Former Gamecock Pharoh Cooper Returns to Rams Practice

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Pharoh Cooper, Nelson Spruce, and E.J. Gaines are all expected to practice for the Los Angeles Rams this week and all have at least a slight chance of being ready for this Sunday’s Week 3 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from Raymond James Stadium.

They would all provide major boosts to areas in desperate need of quality depth.

Cooper and Spruce, both rookie receivers, would help an offense that relies heavily on an intermediate passing game, with Cooper a menace after the catch and Spruce possessing sure hands.

Gaines could be a major upgrade at cornerback, starting opposite Trumaine Johnson on the outside.

Gaines missed all of last season after undergoing foot surgery, then was bothered throughout training camp with a hamstring ailment and has missed the first two games because of what the team has listed as a thigh injury. But Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Monday that Gaines is “really close.” In his place, Fisher used Coty Sensabaugh in Week 1 and then went to Troy Hill early in Week 2, prompting Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to take several deep shots against him.

Wilson threw deep against Hill four times, targeting Tyler Lockett with three of them. One resulted in a defensive pass interference, another was an offensive pass interference, another was batted down, and the last one almost won Seattle the game, a 53-yard hookup to Lockett with less than a minute remaining.

Fisher felt Hill, a second-year player out of Oregon, “responded well” to all of the challenges over the top.

But Gaines brings a lot more experience as a No. 2 cornerback, a spot he excelled at as a rookie in 2014.

“He’s been there, he’s done it, he’s played there, he’s excelled there,” Fisher said. “We’ve missed E.J. there. Once he’s healthy, I would suggest that he’s probably got a pretty good chance of taking that job over. But he’ll be questionable for this week.”

So might Cooper and Spruce, which would nonetheless be an upgrade. Spruce, an undrafted rookie who was coveted by the Rams after the draft, has been dealing with a knee injury ever since starring in the first preseason game but has steadily increased his workouts over the past few weeks. Cooper, a fourth-round pick out of South Carolina, had already established himself as the No. 3 receiver but injured his shoulder while making an acrobatic catch in Week 3 of the preseason.

“We expect them to get on the field [this week],” Fisher said. “Whether they’re available on Sunday, I don’t know yet. But they’re making progress, which is good. How it affects the offense, I can’t tell you. They’re both rookies, they haven’t had a regular-season snap yet. But they both have promising futures and showed that they can make plays in the NFL early in the preseason.”