Rams : Training Camp Opens With Swiss Cheese Line

Ram veterans reported to work Monday, although it was difficult not to notice a lot of missing parts in a proud and apparently priceless offensive line, which has been reduced to a two-picket fence.

Center Doug Smith and tackle Jackie Slater arrived safe and sound. But now they’re lonely.

Missing from first-day meetings were starting left tackle Irv Pankey, starting right guard Duval Love, and valuable reserves Robert Cox and Tony Slaton. All told, seven Ram veterans remained unsigned through Monday, including tailback Greg Bell, nose tackle Alvin Wright and wide receiver Ron Brown.

Tight end Damone Johnson, who wants to renegotiate his $200,000 contract after a 42-catch season, also did not report. All this only six days before the team leaves for an exhibition against the San Francisco 49ers in Tokyo.

If someone doesn’t crack soon, the Rams will be introducing an interesting brand of American football to the Japanese. Tom Newberry, the team’s all-pro left guard, is already out of the game with a hamstring pull.

“We don’t have to face that situation just yet,” Coach John Robinson said of his numbers shortage. “We’ll have to face it by the weekend.”

The Rams had all weekend to work on bringing some linemen to the fold, but apparently the interest just wasn’t there. Steve Feldman, who represents Love, Slaton and Cox, met with the Rams last Friday and planned a follow-up for Sunday that never materialized.

Because Monday was a meetings-only affair, the holdouts could show up before today’s practice with no time lost.

For Robinson, however, it’s all becoming old hat.

“The situation is critical and disastrous, but not uncommon,” he said smiling.

If at least a few of the lineman aren’t signed and at the airport by next Monday morning, the Far East will be treated to the wonderful world of Robert Sledge, Warren Wheat and Mark Schmidt.

Do the Japanese know enough about football to know when to ask for their money back?

And how might the no-show linemen affect a certain second-year local tailback who’s out to prove that he’s not as green a runner as everyone has been led to believe. Is this any way to make a name? Would Eric Dickerson run behind Warren Wheat?

“We’ll try to work around the offensive line and go from there,” Robinson said.

But the question is, can Gaston Green work around them?

The least surprising names on the holdout board were Bell and Pankey, who have preparing for weeks. Robinson was fooled a bit by Damone Johnson, a quiet and steady tight end who is under contract.

“I guess they (player and agent) want to have a conversation,” Robinson said. “I don’t know what the next step is.”

And it appears to be the same old story for unsigned receiver Brown, who returned from a brief retirement last season to make two catches in seven games.

Ram Notes

Ram kicker Mike Lansford has agreed to a temporary, one-year contract for last year’s salary of $195,000 that will get him into camp before practice today. Lansford’s agent, Leigh Steinberg, used the same technique last year with rookie Gaston Green, who reported to camp on time and later signed a four-year, $1.8-million contract. “It’s an agreement in good faith,” Steinberg said Monday night. “That’s not what he’s going to play for this year.” Lansford, who made 24 of 32 field goal attempts last season, is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer with 582 points.