Scuffles galore at Rams practice on Thursday, including Michael Sam

Posted by Mike Florio on June 6, 2014, 9:56 AM EST
AP

As the voluntary (but really not), non-contact (but really not) practices continue throughout the NFL, guys already are getting sick of voluntarily not engaging in contact.

It’s apparently causing some of them to choose to engage in extracurricular non-contact contact.

According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Thursday’s session resulted in a trio of scuffles in Rams cap.  It started between receiver Kenny Britt and cornerback Trumaine Johnson.  Eventually, it included defensive end Michael Sam.

Per Thomas, Sam threw an elbow to the back of running back Isaiah Pead while Pead was trying to pass-block Sam.

So what does coach Jeff Fisher plan to do about guys in non-contact practices engage in contact beyond the scope of any non-contact contact that would happen during a play?

“Just let ’em know that we have some rules we have to abide by,” Fisher said, via Thomas.  “Learn to protect each other a little bit better.  But it was good.  It was very competitive.”

Sam will have a chance to talk about the competition that turned a tad violent on Friday; he’s expected to be made available to the media on Friday.

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25 responses to “Scuffles galore at Rams practice on Thursday, including Michael Sam”

  1. Sam has to throw cheap shots in practice. He doesn’t have enough talent to make the team, so he has to make up for it by throwing elbows.

  4. Established players get into scuffles as much as young players. In Chicago, Martellus Bennett and Lamarr Houston got into it last week. This is football, not tennis. Good luck with this whole “non-contact” thing working out. Guys get hurt in non-contact drills, so guys are going to protect themselves accordingly, and that may rub some guys the wrong way.

  5. Threw an elbow into the back of somebody? Seems like an awkward way to strike another man. I always thought elbows were more of a “to the face” kinda weapon, personally.

  6. What do you expect a man to do when he’s pushed up against a wall and trying his best to do what the coaches ask while his career and financial future are on the line? Unless those directions are clear and effective at emphasizing the no-contact concept, then there will be contact. So can we adjust the rules so we don’t have to ask why the rules aren’t being enforced? That should be a simple thing to resolve between the NFLPA and the league right? Maybe somebody needs to file a lawsuit to make something happen.

  11. The Rams are assembling a pretty rowdy bunch. After a couple of major in game meltdowns in Seattle and Carolina I’d think Fisher would try to discourage this stuff. For most teams it is just spirited competition. But the Rams are just flat out pissed off and lose control.

  13. Contact like that occurs at every level with almost every team. I’ve been in numerous scuffles during my playing days. Got into one scuffle with a teammate, then an hour later he gave me a lift home.

  14. it’s hot. they’re stressed. aggression and adrenaline are in the air. and you want guys who push the limits and don’t like backing down.

  15. Thats football baby… I can recall a time in practice where it was the Offense against Defense, we did up-downs until we puke but that scuffle brought us together…may what the Rams needed…Indeed…

  16. I’d let them go at it. If the team abides by the rules on plays as far as I’m concerned they’re covered. If the players, who are the ones that want the no contact, want to break their own rules I say they them knock themselves out.

  18. “Sam will have a chance to talk about the competition that turned a tad violent on Friday; he’s expected to be made available to the media on Friday.”

    Why would the media want to talk to an average at best LB?

  20. Jeff Fisher encourages dirty play on the Rams. During the game in Seattle last season, they went out of their way to target the heads of Seattle’s receivers and were able to injure a few of our players. On 3 separate plays, St Louis DBs clearly targeted Golden Tate’s knees and almost injured him, and they were able to knock Harvin out with a concussion on a dirty late hit to his helmet. Later in the game, multiple Rams started fights on the field, including one player hitting a ref and being ejected from the game. There were multiple instances in which Russell Wilson was hit 2-3 seconds after throwing the ball, and defenders were diving at his knees and targeting his helmet.

    If the NFL was serious about player safety, they would be doing something about it.

    It is clear that Gregg Williams has brought the same dirty culture from the New Orleans Saints to the St Louis Rams, and that Jeff Fisher is encouraging it.

    Dirty team, dirty mediocre coach. It’s one thing to play hard, another to play dirty. They deserve to be the bottom feeders they are.

  22. If Pead was pass-blocking Sam, he would have been facing Sam. How the heck could Sam thro an elbow into Pead’s back while Pead was facing Sam.
    Makes no sense.

  23. I’m surprised Fisher let Cortland Finnegan go, he was a co-captain on the “All NFL Dirty Player” team.

    Anyway, camp fights usually bring the team closer; you cannot keep a grudge and play well together.

    Hmm. This little scuffle might have made a nice highlight to Sam’s reality show. Gee willikers, too bad.

  25. Let’s take the microscope off Michael Sam! He’s trying to make a pro football team. You don’t get to be SEC Defensive Player of the Year without have a LOT of talent! The question about Sam has always been does he have the size to play his position in the NFL! Maybe they’ll switch him to LB and he’ll realize his dream.

    Training camp will tell!

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