Organized team activities and minicamp are valuable for getting young players acclimated to the NFL and beginning to install the offense and defense, but it’s hard to truly gauge the skill level of some players without pads or hitting. For defenders, they can’t tackle ball carriers or show off their physicality in the trenches, which makes spring workouts more beneficial for the passing offense than anything else.
Rookies Greg Gaines comes in with high expectations for 2019, potentially replacing Ndamukong Suh at nose tackle. Wade Phillips loved his game coming out of Washington, but he has yet to see his full potential without pads being on.
“I think [Gaines] obviously works hard at what he does, I think he’s a grinder, we said that, and I think he’ll be stronger in pads, where you can see his power and stuff,” Phillips said, via the Rams’ official site. “No pads and no contact, it’s hard to utilize that. I think once he gets the pads on, it’ll help him.”
“He’s done a good job so far,” Phillips continued. “He’s a smart player and we always say smart players get better. So he’s one of those guys.”
Gaines mentioned in his introductory press conference that Phillips’ defense is very “simplistic,” which is always beneficial for a rookie. He’ll be able to line up over the center and play that true nose tackle position, using his strength and size to his advantage.
When the pads come on for training camp and the preseason, Gaines will really be able to flex his muscle and show what he can do.
