Rams Coach Sean Mcvay Says Puka Nacua Is 'doing Really Well' After Rehab Stint

Star receiver Puka Nacua will afloat participate successful voluntary offseason workouts, nan Rams are getting person to different statement accommodation pinch backmost Matthew Stafford, and coach Sean McVay and wide head Les Snead dream backup backmost Jimmy Garoppolo decides to put disconnected status and return for a 3rd play and imaginable Super Bowl run.

McVay and Snead addressed those topics and nan NFL draught connected Tuesday during a videoconference pinch reporters.

Nacua led nan NFL successful receptions past play but besides was progressive successful a string of off-the-field incidents nan past fewer months, including an alleged biting incident that led to a civilian lawsuit. Those situations put nan brakes connected immoderate contiguous chat betwixt nan Rams and Nacua astir a massive hold for nan fourth-year pro.

In March, Nacua began a rehabilitation program successful Malibu, but he was present for nan first time of workouts connected Monday.

Nacua, 24, “looks great” and is “doing really well,” McVay said. McVay declined to item discussions he’s had pinch nan All-Pro, who was a finalist for NFL violative subordinate of nan year.

“He and I person a awesome relationship,” McVay said. “Feel really bully astir benignant of nan guidance we’re going.”

Stafford, 38, led nan Rams to nan NFC title crippled past play and is nan reigning NFL astir valuable player. According to overthecap.com, he is owed to transportation a salary-cap number of $48.3 cardinal this season.

But Stafford has nary uncertainty demanded, and will receive, a raise and a imaginable further twelvemonth successful a woody that nan Rams acknowledged 2 years agone is fundamentally a year-to-year situation.

“Progress has been made,” Snead said of negotiations.

There is nary timeline, Snead said, “but don’t expect immoderate drama, per se.”

Garoppolo, 34, has backed up Stafford for 2 seasons, and he has been invaluable.

Last year, pinch Stafford sidelined for training campy because of a backmost issue, Garoppolo ran nan discourtesy and prepped nan defense pinch a skillset honed during a 12-year profession that included a Super Bowl appearance. Stafford joined workouts earlier nan play and remained patient throughout, but Garoppolo was possibly nan astir valuable security argumentation successful nan NFL.

Last season, Garoppolo played connected a one-year statement and earned $4.5 million, according to overthecap.com.

McVay expressed assurance successful fourth-year pro Stetson Bennett, but said he was hopeful that “when nan clip is right,” Garoppolo will “change his mind,” and return.

“You time off nan doorway open,” McVay said erstwhile asked if location was a constituent that Rams would property Garoppolo to return. “I don’t deliberation you want to press. What you don’t want to do is ever unit a feline to play if successful his mind he’s fresh to move on.

“But you don’t want to minimize that, ‘Hey, if you do determine you want to play, let’s make judge it’s present pinch us.”

The Rams person nan 13th prime successful nan NFL draft, which originates Thursday successful Pittsburgh. They person 1 prime successful nan 2nd and 3rd rounds, 1 successful nan sixth information and 3 successful nan seventh.

Receiver, violative statement and separator rusher are among nan positions nan Rams could reside pinch their first top-15 prime since they selected backmost Jared Goff pinch nan No. 1 prime successful 2016.

“There’s a batch of possibilities,” McVay said. “We don’t power what happens successful those 12 picks before, and truthful what we’ve done is simply a batch of contingency readying and a batch of conversations, and consciousness really bully astir that.”