Rams News

St. Louis Rams
Team Report posted July 28, 1998
by tsn correspondent JIM THOMAS St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Less than four days into full-squad workouts at training camp, the Rams made a major change on their offensive line. Third-year player Fred Miller, a spot starter and the team's backup right tackle behind Wayne Gandy, has been moved to left guard. Not only is Miller now a left guard, he's the team's starting left guard, pushing second-year man Ryan Tucker down to the second unit.

Tucker had taken over the starting job when veteran Ed Simmons decided to retire just before the start of training camp. With Tucker struggling on his pass blocking, the Rams coaching staff decided to move Miller to guard.

"I'm hoping it's a long, long experiment," offensive line coach Jim Hanifan said.

Miller, 6-7, 315 pounds, has played left guard only once in a game -- as a rookie in 1996, but he handled the position well in his first practice there Monday afternoon. . . .

With Ryan McNeil holding out, Joe Rowe injured, and Gerald McBurrows out with the chicken pox, the Rams have been shorthanded in the secondary. To address that situation, the team has signed two free agents -- Tony Stargell and Derrick Frazier. Stargell, 31, played in only one game last season (for Chicago) because of an ankle injury, but has plenty of NFL experience with 94 games and 39 starts on his resume.

"It's a good opportunity for me to come in here and show my talent," said Stargell, a third-round pick by the New York Jets in 1990.

Frazier, 28, was a third-round pick by Philadelphia in 1993 out of Texas A&M. He has been slowed by knee and arm injuries in the NFL, but did start four games for the Eagles in 1995. Frazier was out of football last season. Both players have a chance to make the team as reserve cornerbacks, especially if McNeil continues to hold out.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS

OFFENSIVE LINE: Orlando Pace has been a man among boys in the first week of training camp -- Pace's first training camp as an NFL player. (He missed the Rams' entire '97 camp before signing a contract.) Pace lost about 20 pounds with a rigorous offseason conditioning program, while working on his leg strength and upper-body strength in the weight room. During one pass-blocking drill Monday, Pace so thoroughly dominated backup defensive end Jeff Robinson, that offensive line coach Jim Hanifan teased, "Treat him like a dog! Treat him like a dog!"

QUARTERBACKS: Conventional wisdom has Steve Bono entering the season as the No. 2 quarterback behind Tony Banks, leaving Will Furrer and first-year player Kurt Warner to battle for the No. 3 spot. Warner, who played at Northern Iowa, is 27. He has had past stints in the Arena Football League and NFL Europe, but his only NFL experience was in the Green Bay Packers' camp. But he throws a nice ball and shows good pocket poise.

RUNNING BACKS: The Rams like what they see from rookie Robert Holcombe, but the second-round pick from Illinois has gotten limited reps this week because of a sore Achilles' tendon. Holcombe will experience a homecoming of sorts later this week when the Rams travel to Champaign, Ill., on Thursday, Friday and Saturday for joint practices and a scrimmage with Indianapolis at the University of Illinois campus. Holcombe needs work on his pass-catching and outside running skills, but his blocking skills already have been a pleasant surprise to the coaches.

RECEIVERS: The competition is heating up for two backup tight end spots behind starter Ernie Conwell. Tyji Armstrong, Mitch Jacoby, Aaron Laing and Roland Williams are fighting for those two spots -- literally. Jacoby and Williams engaged in a wild, fist-swinging, arm-wailing melee during a punt drill Tuesday. Both players took their helmets off -- hockey style -- during the fight, which eventually was broken up by special teams coach Frank Gansz. At wide receiver, Isaac Bruce looks just short of marvelous, drawing oohs and ahs from the crowds at Western Illinois University with his circus catches. Bruce's troubles began in an injury-plagued '97 season at training camp when he suffered a torn hamstring, but he appears determined to regain his Pro Bowl from of '96.

DEFENSIVE LINE: Although the pre training camp depth chart read differently, veteran Joe Phillips has been getting most of the reps with the first unit at left tackle -- not Jeff Zgonina. Zgonina, in fact, has been backing up D'Marco Farr at right tackle, with Ray Agnew backing up Phillips on the left side. The Rams seem serious about rotating their defensive front, so you should see all four players getting plenty of work in the preseason and the regular season. The team wants to use the undersized Farr less frequently in obvious rushing situations.

LINEBACKERS: Linebacker depth has been a problem for the Rams ever since the franchise moved to St. Louis in 1995. But at least the Rams look to be well-stocked at middle linebacker. Lorenzo Styles, a four-year veteran, is the top backup behind Eric Hill. But rookie free agents Darryl Bush of Florida State and London Fletcher of John Carroll also are making a push for roster spots. At outside linebacker, third-round draft pick Leonard Little has been getting plenty of attention from linebackers coach John Bunting. Little needs plenty of polishing, especially when it comes to pass coverage, but has worlds of potential.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: While Ryan McNeil continues his holdout -- McNeil so far is refusing to play for the franchise player tender of $3.2 million -- Dexter McCleon is the starting right cornerback. McCleon, a second-round draft choice in 1997 from Clemson, has looked good early in training camp. "Dexter looks like a whole different guy," said co-defensive coordinator Peter Giunta. "The experience he got last year was invaluable." McCleon played in 21 percent of the team's defensive plays last season, but relinquished most of his nickel back duties to Taje Allen late last season.

SPECIAL TEAMS: New punter Rick Tuten, a free agent pickup from Seattle has been more than impressive in the early days of training camp. Tuten has been averaging 4.9 seconds of hang time per punt, well above the desired 4.5 to 4.6 seconds. Tuten also has taken over the holding duties on extra points and field goals. The man he replaces, starting free safety Keith Lyle, did well holding last season, but special teams coach Frank Gansz thinks Tuten would be more of a natural.

INJURY ANALYSIS

Last year it was hamstrings. This year, it's back strains. Rowe, offensive guard Ethan Brooks and Hill all have sat out the majority of training camp (since the veterans reported) with strained backs. MRIs to Brooks and Hill showed no structural damage. Hill practiced once a day during each of the team's first three full squad workouts, but decided to shut it down indefinitely Tuesday. Hill suffered the strained back late in June during weightlifting.

He is being counted on to be a team leader after signing a two-year free agent contract from Arizona, but Vermeil hasn't been thrilled with Hill's missed practice time. "We didn't bring him here to watch practice," Vermeil said.

Toby Wright has been participating in one practice a day as he continues his road back from reconstructive knee surgery. He missed three days of practice over the weekend to attend a family funeral.

McBurrows still hasn't reported to camp because of the chicken pox.

FEARLESS FORECAST

Pace will make the Pro Bowl this year, and by 1999 will be considered the best tackle in the NFL.

RUDY REPORT

Bryan Robinson made the Rams roster as a rookie free agent from Fresno State one year ago, but was little more than an afterthought last season, recording eight tackles and one sack, while participating in 13 percent of the team's defensive plays. But he has been a force so for in training camp, particularly when it comes to wreaking havoc in pass-rushing drills. Robinson has added about 25 pounds of muscle since coming to the Rams, bulking up to 295 pounds.

"He goes hard on every single snap," Vermeil said. "But if anyone takes a little bit of a breather, he dumps them on their rear end. . . I'm very pleased with him. We're counting on him to help us. He will be in the rotation."

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