Rams Report: Players "get after it" in pads ..

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By BILL COATS | Posted: Sunday, August 1, 2010 5:06 pm

The St. Louis Rams' first practice in pads produced a dominating performance by the defense, some spirited battles in one-on-one competition between the linemen, and the first fight of training camp.

"There were some up and downs in the practice. We’ll work on that. That’s typical on the first day you put pads on," coach Steve Spagnuolo said. "When we did do some live (tackling) stuff, I thought they got after it pretty good. I liked the tempo, and I kind of liked the way the offense and defense are competing against each other. That’s a good thing."

Linebacker Larry Grant was the standout performer on defense. He delivered several big hits, including one on which fullback Mike Karney's helmet was knocked off.

The highlight of the one-on-one drills was veteran defensive end James Hall vs. rookie tackle Rodger Saffold. The youngster held his own.

"That’s good for both those guys," Spagnuolo said. "James is a pro, so he knows how to handle it. And he’ll help Rodger, no question."

The scuffle featured guard Jacob Bell and defensive tackle Gary Gibson. As usual, no damage was done.