Another minicamp in the books

Two down, one to go...and then training camp gets underway at the end of July. I'm not sure what exactly you can glean from a three day minicamp, if you're not a coach. But, there are two themes in the reports from this weekend's Rams minicamp that look to be the most interesting as far as what we'll see on the field when September rolls around.

First, the offensive line is taking shape. Alex Barron is still at left tackle, and according to the most recent report from the Post-Dispatch, he looks "comfortable" in that position. If the coaching changes can keep Barron interested in his job and playing at an acceptable level for an NFL starter, he'll be a valuable commodity and the Rams will have an interesting situation on their hands. After this season, Barron becomes a restricted free agent, thanks to the new rules that took effect when the CBA lapsed. If he plays well this season, that makes the decision to tender him an offer easy and gives the Rams one of those good problems to have with two potential starting left tackles on the roster. This year's first round pick, Jason Smith, could stay on the right side for a second season and move to the left should the Rams let Barron walk as a free agent after the 2010 season. That's obviously down the road a bit - and there's still a very real possibility that there will be no football in 2011 with the CBA situation - but it'll be an interesting situation to watch.

The other intriguing story out of camp is the development of MLB James Laurinaitis. He's not been handed the starting the job, though he is widely expected to work his way into that role by the time the season starts. Camp's a little bit of a different animal than facing actual NFL opponents, but the Ohio State product's football intelligence seems to be serving him well on the field as he learns the defense. Avoiding an endless "should have" debate ought to offer some motivation.