Around the Horns

Considerable soul-searching in the wake of last season’s 3-13 debacle has led Scott Linehan to several adjustments in his thinking as he prepares for his third season as the Rams’ head coach. Among them is a desire for his players to regain their joy for the game.”Most teams that win understand the chemistry that goes with success,” he explained recently. “You’ve got to create a healthy, competitive atmosphere, but one where people feel good about coming to work every day and the challenges that go with it. But also enjoy. Just because this is a profession at this level doesn’t mean it’s not OK to love it and enjoy it. . . .

“When you have a down year, there’s a tendency maybe subconsciously to look at it as a job as opposed to your love or your passion. My biggest goal personally was, I wanted them to look at this game for what it is, a game. I realize it’s a tough business and all that stuff, but I want them to focus on themselves and why they picked up a football when they were little. I just wanted it to be that way. Hopefully that’s rubbing off.”

***

Still, Linehan isn’t running some kind of country club. The practices at the spring minicamp and during the OTAs that followed were noticeably more demanding. “I don’t know if it’s harder; I think we’re just asking more out of them, demanding more little things that are done right,” he said. “It doesn’t mean that they weren’t demanded before. I just think there’s just so much more consistent level of coaching. The credibility of the coaches doing it, and the players accepting that coaching. . . .

“When you’re getting coached hard every down, it’s tougher. You feel much more on edge, and you know you’re going to be held accountable. I think it’s a standard that has to be set, and I think we’ve done that.

“The players have to accept that and give us permission to coach them hard. Because once you accept it, you want to be coached and all you’re going to do is improve. And I think our players have done that.”

He stressed that from the get-go, training camp will complement that tone. “Our first day of practice, we’re going to be in full pads and we’re going to be hitting right away,” Linehan said. “It’s not like we’re going to train them for two weeks and try to get them back in shape. You’ve got to be ready to go.”

Players are to report to Concordia University in Mequon, Wis., on July 24. Practices start the next day.

***

Rookie wide receivers Donnie Avery, a second-round draftee, and Keenan Burton, a fourth-round pick, opened eyes during the spring drills. “I’ve never seen two young guys that are as hungry to be as good as they can be but also have the talent to go with it,” Linehan said. “Neither one of them does anything but eat, drink, breathe, sleep football.”

***

“Irrelevant Week” festivities are under way in Newport Beach, Calif., and Rams rookie linebacker David Vobora is the guest of honor. Vobora was dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant” because he was the last player — No. 252 — taken in the draft this past April, a tradition since 1976.

On Monday, Vobora received the annual “showering of gifts.” On Wednesday, he’ll be presented Lowsman Trophy, a spoof on the Heisman Trophy.

All for now…

The most improved players this spring on offense, in coach Scott Linehan’s estimation, might come as a surprise to some: tight end Joe Klopfenstein and running back Antonio Pittman.

“Both had to adjust to really tough roles last year,” Linehan said. “Antonio coming off being released by the team that drafted him and then coming in here and not knowing the offense. And then Joe, he started as a rookie, and then got moved out of a starting spot. It really wasn’t anything he did. We just picked up a guy (Randy McMichael) that we felt that we were going to play in front of him. It was a tough situation. But Joe has had a great offseason.”

***

With running back Darren McFadden now under contract with the Raiders (six years, $60 million), three of the top four picks in April’s draft are in their respective folds. The exception is Rams defensive end Chris Long, the No. 2 overall selection. Does this portend a training camp holdout?

Long has made it very clear that he intends to be in Mequon, Wis., on July 24, when the players are to report to Concordia University for the start of camp. He appears sincere in that vow. “I was never into that holdout business,” he said recently. “That’s real important to me . . . as a teammate more than anything.” Asked whether there was any doubt that he’d be there, Long said firmly, “No.”

Naturally, Linehan said, “I’d like to have him in camp.” Still, he realizes that there is no guarantee.

“I know realistically that sometimes that doesn’t always happen,” Linehan said. “I’ve been through guys that have signed the day before camp, and I’ve been through guys that have gone a week (of camp before signing), and unfortunately I’ve been through a season where our first-round pick held out half a season.

“I wouldn’t anticipate that. But that’s the business side. . . . I believe a deal will get done. I don’t think there will be an issue when we head to Wisconsin.”

In the meantime, Long has showed steady improvement during the OTAs that followed minicamp. “He’s really picked it up,” Linehan said. “We have high volume on defense, and this is a tough test for any rookie to come in and pick it up. But he’s done a great job.

