The Los Angeles Rams are preparing for training camp at Loyola Marymount University and saying good-bye Wednesday to their practice facilities at California Lutheran University.
The Rams are planning to use a new practice facility and headquarters in Woodland Hills, which is expected to be ready by next season, and are ending an eight-year run of spring practices at the college campus in Thousand Oaks.
Rams coach Sean McVay said he expects the players to come back to training camp, which starts on July 23 at Loyola Marymount, ready to pick up where they left off at the end of spring practice.
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"It's trusting these guys, allowing for them to be able to get away, but understanding they need to come back to camp ready to go," McVay said. "There's a responsibility each of the guys has, coaches, players, everybody involved. We need everybody to be at our best and ready to go."
Part of the Rams' plan once training camp starts is to practice jointly with three teams, the Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans.
The Cowboys have training camp in Oxnard and will play the Rams in a preseason game at SoFi Stadium on Aug. 17. The Rams and Cowboys have a joint practice scheduled for Aug. 8.
"It's awesome. We're going to have the opportunity to get four joint practices, two against the Chargers spread out a little bit, one against the Cowboys, which I've already seen is out there," McVay said. "We'll go to Houston, practice against them on that Thursday before. To get four opportunities and never have to go back to back, that's a big deal."
The Rams and Chargers will play in a preseason game at SoFi Stadium on Aug. 17. The final preseason game for the Rams is against the Texans in Houston on Aug. 24 at NRG Stadium. The Rams and Texans are planning a joint practice in Houston on Aug. 22.
There are two joint practices scheduled with the Chargers but those dates have not been released.
"I think it's great for the area," McVay said. "Obviously the weather, the setting and surroundings allow for a great training camp. And we're looking forward to go to LMU this year."
The Rams have a number of new players on the team including Jonah Jackson, an offensive lineman signed as a free agent in the offseason.
Jackson played with the Detroit Lions last season and was teammates with Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in his rookie season. Jackson has said one of the reasons he wanted to play for the Rams is to be teammates with Stafford again.
Jackson, who signed a three-year, $51 million deal with $34 million guaranteed with the Rams, is coming off knee surgery and is making strides recovering in spring practices.
"It feels great. Getting ready for camp, getting ready for a long season," Jackson said. "Hopefully, we can play 20-plus games."
He is part of a newly constructed offensive line for the Rams. Veteran Steve Avila is moving to center and Jackson is being added as a starter at guard. Jackson said he has a good feeling about how the offensive line will look like once the season starts.
"This could be a special group. We got a lot of potential," Jackson said. "We got some great ball players from the inside to the outside. We excited to get the ball rolling and start moving people."
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