JIM FADLER Report--from July 24Add yourself to The HERD's Official Roster (guestbook), if you think you are man enough!
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The odd thing about all this is that Hanifan had made Brooks a personal project two years ago and he had been making progress form all accounts. He was very strong in the upper body and was said to be coming along in his technique. I have been led to believe that a sore back, non attendance at a lot of the weight training sessions as a result and a terrible last mini-camp led to this decision.
And so another name joins Big Kirksey in the shot craps lineage of Rams linemen.
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As I understand the story Faulk told several players in the locker room of his plan to miss two weeks of training camp....none of the players were severely upset with Marshall.
This stuff used to happen a lot more often than it does now. As Grits pointed out Eric used to do it all the time. The teams have tightened up a lot more and there are is a lot more bonus money at stake for getting into camp on time.
But I don't think it will be a huge issue with his teammates.
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Mike Morton had played so well in 1996 in relief of Fredrickson at OLB for the Raiders that they felt they could let Mike Jones walk away to the Rams in the offseason.
He has played mostly for the Raiders in his career....he never actually played a down for the Packers and was signed during this offseason. He is 6:4 and 235 pounds out of North Carolina going into his 5th year. In 1997 he started the first half of the year at weak side linebacker for the Raiders and was leading the team in tackles when he hurt his knee and was not much of a force last year. He played very well the first half of the year before getting hurt. He was slated to fill in at all three spots when the Rams traded the by now obligatory 7th round pick to the Packers for him.
I heard some mutterings in mini camp that Todd Collins' knees were not all that and his mobility was limited...I did not hear that from any media or Rams people but I think that the overall lack of outside linebacker depth and the concern about Collins' health led to this trade. Both Vermeil and Armey had stated that overall depth at linebacker was a real concern.
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The team released cornerback Joe Rowe. Rowe has actually been placed on the non-football injury list. But note to the NFL players union the injury he incurred was playing football in NFL Europe.
Due to a clause in the NFL CBA the teams are able to place these poor souls and cannon fodder on the non-football injury and rob them of time vested toward their pensions.
That is the kind of thing that a union should go on strike about...not free agency.
Jim