By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Sunday, May. 11 2008
Not that he wants to make any undue comparisons, but it seems so familiar to
quarterback Trent Green.
In 1999, a year after the Rams went 4-12 and finished last in the NFC West,
coach Dick Vermeil reshuffled his staff, including bringing in new offensive
coordinator Mike Martz, and the team surged to a Super Bowl championship.
In 2008, a year after the Rams went 3-13 and tumbled into the NFC West
basement, Scott Linehan hired seven new assistants, lured Al Saunders to run
his offense and the team ...
That'll be determined later, of course. But Green, 37, a Vianney High product
who returned to the Rams as a free agent to back up Marc Bulger, likes what he
has seen so far.
"There's a lot of energy, a lot of excitement" at minicamp, he said. "I can see
where people want to draw the comparison (to the '99 season). But as good as we
thought we were going to be that year, I don't think anybody could've predicted
that type of success. ...
"We're all hoping that happens; that's what everybody's goal is. But I don't
think I want to put that type of pressure on this year's team."
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN STRAINS CALF
Wouldn't you know that after injuries riddled the offensive line last year, the
first player to limp to the sideline would be an O-lineman. Tackle Mark LeVoir,
who suffered a strained calf muscle a couple of weeks ago in the offseason
conditioning program, was reinjured early in Friday's practice and sat out
Saturday.
First-team free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe was in uniform but stayed on the
sideline after "tweaking" a hamstring muscle Friday. "He came out and warmed
up, but it just didn't feel right," Linehan said. "It was too tight, and we're
not going to take any chances with him right now."
RAM-BLINGS
The three-day minicamp wraps up Sunday at Rams Park. A month of organized team activities, which essentially are light practices, begin Tuesday. ... At
halftime Nov. 10 of the Arizona Cardinals' game against San Francisco, former
Rams defensive back Aeneas Williams will become the 13th player inducted into
the Arizona Cardinals' Ring of Honor. Williams spent 10 seasons with the
Cardinals before finishing his career with four years in St. Louis; he retired
after the 2004 season.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Sunday, May. 11 2008
Not that he wants to make any undue comparisons, but it seems so familiar to
quarterback Trent Green.
In 1999, a year after the Rams went 4-12 and finished last in the NFC West,
coach Dick Vermeil reshuffled his staff, including bringing in new offensive
coordinator Mike Martz, and the team surged to a Super Bowl championship.
In 2008, a year after the Rams went 3-13 and tumbled into the NFC West
basement, Scott Linehan hired seven new assistants, lured Al Saunders to run
his offense and the team ...
That'll be determined later, of course. But Green, 37, a Vianney High product
who returned to the Rams as a free agent to back up Marc Bulger, likes what he
has seen so far.
"There's a lot of energy, a lot of excitement" at minicamp, he said. "I can see
where people want to draw the comparison (to the '99 season). But as good as we
thought we were going to be that year, I don't think anybody could've predicted
that type of success. ...
"We're all hoping that happens; that's what everybody's goal is. But I don't
think I want to put that type of pressure on this year's team."
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN STRAINS CALF
Wouldn't you know that after injuries riddled the offensive line last year, the
first player to limp to the sideline would be an O-lineman. Tackle Mark LeVoir,
who suffered a strained calf muscle a couple of weeks ago in the offseason
conditioning program, was reinjured early in Friday's practice and sat out
Saturday.
First-team free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe was in uniform but stayed on the
sideline after "tweaking" a hamstring muscle Friday. "He came out and warmed
up, but it just didn't feel right," Linehan said. "It was too tight, and we're
not going to take any chances with him right now."
RAM-BLINGS
The three-day minicamp wraps up Sunday at Rams Park. A month of organized team activities, which essentially are light practices, begin Tuesday. ... At
halftime Nov. 10 of the Arizona Cardinals' game against San Francisco, former
Rams defensive back Aeneas Williams will become the 13th player inducted into
the Arizona Cardinals' Ring of Honor. Williams spent 10 seasons with the
Cardinals before finishing his career with four years in St. Louis; he retired
after the 2004 season.