Rams Have A Crucial Practice Checkpoint Before The Preseason Takes Shape

As the Rams and Saints gear up for their joint practice, all eyes are on key players like Davante Adams, whose performances could reveal much about the Rams' readiness for the coming season.

Los Angeles Rams fans are still looking for real signs of progress, and joint practices are one of the few places where those signs can show up in plain sight. They give coaches, reporters, and everyone else a cleaner look at how players are handling live reps, and with the Rams set for another run against the New Orleans Saints, there’s no shortage of questions hanging over camp.

The biggest one is simple: who keeps building on what they’ve already shown?

A second joint practice with New Orleans puts a handful of Rams squarely in focus, starting with the player who may matter most to the offense right now.

Davante Adams is the headliner. The veteran receiver dealt with the same dropsies that affected Terrance Ferguson in 2025, but a full training camp alongside Matthew Stafford appears to have pushed that behind him.

The Rams will be without Puka Nacua, which only increases the spotlight on Adams. He’s built to win with separation, and that skill matters even more when pre-snap motion is used to mess with coverage.

Adams also backed up the production last season, scoring 14 touchdowns in 14 games, and he’s been working at a much faster pace in camp this year.

Terrance Ferguson is another name worth tracking closely. The second-year tight end has clear upside, and his route-running ability stands out.

Last season, though, he never really got his feet set. With Stafford taking part in camp this year, Ferguson has looked more like a complete receiver in the Rams’ offense.

He made the roster already; now the next step is becoming a true workhorse on game day.

On the defensive side, Braden Fiske enters the practice with a little more attention on him now that Jared Verse is with the Cleveland Browns. Fiske has spent much of his NFL career in Verse’s shadow, but that’s changing.

He has looked good so far, and the Saints present a fresh test with a different group of offensive linemen. The key for Fiske is keeping that adjustment going.

Jaylen Watson also has a major assignment ahead. The Rams’ defense came out of its first joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys with a better showing than the outside reaction suggested, but Watson still needs to step up. New Orleans receiver Chris Olave was an All-Pro Second Teamer last season, and Watson’s job is to handle him.

These four aren’t the only Rams who matter in practice, but they are the clearest measuring sticks. If they keep trending in the right direction, the rest of the roster starts to look a lot more encouraging too.

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