Newberry Is Finally on His Way to Camp : Rams: Guard-turned-center reaches tentative agreement after a 23-day holdout, but he will still have to fight Doug Smith for starting job.

A few days after Coach John Robinson stressed that the team needed him in camp as soon as possible, center Tom Newberry reached a tentative contract agreement with the Rams on Thursday.

Newberry, who missed 23 days of training camp, told Robinson he would fly west from his home in Miami either Thursday night or this morning. Either way, Robinson was happy he will be getting Newberry into the fold and snapping the football.

“We need him in there,” Robinson said. “It’s important. (But) the first thing that runs through your mind is you hope you don’t have a setback now and have him take a slight injury of some kind.”

Earlier this week, Robinson underlined the need for Newberry and linebacker Fred Strickland to be in camp because both were switching to new positions and could jeopardize their ability to win a starting job by missing so much practice time. Strickland’s agent, Bruce Allen, had not spoken with the Rams as of Thursday afternoon.

Robinson cautioned that Newberry, who is being moved to center after five years as a guard, won’t be handed the starting nod over Doug Smith, a 13-year veteran. Smith, a starter through last season, has been brought along slowly after injuring his left ankle early in training camp, and did not play in the team’s exhibition opener.

“Truthfully now, we have to make that position competitive,” Robinson said. “I think Doug’s got a right (for a chance to beat out Newberry).

“Tom has to acquire the skills necessary to play the center position. We anticipate that he will in fact do that, but until he in fact does that, that position isn’t clear yet.”

Robinson said he hasn’t decided whether Newberry will play Monday in the team’s second exhibition game against the San Diego Chargers at Anaheim Stadium.

Reached Thursday afternoon, Greg Campbell, Newberry’s agent, said that no official deal had been struck but did not deny that an agreement was imminent. The Rams, after Robinson announced the agreement, later stressed that no signing had yet taken place.

“We’ve been working all day on it and we’ve got another meeting tonight,” Campbell said.

Once Newberry finally signs, the Rams’ list of holdouts will be down to four--No. 1 draft choice Todd Lyght, fullback Buford McGee, tackle Irv Pankey and Strickland.