PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : RAMS

Coach Chuck Knox bristled when asked if Maddox’s $875,000 contract money might have been better spent on acquiring offensive linemen, a troubled spot for the Rams in the exhibition season.

“We made an offer sheet on Kevin Donnalley (of Houston) this spring,” Knox said. “We make some mistakes like everybody else, but if there was a bona fide offensive lineman out there, the money would not be a concern.”

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New Ram quarterback Tommy Maddox got a chuckle Friday night when he saw Tampa Bay quarterback Trent Dilfer, bypassed by the Rams in last April’s draft, lining up behind the right guard to take a snap.

“That shouldn’t be too hard to learn,” said Maddox, who saw Dilfer’s gaffe on a TV highlights show. “I hope he has been lining up behind center for most of his career. That shouldn’t be too hard.”