HBO 'Hard Knocks' 2016: Best Rams Storylines, Moments, Reaction for Episode 4

Watching NFL players get cut on Hard Knocks has become an offseason tradition for football fans, and Tuesday's episode was the first of the season with the Los Angeles Rams that highlighted the end of the road for some players.

It wasn't all bad news, though, as a mermaid, dinosaurs and a showdown with the defending Super Bowl champions also took center stage.

The show started with an in-depth look at Rams strength coach Rock Gullickson. While he is currently with Los Angeles, he was once a member of the Green Bay Packers staff and even received a shoutout from Brett Favre during the quarterback's Hall of Fame speech.

Despite that experience, a visit from Gullickson wasn't positive news on Hard Knocks. Head coach Jeff Fisher said the strength coach is the one who initially tells the Rams players when they are cut.

Quarterbacks Case Keenum and Jared Goff don't have to worry about that, but Hard Knocks put the battle for the starting spot under the spotlight again after the Gullickson feature. It was clear from the practice footage that Goff still has some work to go before learning the entire playbook.

It wasn't all football and roster decisions during Tuesday's episode. A common theme in this year's Hard Knocks is the fact defensive end William Hayes believes mermaids exist, and one actually showed up to practice to greet him, as the team shared:

However, the Rams' mascot had something to say about Hayes' new mermaid friend:

While he does believe in mermaids, Hayes doesn't think dinosaurs existed. He even visited a museum and talked with an expert but still wasn't convinced when she showed him a dinosaur egg and dinosaur dung. Hayes did make a point of saying he may believe if someone discovered prehistoric remains in his backyard.

Myles Simmons of the team's official website reacted to the sequence:

The Hayes-inspired lightheartedness took a backseat when Hard Knocks depicted a physically grueling portion of practice that resulted in a scuffle among teammates. NFL Films passed along one of the hits from linebacker Alec Ogletree that helped start the melee:

Fisher commented on the fighting in practice, per Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times: “They got a little testy, so I gave them a timeout. It’s like go sit in the corner, go to your room.”

The players also enjoyed a timeout from football on their day off during the episode. It showed wide receiver Austin Hill enjoying a trip to the aquarium with his family, while others ventured to In-N-Out on a golf cart, via NFL Films:

The fun didn't stop on the off day, as Tuesday's episode showed the fifth annual Rams special teams jeopardy game in the film room. Special teams coordinator John Fassel even had a head-turning entrance, as NFL Films passed along:

It was time for the team's third preseason game of the year following the trivia and spelling contest. Perhaps the most notable thing about the contest against the Denver Broncos was the fact Keenum started over Goff. Considering the third preseason game is typically viewed as the dress rehearsal for the regular season, it was a good sign for the veteran.

That meant Keenum had to take something of a beating from the starting Broncos defense, but he finished a solid 8-of-12 for 77 yards.

It wasn't just the Denver defense that set the tone. Los Angeles' hard-hitting group limited the Broncos to 299 total yards. Defensive end Robert Quinn, defensive tackle Aaron Donald and Ogletree made their presence known, as did defensive back Lamarcus Joyner. It was a positive turnaround for the cornerback after he was shown walking away from a practice drill earlier in the episode because he wasn't with the starters.

While the defense did its part, the Rams offense settled for three Greg Zuerlein field goals in the 17-9 loss. Goff entered the game for Keenum and struggled against the Denver front on his way to 4-of-12 passing for 45 yards. 

Of more importance than the final score was the battle for roster spots. Gullickson notified the players, and they then visited Fisher to officially hear the bad news. Tight end Benson Browne, kicker Taylor Bertolet, center Brian Folkerts and defensive tackle Zach Colvin were among those who were released.

Lindsey Thiry of the Los Angeles Times sympathized with Gullickson:

Somebody has to do the job, and Gullickson assumed the duty for the Rams. It was tough in the moment, but if the coaching staff made the right decisions with the roster, Los Angeles will have more than just the return of football—it will have a winning team.