Rams News

Rams minicamp will boast 2 dozen new faces
04/23 07:50 PM

By Jim Thomas
of the Post-Dispatch staff

Defensive end Grant Wistrom heads a group of eight draft picks who will get their NFL initiation this weekend at Rams minicamp. Throw in 16 rookie free agents, and Dick Vermeil has a couple dozen new faces to sort through this weekend.
Vermeil is certain of one thing: Most of the newcomers will have a more difficult time making the squad than the rookie class a year ago did.
``We're so far ahead of where we were a year ago that it'll be tougher for a young player to match up and compete evenly going into training camp,'' Vermeil said.
Vermeil can say that because of what his veterans have accomplished in the team's offseason conditioning program. ``Our football team's in shape to play today,'' Vermeil said.
Vermeil's brother Al, in his 13th season as the Chicago Bulls strength and conditioning consultant, critiqued the Rams program last week along with a few associates.
``He's spent his whole life in this stuff. He's an expert,'' Vermeil said. ``He was really impressed. He said, `I can't believe this is a pro football team's locker room and weight room, because of their enthusiasm and their attitude toward work.' ''
For the Rams, there has been strength (and conditioning) in numbers. In any given week, more than 40 players have participated in the offseason program, a group that usually includes two-thirds of the starters.
Quarterback Tony Banks and wide receiver Eddie Kennison have been regular participants, which wasn't the case last year. Offensive tackle Orlando Pace, who had been just drafted a year ago at this time, looks like a svelte basketball power forward. He has dropped about 25 pounds, not that he was overweight last year.
So there should be little huffing and puffing among the vets this weekend. The Rams practice twice today and Saturday -- about 80 strong -- at Rams Park. Those workouts are closed to the public.
The minicamp concludes Sunday with a single practice from 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at the Trans World Dome. This workout is open to PSL holders and their families if they bring a postcard they should have received in the mail. (Spectators also are asked to bring a can of food to support the St. Louis Area Food Bank.) PSL holders will find an added bonus at the Broadway Central entrance to the Dome: The Wall of Fame, listing all 28,000 charter PSL holders, is up.
On the field, Vermeil expects the overall learning curve to be less daunting this spring.
``Since we're not introducing a new offense, and not trying to throw a whole new package at them, we're going slower and more deliberate,'' Vermeil said. ``We're more defined in what we're putting in, and spending a little more time on it.''
There will be a couple new wrinkles offensively, however. Including. . . . the shotgun!
``We'll be working some shotgun,'' Vermeil said. ``We'll get Tony back there, take a little bit of the heat off the pass protection.''
Vermeil said the Rams also would like to use more two-back formations than they did last season. ``A lot depends on the quality of our H-back,'' Vermeil said.
Ironhead, that's your cue. The Rams say they want to use Craig ``Ironhead'' Heyward, or whoever is manning the fullback/H-back position, more often. Vermeil said he will not concern himself with Heyward's weight until the start of training camp in mid July.
The Rams have added six rookie free agents in the past couple days, all of whom should be on hand this weekend: linebacker London Fletcher from John Carroll; defensive end Brett Gastineau from Mesa Community College; wide receiver Sanjay Lal from the University of Washington; punter Mark Schultis from Texas; defensive lineman Corey Sears from Mississippi State; and safety Frank Spraggins from Western Illinois.
Spraggins is from East St. Louis. Gastineau is the younger brother of former New York Jets star Mark Gastineau.

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