Linehan finally gets some good news

By Bill Coats
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Scott Linehan was overdue for some good news, and he got some Wednesday afternoon when word began to spread throughout Rams Park that Steven Jackson’s holdout was over. Jackson was to fly in from Las Vegas on Wednesday night, take a physical, and — if there are no hitches — join the team on the practice field Thursday morning.

After watching his team slog through an ugly preseason opener at Tennessee, muster a mere second-team touchdown last week vs. San Diego, and then lose two offensive linemen (Mark Setterstrom and Brandon Gorin) for the season, Linehan had to be wondering whether he’d ever get a break.

“At this point, it looks great,” Linehan told my Post-Dispatch colleague, Jim Thomas, on Wednesday afternoon. “I feel good about it now.”

He’ll feel even better if Jackson can get up to speed quickly and be full-go in time for the regular-season opener, Sept. 7 at Philadelphia.

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>>Bob Wallace, the team’s executive vice president, reports that 93 percent of season-ticket holders renewed despite the 3-13 record in 2007.

>>Saturday night’s game vs. the Ravens will be televised live locally. Good news or bad news?

>>Despite a subpar outing last Saturday, WR Drew Bennett has had a strong training camp. “I don’t think his second preseason game was as good as his first, for sure, but he’s been very consistent,” Linehan said. “He’s proven to me we can count on him.”

>>Ron Bartell, working with the first team at cornerback since Fakhir Brown suffered a shoulder injury on the first day of camp, has made a nice showing. Bartell also is well-versed at safety and nickel back, making him a valuable member of the secondary corps.

>>Brown and S Oshiomogho Atogwe (hamstring), also out since early in camp, are close to returning, Linehan said. He expects Brown back first, but believes both will be healthy for the Philly game.

>>WR Donnie Avery, who will play Saturday after recovering from a cracked pelvic bone, has heard critics whine that he didn’t deserve to be the first wideout drafted. Doesn’t bother him, though. “These guys think I was supposed to be taken where I was (2nd round, No. 33 overall), and I think I was supposed to be taken were I was,” Avery said. “I’m just excited about getting out there and showing everybody what I can do.”

All for now . .