Davants Adams Becoming Important Presence on Rams Roster

When a team like the Los Angeles Rams has a young group of players, they usually need an experienced person to be amongst the group and lead the way. Los Angeles has several of them on the roster, including free agent acquisition Davante Adams.

Adams, a former All-Pro wideout and top player at his position, remains a consistent threat on a week-to-week basis entering his age-32 season. As expected, the former Green Bay Packer and New York Jets pass-catcher will receive the usual veteran treatment with load management during training camp.

"Any of those guys that have accumulated or are going into year 10 or more, which happens to be all guys on the offensive side of the football, we'll be smart with," said head coach Sean McVay. "He needs to be able to get his work in. But, in our four-day work weeks, as far as those blocks are concerned, one of those four days we will be smart and kind of deload him or however you want to look at it."

However, Adams has quickly become an important aspect of the team. McVay had nothing but rave reviews for a player who had previously terrorized the Rams in the past with the Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, and Jets. Wanting to see his players establish a rapport, McVay said Adams has done just that, doing an 'excellent' job being a leader.

"We want to be able to establish a rapport. But I thought he had a great first day that was kind of in alignment with what he did in the spring and what the expectations are," McVay said. "But he's so receptive, he's so smart, he understands the intent of what we're trying to get done, and I’ve been really pleased, and he did an excellent job leading the way to start off.”

McVay isn't the only person on the team who has shared rave reviews. Star wide receiver Puka Nacua has already learned so much about Adams as a player that he is asking himself how he could add more to his own play in future seasons.

"“I would say his body control and obviously his elusiveness at the line of scrimmage, but then also his awareness of the rotation of defenders and how to attack leverage on any route, not just specifically the quick game, everything down the field and to be able to have the illusion of going the opposite direction, where you're going when you want to go," Nacua said.

"He does it great and he explains it so well in the meeting room," Nacua continued. "So it makes it fun to watch tape and to be like, 'okay, how can I add some of these things to my toolbox?'”

Adams well-known release variances and packages at the line of scrimmage have caught the attention of the young Nacua, who is already learning a thing or two to help expand his game and become an even better player. One of the top wideouts in the game adding more variance at the line against press-man defenders? That could be a scary sign for opposing defenses.

"I know everybody across the league knows that Davante Adams is one of the best at that, but I think his illusion of speed and lateral quickness is something that [I’m] trying to add to my game in the way that it fits my skillset," Nacua explained. "I wouldn't say there's a lot of people that can replicate some of the things that he can do but trying to understand the movement so I can add it to my game.”

Adams has quickly shown over the offseason and within the first couple of days in training camp that he has become an important presence for not just McVay as a coach and offensive play-caller, but for the outstanding young wideout who is a part of a team renaissance of sorts, which has flown the championship window for the Rams wide open.