USA TODAY sports
At training camp, pass catchers catch a lot of passes from quarterbacks. They also catch them from a machine that has a purpose. Simulate throwing a pass.
However, according to Rams coach Sean McVay, there is a caveat to using the Jugs machine.
“If they’re working on the jugs, I’d like to see how they move because you don’t catch a lot of stationary routes,” McVay told reporters Saturday. “So we have to work at the top of the routes. So if you see them on the jug say, “Hey, make sure we work the top end of the route.” We don’t just sit and catch static routes. This isn’t a very reflective exercise of what’s happening in the games. Tell them that the next time you see them on the mug.”
That makes sense. Rarely, if ever, does a player stand still and wait for a ball to arrive. There is movement, or at least the expectation of movement once the ball gets there.
That’s the difference between working hard and working smart. Standing still and catching balls being shot their way doesn’t make a guy any better at catching balls in games. Simulate the last move at the top of the route before you focus on making the catch.