L.A. Rams News: Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Aaron Donald, And More
L.A. Rams news does not stop because the team stopped playing games. The NFL offseason is not in full swing yet, as NFL players and coaches are at various events like the Pro Bowl and Senior Bowl.
Nonetheless, Rams players continue to make headlines with comments and achievements for their 2016 season. This is the team’s first full offseason in Los Angeles since relocation from St. Louis last season. Check out the latest L.A. Rams news about key-players like Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, and Aaron Donald.
Jared Goff
L.A. Rams rookie quarterback Jared Goff sat down for an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Andrew Lawrence. The 2016 No. 1 NFL Draft pick talked about his draft experience as well as the future of the Rams.
Goff said he wished he knew to not put himself under so much pressure during his NFL draft process. The Rams quarterback said he stayed up at night wondering where he would land.
Further, Goff did not start for the Rams until more than halfway through the season. He said he learned a lot and that he will look back with gratitutde at the opportunity to learn from the bench for the first few games of his NFL career.
As for this offseason, Goff said an offseason in Los Angeles will be big. He said it will be nice to have the team in one place and not moving around.
Moreover, Goff said this offseason’s stability will be huge for the team. The 2015 first-round pick said the Rams had so much instability with the move, a London game, and the firing of head coach Jeff Fisher.
Now, Goff said there is a fresh energy and culture to the Rams.
Todd Gurley
Speaking of offense, L.A. Rams running back Todd Gurley and his team both took steps back in 2016. Why?
According to Bleacher Report’s Jason Cole, Gurley could be blamed for the lack of success on offense. Cole reported that a former coach said Gurley was in the same offense in 2016 and 2015.
For 2015, Gurley only played in 13 games. However, he surpassed 1,000 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. In 2016, Gurley registered 885 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 16 games.
The Rams experienced similar setbacks. They won only four games in 2016, despite winning seven games the season before.
As shared by FanRag Sports,Gurley missed a large part of the offseason program for off-field activities. Apparently, Gurley was hanging out with rapper Jay-Z, whose agency represents Gurley.
Therefore, a former member of the Rams coaching staff attributed the NFL’s last ranked offense in scoring and yards to Gurley’s preparation.
Ironically, Gurley himself called 2016 a nightmare earlier this week. The Rams running back said it was a learning experience that he never wanted to experience again.
Aaron Donald
As for news about the defense, L.A. Rams defensive tackle won Defensive Player of the Year from Pro Football Focus.
The football site announced that Donald took the top defensive honor, per Fox Sports West.
PFF said Donald was an outlier on a poor Rams defense. He graded as the top interior defender, according to the CBS Sports.
Donald led all interior defenders with 82 pressures. The Rams defensive tackle finished the season with eight sacks, two forced fumbles, and 36 solo tackles.
Further, Donald won the award for Best Pass-Rusher. His pressures ranked third in the entire NFL, per Fox Sports.
This is not huge news considering Pro Football Focus named Donald as the best NFL player in 2015.
At age 25, Donald could win many more achievements in the coming seasons.
Stay tuned for more news on Aaron Donald, Todd Gurley, Jared Goff, and the entire L.A. Rams team as the offseason continues to progress.
[Featured Image by Elaine Thompson/AP Images]
