PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : RAMS : Stokes Injures Knee; McMurtry Leaves

Veteran defensive end Fred Stokes suffered a sprained left knee during blocking drills.

Stokes, a starter who finished with 9 1/2 sacks last season, suffered the injury during one-on-one blocking drills against rookie offensive lineman Ronald Edwards. Stokes couldn’t put any weight on the knee and had to be helped into a cart. Team doctors said there appeared to be no ligament damage, adding that they would do an MRI today if the knee swells overnight. Losing Stokes would mean the Rams would turn to either veteran Gerald Robinson or rookie Brad Ottis as the starter.

“We’ve got some people who are going to have to come on,” Coach Chuck Knox said. “Ottis had a great day Thursday on pass rush.”

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Wide receiver Greg McMurtry practiced, turned in his playbook, stopped by the lunchroom for a sandwich and left training camp.

McMurtry, the former New England wide receiver signed by the Rams as a free agent, told Knox that he didn’t believe he had a chance to play with the Rams.

The Rams still have McMurtry under contract. They could cut him to free up his $500,000 salary under the salary cap.

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Save the Rams, a group of Orange County businessmen trying to keep the team in Anaheim Stadium, will stage a rally at 2:30 p.m. today adjacent to the Rams’ practice field on the UC Irvine campus. . . . The Rams will practice twice today but will take Sunday off, the first break since camp opened July 22. . . . Wide receiver Sean LaChapelle returned to practice after sitting out three days because of an ankle injury he suffered in a collision with cornerback Dexter Davis. . . . Defensive end Robert Young (hip) returned to practice. Defensive tackle Marc Boutte (knee), defensive end Kevin Patrick (shoulder), wide receiver Chris Brantley (hamstring) and cornerback Steve Israel (leg muscle) sat out both practices.