THOUSAND OAKS – A few things old, a few things new, nothing borrowed and a lot of blue. The Rams opened the final stage of their summer workouts Monday amid a bevy of changes.

For the first time, Coach Sean McVay was able to put the Rams’ veterans and rookies through a full-team, no-pads, no-tackling practice, the first of 10 such sessions the team will hold between now and mid-June. Not a lot can be be gleaned from the practices, but they’re important.

For instance, there’s no wasted time for quarterback Jared Goff, as he enters his second NFL season with a new coaching staff and some new targets at receiver and tight end.

Related Articles Bonsignore: With contract talks heating up, Aaron Donald a no-show at Rams OTAs Goff, on Monday at Cal Lutheran, threw passes to receiver Robert Woods, who signed with the Rams in March, and tight end Gerald Everett, the Rams’ second-round draft pick last month. Everett lined up with the Rams’ first-team offense for some drills Monday.

Most of the OTA drills are position-based, but there are 11-on-11 periods, chances for Goff to work with his new targets in non-pads, game-simulation situations.

“We’re just trying to get the timing down,” Woods said. “We’re connecting. The biggest thing is, we’re talking in meetings and then we’re coming out on the field and executing what we’ve been talking about.”

Woods signed a five-year, $34 million contract with the Rams in March, after four seasons with the Buffalo Bills in which he never exceeded 699 yards or five touchdowns.

More will be asked of Woods now. He is expected to be a good-hands, every-down receiver and the team’s best run-blocker. Woods and Goff already have worked together during throwing sessions in Westlake Village, and Goff said he is impressed with his new teammate.

“He’s been great, more than I could’ve expected,” Goff said. “His work ethic, you can tell how much it means to him and how bad he wants it. H’es just a competitor. He’s smart. He’s fast, and he’s strong. He wants to be the best he can be every day, and you can tell that.”

DEADLINE DAY

Aaron Donald’s absence isn’t the Rams’ only contract-related subplot of OTA practices. Their top cornerback, Trumaine Johnson, is is an even more immediate situation.

In March, the Rams applied their one-year franchise tag to Johnson, which kept him under contract for 2017. Johnson can still sign a new, long-term contract, one that would overside the franchise-tag contract, but the deadline for that new deal is in July.

“The 15th,” Johnson offered without being prompted.

So, clearly Johnson is keeping track, even though he said Monday that he is letting his agent handle the details, and that a possible new contract isn’t a distraction from offseason work.

Johnson, a Modesto native, said he would like to sign a long-term deal with the Rams, but either way, he won’t be hurting. The franchise-tag contract would pay Johnson $16.7 million in 2017, and he would command big money as one of the top free-agent cornerbacks next March.

“This is my sixth year in the league,” Johnson said, “so I understand that it’s a business at the end of the day. You’ve got to learn to separate the personal side from the business side, and control what you can control. At the end of the day, it’s football.”

General Manager Les Snead repeated earlier comments, that the Rams would wait until mid-June, after OTA practices, to resume talks about a possible extension.

“We will not take a summer vacation,” Snead said, “and then see if we can figure something out there.”

STILL OUT

The most notable absence from practice, other than Donald, was starting safety Maurice Alexander, who also did not participate in a veteran mini-camp last month. McVay said then that Alexander was dealing with an injury issue, but McVay did not give an update on Alexander’s status Monday.

John Johnson, a third-round draft pick last month, did not participate for unknown reasons. As expected, Austin did not practice. Austin underwent wrist surgery this month and did some running on the field during practice with his left wrist protected.

MINOR MOVES

The Rams signed two defensive linemen, Omarius Bryant and A.J. Jefferson. In corresponding roster moves, they waived offensive lineman Kwayde Miller, and defensive back Dravious Wright left the team for unknown reasons. The Rams have 89 players on their roster, one fewer than the allowable maximum.