This is my first minicamp since I started blogging the Rams midway through last season, and I must admit to just how remarkably tightlipped they are about the whole affair. What you read in the papers, is what you get - nothing else. I doubt the presence of any great conspiracy, other than maybe the desire to keep rival scouts out of town while they run through the new and old pages of the playbook. Actually, when you think about it, there's really not much to report out of minicamp because the team's just running through the plays - no pads, no contact.
I'm not keen on just providing a row of links to the local fishwrap, but since that's about all the info we're getting about minicamp, it's important we Rams fans get the chance to read between the lines and discuss what we're reading.
James Hall on the right side makes things easier for Leonard Little on the left. Yeah, we kind of assumed that was a big part of the whole deal to get Hall, and there's little in the article we haven't already speculated on: better run defender, improves the pass rush, keeps Little from being double teamed, yada, yada, yada. One thing I'm really taking away - and here's that reading between the lines thing - is the potential for a nice comeback season for James Hall. I think the change of scenery, moving to a team that really values defense and has a winning tradition could rejuvenate an already solid player. The Rams will need a good season from Hall, and those intangibles may help them get it.
You don't like to see Hill sitting out of anything, and minicamp's a great place for the second year CB to integrate the defensive schemes into his autoconsciousness. However, if he got to miss some time, better now than training camp or, gulp, the regular season. It's good that Wallis is getting reps with the first team though.
When the Rams brought in Isaiah Kacyvenski last season, he really helped shore up a faltering special teams. He's trying out with Oakland this season. The Rams have brought in players to replace him on the special teams unit this season, but he still might have been nice to have for the depth and experience.