“The first two weeks there were some analysis issues, with trying to figure out what in the heck’s going on, adjusting from a 3-4 (defense at Virginia), things like that. But these last three practices . . . you’ve really seen the light come on. He’s playing at a very high level. The kid’s a special person and a special player, and he’s really going to be a great addition to what we’re doing on defense.”

***

Drew Bennett is now the No. 2 wide receiver behind Torry Holt, a role that Isaac Bruce had filled for several seasons. Bruce signed a free-agent deal with the 49ers earlier this year.

“It’s very difficult to replace a guy like Isaac Bruce. Hopefully I can just play my own game and do my own things,” said Bennett, whose locker was next to Bruce’s in the locker room at Rams Park. “We got along great, and I learned a lot from him. I definitely appreciate the time I had with him. It was nice to play with someone who’s a future Hall of Famer like that. It’ll be interesting to see him on the other side of the field this year.”

***

New offensive coordinator Al Saunders had made a positive impression on center Brett Romberg. “Coach Saunders is a motivational speaker if I’ve ever seen one,” Romberg said. “He makes you come in and work hard. While you’re here, those five hours or six hours or 10 hours, however long you’re here, you’re here to work and get your job done. While you’re here, it’s 100 percent totally focused on football.”

All for now. . .

It would be blatantly naive to assume that just because Chip Rosenbloom says the Rams aren’t for sale doesn’t mean he won’t listen to overtures from potential buyers. Just think: You might not stick a “For Sale” in your front yard, but if someone with a wheelbarrow full of cash knocks on your door, you aren’t going to turn him away.

Rosenbloom seems like sincere fellow. His desire to honor his late mother, Georgia Frontiere, in the upcoming season, as well as his appreciation for his family’s decades-long ownership of the franchise appear to be genuine. But he also seems like a bright, practical sort, too. And he has some strong reasons to eventually sell.

First, Rosenbloom and his sister, Lucia Rodriguez, who own 60 percent of the team, are longtime Southern Californians. They live with their families in Los Angeles, where he’s a successful filmmaker. They are fabulously wealthy. So…

How much effort do they really want put into running an NFL franchise? How much time do they really want to spend in the Midwest? Do they really want to uproot their lives?

Second, heirs of other former owners have found themselves with no choice but to divest themselves of the team to avoid huge estate-tax bills. Although restructuring maneuvers can lessen the hit, it might wind up being financially imprudent for Chip and Lucia to retain ownership.

Third, a stadium battle is looming here. The Rams’ lease that was signed in 1995 stipulates that at the 10- and 20-year anniversaries, the Edward Jones Dome must be considered one of the top eight venues in the NFL. Some $30 million in renovations are under way to satisfy the 2005 deadline, which the Rams essentially waved off as a good will gesture.

Considering the large number of new stadiums that have been built and upgraded since the Rams arrived here, and that billion-dollar-plus facilities are under construction in Dallas and East Rutherford, N.J., it’ll be virtually impossible to bring the dome up to grade by ‘15. That means that if the Rams are to fulfill their lease, which expires in 2025, a new stadium almost surely will have to be built.

Will the same taxpayers who doled out hundreds of millions to lure the team from LA really want to pony up again?

And why would Rosenbloom want to become embroiled in that debate?

Sure, the team’s ownership picture is clear for now. And the Rams are assured to calling St. Louis home through the 2014 season.

Beyond that, though, all bets are off.

***

The Rams’ plan to scrimmage the Tennessee Titans in Nashville for a few days before their preseason opener there Aug. 9 aren’t complete yet. The team has encountered some difficulty lining up reasonably priced transportation for the trip.

“We have to work out some of the details, but we’re still planning on it,” coach Scott Linehan said.

All for now…

Anyone believing that the three-day minicamp at Rams Park was a walk in the park, think again. The tempo and intensity on the field were high, ratcheted up noticeably from last year. And the demands in the classroom were at least as taxing.

With nearly 30 new players on hand, some two-thirds of them rookies, and a brand-new offense to learn, the learning curve was steepened significantly.

“We put a lot in these three days,” coach Scott Linehan said. “I don’t know the percentage but it is a whole lot . . . a whole lot more than in the past. That’s why we started with the whole group and had these lengthy days, so we could put the time in. Part of it is that while we’re putting a lot on them mentally, we also have expectations of what we want to get out of each play, too. You just can’t do that without spending the time. That’s been a big emphasis as well. . . .

