PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : RAMS : Cox Treading Carefully With Hamstring

Ram Coach John Robinson said that all was going well in the team’s plans to bring along receiver Aaron Cox. The idea is to avoid Cox’s constant hamstring problems by gradually phasing him into shape.

After experiencing tightness in both hamstrings, Cox was held out of most of the team’s first week of practice, but has been in pads for most of the past few days. Cox has missed parts of each of his first three seasons because of hamstring injuries.

“Don’t want to talk about it. I want to continue to hold my breath,” Robinson said with a smile. “I think we’re still trying to be careful, trying to not let him go all-out--not too many up-patterns, just try to keep him here. Maybe another two weeks until we just start forgetting about it.

“I’m interested in him continuing to practice. Even if it’s at 85% for the next month, that’s better than 100% for 15 minutes and then . . . “

Cornerback Darryl Henley, who has been sidelined because of an injured left hamstring, has begun lightly practicing and should be eased into full-contact this week. . . . Center Doug Smith was scheduled to return to work Saturday, but Robinson said there was no urgency to rush him into pads. “My guess is (Smith will return) Tuesday or Wednesday,” Robinson said. . . . Asked if there was any word about when unsigned defensive end Doug Reed will be released or traded, Robinson said he hadn’t heard from team executives John Shaw or Jay Zygmunt. “The phone lines are down and they got caught in a barb-wire fence,” Robinson cracked.