Ken Flajole, the Rams’ new defensive coordinator, prefers to wait until the pads go on and the curtain goes up before making any firm decisions on his players.

“I think pads are the tell-tale. Then you’ve got to get them out underneath the lights when the pressure’s on,” Flajole said Saturday, the final day of minicamp at Rams Park. “Right out here (on the practice fields), if you make a mistake it’s not going up on the scoreboard. I don’t know if you feel the same sense of urgency. I’m always interested to see how guys react when its show time and the lights come up.”

That said, Flajole is pleased with what he’s seen so far.

“I think we’re growing. We’ve got maybe about 70 to 75 percent of what we do installed,” he said. “Haven’t had a lot of reps at it, because you try to get everything that you’re going to run in training camp in before the end of everything (in the spring). But I think we’ve been encouraged. We’re making some mistakes, but that’s understandable. Every day when you’re installing three or four new pressures or a coverage or a front or something, it starts getting all muddled together a little bit. But we’re working through it.”

<><><>

Notes & quotes:

*Here’s Flajole on CB Tye Hill: “We’ve been pleased with Tye. He came back from battling that knee. I think he’s getting better every week. I’m cautiously optimistic about Tye.”

*Chris Draft, who had been working exclusively in the middle , took some reps at strongside linebacker on Saturday. That could be a prelude to second-round draftee James Laurinaitis moving up to the first team at or near the start of training camp.

*DE Leonard Little, hampered by a torn hamstring last season and a toe injury in 2007, has had a strong spring. “He’s done a great job. He’s a great leader,” Flajole said. “We’re going to knock on wood and . . . hope he doesn’t get hurt.”

*Don’t tell offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur that he needs a veteran to complement his stable of young WRs. “I like the guys we have,” he said. “They’re working hard to get open and they’re really working hard at catching the football. I think they’re all trying to think of themselves as playmakers, and that’s what you want.”

*OTAs resume Tuesday and run through June 17. Then the players will be free until reassembling for training camp in late July.

All for now . . .