“We had to get a lot in for (the rookies) so they could take it home and digest it and come back and give it another go so it’s not the first time they’ve heard it. We’ll review a lot next week. We’ll do some of things we probably wouldn’t do with the young players as far as the installation and the expectation (level) next week with the veterans. We need to expose them to lot. We just want to see the retention and see how they respond when they come back a week from Tuesday.”

Organized team activities start Tuesday, but because of NCAA rules, rookies can’t participate until the following week.

***

First-round draft pick Chris Long hardly got kid-glove treatment. Defensive line coach Brian Baker was in Long’s face early and often, as he tries to get his starting right end prepared as rapidly as possible.

Long didn’t have many “wow” moments, but he didn’t do anything to suggest that he hadn’t earned his No. 2 overall status, either. Tackle Orlando Pace, who didn’t participate in team drills during minicamp as he recovers from shoulder surgery, pointed out with a smile that Long got a pass by not having to go against the perennial Pro Bowler.

“He’s out there working, though,” Pace said. “I’ve been taking a look at him, and I think he’ll help us out big time this year.”

***

No one is going to tab the Rams as division favorites, and that’s just fine with running back Steven Jackson. “I’m excited because the NFC West, we’re not supposed to win it. And I think a lot of people that aren’t true fans don’t realize how close we are from putting this thing back together,” he said.

***

Notes & quotes:

>>WR/KR Dante Hall flashed the kind of explosiveness that he had before a lingering ankle injury short-circuited his ‘07 season.

>>The offense ran a number of plays that sent TE Randy McMichael downfield, especially over the middle. McMichael was rarely used that way last season.

>>DC Jim Haslett dialed up a fair number of three-front sets during team drills.

>>OC Al Saunders’ playbook is approximately the size of the New York City phone book.

All for now . . .

***

Hope you haven’t already ordered a Chris Long #98 jersey. That’s because he’s already changed to #72. Several other newcomers also have switched: offensive tackle Stephen Sene, to 64 from 71; defensive tackle Josh Thompson, to 69 from 64; and defensive end Rodney Hardeway, to 93 from 69.

***

Notes & quotes:

>>The team will have just one minicamp this spring, a full-squad session from Friday through Sunday at Rams Park. There will be no separate minicamp for rookies, as has been the case in the past. Minicamp is closed to the public.

>>The 12th annual Bowl-a-RAM-a is scheduled for June 3 at Tropicana Lanes in Richmond Heights. Fans can bowl side-by-side with Rams players, and the proceeds go to the Epilepsy Foundation of the St. Louis Region. For reservations or further info, call (314) 645-6969, or go to www.EpilepsyFoundation.org/StLouis.

All for now. . .

Defensive end Chris Long, the Rams’ first-round draft choice, will wear uniform number 98. Here are the other numbers that have been assigned to the new rookies (for now, anyway; some could change once the final roster is set):

Donnie Avery, 17

Yvenson Bernard, 33

Vernon Bryant, 71

Kennen Burton, 14

Matt Caddell, 6

Chris Chamberlain, 57

John Greco, 79

Vince Hall, 56

Rodney Hardeway, 69

Josh Hyman, 11

Doug Jones, 47

Justin King, 32

Marc Magro, 55

Brandon McAnderson, 44

Justin McKinney, 43

Roy Schuening, 67

Stephen Sene, 72

Josh Thompson, 64

David Vobora, 58

Russ Weil, 38

***

Notes & quotes:

>>Dominique Byrd’s trial in St. Louis Circuit Court has been continued yet again. Byrd, a tight end drafted by the Rams in the third round in 2006, is facing felony charges of assault and armed criminal action stemming from a nightclub scuffle downtown in December 2006. In March 2007, he was charged with DUI in California. In October, he pled no contest and received three years’ probation. On Monday, the Rams released Byrd.

>>Dedrick Harrington, the former Mizzou linebacker signed recently as a free agent, is being switched to tight end.

>>Third-round draftee John Greco, a tackle from Toledo, swears that his arms actually measure 33 inches, and not 29 inches, the number that had been circulating. “I don’t know where they got that,” he said.

>>Fourth-round pick Justin King, a cornerback from Penn State, is a movie buff. ““I love going to the movies. It’s a big thing for me,” he said. His favorite? “Gladiator.”

>>Chris Long’s brother, Kyle, is a highly rated pitcher at Florida State. Chris would like to see him land in St. Louis, too. “I called him on my way back from the draft and I said ‘Play for the Cardinals, man,’” Chris said. “We’re in an awesome sports city, and I know baseball is big here. I mean, who knows? Wouldn’t that be cool?”

