PA Season Ticket Holder
06-06-2003, 08:31 PM
Publicly, the St. Louis Rams are taking the position that the loss of their final week of offseason voluntary workouts was not the result of an anonymous player complaint to the league.
"No player turned us in," said offensive tackle Kyle Turley. "I've talked to [NFLPA executive director] Gene Upshaw. It was not a player."
Privately, word is that the Rams suspect receiver Terrence Wilkins of blowing the whistle. Per a league source, Wilkins has not been participating much in the offseason program, and the veteran pass-catcher generally is behaving like a guy who wants to get cut.
Wilkins probably hasn't been released yet due to the status of Torry Holt. If Wilkins is gone, Holt suddenly would have more leverage in the efforts to score a big-money deal. Though Wilkins has not yet threatened a holdout, the Rams need to have Wilkins available for training camp in the event that the Holt situation deteriorates.
Still, odds are that Wilkins eventually will be cut loose. He was a major disappointment in 2002, primarily because he couldn't figure out the Rams' complex playbook.
Regarding Turley's statement that the penalty wasn't the result of a player tip, it's important to remember that the information came from NFLPA chief Gene Upshaw. Upshaw's group relies on future players being willing to come forward with reports of rules violations and other team misconduct; Upshaw gains nothing for his group by blowing the cover of the guys who already have blown the whistle.
Also, a league source has confirmed for us that the Rams are unfazed by the loss of a week's worth of offseason practice time. The team didn't plan to use that week for on-field activities, anyway. The Post-Dispatch reports that the net loss to the Rams is that the veterans won't be able to spend the week in the team's weight room.
http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm
"No player turned us in," said offensive tackle Kyle Turley. "I've talked to [NFLPA executive director] Gene Upshaw. It was not a player."
Privately, word is that the Rams suspect receiver Terrence Wilkins of blowing the whistle. Per a league source, Wilkins has not been participating much in the offseason program, and the veteran pass-catcher generally is behaving like a guy who wants to get cut.
Wilkins probably hasn't been released yet due to the status of Torry Holt. If Wilkins is gone, Holt suddenly would have more leverage in the efforts to score a big-money deal. Though Wilkins has not yet threatened a holdout, the Rams need to have Wilkins available for training camp in the event that the Holt situation deteriorates.
Still, odds are that Wilkins eventually will be cut loose. He was a major disappointment in 2002, primarily because he couldn't figure out the Rams' complex playbook.
Regarding Turley's statement that the penalty wasn't the result of a player tip, it's important to remember that the information came from NFLPA chief Gene Upshaw. Upshaw's group relies on future players being willing to come forward with reports of rules violations and other team misconduct; Upshaw gains nothing for his group by blowing the cover of the guys who already have blown the whistle.
Also, a league source has confirmed for us that the Rams are unfazed by the loss of a week's worth of offseason practice time. The team didn't plan to use that week for on-field activities, anyway. The Post-Dispatch reports that the net loss to the Rams is that the veterans won't be able to spend the week in the team's weight room.
http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm