Dual Role Suits Rams’ Stewart : NFL: With his ability to cover the run and the pass, safety/linebacker position seems to be a perfect fit.

Michael Stewart didn’t mind leading the NFL’s new wave and playing the hybrid role of safety/linebacker. He just didn’t know he was going to have to smash headlong into a seawall.

The position is ideally filled by a player who can stop the run and still cover one of those speedy receivers that teams are loading into their offenses these days. Stewart, who had been the Rams’ starting strong safety the past four years, seemed the perfect fit. He had the reputation as an enforcer, a guy more comfortable in forward than reverse, but he certainly can cover receivers as well as most linebackers.

Two weeks ago, Stewart ended a 34-day holdout and eagerly started working to learn his new responsibilities against teams such as the Buffalo Bills, the Rams’ opening-day opponent.

Training camp was a snap. The on-the-job training was a bear.

On one of the Bills’ first running plays, right guard Glenn Parker, who’s 6 feet 5 and 303 pounds, was leading the way when he found Stewart, 6-0, 195, in his way. It was like a mouse on the train tracks. Stewart hunkered down, and Parker barreled over him.

A 300-pound guard here, a 300-pound tackle there; it was like that much of the day. Stewart managed six tackles, second to cornerback Todd Lyght, who had nine. But the only statistic that mattered Sunday was: Bills 40, Rams 7.

“It was just a matter of get your licks and take your licks and try to move on from there,” Stewart said. “Personally, I felt good because it was good to get back into action, but it’s a killer to lose and to lose like that. We got slapped around like little rag dolls.”

Stewart is used to being on the other end of the slap, but if this new position means that some weeks he has to take as much punishment as he meets out, then he’s ready for the challenge.

“I’m not sure what my role will be in the future,” he said. “Certain games dictate certain things, but the way the offenses are going, like with the run-and-shoot in Atlanta, a lot of teams are spreading things out and you’re probably going to see a lot more guys in that sort of linebacker/defensive back role.

“I feel pretty comfortable in that role. And whatever they want to call it, I’m going to do my job to the best of my ability.”

Stewart knows he has been labeled as an aggressive run stuffer who has some problems in pass coverage, but he’s not sure it’s a fair assessment of his skills.

“That’s what they say, yeah, but most of the defenses I’ve played in, that’s what I’ve been called on to do, to force the run,” he said. “I’d like to get rid of that stigma, turn that around and be known as a good pass coverage guy, too.”

Stewart started all 16 games last season and was second on the team in tackles with 81. He had two interceptions, forced two fumbles and had a sack. He made a reported $270,000 last year and when negotiations on a new contract began this year he argued that he was worth about three times that much.

The Rams originally offered a three-year deal worth about $650,000 a year, but by the time Stewart ended his holdout, he had settled for a $1.1 million, two-year deal.

Asked if he was happy with the contract, Stewart said only: “Both sides made some concessions.”

He doesn’t believe the holdout has been much of a setback to his performance, however.

“The thing that helped me overcome the time I was out of camp was the experience under my belt,” he said. “I came in and the new scheme was relatively easy for me to catch up to and catch on to.”

The Ram coaches aren’t issuing many rave reviews after viewing game film of Sunday’s embarrassment, and Stewart is the first to admit that he made some mistakes. But he also insists it was only one game--a very bad one--but not a reason to panic.

“That game can be a real good learning experience,” he said. “You’ve got to come prepared to play, you know, come early and stay late. We’ve got to be more physical, especially early in the game.

“But it’s all new and that’s what is positive about it, why we can be optimistic about next week. We’ll make some changes and I’m sure we’re going to improve. There are a lot of things to clean up, but we will get better.”

And Stewart insists the lopsided defeat did nothing to erode the players’ confidence in Coach Chuck Knox’s ability to stop the losing.

“Chuck Knox has been a winner everywhere he’s gone,” Stewart said. “He’s known for rebuilding teams, and all the players are really together and behind him, which is great.

“That game was not indicative of the kind of year we’re going to have. I don’t want to stick my foot in my mouth or anything, but I definitely don’t think that is something we’re going to do every game out.”

And Stewart can only hope the fates have something better in store for him as well. Maybe Sunday against New England, he’ll only have to deal with 250-pound tight ends.