Contracts Help Bind Wounds : Rams: Only after another set of injuries does club decide to sign Greene, Stewart and Reed in preparation for opener against Green Bay.
As linebacker Kevin Greene, safety Michael Stewart and defensive end Doug Reed proved this week, the key to getting contract work done with the Rams is waiting until the team is on the verge of medical collapse.
That was confirmed last Friday night in Washington, where some of the few healthy bodies the Rams had remaining were left strewn on the field at RFK Stadium.
What began as a summer of hope and hype has pretty much ended in flames, with the team some considered the second-best in football trying to figure out how it is going to beat a Green Bay team that won’t have quarterback Don Majkowksi on Sunday.
The San Francisco 49ers? A moment of silence, please as the Rams probably are thankful these teams aren’t paired until Nov. 25. Anything earlier and you start thinking about Custer.
What went wrong?
Not playing defense, unfortunately. Training camp started with a few seemingly harmless hamstring pulls and ended in a string of slings and surgeries, postponing for now some Tampa Bay party plans.
For instance, the Rams had big plans on defense this season. Cornerback Jerry Gray, playing out of position for five years, some say, was returning to free safety to assume the role of a Ronnie Lott, master of secondaries in San Francisco. Darryl Henley, a second-year man from UCLA, would join veteran Bobby Humphery on the corners. Alfred Jackson, a talent on the rise, was first corner in off the bench. It was perfect.
Their five-linebacker Eagle defense having run its course after two seasons, the Rams were once again tinkering, combining the Eagle with their old 3-4 to form a new alignment. This was going to be the year for second-year rushmen Bill Hawkins and Brian Smith, each 6-feet-6, who might terrorize quarterbacks when paired with Greene, who has more sacks the last two years, 33, than any other NFL player.
Then came the unraveling. It started with Henley, who first injured his hip a month ago and is sidelined indefinitely. That forced Coach John Robinson to move Gray back to corner. Brian Smith suffered a sprained knee and was sidelined for three weeks. He is back now, but to what degree?
Hawkins still hasn’t recovered from knee surgery performed in December. The team moved him to the strong side position, where Reed was a summerlong holdout and Mike Piel was working with a brace on his left elbow, the result of two dislocations last season.
Then came Washington and a meaningless exhibition game during which Gray and Jackson collided in the end zone. Gray had knee surgery the next day; Jackson was rolled off the field on a stretcher, suffering from a torn groin muscle. That took care of three-fourths of the team’s cornerbacks, Gray and Jackson joining Henley on the trainer’s table. Latin Berry, a fullback at Oregon last year, jumped into the game and took on receiver Ricky Sanders.
Later in the same game, inside linebacker Larry Kelm, who calls defensive signals, suffered an injured left knee. He took a table next to Gray the next day at Centinela Hospital Medical Center. His backup, Mel Owens, has been flat on his back for two weeks because of a back injury and was released Tuesday, his future in doubt.
Until Reed agreed to terms Monday, the Rams had four healthy defensive linemen.
Last week, before the Washington injuries, Robinson said the team would continue with its defensive plan.
“We like what we’re doing, so we’re proceeding,” Robinson said. “Our design has not changed. We will emphasize the pass rush more. One thing that has happened is that Bill Hawkins has not been able to do much from a pass-rush standpoint. The leg allows him to play effectively on the line. He just isn’t quite the pass rusher right now. But Brian Smith has been, and he’s back now.”
The Rams finished 21st overall last season on defense, 28th against the pass. Defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur, who patched together a defense that managed to survive two playoff rounds in 1989, needs another miracle to keep the Rams in the race until some of his troops return.
What about the offense? In four exhibitions, the Rams’ top three receivers--Henry Ellard, Flipper Anderson and Aaron Cox--totaled one reception. All had pulled hamstrings. Remember, this is a passing offense that relies on precision and timing, something achieved through practice--something the Ram receivers haven’t been able to do.
The team’s leading receiver this summer, with nine catches, was free agent Derrick Faison, who used the opportunity to make the opening-day roster.
The race for starting tailback was expected to be a heated one involving newcomer Curt Warner and former first-round picks Gaston Green and Cleveland Gary.
Eliminate Gary for now. He didn’t play a down because of a lower back strain. The veteran Warner was used only enough this summer (26 carries) to make him difficult to evaluate. Robinson says Warner hasn’t lost a thing.
“I don’t think Curt needs that many (carries) to be ready,” Robinson said.
Which leaves Green, the man the team couldn’t give away for draft choices a few months ago. He led all rushers with 217 yards which, based on production, should warrant a starting assignment this Sunday. But against the Redskins last week, Green gained only 10 yards and had a fumble.
The Rams needed a 200-yard performance from Greg Bell in last season’s finale to keep their string of 1,000-yard rushers at seven in a row in the Robinson era.
“I see us rushing for more yards than last year. A 1,000-yard rusher has never been a thing for me,” Robinson said.
“The stat I look at is the success of our running game. Other people equate it to a person. I don’t think we ever have.
“We look at the offensive line, the tight ends, the running backs. I think we’re going to have some 1,000-yard blockers.”
Quarterback Jim Everett? He’s fine.
* RAIDER TRANSACTIONS: Reserve Vince Evans is cut after quarterback Steve Beuerlein returns. C5
* RAM TRANSACTIONS: Doug Reed ends his holdout. Quarterback Mark Herrmann is cut. C5
* NFC PREVIEW: The Central has four teams that could win the championship if the 49ers don’t. C6
* NFL TRANSACTIONS: Eric Wright still is a 49er--for now. Highsmith goes to Cowboys. C12
* NFL SCHEDULE: C12
