R.B. FALLSTROM
ST. LOUIS - An extremely short practice week got a little shorter on Thursday for the St. Louis Rams when coach Mike Martz ended what had been scheduled as a two-hour workout about 40 minutes early.
At this point of the preseason, for many of the Rams, the last thing they need is a game after playing at Detroit on Monday. Martz said he'd get most of the starters out early in Friday night's Gov.'s Cup game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
One exception is right tackle Rex Tucker, getting his third preseason start at the position after playing his entire career at offensive guard. Tucker signed to be the new left guard but moved to tackle after the holdout of first-round pick
Alex Barron threw the rookie off schedule.
"Some guys need the work," Martz said. "Maybe Tuck needs to play a little bit more than those other guys, because he hasn't been out there very long."
Tucker, a Pro Bowl alternate at guard with the Bears in 2001 before his career was derailed by injuries, seems to be rolling with the change.
"The more time and plays, the more comfortable you get," Tucker said. "It's a little different, but I like it."
Martz said Tucker was "exceptional" against the Lions on Monday. He also said Tucker is a "natural" at tackle.
"I'm very, very pleased with how physical he played," Martz said. "He was very composed, stayed true to all the technique we asked him to do in pass protection and picked up things very well."
Tucker just shrugs at all of it.
"I just show up and do what I'm asked to do, that's all there is to it," Tucker said. "You've got to let all the previous stuff go and just work at what you're doing, and that's all that matters.
"To even think about where you were or what you did doesn't do you any good anyway."
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NO COMMENT: The less said about player cuts, the better for Martz. He preferred to let a team release do the talking when the Rams let loose 13 players earlier this week, and likely will be mum again when the team reaches the 53-man roster limit on Sunday.
They have to release an additional 12 players.
Martz avoids lowering the hammer in private, too, choosing to delegate duties to assistant coaches who are closer to the players.
"They see them every day, they have them in their meeting rooms, and I think it's easier for them to deal with," Martz said. "Plus, I'm a chicken. I hate doing that. That's the hardest thing in the world for me.
"If they talk to me long enough, they talk their way back on the team."
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HURRICANE HELP: Rams wives are holding a 12-hour relief drive Friday at the Edward Jones Dome to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina. They're seeking cash donations that will be given to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
The drive was originally planned as a two-hour event before the Chiefs-Rams game, but was expanded to give downtown workers a chance to donate.
"A lot of us are very hard-hit, and it hits kind of close to home," said Danielle Nutten, wife of guard Tom Nutten.
Players also plan on getting into the act.
"It's a real, real sad situation," said linebacker Trev Faulk, who is from Lafayette, La. "The last couple of days my heart and my mind has been back home."
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BRIEFLY: TE Roland Williams (knee) and DT Ryan Pickett (back) will not play Friday but are expected to be ready for the opener Sept. 11 at San Francisco. ... Fans entering the game will be subject to security pat-downs as a result of a new league policy, plus additional uniformed police officers and specially trained dogs have been added to the security detail.
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