All for now. . .

A week ago, we checked 20 mock drafts to try to gauge what others thought the Rams would do with their No. 2 overall pick in the draft. All were gleaned from sites that should have legitimate insight.

Then, Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long was cited as the overwhelming choice for the Rams, getting 10 nods. Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston and LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey received four votes each, with Virginia defensive end Chris Long garnering only two.

A day after the Dolphins assured that Jake Long would be the No. 1 selection by signing him to a contract, we went back to check out the updated mocks. This time, Chris Long was the big winner, the choice of 11 mock drafters. Dorsey had six votes and Gholston three.

The only sure thing — if there is a sure thing in any draft — the J. Long signing means is that the Rams will go defense with their first-round choice. The guess here is that they’ll take Dorsey, with the prospect of him and Adam Carriker patrolling the middle of the line for years to come just too enticing to pass up.

We’ll know for sure just after 2 p.m. Saturday.

***

Notes & quotes:

>>Tackle Orlando Pace, recovering from shoulder surgery, is looking positively svelte at 320 pounds. “I’m trying to slim down,” Pace said. “The older you get, the weight is a big deal. I’m just trying to be in the best shape possible.”

>>Punter Donnie Jones attended the recent Country Music Awards in Nashville with the Bucs’ Kevin Carter, the former Rams defensive end. The two were teammates with the Dolphins in 2005 and 2006.

>>The Rams will spend three days in Nashville scrimmaging the Titans before opening their four-game preseason schedule there in early August. Next year, the Titans will travel to the Rams’ training camp site.

>>The last time the Rams had the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, it worked out pretty well. They took SMU running back Eric Dickerson, who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

All for now . . .

Given the structure of the 2008 NFL schedule, which came out Tuesday, the Rams had better charge into the season full bore or they could effectively be done before the first frost. They open on the road Sept. 7 at Philadelphia, then play their first home game the following Sunday against the Super Bowl-champion New York Giants.
Only one of the Rams’ foes in the first half of the schedule had a sub-.500 record last season. That’s the 7-9 Buffalo Bills. Overall, those eight teams compiled an 81-47 record, including New England’s 16-0 regular-season mark. The Rams will take on three defending division champs — the Patriots, Cowboys and Seahawks — and five ‘07 playoff squads.
“It’s not an easy schedule, but no NFL schedule is,” said coach Scott Linehan, who nonetheless must be wondering privately whom he offended in the league office. “We knew who we were going to play, and you’ve got play them sometime. . . . What’s the best time? When you’re playing your best football. So, that’s why we’d like to get ourselves prepared and start off playing well (against) these tough teams.”
The good news is, if the Rams aren’t buried at the midpoint of the season, their second half should be much more accommodating. Those eight opponents include just one team that had a winning record last year (Seattle) and went a combined 44-84 in ‘07. Miami, 1-15 last year, visits the Dome on Nov. 30.
After their 3-13 fiasco in ‘07, the Rams were shut out of prime-time scheduling, the first time that’s happened since the 1999 season. That, of course, was the year the Rams won the Super Bowl.

***

The release of the regular-season schedule “is always a big day,” Linehan said. “It kind of sets the tone for what you’re looking at. You see where you’re going to play, when you play your division games . . . the whole deal changes. It really affects a lot of people, and usually in a positive way, as far as motivation. Already our coaches are wanting to get the breakdowns for Philly; they want to know who to start working on.”

***

Twenty-six draft prospects were at Rams Park on Tuesday, including LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. All met with coaches and front-office personnel; some were given physicals. No workouts were allowed.

“My biggest value is to see these players interact with each other,” Linehan said. “You get to see a side of them that maybe you don’t get to see on film or (in) a prepared statement at the Combine. . . . You put them in this environment, and it’s a little more low key for them.”

As much contact as the Rams already have had with the top candidates for their No. 2 overall spot in the April 26-27 draft, this final visit can be critically important, Linehan stressed. “It’s like any job interview,” he said. “You have someone that’s coming in and interviewing for a job, no matter what the business is, if they don’t pull that part of it off, it’s going to affect their ability to be employed.”

***

The team is expected to decide on a training-camp site soon, possibly by the end of the week. A Rams contingent has been touring potential locations and is due to return to town Wednesday. “We’re going to evaluate the sites and then make a decision,” Linehan said. “I’m getting antsy to get that done.”

All for now . . .

