Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay turned up the volume on his first-unit offense Sam Martin Jersey , blasting the usual training camp soundtrack of rap music even louder as they went through a series of unscripted situational drills Saturday.

It wasn't enough to silence the starters, as wide receiver Brandin Cooks made a loud statement with a series of impressive catches.

"He did a great job today and he's done that over the course of his career," McVay said. "Brandin is an exciting player. I've really been impressed with how quickly he has been able to learn the system, take ownership on the offense, and just getting out here making plays."

Those highlights included catching a crossing route through traffic and making a contested leaping grab on the next play during a team period, showing why the Rams traded for him in April and signed the former Oregon State standout to a five-year extension last month.

With a new contract in hand, Cooks feels free to go all out entering his fifth season.

"I think a lot of guys when you get that (extension), you go even harder just because you know have that security so you just lay it all out there because of the team believing so highly in you," said Cooks, who had 65 receptions for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns for New England last season.

Cooks has had at least 1,000 yards receiving and seven touchdown receptions in each of the last three seasons Josh Ferguson Jersey , and early returns in practice have justified McVay's belief that Cooks will be more than a deep threat complimenting fellow starters Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. However, Kupp believes that one aspect of Cooks' skill set will have a major impact on how opposing defenses play against the Rams.

"The most visible sign of someone that's fast is when they catch the deep ball, but you don't see how much that influences things underneath and clears zones out and allows for guys to get open," Kupp said. "For the threat that he is, the way safeties are going to have to play him, it's a huge advantage for us. We just have to make sure we're doing our job, the other 10 guys on the field."

McVay likes how Cooks fits in with the other receivers on the roster, a group that was overhauled through free agency, the draft and trades last year before sending first and sixth-round picks to the Patriots for Cooks. What stands out to Kupp is how each receiver is capable of filling every role in McVay's system, praising Cooks for integrating into the offense so quickly.

"Our receiving corps, just the guys that we have, there is so much diversity in terms of the strengths of our players that I don't think it's on one person Karl Mecklenburg Jersey ," Kupp said. "It's not one person's job to run this route. It's not only one person that can run the deep route. And because of that, it makes it really easy for us to be able to move around and be diverse in our looks and even harder for the defense to get a bead on."?

The Rams' backups on defense certainly struggled to keep up with quarterback Jared Goff and his collection of receivers. Kupp was especially pleased with how the offense performed in the red zone during practice. Despite leading the NFL in scoring at 29.9 points per game last season, the Rams got touchdowns on 53.4 percent of possessions inside the 20-yard line.

Cooks showed he can help there by tapping his toes down in the back corner of the end zone for a touchdown during a red-zone drill.

"He can do a variety of things, but it's exciting to be able to work with players like him where you're kind of not really limited in any way you can utilize him," McVay said.

NOTES: Tight end Gerald Everett will not travel with the team next week for joint practices with Baltimore because of a sprained shoulder, McVay said. . Safety Lamarcus Joyner, who has been limited because of a sore Achilles, should return to practice Monday.

After a rough debut, Cleveland Indians rookie Shane Bieber has found his routine.

Edwin Encarnacion and Lonnie Chisenhall hit back-to-back homers, Bieber pitched six strong innings and the Indians beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 on Wednesday night.

Bieber (3-0) struck out seven to become the seventh pitcher in baseball’s modern era to strike out six or more batters in each of his first four major league starts. After giving up four runs in 5 2/3 innings in his first outing, Bieber has given up just two runs in his last three starts and lowered his ERA to 2.22.

”It’s just being able to fall into a routine and just get a little more comfortable within that routine and within the clubhouse here and with the guys and all that,” Bieber said. ”That goes a long way to being able to establish what you want to do.”

The Indians avoided a series sweep and have won eight of 10. Cleveland starters improved to 17-2 with a 2.26 ERA across 26 starts in series finales Rashaan Gaulden Jersey , including wins in their last nine decisions.

”For a young kid when runners are on and things start to happen, he seems to pitch more maturely than his age would indicate,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. ”He starts throwing his breaking ball, gets some chase, doesn’t panic, game doesn’t speed up. That’s a real nice trait for anybody, let alone a kid that’s got four major league starts.”

Bieber jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Jack Flaherty in the fourth for a double, his first major league hit.

Jose Martinez snapped Bieber’s scoreless innings streak at 14 innings with a one-out RBI single in the third.

”I thought he had a good breaking ball,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of Bieber. ”It must have been a little different from than what guys have seen lately, you could tell some of the swings even in counts where they might have been looking for it might have been off a bit.”

Encarnacion and Chisenhall gave the Indians a 2-0 lead in the second, marking Cleveland’s fifth back-to-back home runs this season.

Francisco Lindor walked and Michael Brantley doubled to spark a two-run third that extended the Indians’ lead to 4-0. Tyler Naquin doubled home another run in the sixth.

Francona credited a loose atmosphere after the Indians dropped the first two in the series.

”It’s not necessarily about being silly but it’s about you don’t want to just be tight,” Francona said. ”We already lost a couple tough games and it’s nice to come back and play a good one with a day off tomorrow and a long flight.”

Flaherty (3-3) went four innings Taven Bryan Jersey , his shortest outing this season as the Cardinals had their four-game winning streak snapped. It followed perhaps his most dominant start, in which he carried a no-hitter for 6 1/3 innings against Milwaukee on Friday.

”Those two home runs were missed spots and I just wasn’t able to execute,” Flaherty said. ”They hit some balls that fell.”

Matt Carpenter walked, doubled and scored a night after scoring five runs and getting five hits.

TRAINING ROOM

Indians: RHP Carlos Carrasco (right elbow contusion) threw a bullpen session and will throw about 65 pitches on a rehab assignment Saturday at Double-A Akron.

Cardinals: SS Paul DeJong (left hand fracture) is scheduled to meet with doctors Thursday with the hopes of being cleared to head out for a rehab assignment.

UP NEXT

Indians: RHP Trevor Bauer (7-5, 2.44 ERA) will kick off a three-game series against Oakland and RHP Paul Blackburn (1-2, 8.83 ERA) on Friday. Bauer is 1-2 with a 4.44 ERA in five career starts against the A’s.

Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (8-2, 2.69 ERA) will get the start as St. Louis hosts Atlanta and RHP Julio Teheran (5-5, 4.52 ERA) in the first of a three-game set Friday. Mikolas threw 2 1/3 scoreless relief innings in his only career appearance against the Braves on Aug. 15, 2012.

—

Womens Sam Darnold Jersey ,