[TSFH Fan]

Rams considering Oxnard for minicamps, other offseason activities
http://www.vcstar.com/news/local/oxnard ... 02851.html


Credit: Karen Quincy Loberg
KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR Carl Downs (left) sits quietly as Danny Gonzales, of Oxnard, rises to his feet in glee at the late, but final, arrival of the St. Louis Rams for training and a scrimmage with the Dallas Cowboys on Monday in Oxnard. 08-17-2015 OXNARD, CA

The Los Angeles Rams' search for a spot to hold offseason training activities and minicamps is down to two cities — and Oxnard is one of them.

Oxnard Assistant City Manager Scott Whitney confirmed the Rams are interested in Oxnard, but the two sides have yet to enter into any formal talks about using the field at River Ridge that the Dallas Cowboys use each summer for their training camp.

"We met with them (the Rams) in Oxnard this week and they like our facilities," Whitney said. "If they come, it'll be from mid-April to mid-June."

Artis Twyman, senior director of communications for the Rams, confirmed the team has touched base with several places on hosting the offseason program and training camp but has not finalized anything at this time.

A professional football team's offseason organized team activities, called OTAs, are separate from training camp. They are practice sessions that concentrate on technique, basic personnel packages and repetition. A typical session starts with players meeting with position coaches or coordinators to watch tape and talk about areas to focus on when they are on the field.

Once out on the field, the session generally starts with a special teams workout. No pads are allowed except for a helmet. Most of the time is spent on technique, foot placement, use of hands and so on. It's a teaching period more than anything, as playing special teams without pads is a challenge.

That is followed by an individual period where each group spends time doing drills specific to the players' positions. From there they move on to a seven-on-seven drill where quarterbacks, running backs and receivers compete against linebackers and defensive backs.

Finally there's a period where both the offense and defense come together for team sessions. Work is done at half speed, with the emphasis on learning plays and understanding individual responsibilities.

Then there is post-practice, where players head to the weight room for a lifting session, work on conditioning on the field or study tape in the film room. The entire practice is under two hours.

Under normal circumstances, players commute from their homes to the team facility for these practices. Because the Rams are moving from St. Louis and its players don't have homes here yet, the team is talking with the Marriott hotel adjacent to the River Ridge fields about housing players during that time.

Like the Cowboys, the Rams would have access to facilities at the Marriott, including food and meeting rooms, plus additional meeting and workout rooms at the adjacent River Ridge Golf Club.