Rams' Draft Not Ready To Be Shoved Aside ..

[MauiRam]

By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
08/03/2009

A bright and savvy fellow with a Stanford degree and 11 years of NFL experience, Chris Draft is fully aware that his days as the Rams' first-team middle linebacker are numbered.

After all, the Rams didn't make second-round draft pick James Laurinaitis, a three-time All-America middle — or "mike" — linebacker at Ohio State, a multimillionaire just so that he could watch from the sideline on Sundays this fall. Yet Draft is No. 1 on the depth chart for the time being, and he's conceding nothing. "I'm starting at the mike; there's where I'm at right now," Draft said Sunday between training camp practices at Rams Park. "Things can always change up, depending on what the team needs. But right now, the team needs me at the mike position."

Eventually, it'll probably need Draft to compete with Larry Grant and David Vobora for the first-team job at strongside linebacker. Laurinaitis is gradually being worked into action with the top unit.

"I like the mike position because I like being right in the middle, making the calls and setting the defense," Draft said. "I feel like it uses what I do the best. But that doesn't mean that I can't play the 'sam' (strongside) or the 'will' (weakside)."

Draft has manned all three positions over the years. Last season, he made five starts at strongside and four in the middle. He played down the challenge of moving from spot to spot. "It's not much different, just a different perspective," he said.

Still, coach Steve Spagnuolo calls Draft's versatility "very important. At linebacker, you need a couple, three guys like that. He's one, and we'll try to identify some others."

At 33, the 5-foot-11, 232-pound Draft is one of the oldest players on a roster that has a decidedly more youthful look from a year or two ago.

"We've got some young guys, but ... it's a young man's game," Draft said. "It's definitely important (for the veterans) to lead, but the way we're going to win is with everybody. Just because you're in your fourth year doesn't mean you can't lead and really step up and go. Even a second-year guy.

"It's really just important that everybody's a pro and everybody does their part."

And in Draft's case, at whatever position he happens to be playing on that particular day.

KEEPING FANS IN MIND

Asked whether Spagnuolo's steady diet of two-practice days was cutting into his extensive work in the community, Draft laughed and said, "It's great community time. We have a chance for people to come out and watch practice. Hopefully with the nice weather we're having, everybody gets a chance to come out and get some autographs and watch us play. Every day is a community day."

Practices are open to the public. Admission and parking are free.

ACHES AND PAINS

The first signs of wear and tear are beginning to show. Cornerback Ron Bartell was held out of Sunday afternoon's practice because he became dehydrated after the two-hour morning workout. The first practice featured more sessions of 11-on-11 live-tackling work.

Also, defensive end Leonard Little and cornerback Tye Hill came to the sideline with cramps late in the second practice.

Tight end Randy McMichael was dazed after falling awkwardly while trying to corral a pass in the end zone. After a few minutes, he was back on the field.

RAM-BLINGS

Two practices are scheduled for today, starting at 8:15 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. The team will be in pads in the morning and shells (shorts and light shoulder pads) in the afternoon. ... Tight end Joe Klopfenstein became the first camp casualty. He sat out both of Sunday's practices after experiencing what Spagnuolo called "a reaction to some medicine."

[eldfan]

Ill be shock not to see James Laurinaitis as the starting MLB at season start.

[Nick]

Tight end Joe Klopfenstein became the first camp casualty. He sat out both of Sunday's practices after experiencing what Spagnuolo called "a reaction to some medicine."

There's some +rep in store for the person who makes the best joke out of this...

[Azul e Oro]

First misdiagnosed with a rare degenerative spinal disease, spina butterida, thought to be responsible for his blocking woes but makes him popular with the corn-on-the-cob crowd at picnics, Klopfenstein is now believed to be suffering either from dropsy or a bizarre variant of swine flu which causes him to sneeze violently in proximity to the pigskin.

Team doctors are frantically searching for a cure for several minutes every day.

[RealRam]

HAAAAAA-HAAA-HA-HAAA!!! LOL!

Good one A&E... Makes me wonder if we're going to take Klop seriously.

[nuclearman]

HAAAAAA-HAAA-HA-HAAA!!! LOL!

Good one A&E... Makes me wonder if we're going to take Klop seriously.

I doubt it. Laurinaitis should start MLB.

[Nick]

First misdiagnosed with a rare degenerative spinal disease, spina butterida, thought to be responsible for his blocking woes but makes him popular with the corn-on-the-cob crowd at picnics, Klopfenstein is now believed to be suffering either from dropsy or a bizarre variant of swine flu which causes him to sneeze violently in proximity to the pigskin.

Team doctors are frantically searching for a cure for several minutes every day.

The board wants me to spread some rep around before hitting you again, but well played!

I really still believe that Klop was a good pick at the time and had what I thought was a solid campaign for a rookie tight end, but he's just really regressed since then. Part of it may be confidence after losing his job to Randy McMichael, or maybe it's something else. I think it's an interesting question to wonder what may have happened if the Rams would have stuck with him as their starter instead.

[TekeRam]

Ill be shock not to see James Laurinaitis as the starting MLB at season start.

It's only a few days into camp. Don't worry there's no forseeable way that we won't start James at the Mike. It's the Sam position that's actually interesting, and I think Draft has the inside track since he's got a starting position now and isn't a 2nd year 7th round pick. That said, it'd be awesome if Vobora won the spot too!