Today's Rapid Reports

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WR Amendola: Missing season was 'hardest thing' of career
WR Danny Amendola said missing last season was the “hardest thing I’ve ever had to do so far in my career, or in my life, really.” Amendola had never missed a game or practice, but dislocated his left elbow in the 2011 season opener.


WR Amendola says elbow is fully healed
WR Danny Amendola said his left elbow, dislocated in the season opener last year, has fully healed. “It felt good today running around,” Amendola said following Tuesday’s light minicamp practice. Amendola, who missed the remainder of the 2011 season, said he’s looking forward to testing his arm when they start blocking drills.


DE Hayes canceled other trips after visit to Rams Park
DE William Hayes agreed to terms with the Rams on April 6. He had other visits planned, but canceled those trips after visiting Rams Park on April 4. He played for coach Jeff Fisher in Tennessee and met DL coach Mike Waufle on a predraft visit in 2008 when Waufle was with the Giants.


LB Dunbar enjoys violence of the game
LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar said the things he enjoys most about football are the violence and camaraderie. “I love how physical the game is,” he said. “It’s something I’ve always been a fan of ever since I was a little kid. I love the violence and being around my guys. That’s something I take pride in.”


LB Dunbar doesn't view Rams as lower-tier team
Though LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar is coming from one of the NFL’s elite teams in New Orleans to a team that’s won 15 total games the last five seasons, he doesn’t view the Rams as a lower-tier club. “You call this the bottom? We’re 0-0,” he said. “We’re tied for first right now, undefeated at home. No worries right now. I had a great run in New Orleans ... and I want to do that here."


LB Dunbar: Opportunity to start means more than money
LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar has started 27 games in his four-year career as an injury replacement. He said coming to St. Louis gives him a real shot to be a full-time starter at strongside LB, but he will play whichever position is asked of him. “This is my opportunity,” he said. “That meant more to me than money.”


LB Dunbar with new team, number
LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar wore No. 56 with the Saints and initially was given 57 by the Rams. He was donning 58 on Tuesday. “There was a mix-up there,” he explained. “I didn’t know what to do. I wanted 56, but (Josh) Hull has that number. He’s kind of attached to it and, 58, it’s a nice number.”


LB Laurinaitis: Too early to compare Spags and Fisher
LB James Laurinaitis said it was too early to compare the coaching styles of Steve Spagnuolo and Jeff Fisher. “A lot was just introductory stuff,” Laurinaitis said of Tuesday’s practice. “We’re just trying to move forward to see how much better we can become.”


QB Bradford's ankle rested, healed
QB Sam Bradford rested his sprained ankle until March, when he began rehabbing at Rams Park. He said the ankle has gotten stronger since then and that he’s completely healthy. The injury forced him to miss six games last season. “I want to be out there playing,” he said. “It’s no fun watching.”


QB Bradford happy to be on the football field
QB Sam Bradford said Tuesday it was great to be back on the football field. Bradford has been a regular at Rams Park since March, but did do some globetrotting in the offseason. He and LB James Laurinaitis watched the Super Bowl with American troops in Kuwait. Bradford later visited Thailand.


Accuracy of QB Bradford stands out at first practice
Coach Jeff Fisher said the accuracy of QB Sam Bradford is what stood out the most on Tuesday. “The ball’s always in the right place,” he said. The sentiment was later echoed by WRs Danny Amendola and Steve Smith, who signed as a free agent last month.


WR Smith looks forward to role as veteran leader
WR Steve Smith said his left knee, injured each of the last two seasons, feels great and that he’s 100 percent healthy. He’s looking forward to a new start and filling a new role as an older receiver for the first time in his six-year career. “I’m used to being one of the younger guys," he said, "so now I’ve got to be a leader with my work ethic.”


QB Bradford, Fisher reasons why WR Smith chose Rams
WR Steve Smith said playing with QB Sam Bradford in a West Coast offense was one of the reasons he chose to sign with the Rams. “I felt good energy when I came on my visit here and they’ve got a good, accurate quarterback,” Smith said. “Coach (Jeff) Fisher seems to be a good coach, so I just wanted to come here.”


A third of minicamp roster new or coming off IR
Of the 60 players on the veteran minicamp roster, 11 are new to the team and another 12 finished the season with the Rams on IR. One of the free-agent signings, WR Steve Smith, finished 2011 on IR with the Eagles.


LB Dunbar denies involvement in Saints bounty system
Several current and former Saints players could face suspensions as part of the Saints bounty scandal. LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar, now with the Rams, said he was “just a young cat” and not involved in any bounty payments. Coach Jeff Fisher said he could not discuss any possible suspension and was “waiting on some direction from the league office.”


Fisher: DT Laws wanted to call St. Louis home
Coach Jeff Fisher on the free-agent signing of DT Trevor Laws: “Trevor is just a try-hard, go-100-miles-per-hour productive guy. This is where he wanted to call home and we’re glad we got it done.”


DE Hayes had offseason shoulder surgery
Newly signed DE William Hayes is coming off surgery on his right shoulder. Hayes said he had labrum and rotator cuff issues, but he is not limited in any way. Coach Jeff Fisher said Hayes would be 100 percent healthy “very quickly.”


LB Dunbar fits defensive system well
Coach Jeff Fisher said LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar “played very great in the system” when Dunbar was with the Saints. “He’s played all three positions,” Fisher said. “That gives us flexibility there. We can plug him in wherever.”


Emphasis on preventing injuries at minicamp
Part of Tuesday’s practice included installing the huddles. “And, by the way, 8 (QB Sam Bradford) looks pretty good in there,” coach Jeff Fisher said. Fisher added the emphasis on this week’s veteran minicamp is to prevent injuries. “They’re not in playing shape right now,” Fisher said. "We don't want anybody diving on balls or tugging on jerseys. You have to be very careful and mindful."


Fisher: Installation of defense has caught up to offense
Coach Jeff Fisher is not concerned about installing the defense without suspended coordinator Gregg Williams, out for at least the year because of his involvement with the Saints bounty scandal. With OC Brian Schottenheimer hired two months ago, Fisher said the offensive players had a head start, but the defense “got caught up last week.”


Fisher: 'We've got to get the work done'
Coaches went back to draft meetings following Tuesday’s 75-minute practice on the first day of veteran minicamp. Coach Jeff Fisher said Wednesday’s schedule will be similar with players receiving the afternoon off. “It’s not the best time in the world to have this type of session, but we’ve got to get the work done,” Fisher said.


Fisher: Rams off to good start at veteran minicamp
Coach Jeff Fisher said he was excited to be on the field with players for the first time in over a year. “I was very pleased with the work we got done,” Fisher said following Tuesday’s practice on the first day of voluntary veteran minicamp. Of the team’s 60 players on the roster, only S Darian Stewart, who was taking a school exam, was absent.


Richardson, Claiborne latest to visit Rams Park
Alabama RB Trent Richardson and LSU CB Morris Claiborne were among four players to visit Rams Park on Monday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. CBSSports.com had previously reported on Monday that Midwestern State OL Amini Silatolu and Oregon RB LaMichael James were at the team’s facility.


Two more players make pre-draft visit to Rams Park
Midwestern State OL Amini Silatolu and Oregon RB LaMichael James were at Rams Park on Monday for a pre-draft visit. The team hosted Utah State LB Bobby Wagner over the weekend.