PRO FOOTBALL : DAILY REPORT : RAMS : Beam May Join WLAF Team

Dick Beam, the Rams’ director of operations for the past 10 years, is scheduled to be named general manager of the Orlando Thunder of the World League of American Football in a news conference this morning, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Beam could be joined in the Thunder front office by former Ram star and current administrative assistant Jack Youngblood.

The Rams signed defensive end George Bethune on Tuesday in time for him to practice.

No. 1 draft choice Todd Lyght remains unsigned, and his agent, Bob Woolf, countered the latest Ram proposal with an offer believed to be worth about $5.5 million over four years. The Rams’ last offer was a five-year package worth $900,000 a season with a signing bonus of about $1.75 million.

Six veteran Rams remain unsigned--offensive linemen Tom Newberry, Gerald Perry, Irv Pankey and Robert Cox, fullback Buford McGee and linebacker Fred Strickland.

Running back Robert Delpino suffered a bruised left knee and center Trevor Ryals injured his right knee in practice. With Newberry unsigned and Doug Smith still injured, that leaves rookie Jeff Pahukoa as the only functioning full-time center.

Others who didn’t practice because of injuries were tailbacks Cleveland Gary and Marcus Dupree, middle linebacker Frank Stams, safety Michael Stewart and cornerback Darryl Henley. Henley’s hamstring injury is believed to be the most serious and may keep him out for a few weeks.