Rams News

St. Louis Rams
Team Report posted August 4, 1998
by tsn correspondent JIM THOMAS - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

With Robert Holcombe (hamstring), Jerald Moore (shoulder) and David Thompson (thigh) continuing to rest nagging injuries, coach Dick Vermeil decided the Rams needed another body at running back. So the club signed former Kansas City Chief Greg Hill to a two-year, $1.2 million deal which included a $100,000 signing bonus.

Hill visited Rams Park as an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but didn't like the Rams' subsequent contract offer. Hill will give the Rams a speed threat on the outside and more experience than they have anywhere in the backfield other than pass receiving specialist Amp Lee.

"We've got to have somebody that's been in the league and has lined up and played," Vermeil said. "We've got some good young players at that position, but we can't coach them if they're not on the field."

The Rams also brought former Minnesota Vikings back James Stewart in for a workout. Stewart hasn't carried in an NFL game since 1995. To make room for Hill on the roster, the club released cornerback Derrick Frazier, a former third-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles. Frazier practiced once for the Rams, then had been sidelined with a hamstring injury. . . .

If nothing else, the Rams' scrimmage Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts showed Vermeil that plenty of work needs to be done before the regular-season opener against New Orleans. The offense sputtered against the Colts, with three turnovers, three holding penalties, two false starts and a botched quarterback/center exchange involving Tony Banks and Mike Gruttadauria.

"There's no reason to be disappointed," Vermeil said. "But I would have liked to have been smoother on offense. And we blew a couple things on defense that you better not do in the league opener."

In fairness, the team was missing many of its top skill players. Holcombe, Moore and tight end Ernie Conwell sat out the scrimmage with injuries. Wide receiver Isaac Bruce caught a pass on the first play of the scrimmage, then called it a day. Lee was in for only a few plays.

But scrimmage or not, the Rams are going to have to play more efficient football on offense if they want to reverse last season's 5-11 mark, when they finished 21st in total offense. Vermeil has often stated that preseason games don't count but they do matter, and the team doesn't want to be embarrassed in Saturday's preseason opener against Denver.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS

Offensive line: Fred Miller has only played left guard for about one week, but so far it's been a surprisingly smooth transition. At 6-7, 315 pounds, Miller doesn't look like the guard type. But the Rams don't really require a lot of pulling from their guards and Miller seems agile and athletic enough to handle the transition from right tackle. He certainly has the aggressive mindset that line coach Jim Hanifan prefers. In Miller and left tackle Orlando Pace (6-7, 320) the Rams now have a physically imposing set of blockers on the left side.

Quarterbacks: Banks completed only four of eight passes for 29 yards and two interceptions against the Colts. But Vermeil said neither of the interceptions were his fault, and that Banks didn't make a bad read or throw a bad pass in the scrimmage. One interception was the result of a bad pattern by running June Henley. The other came on a ball that popped off the pads of Eddie Kennison. Will Furrer, who threw a touchdown pass to Aaron Laing in the scrimmage, will start either the second or third preseason game, Vermeil said.

Running backs: Because of a rash of nagging injuries, the team has been dressing only four running backs for much of the week: fullback Derrick Harris, fullback/halfback Raymond Priester, Lee and Henley. Lee's the only player in that group that played a down in the NFL last season. Priester, a rookie from Clemson, ran reasonably well in the Colts scrimmage, with 36 yards on eight carries. At first blush, he looks like he can be an effective inside and short-yardage runner, although his future in the NFL probably will be at fullback.

Receivers: The oncoming preseason schedule will be critical for six of the 10 receivers on the roster. Isaac Bruce, Eddie Kennison, Ricky Proehl and fourth-round draft pick Az-Zahir Hakim have four roster spots all but nailed down. That leaves Johnny "J.T." Thomas, Malcolm Floyd, Donald Sellers, Russell Shaw, Tony Horne and Donnell Baker, all competing for what could only be one roster spot. Horne, a rookie free agent from Clemson, looked impressive in the early days of camp, but was slowed temporarily by an elbow injury that kept him out of only one day of camp.

