Rams News

St. Louis Rams
Team Report posted July 21, 1998
by tsn correspondent JIM THOMAS - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

For the first time since moving to St. Louis in 1995, the Rams had all their draft picks under contract on the first day of camp. Defensive end Grant Wistrom, the No. 6 overall pick, signed his contract on the eve of training camp Saturday, and reported to Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill., the next day. He missed the team's camp-opening practice Sunday morning, but was on the field that day for the afternoon session.

Wistrom signed a six-year, $12.75 million contract that includes a $6 million signing bonus. He said it was important to him to get in camp on time. "I think some guys holdout out maybe just to cause a scene and be talked about." Wistrom reported to camp at 270 pounds, about 15 pounds heavier than his college days at Nebraska. He will need that extra weight to avoid getting pushed around by those 300-plus pound left tackle he will go against every Sunday in the NFL.

The Rams may use journeyman Jay Williams in some obvious running situations -- especially early on -- to keep Wistrom from getting overpowered.

Last year's Rams first-round pick, Orlando Pace, missed all of training camp. The team had two-first-round picks in '96, Lawrence Phillips and Eddie Kennsion. Both missed more than two weeks of camp before signing. The team's first-round pick in '95, Kevin Carter, signed on time, but second-round pick Zach Wiegert arrived a day late. . . .

Wistrom's signing means that veteran cornerback Ryan McNeil is the only player not under contract on the team's training camp roster. Veterans aren't scheduled to arrive until Thursday, but McNeil isn't expected to be among them. He has resisted playing under the team's franchise player designation, which would pay him $3.2 million this season. He also has rejected the team's long-term offer of $13 million over four years.

McNeil's agent wants $30 million over six years. Dexter McCleon is the team's starter at right cornerback until McNeil arrives. It could be a while. . . .

Cornerback Omarr Morgan, a rookie free agent from BYU, decided to leave Macomb just one day into camp because of concerns over his mother's health. (She has breast cancer.) He was released. . . .

Morgan's departure left the team with 31 players during the rookie/selected veterans portion of camp. Those players struggled through temperatures that exceeded 100 degrees in the opening days of camp. The team took frequent water breaks, but offensive guard Ryan Tucker and linebacker Lorenzo Styles needed IVs to restore fluids after the very first day of practice.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS

Offensive Line: Ryan Tucker showed no ill-effects in the opening days of training camp from the hamstring injury that sidelined him from the team's June minicamp. Tucker begins camp second on the depth chart behind veteran Ed Simmons. But Tucker also is working some at center, his main position for most of his college career at TCU. Vermeil likes what he sees in terms of toughness from young offensive linemen Roger Chanoine (Temple), Jeremy McKinney (Iowa) and Fred Pollack (Nebraska) -- all rookie free agents -- but doesn't know if they have the talent to make an NFL roster.

Quarterbacks: After working on the short-passing game on Sunday, the first day of training camp, the team did some shotgun work Monday. The results? Sloppy. But the team is committed to using the shotgun as part of its offensive package this season to help keep Tony Banks on his feet. Banks appears more relaxed and confident so far this camp than at any time since joining the team as a second-round draft pick in 1996.

Running Backs: Draft picks Robert Holcombe and Raymond Priester, and '97 practice squad member June Henley, are the only running backs around for the rookie/selected veterans portion of camp. So they're getting a workout. Holcombe has looked particularly sharp, running hard, making swift cutbacks, and even blocking well during pass protection drills. Priester, a fifth-round draft pick, was a feature back at Clemson, but will be tried at fullback with the Rams. His value to the team could skyrocket if Craig "Ironhead" Heyward reports overweight. Vermeil has told him to report to camp at 260 pounds Thursday or consider himself retired.

Receivers: The initial returns on rookie Az-Zahir Hakim are promising. The smallish (5-10, 178) fourth-round pick from San Diego State has been impressive in the opening days of camp. Rookie free agent Tony Hrone of Clemson also has sparkled, showing excellent change of direction and good hands. However, veteran Malcolm Floyd, allowed to practice with the rookies because he's coming off Achilles' tendon surgery, has had trouble catching the ball. Rookie Roland Williams should win an Iron Man Award. The fourth-round draft pick from Syracuse is the only tight end in camp until the veterans report later this week. So he has been getting no rest during the team's two-a-days Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

Defensive Line: No. 1 draft pick Grant Wistrom says his biggest problem early in camp will be getting in shape. Wistrom said his hectic offseason, which included a heavy does of the banquet circuit as a member of Nebraska's co-national championship, has kept him from working out as rigorously as he had hoped. Nonetheless, Wistrom looked impressive in early pass-rush drills. Of course, he's going up against undrafted rookies McKinney and Chanoine. Things will change later this week, when his practice competition will come from Orlando Pace.

Linebackers: Vermeil thinks Lorenzo Styles, a fourth-year veteran from Ohio State, could provide decent depth at the middle linebacker spot behind free-agent pickup Eric Hill. After signing with the Rams November 4, Styles played in three games, and made his presence felt in a goal-line situation against Washington on November 30, before being place on injured reserve December 8. His main competition for the backup job inside will come from Daryl Bush, a rookie free agent from Florida State.

Defensive Backs Strong safety Toby Wright began training camp on the active roster, after the team considered placing him on the PUP list (physically unable to perform) as he continues to rehabilitate from reconstructive knee surgery last January. Initially, the Wright will practice only once a day. The knee is about 85 percent back, and Vermeil hopes Wright can return to the lineup in time for the team's third preseason game, August 22 against Dallas. For what he's been asked to do, Wright has looked impressive at camp. Even during the one practice session he is participating in daily, Wright has been kept out of one-on-one coverage situations for the most part.

Special Teams: With only 31 players on hand, the team has done very little special teams work during the rookies/selected veterans portion of camp. But special teams coach Frank Gansz has gathered many of the younger players after practices to work on some fundamentals.

INJURY ANALYSIS

Linebacker Charlie Clemons suffered a strained groin on the first day of practice -- Sunday afternoon -- and sat out Monday's and Tuesday's workouts. Vermeil hopes to have him back on the field Friday, when the team has its first full-squad workout. Clemons, who has some pass-rush skills, can't afford to miss too much camp time, because he is definitely a bubble player.

FEARLESS FORECAST

Rookie Az-Zahir Hakim will give the Rams four bonafide threats at wide receiver, along with Isaac Bruce, Eddie Kennison and Ricky Proehl.

RUDY REPORT

Last April, Darryl Bush was one of the most high-profile college players NOT drafted. Bush was a Butkus Award semifinalist and a third-team All-American at Florida State. He was a four-year starter and averaged nearly 90 tackles a season. But he suffered a knee injury in the Seminoles' bowl game this past season.

Still not full recovered from the injury, Bush ran a pedestrian 4.9 in the 40-yard dash during the Seminoles' pro timing day in March. The Rams signed Bush as a rookie free agent right after the draft. If his knee holds up, Bush could be a steal of an inside linebacker. He's a little on the short side at 6-1 1/2, but packs a wallop at 248 pounds.

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