Rams News

Rams camp possesses a new mood

04/24/98

By Elizabethe Holland
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff

Rams Park had a first-day-of-school feel about it Friday as 83 players descended on the Earth City complex for the team's first minicamp.
But this year's minicamp had a considerably different feel to it from previous ones, several players said. This time there wasn't a new coaching staff to break in the team, a changed philosophy or any other such issues, which made last year's camp more of a head-scratcher.
``At this point last year, we were going kind of fast, everything was new, so I'm kind of swimming,'' said quarterback Tony Banks. ``I'm thinking how things are similar to what we did before but I'm thinking about new terminology, I'm thinking about how I'm going to work on this play, but now I don't have to do that. I'm able to just react and play football rather than having to be out there kind of like I'm a scientist or something.''
No more Mr. Jones: Not only was middle linebacker Robert Jones not at practice Friday, someone else had taken over his number. Wearing No. 55 was linebacker Troy Dumas. As for Jones' whereabouts, Vermeil said he is living in Orlando, Fla., and, essentially, that his days as a Ram are numbered.
Jones has been replaced in the starting lineup by Eric Hill, a 6-foot-2, 264-pound middle linebacker from the Arizona Cardinals.
Jones, who has completed the second year of a five-year, $10 million contract, technically remains on the roster and is scheduled to make $1.4 million in base salary. If the Rams cut him before June 1, they would take a salary cap hit of $280,000 this year: the $1.68 million of remaining signing bonus they'd be charged for under the cap rules, minus the $1.4 million the team would save in base salary.
``There's been no interest in trading for him because they know they don't have to,'' coach Dick Vermeil said. ``As of June 1, he'll be on the market and he'll end up with a good job.''
Missing from action: Of the 88 players listed on the roster Friday, Jones was one of six who didn't make the morning practice and one of five who didn't show for the afternoon workout. Also missing were cornerback Ryan McNeil and NFL Europe players Kurt Warner, Tom Nutten and Wendall Gaines.
Rams fourth-round draft pick Roland Williams missed the morning practice because of schoolwork at Syracuse, but he showed up at Rams Park in the afternoon.

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