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.

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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.”

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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.

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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 . . .

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