Rams Roll Out Another New Era : Ex-Charger Coach Zampese Plans to Shake Up Offense
The Rams, who have at least 27 reasons to throw out their passing game and start from scratch, introduced Tuesday the blueprint for what they hope will be a new-and-improved era under offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese.
Zampese, who until February held a similar position with the pass-happy San Diego Chargers, staged the first of three informal workouts this week with Ram quarterbacks and receivers.
The task for Zampese is to shake the Ram passing game from its current state of rigor mortis. The Rams have ranked 28th--last--in National Football League passing in each of the last two seasons, and Zampese wasn’t about to wait around for a May mini-camp to hand out the new orders.
Among those participating in the workout were quarterbacks Jim Everett, Steve Dils and Hugh Millen and receivers Henry Ellard, Ron Brown, Kevin House, Michael Young, David Hill and Mike Guman.
Zampese, credited with molding the Chargers into the NFL’s premier pass offense, is hoping to turn the Rams in the right direction.
“A passing attack is not everybody doing their own thing,” Zampese said. “Everyone is tied to everyone else. It starts with the pass protection. Everybody is involved. Everything has to be done in unison. It’s like an engine, if the spark plug comes off the thing starts shaking all over the place.”
The Rams have been doing the shake, rattle and roll for some time now. But the Zampese way is to take some of burden--success or failure--off the shoulders of the quarterback.
The new Ram receivers will have more freedom and responsibility to change their pass routes. But that takes a lot of homework.
“The key is to be where you’re supposed to be when you’re supposed to be and never to fool the quarterback,” Zampese said. “Do what he expects you to do.”
Everett has just purchased a home in Newport Beach and will spend the entire spring in California working with Zampese.
“I like it,” Everett said of the offense. “We’ve been watching some of the clips of the Chargers, and it’s just good football. I’m very excited. He had some great years when Chuck Muncie and Dan Fouts were there.
“Not only did they have a good passing game, but they had a good running attack. He has the knowledge of both sides. I think he’ll help. He’s very professional. He knows exactly what’s going on and how to get it accomplished. He’s worked with some of the best wide receivers known to football. I think the Rams will be a very exciting team next year.”
Ram Notes There’s a lot less of offensive tackle Mike Schad these days. The Rams’ first-round draft choice in 1986 has lost about 25 pounds in an effort to rebound from his disappointing rookie season. Schad, through diet and exercise, has cut his weight from 310 to 285 pounds. Gone are ideas that bigger means better in football. “Quickness is the name of the game in the NFL,” Schad said. He said he is fighting assault charges levied against him after a bar fight in his hometown of Kingston, Ontario, last January. Schad said the case is expected to go to trial in May. “I was provoked,” Schad said Tuesday. “I hit him once and I left. The guy had $60 worth of alcohol in him. We’re taking it (the case) all the way.” . . . Among the receivers present at Tuesday’s workout was Henry Ellard, who became a free agent again on Feb. 1 after he missed seven games of the 1986 season in a contract dispute. But whereas contract talks were almost nonexistent in the off-season last year, Ellard said that Ram Vice President John Shaw has promised to talk to Ellard at the conclusion of the current NFL owners meetings in Hawaii. . . . Tight end Tony Hunter, bothered most of last season by a shin injury, attended Tuesday’s workout but did not practice. Wide receiver Ron Brown is still wearing a cast to protect a broken bone in his left wrist. . . . The Rams have not officially announced their intent to play the Denver Broncos in a London exhibition game on Aug. 9, but most of the players at Rams Park Tuesday seemed excited as long as the trip is not physically taxing. As it stands now, though, the Rams are scheduled to play the Seattle Seahawks only four days later on Aug. 13.
