receiving corps.
“It’s coming along,” Stafford said. “I’m kind of right where I want to be and just continue to get it feeling better. Get it stronger. You just lose those reps through the offseason and (I’m) trying to gain some of those reps back at the moment. As far as things are different, piecing this thing together every year is a little bit different. So, yeah, there’s different challenges. We go from there.”
Stafford, 34, will get some earned rest today by not throwing during a planned light workout, according to Rams coach Sean McVay.
“It wasn’t fun,” Stafford said after being asked if he got more work on the mental side not throwing in the offseason. “I’d much rather be out there competing, doing what I love to do and throwing the ball and all that kind of stuff. But I like to think that I’m constantly thinking and analyzing things, whether I’m in the play, throwing it, or if I’m standing on the sidelines. So I don’t know that I got much extra out of it.”
Waiting for Jefferson update
Wide receiver Van Jefferson didn’t participate in Saturday’s practice, and it’s unknown whether his absence is related to the knee injury that sidelined him during the offseason program.
McVay declined to go into details when asked about Jefferson.
“We’re figuring that out right now,” McVay said. “I’ll have more information for you later. Like I said, I don’t have anything right now.”
Jefferson said last week that he was 100% healthy after having knee surgery in the offseason for an injury that bothered him last season.
Second-year wideout Ben Skowronek took most of Jefferson’s first-team reps.
Robinson day
Star wide receiver Allen Robinson put on a show Saturday, delivering his best camp outing as a member of the Rams.
He made a handful of impressive catches, but none better than his toe-tap, jump-ball touchdown reception in the back of the end zone with tight coverage from cornerback Troy Hill.
Robinson also gave rookie cornerback Derion Kendrick fits by converting chunk plays, including on a memorable comeback route that allowed him to shake Kendrick in coverage.
“I think just being able to get him those targets,” McVay said on using Robinson as a red-zone target. “He can really run a bunch of different types of routes down there. You saw there was a great job. Matthew kind of working through a progression … big, strong physical guy working across the back of the end zone. You talk about a big catch radius where it doesn’t even feel like he has to leave the ground to really be kind of right at that goal post.
“The aggressive hands, all the things that you really want to be able to see from a receiver. Good body control, being able to create separation and aggressively attack the football. That’s what Allen shows at this point.”
Stafford on his touchdown dart to Robinson in red-zone drills: “He went up and got it, great diving catch, strong hands. That’s what he’s about. That’s what’s going to help us put points on the board is making plays like that in the red zone.”
Rotating RBs
The Rams are playing it safe with running backs Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson by giving them limited carries in padded practices. Both players are coming off injuries.
Henderson got the bulk of the carries Saturday.
“I think it’s been good,” McVay said about the backfield rotation. “I look at it as we’ve got two starting backs. Those guys are great complements of one another, but I see them as both starting-caliber players. We need to get them involved. They need to be on the field. I think it’s healthy for them to be able to supplement one another.”