The Los Angeles Rams are reaching the final stretch of the first stage of the preseason. After many days of grinding with no game in sight, the team is getting within a football field’s length of a game.
While that means the team is closer to game shape than it was at the start of training camp, it also means that the roster has received its first series of knicks and bruises.
Speaking to the media on July 31, Sean McVay delivered updates on two defensive players. Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes and Kam Curl are battling injury, with Forbes fighting a hamstring “tweak” and Curl working through an ankle injury.
“Kam Curl’s as tough as it gets,” McVay said, via Rams media. “And that was a bad feeling temporarily, where it looked like it was going to be something, and then he’s so tough, he walked off, and we were fortunate to get some good news on something that could have been really, really tough for us.”
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McVay said that Forbes is “a week or two” away. The coach was clearly looking to take as much caution as possible, sticking to his modus operandi of caution above all at this time of year. It’s good news for the team that both should have no problem getting back to full strength by Week 1, but this is time both could have used to refine their style. It’s an unfortunate setback, but far from a disastrous scenario.
On a positive note, cornerback Akhello Witherspoon is back at practice and fully healed from a calf injury per Cameron DaSilva of USA Today via CBS Sports, giving the team some much-needed good news. Of course, the offensive side of the ball has its own injury challenges to overcome.
Rams Coach Sean McVay Delivers Update On Alaric Jackson
Of course, the offense isn’t 100% healthy, either. Matthew Stafford’s back injury continues to raise questions as the quarterback enlists the services of a spine specialist in a race against time to be ready and practiced by Week 1. Beyond that, his blind-side blocker, Alaric Jackson, appears to have made progress in getting back on the field, but McVay’s comments put a limit on expectations, at least for the current moment.
“I know he wants to be out here,” McVay said. “I do feel really fortunate that, given his circumstances, he’s able to do some of the individual work. He’s able to partake in jog-throughs. … I’m going to continue to follow the doctor’s orders, but I do know that… he’s been outstanding. … It’s gone well. I think he’s been able to do some really good stuff that’s allowed him to move forward.”
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It’s an encouraging update, but there’s still clearly room to go. Especially with Stafford battling a back injury, the last thing he may want is Jackson to miss time, allowing the defense to attack the left side of the line, opening a path to even more back hits.
Luckily, the Rams’ regular season is still more than a month away, giving the team plenty of time to rebound from the early injury bug.