ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. Louis Rams' three-day mandatory
minicamp that begins Friday is an indication that coach Scott
Linehan is not taking the long view.
Linehan, coming off a 3-13 record that landed the Rams with the
second overall pick of last month's draft and perhaps under fire
entering the third season of a four-year contract, wants to set the
tone now. There'll be no separate minicamp just for the rookies as
in past seasons, no early break-in period for kids who'll make up a
fraction of the 85-man roster expected for the sessions.
``I wouldn't consider it a waste of time, but you tend to put a
lot of time into something when you could be focusing on the
overall scheme,'' Linehan told the AP in an interview Thursday.
``We'll get the rookies plenty of opportunities to get in there and
establish themselves, but we want everybody to kind of feel a
little sense of urgency.
``We've really got to pick things up.''
Linehan is optimistic about the Rams' chances of a quick
turnaround, especially with a healthier season. Last year the team
was devastated early by injuries on the offensive line, losing its
first eight games, and never really recovered with quarterback Marc
Bulger and running back Steven Jackson also missing significant
time.
In the offseason, Linehan rebuilt his coaching staff and player
development director Billy Devaney presided over his first draft.
It doesn't hurt that the children of the late Georgia Frontiere,
who inherited ownership of the team earlier this year, have been
supportive.
``I just think the changes that have been made, the adjustments
that have been made, make me feel much more confident,'' Linehan
said. ``We've still got a lot of work to do and we've still got to
go out and do it on Sundays, but I feel really good about the
overall attitude of the organization and the team.
``We'll see, but hopefully it pays off and we can come with a
whole new attitude about everything and put last year behind us.''
A handful of headliners coming off injuries, defensive tackle
Adam Carriker, defensive end Leonard Little and offensive tackle
Orlando Pace, will be held out of team activities at the minicamp.
On the other hand, Linehan gets his first look at the draft class
in pads.
The Rams have taken some criticism for using the second overall
pick on defensive end Chris Long, judged by many draft services as
a safe pick but with a lower ceiling than other prospects. Other
wide receivers had better pre-draft grades than Donnie Avery, their
second-round pick and the first wideout taken.
Linehan, who has a major voice on draft day, doesn't appear to
mind such opinions. He knows it'll be a while before anyone can
accurately judge the picks.
``I think we'll see in about three years,'' Linehan said. ``I
think that's when you should analyze drafts. But I think that's why
people enjoy the draft so much, because they can kind of have an
opinion whether it was a good pick or whatever kind of pick you
want to call it.
``In the meantime, we're going to find out.''
The team will practice once each day in its only minicamp. Last
year there were two minicamps, and the Rams got a third minicamp in
2006 because it was Linehan's first season.
Perhaps this weekend, the Rams also will determine where they'll
be holding training camp in late July. Linehan wants to get away
after practicing at Rams Park and letting players commute the first
two years.
Concordia University in Mequon, Wis., just north of Milwaukee,
is the heavy favorite because it has two Fieldturf practice fields
similar to the team's game-day surface. Linehan said Concordia is
an unanimous choice of the staff, but the team wants to make
certain there would be no disruptions.
``Concordia has the fields we're looking for and the isolated
kind of camp we want to have,'' Linehan said.
Western Illinois in Macomb, Ill., where the Rams trained for
nine years from 1996-2005, is the second choice but has only grass
practice fields. Wisconsin-Whitewater is a third option.