Rams Park nuggets:

Informed that the Rams plan to bring in a speed coach this year, cornerback Tye Hill immediately nominated himself for the position. “They might let me take over that; I could do it,” said Hill, a former standout sprinter at Clemson. “I’m trying to get faster, actually. I’ve been working on my lower body a lot during this offseason, since I couldn’t do anything with my upper body.”

That’s because Hill was recuperating from a serious wrist injury that ended his season in early December. “It was the most painful injury I’ve ever had, without a doubt. It was just excrutiating pain. It was terrible,” Hill said. “I’m finished with injuries. I can’t get hurt anymore.”

***

Defensive back Ron Bartell is heading into the final season of his original four-year contract. That means he could become an unrestricted free agent after the season and boost his salary dramatically. That isn’t foremost on his mind, he insisted.

“Right now, the money situation, I’m not really worried about that,” he said. “Personally, I have some goals, and we have some goals as a team. If we accomplish those, I’ll be happy.”

One of those is making the playoffs. “The worst feeling in the world is that first week, when you’re at home watching the wild-card games,” he said. “Ever since then, I’ve been ready to go.”

***

Quarterback Trent Green brought a veritable library of offensive coordinator Al Saunders’ playbooks with him to St. Louis. “I have several of them from my years in Kansas City,” Green said. “The terminology I’m sure will be very familiar for me. Some of it will be pretty familiar for Marc (Bulger), because it’s similar to what Mike (Martz) ran when he was here.

“Al tweaked it a little bit when we got to Kansas City, just to make things work with o-line coaches and those kinds of things. And I’m sure Al’s couple of years in Washington, and now with the coaching staff here, there are going to tweaks here and there. But for the most part, it’s going to be the basic offense than I ran in Kansas City.”

***

Tackle Glenn Dorsey has received an endorsement from former LSU defensive linemate Claude Wroten as the Rams prepare for the April 26-27 draft. They have the No. 2 overall pick and were impressed by Dorsey’s performance at his recent pro day.

“The two years I played with him, we had a lot of fun,” Wroten said. “If he comes here, true enough it’d mean more competition. But I’d welcome him.”

All for now…

Trent Green didn’t need directions to Rams Park for the start of the offseason conditioning program this week. Still, he said it almost felt like unfamiliar territory.”Driving into the parking lot and coming into the building, it’s quite a bit different,” said Green, the former Vianney High star who signed a free-agent deal to back up quarterback Marc Bulger. “Leonard (Little) and I were laughing, because there aren’t many guys around” from Green’s previous stint here, in 1999 and 2000.

In fact, Green, defensive end Little, wide receiver Torry Holt and tackle Orlando Pace are the only holdovers from the Super Bowl championship team.

“It’s a good and a bad thing,” Green said. “That good thing is, it means we’ve lasted a long time. The bad thing is, a lot of our friends and close teammates that we’ve had over the years have moved to different (teams) or different places in life.”

***

Green, 37, is preparing for his 15th NFL season. Before his first go-round here, he spent one year in San Diego and then four in Washington. After leaving the Rams, he was with Kansas City for six years before playing the ‘07 season in Miami.

At each stop, Green has moved his family with him, a practice he plans to continue here. “I’m going house-hunting, start looking around,” he said. “Fortunately we’ve already sold our home in Florida. We’ll be staying down there until the kids are out of school in June, and then we’ll relocate up here.”

Trent and his wife, Julie, have three children: sons T.J. and Derek, and daughter Janelle.

***

Once he gets the family here, “I’ll try to get them over to as many (Vianney) games as I can,” Green said.

“I’ve tried to stay involved with the school as much as I can and have helped out with some of the projects that they have going on over there,” he explained. “There’s a lot of competition going on in the St. Louis-area high schools ever since CBC built their campus, and you look at some of the expansion that DeSmet’s done and SLUH’s done. Vianney’s trying to keep up as best they can, and they’re doing a good job of it.”

***

After suffering several concussions, Green decided to consult with Dr. Robert Cantu, a specialist in the field, before deciding whether to continue playing. Green chose him because Cantu is known to be particularly cautious with athletes who have had multiple concussions.

“I knew his history, I knew his background, and I knew how tough he was on giving guys clearance,” Green explained. “So when he gave me that clearance, that gave me confidence about wanting to come back. I knew I wanted to play, but I also wasn’t going to put my health or my family in jeopardy of something happening. When he felt comfortable with it and gave me the assurances that he did . . . it made everyone comfortable with it.

“Hopefully that chapter is closed and we’ve moved on from it.”

All for now…