ST. LOUIS (AP) – Quarterback Nick Foles is getting to know his new St. Louis Rams teammates.
”We love him,” wide receiver Kenny Britt said Thursday after the second OTA session and first open to reporters. ”Great deep ball, he puts it on the money every time.
”He can throw every pass in the book.”
Coach Jeff Fisher said Foles had a good grasp of the offense, which is important right now since he’s going against a front that was much improved last season.
Foles was 14-5 as a starter in Philadelphia and is recovered from a broken collarbone that sidelined him the last eight games of 2014.
”He’s got his hands full because we’ve got great defensive team speed and they’re doing a lot of things over there right now,” Fisher said. ”We’ve just really been pleased.”
There have been a multitude of changes on offense.
Frank Cignetti was promoted from quarterbacks coach to coordinator. A number of young offensive linemen could be pressed into action right away. Veteran guard Rodger Saffold is rounding into form after offseason shoulder surgery.
”It’s a different offense, different terminology,” Foles said. ”But that’s the fun of it. I get to learn more football.”
It’ll be awhile before Foles works with the entire group. First-round pick Todd Gurley is rehabbing from left knee surgery and is getting limited work on the side, but might not be ready for the start of the season.
Fisher said the former Georgia star running back was ”very anxious and probably a little frustrated, probably deep down inside not very happy right now.”
”You know how it is sitting out for a long time,” Gurley said, ”but I’ve got to be patient. I feel good but I can’t play right now.”
Foles hasn’t forgotten the surprise of getting dealt for Sam Bradford in the offseason.
”I did not expect the trade and that’s the truth,” Foles said. ”Once I started talking to coach Fisher, I was excited to get to know him because that’s where my life was taking me.”
St. Louis released veteran offensive linemen Scott Wells and Jake Long after last season and devoted much of the draft to the offensive line.
Tackle Rob Havenstein was taken in the second round, followed tackle-guard Jamon Brown in the third, tackle Andrew Donnal in the fourth and guard Cody Wichmann in the sixth.
Havenstein and Brown spent a lot of time with the first unit Thursday.
”They’re going to do a great job,” Foles said. ”I remember my rookie year, what it’s like for these OTAs. This is really the foundation and you’re going to have those growing pains.”
The players who spoke on Thursday said the possibility the franchise might move to Los Angeles at some point is not on their minds.
”Right now I’m here and that’s all I worry about,” Foles said. ”That’s all out of our control.”
Fisher coached the Houston Oilers when they moved to Tennessee and said he’d rather not be apprised of developments.
”It’s been my opinion really from the start that when all this stuff started happening I’m better off probably not knowing the specifics,” the coach said. ”That way, when someone asks me I can say I don’t know.
”That way, I can say I’m telling the truth.”
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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL
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