Defensive line: Kevin Carter was credited with one sack and blocked a field goal against the Colts. Carter felt he should have had another sack, when he tapped Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning on the shoulder on a rush. Defenders weren't allowed to hit the quarterback in the scrimmage. But officials let the teams play on, and Manning completed a pass. Had it been a game, however, Carter would have run right through Manning. Tackle D'Marco Farr is back on the field after missing a few practices with a strained groin muscle. The coaches like what they see so far in free agent pickup Ray Agnew (Giants). He looks a little quicker than anticipated.

Linebackers: Rookie Leonard Little had one sack, plus a near-sack in the Colts scrimmage. Vermeil pointed out that nobody blocked him on the sack. Still, he has done nothing to discourage the coaching staff from thinking he'll be able to rush the passer in the NFL. The third-round pick from Tennessee still needs plenty of work on his coverage, which will keep him from challenging for more playing time this season. Daryl Bush, a rookie free agent from Florida State, was particularly effective against the run against the Colts. He was running with the second unit at middle linebacker, behind Lorenzo Styles, while Eric Hill was out with a strained back.

Defensive backs: Billy Jenkins Jr. was the Rams most active tackler in the secondary during Saturday's scrimmage. The second-year strong safety continues to impress with his heady play and hard-hitting ways. He's the team's starter at that position until Toby Wright recovers fully from reconstructive knee surgery that he underwent in January. Wright sat out the scrimmage, but continues to practice once a day while trying to get back to form.

Special teams: Kennison, Hakim and Horne have all been getting work as punt returners in training camp. Kennison has been the Rams' primary punt return man the past two seasons, but his production plummeted from a 14.6-yard average in '96, to 7.3 yards a return last season. Special teams coach Frank Gansz had been working with David Thompson and Robert Holcombe on kickoff returns, but both players have been hurt recently. Thompson set a Rams rookie record for kickoff return yards 1,110 and just missed the overall franchise record.

INJURY ANALYSIS

Last Friday in Champaign, Ill., during a three-day stint of practices with the Indianapolis Colts, 15 Rams players missed at least one practice during two practice sessions that day. Seven of the 15 were projected starters. But the Rams have yet to suffer a serious injury. Many of the 15 -- maybe most of the them -- would have played had there been a regular-season game that day. Most of the injuries could be attributed to fatigue, and the constant grind of two-a-days.

When Vermeil finally gave the players a day off Sunday, it marked their first day off since the first full-squad practices on July 24 -- a span of nine days, 14 practices and one scrimmage. Several injured players returned to work Monday, including Eric Hill (back), Conwell (neck) and Rowe (back). In addition, safety Gerald McBurrows, a valuable reserve and spot starter, was on the field for the first time this training camp after a bout with the chicken pox.

Three players were sidelined early in the week because of injuries related to the Colts scrimmage: linebacker Roman Phifer (knee), defensive lineman Bryan Robinson (knee) and Laing (shoulder). But again, none of those injuries look serious.

RUDY REPORT

In his only previous NFL training camp a few years ago, Kurt Warner was part of a quarterback group in Green Bay that included Brett Favre, Mark Brunell and Ty Detmer. The competition isn't nearly as daunting this summer in Macomb, Ill. -- the Rams' three other training camp quarterbacks are Banks, Steve Bono and Furrer. But the odds may be nearly as steep against him when it comes to earning an NFL job. Banks is the hands-down starter, and Warner finds himself challenging the veteran Bono and Furrer for two backup jobs. At 27, Warner is no spring chicken. He played three years for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena League, led NFL Europe in passing yards this past spring playing for the Amsterdam Admirals. So far he has played with poise in camp. He has an elongated delivery, but when he gets the ball off, it's going pretty good.

FEARLESS FORECAST

Greg Hill will lead the Rams in rushing this season, not second-round draft pick Robert Holcombe or last year's starter after the Lawrence Phillips' release, Jerald Moore.

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