Rams set joint practices with Cowboys and Saints in Los Angeles this August

The Los Angeles Rams will share two joint practice sessions with fellow NFC teams during the August portion of training camp, the NFL announced. The Rams will face the Dallas Cowboys on August 11 and the New Orleans Saints on August 20, with both practices conducted in Los Angeles and the Rams designated as the “home team” for each event.

Joint practices are built to mimic the physical and tempo demands of game weeks, with teams often splitting time across offense, defense, and special teams work. Unlike a preseason matchup, they allow coaches to run longer looks at opponent formations and personnel packages without the same constraints of a game snap count. For fans and staff, the format tends to emphasize fundamentals: assignment execution, line-to-line leverage, and how quickly players respond when coverages or fronts are changed on the fly.

For the Rams, lining up consecutive joint sessions against the Cowboys and Saints creates a concentrated stretch of work against different schematic identities across two weeks. Dallas is typically known for an aggressive, multiple approach, while New Orleans is structured to stress decisions in both the passing and run phases. Even with no games attached to the practice itself, the matchups can shape how a team manages its preseason preparation priorities, especially for units that need more live situational reps.

The schedule also places the Rams in the distinctive role of “home team” for both sessions. That designation can affect small operational details, such as who is treated as the primary host for personnel rotations and practice-day logistics, though the on-field goal remains the same: create realistic, shared competition in front of coaching staffs.

Dallas and New Orleans will travel to Los Angeles for their respective dates, which gives each opponent a chance to evaluate its own preparation under conditions similar to an away environment. For visiting teams, joint practices can be an early test of communication and discipline when dealing with a hostile crowd atmosphere, different practice-day rhythms, and the need to adjust to the hosting team’s pacing and sequencing across drills.

From a personnel development standpoint, the timing matters. August joint practices usually land close enough to the start of the preseason window that coaches can use the sessions to refine starting-unit rhythm while still allowing depth groups to get meaningful reps. Teams also tend to use the days to confirm early-season role clarity, particularly for players competing for key jobs on both sides of the ball.

What to watch next is how each team structures the sessions on the practice-day menu. The Rams’ two-part sequence against Dallas and New Orleans could reveal how they balance teaching fundamentals with competitive situational work, and whether the staff leans more heavily on scripted looks or faster adjustments. For fans, the joint practices are often the first significant indicator of preseason form, not in the form of results, but in the sharpness and cohesion of day-to-day execution.

Because this announcement comes through league information, the specifics of how many periods or which live-drill elements each practice will include were not detailed in the report. The dates and location, however, establish the concrete targets on the Rams’ summer calendar, and they set the stage for a pair of high-intensity, in-division opponents preparing in close proximity.