas of concern remain
WAILUKU, Hawaii — Warm, breezy and feeling good. That was the prevailing feeling among the Rams this week as they ended their off season with a 'Mauicamp,' a low-key event heavy on bonding and light on drills for a team expected to contend for a championship. Star quarterback Matthew Stafford is under contract for another potential Super Bowl run. The Rams also added star receiver Davante Adams, drafted tight end Terrance Ferguson and bolstered depth to an ascending defensive front. The Rams, however, have areas of concern as they head into a break before reporting to training camp at Loyola Marymount in July. Offensive tackle and cornerback could be vulnerabilities for a team aiming to improve upon last season's 10-7 record and an NFC divisional round loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Here's how confident the Rams were in those positions going into free agency and the draft: They did not sign or select a player at either spot. Whether that was wise is another matter. Stafford, 37, remains the Rams' most important player and — other than coach Sean McVay — their most valuable asset. So the tackles must foil edge rushers hellbent on hitting the quarterback while playing perhaps the most pressure-packed position other than Stafford's. With his play last season, Alaric Jackson convinced the Rams he was their longtime solution at left tackle. They awarded him a three-year contract that included $35 million in guarantees. But uncertainty now reigns. Jackson sat out the final week of offseason workouts because he is dealing with blood-clot issues for the second time in his career. If, or when, he will be able to practice and play is unknown. The Rams hurriedly signed D.J. Humphries, but the veteran is of late something of an unknown quantity. He played only two games last season for the Kansas City Chiefs after returning from major 2023 knee surgery and then suffering a hamstring injury. Right tackle Rob Havenstein, 33, is entering his 11th season and the final year of his contract. He is coming off two shoulder surgeries. Swing tackle Warren McClendon Jr. started five games last season, but he has not established himself as a frontline player. The Rams also recently signed eight-year pro David Quessenberry, who made 17 of his career 30 starts in 2021. The Rams are confident in the secondary — in large part because of the defensive front. A rush led by rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske helped the Rams rank 20th among 32 teams in pass defense last season. That rush is expected to improve with the addition of tackle Poona Ford and rookie edge rusher Josaiah Stewart. So the Rams stood pat with the same defensive backs from last season. Cornerback Darious Williams, 32, does not have salary guarantees beyond this season, according to Ahkello Witherspoon, 30, is playing on a one-year deal for the third consecutive season but was signed early enough this time to participate in offseason workouts. Cobie Durant is in the final year of his rookie contract, and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. is trying to prove that the Washington Commanders erred by releasing the 2023 first-round pick last season. Derion Kendrick, coming off a knee injury that forced him to sit out the 2024 season, was waived last week in a cost-cutting move and then re-signed with the Rams for a veteran-minimum contract. Josh Wallace and Charles Woods, undrafted free agents in 2024, also are on the roster. McVay this week indicated that there were probably too many obstacles to trade for Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey, the three-time All-Pro who was an integral part of the Rams' Super Bowl LVI championship team. Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander was recently released by the Green Bay Packers, but McVay said last week that was 'not a direction' the Rams would go. Alexander signed with the Baltimore Ravens, the Rams' Week 6 opponent. While the NFL largely shuts down until the start of training camp, general manager Les Snead in the past has added players before it opens and after it begins. But for now, with their Hawaiian excursion behind them, the Rams appear ready to go with what they've got.
