Team news: Los Angeles Rams | Page 27

“Whether it’s in their mind or not, that’s up to them,” HC Kyle Shanahan said. “But we’ve got two guys who can play. And we’ve been doing it in practice a little bit, wanted to do it out there in the game. And I think it’s always going to be an option.”

Related players: Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance

The basis of the story was it was fun to watch. The players were interviewed and agreed it was fun. But realistically both would probably rather play every snap and be the QB1 vs. alternating play-to-play, like was done at times against the Raiders in preseason Week 3. It's also not fun for fantasy owners wondering who to plug in lineups week-to-week. Because Shanahan said this could be an option, fantasy owners may have to wait this out a little bit before inserting either QB into their Week 1 starting lineups. At this point, maybe the 49ers aren't going to let Lance just sit on the bench and take it all in.

The New Orleans Saints will be without TE Nick Vannett (knee) for 2-4 weeks, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. He joins Adam Trautman on the sidelines for the immediate future.

Related Player: Juwan Johnson

Bad news for Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill. Trautman was/is expected to be the main catching tight end, while Vannett the main blocking tight end. Word out of camp has Juwan Johnson as a wild card following an impressive showing the past few weeks and could be the starting tight end to open 2021. The converted wide receiver saw a snap increase during New Orleans's Week 2 preseason game following injuries to Trautman and Vannett.

I asked Kyle Shanahan specifically if the QB dynamic has changed much since he opened camp saying Jimmy Garoppolo is the clearer starter.

His answer: "No. I haven't seen that. I would love for it to be more and more each week. But I think the situation's pretty similar right now."

Related players: Trey Lance

Kawakami broke it down even further, saying his interpretation is Garoppolo is going to start Week 1, and he put it as a 75% chance now. He thinks Lance is going to start at some point this season and feels very confident about that.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, wide receiver: Do with this observation what you wish, but Valdes-Scantling’s hands have been noticeably better so far in camp. Not just on blatantly catchable balls, some of which he has dropped in the past, but on passes he has no business catching, too. If he keeps this up, he’s the clear-cut No. 2 wideout behind Davante Adams.

Related players: Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard

The story said Valdes-Scantling isn’t just a deep-ball threat anymore, and that’s scary for defenses that have largely been able to game plan for a one-dimensional receiver in the past. Perhaps the biggest thing to take away is "if he keeps this up." We currently rank MVS as the team's WR4 behind Cobb and Lazard.

Matthew Stafford is running the first team offense in the first padded team period today, so another great sign for that thumb.

Great news. The Rams got a scare yesterday when Stafford hit his throwing thumb against a helmet. The indication was Stafford would be OK, but no one would have been surprised if he sat out a day and played it safe. That isn't the case and he's back at it today.

A source w knowledge said that Matthew Stafford’s X-rays were negative.

Rodriguez went on to say she doesn't think anybody is panicking in the Rams camp about the injury. It's possible Stafford could be held out for a day at least as an extra precaution. Looks like good news.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford slammed his surgically repaired right thumb into a defender’s helmet during a throw Monday, ending his day early and leaving the Rams’ sideline to hold its collective breath.

The Rams had no substantive update on Stafford’s status after practice, but Rams coach Sean McVay said he was hopeful “everything will be OK there.”

“We’ll see,” McVay said. “He’s so tough as it is. Look at what he played through all last year to get the thumb cleaned up. He’s a tough guy. We’ll see what they say and take it one day at a time.”

Related players: John Wolford

We first reported this story Monday night and it sounded like there wasn't too much concern. But it's the same thumb Stafford had surgery to repair a partially torn ligament in early March, shortly after the Rams acquired him from the Detroit Lions. We'll continue to update. Wolford took the rest of the first team snaps but Stafford did walk off the field gripping his helmet with his right hand.

The Rams got a scare when QB Matthew Stafford hit his throwing thumb on a helmet near the end of practice.

The tweet went on to say Stafford left the field with the thumb wrapped, but holding his helmet with that hand. "I don't know anything yet," coach Sean McVay said. "I think he'll be OK." We'll continue to update as we learn more. It's worth noting, as Modesti also added, Stafford had surgery last winter to repair a torn ligament in the thumb after hurting it in a November game, an injury he played through the rest of the Lions' season.

The notion that Trey Lance could overtake Jimmy Garoppolo early in the season, which seemed so farfetched on draft day and after OTAs, appears far more realistic today.

In short, Lance has been aggressive, which has to please head coach and play caller Kyle Shanahan, who — you may have read about this once or twice — prefers an always-attacking mentality, the story went on to say. Keep in mind, there have only been four practices, and Shanahan likely will be stingy in his praise of Lance. He’ll want to keep the pressure on the rookie the story said. This is certainly worth watching.

Detroit is dealing QB Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for two future first-round picks, a third-round pick and QB Jared Goff, per sources. Two former No. 1 overall picks trading places in the first blockbuster NFL trade of 2021.

We have our first domino falling in the QB realm for 2021. Both Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff inherit some talented weapons in their respective offenses.