Watch Rams Chase Blackburn's First 2025 Training Camp Press Conference

Watch Chase Blackburn's Press Conference Below

Blackburn spoke about Joshua Karty at OTAs.

Q: What are your thoughts on Joshua Karty so far in OTAs?

“I think, again, the continuity of it. I think he's done a great job. He's come out, he looks great,hitting the ground running right where he left off. Obviously, the way he finished last year wastremendous of him to respond from the adversity early in the year and that's what we expectedfrom him when we got him and I just think with the continuity of the group, it always helps. Likejust being able to go into the film room and talk more openly about, ‘Hey, this is what I reallywant.’ Last year it waskind of feeling it out and adjusting and making the adjustments andmaking kicks and now it's like, ‘Hey, how do we become better?’ The three of them plus us ascoaches, how do we become better and improve? And I think that's been a great position to startwith having some clarity and open connectivity of the group being together for a year.”

Q: Are you looking for consistency with Karty or if there’s anything else he needs to work on?

"I think consistency, obviously, is always...That's for every kicker, right? If you’re top in
consistency, you're going to be an all pro. There’s a reason that year-to-year, these guys are up
and down, and every situation is different. Every kick is built different, environment situation,
wind, weather, all those things play into fact too, right? You didn’t have a year where you have
30 field goals and go 28 for 30, but they're all inside of 30 yards. It all looks differently and the
way he finished and the best thing again, lengthening them out as the season went and hitting a
lot of 50 yard field goals and going six for seven down the stretch from 50 plus was a huge step
in the right direction and a lot of competence built for him and equity for the team to see what he
can do, so I think those combinations are powerful."

"And then you look at the kickoff and the touchback at the 35-yard line as opposed to the 30 and really making that as a weapon. How do we do that as a kickoff unit? And a kickoff return is going to be more plays of high-quality football that are going to need to be had in that phase than we've had in the past and I think being able to get the ball in different areas where you want with the hang time and different types of kicks and everything else is going to be paramount because we can't go as a kickoff coverage unit until the ball's either caught or hits the ground in that landing zone. How do you take advantage of it? You get the ball on the ground and let the clock start, let the coverage team start to go down the field and gain a step or two on the return group, and so being able to do that at a high level will be paramount for our success for sure.”