PRO FOOTBALL REPORT / WEEKDAY UPDATE : RAMS : Newberry Might Play Center

No. 1 draft choice Bern Brostek, who has backed up at center and guard this season, played most of Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons at left guard in place of Tom Newberry, who has a sprained ankle, and Coach John Robinson thinks that’s where Brostek just might end up.

And, perhaps more interesting, Robinson suggested Monday that it might be best for Newberry, one of the top guards in the league, to play center because Brostek is more suited to play guard than Newberry.

How did Brostek do Sunday?

“He will do better in the future,” Robinson said. “He’s big and he’ll be a real powerful player.”

And those are the kinds of things you want to see in a guard, Robinson said.

“Using his skill at guard, he’ll be more important to an offense,” Robinson said. “And I think he’d be a real good guard. And there might be some logic in having Newberry become the center. You know, assuming that (current veteran center) Doug Smith is phasing out. . . .

“Because Newberry is what a center has to be: quick, able to get under (defensive linemen), to get around. The guards, there’s more requirements now for them to be pass blockers than there used to be. Used to be the bull guys, the stars, were outside. Now there are a few just really good pass rushers (inside).”