[RamWraith]

By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Monday, May. 12 2008

One thing that kicker Josh Brown figured he'd left behind when he signed a
free-agent deal with the Rams was the damp environs of Seattle, where he'd
spent his first five NFL seasons.

He hasn't seen many blue skies since arriving here, though.

"This is a lot of rain; I'm sick of rain," Brown said at minicamp this past
weekend. "But that's what happens in the Midwest in April and May. I'm just
glad no tornadoes are coming by right now."

Brown knows a thing or two about tornadoes. He grew up in tiny Foyil, Okla.,
near Tulsa and not far from Tornado Alley. He's also quite familiar with the
Rams, against whom he competed twice a year in the NFC West.

"It is a little odd" being with a Seahawks rival now, he said. "For so long
you've concentrated on making sure this team never beat you. Now to be on the
other side of the ball, it's taking a little getting used to.

"But things are going well, and I'm happy with the change."

Twenty-four of Brown's 116 field goals came against the Rams. Two in 2006 were
particularly gnashing: Brown drilled a 54-yarder as time expired to give the
Seahawks a 30-28 win at the Edward Jones Dome, then knocked through a 38-yarder
with 9 seconds remaining for a 24-22 victory in Seattle.

"I think every player on this team has probably ribbed me about that at least
once," said Brown, a seventh-round draft pick (No. 222 overall) out of Nebraska
in 2003. "Guys are able to joke about it now. I hope that's a good reputation
that I bring, that we're capable of finishing that way and making the big
kicks."

With the Rams, Brown replaces Jeff Wilkins, who retired Feb. 29 after 14 NFL
seasons, the last 11 with the Rams. Wilkins is the franchise's leading scorer
(1,223 points) and holds virtually all of its kicking records.

Said Brown: "Jeff left a great amount of space to fill. Jeff played here a long
time, and he'll be missed. But I'm kind of glad the job's open."

NEW POSITION

Stout play on special teams last season earned Eric Bassey a new position and a
chance at making the 53-man roster this year. Bassey, a cornerback from
Oklahoma, has been moved to free safety.

"With my size, it may be a better fit for me," said Bassey, 6 feet 1 and 200
pounds. "Hopefully I can run around and make some plays, ball-hawk a little
bit."

Bassey registered 12 tackles on special teams, the fifth-highest total on the
team, in just eight games last season. He also recovered a fumble.

"I knew that was the route I was going to have to take," Bassey said. "You want
to make an impact on special teams, which I felt I did, and then get your shot
on defense."

LINEHAN LIKES MOOD

Coach Scott Linehan declared the single, full-squad minicamp a success. "The
thing that stood out to me was the way our core leaders embraced additional
roles of the leadership, which we need, coaches and players alike," he said. "I
just really like the attitude and mood of our football team."

RAM-BLINGS

Safety Oshiomogho Atogwe (hamstring) and tackle Mark LeVoir (calf) remained on
the sideline for Sunday's final minicamp practice. … Defensive tackle Vernon
Bryant, an undrafted rookie, was excused so that he could attend his graduation
ceremony at Hampton (Va.) University. … Safety Todd Johnson returned after
missing the first two days because of a long-standing charity commitment.