Which brings us to this year. Yes, the increase in the salary cap has sent salaries soaring. And yes, McNeil might have benefited had he been left as an unrestricted free agent. But judging by his inflated opinion of himself, chances are he'd still be unsigned.

The Rams have offered McNeil a four-year, $13 million contract that includes a $3.6 million bonus. The offer is negotiable. But the Rams won't effectively negotiate against themselves, which is what they would be doing by responding to McNeil's demand of $27 million over five years with a $10 million signing bonus.

Yes, McNeil led the NFL with nine interceptions. But he was also burned on several occasions and was whistled for 12 pass interference penalties. Does he deserve more than any other cornerback has received this off-season? Next question.

Here are what other corners have received in the last three months:

Doug Evans, Green Bay to Carolina ($22.5 million/5 years; $7.5M bonus); Jeff Burris, Buffalo to Indianapolis ($20.5M/5 years; $5M bonus); Antonio Langham, Baltimore to San Francisco ($17M/5 years, $3.2M bonus); James Hasty, re-signed with Kansas City ($12M/4 years; $3M bonus); Ray Crockett, re-signed with Denver ($14.5M/5 years; $3M bonus); Rod Woodson, San Francisco to Baltimore ($11.5M/4 years; $3M bonus); Dewayne Washington, Minnesota to Pittsburgh ($8.8M/4 years; $2M bonus).

That's why it's laughable to hear Ransom say that McNeil is "unhappy not being considered worthy of what he's worked so hard to get" and then claim, "We're trying to establish an understanding with the Rams consistent with our beliefs, based on historical facts and figures, and based off current market conditions. It's not what Ryan wants, or doesn't want. It's about what Ryan McNeil's value is."

Exactly.

Meanwhile, Rams coach Dick Vermeil isn't panicking. While acknowledging that second-year corner Dexter McCleon "has made a defined move from where he was," and considering the recent signing of Willie Clark, Vermeil believes McNeil will eventually sign.

"But," he said, "you always have that little concern because contract negotiations are always long and a problem and they're more difficult when people get in the evaluation process themselves other than coaching departments and management staffs and personnel departments. When agents determine someone is one of the top three at any position and the player thinks he's one of the top three at his position and starts ranking himself in the league, it just takes longer to come to terms.

"But I'm not going to panic because I really believe we'll end up having Ryan McNeil here, and he'll play just as well or better than he did a year ago."

But that will only happen when he realizes he's a good player, not a great one.

GROWING AS COACHES

There are those who still claim the game has passed Dick Vermeil by. That his 14 years away from the NFL left him unprepared for another go-round.

But while winners are always winners, and Dick Vermeil is a winner, he admits last year was a learning process.

"It takes part of a year (to get accustomed again)," he said. "The standards that once were set for excellence in the early '80s, late '70s are below par today. The cars we drive are a lot better. The equipment you're using is a lot better. And the football game being coached has got to be coached better. Defining what detail is is really more difficult today because you're exposed to so much more.

Everyone has a different interpretation of what detail means."

Mostly, Vermeil recognizes changes in defensive approaches that affect the way you do things offensively.

"We've got to keep growing offensively as a coaching staff," he said. "We have to keep improving what we're doing, why we're doing it, how we're doing it. The offensive game today, with the things we see on defense, has just got to be better than the way I coached it. We can't do it as well as I did it with my Super Bowl team (in Philadelphia). We've got to do it better."

Therein lies any hope for improvement with this football team.

A WEIGHTY MATTER

Far too much is being made of the weight gained by defensive end Grant Wistrom in the off-season. The Rams' first-round pick increased his weight from 250 to 270 and will likely put on more.

As for going against large tackles, the NFL, past and present, is filled with defensive ends who rely on quickness, not heft, to rush the passer. Charles Haley (255), Fred Dean (236), Hugh Douglas (260), Alfred Williams (265), Simeon Rice (260), Bruce Smith (273). Just to name a few. Most pass rushers, in fact, are in the 255-270 range.

Although the minicamp was not in pads, from what he saw on tape, Vermeil said Wistrom's increased weight did not affect his quickness.

"In fact," Vermeil said, "I can picture him putting on at least another 10 pounds of bulk, easy, with no problem."

Wistrom said he plans to do just that.

"I ate constantly and worked out all the time," he said of the time before he draft. "All I did was eat, sleep and work out for a month. I didn't have to concern myself with school because I took the semester off. It came on really quickly; it wasn't that tough to put on. I'll put on a few more pounds."

And, hopefully, silence the doubters.

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