PRO FOOTBALL : DAILY REPORT : RAMS : Love’s Injury, Holdouts Deplete Line

The Rams’ troubled offensive line was dealt a new jolt Wednesday when guard Duval Love, one of the few sound veteran linemen in camp, sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

He was scheduled for further examination by Dr. Clarence Shields today, and the Rams had no immediate word on how long Love might be sidelined. He was having one of his best training camps as a Ram until the injury.

With center Tom Newberry and tackles Irv Pankey and Robert Cox apparently no closer to agreeing to contracts, only guards Bern Brostek and Joe Milinichik and tackle Jackie Slater are practicing among the other veteran Ram linemen. Slater is being held out of the morning practices to pace his 37-year-old body.

“Yes, there is concern,” Coach John Robinson said. “You’re getting as good as you’re getting, but I would rather have a better offensive team.”

Said offensive line coach Hudson Houck: “It’s such a crucial time in developing a football team and an offensive line, in my opinion. Those who are here are getting it, those who are not don’t understand how important it is. They’re way out of line. They do not understand how important it is.”

With rookies Jeff Pahukoa, Dustin Quinton and Theo Adams thrust into major roles, the Rams can’t help but be looking forward to the expected arrival of currently imprisoned tackle Gerald Perry in early August.

“He’s going to get work right away, damn right he will,” Houck said of Perry. “Right now, with no tackles other than Jackie that are veteran-type guys, he’ll go right to tackle.”

Greg Campbell, Newberry’s agent, said he hasn’t spoken to the Rams in a week. Bruce Allen, the agent for unsigned linebacker Fred Strickland, met with Ram executives John Shaw and Jay Zygmunt at UC Irvine but left without a deal and, he said, without any serious progress in negotiations.

As expected, Dick Beam, 55, left his job as the Rams’ director of operations to become the chief operating officer and general manager of the Orlando Thunder in the World League of American Football.