
07-30-2009, 05:24 AM
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Capo Regime
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 40,872
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Total Points: 17,679,793.75
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Thursday, Jul. 30, 2009
Laurinaitis is ready to hit the field
Second-round draft pick agrees to four-year deal
BY STEVE KORTE - News-Democrat
ST. LOUIS -- Being a holdout was something that St. Louis Rams rookie linebacker James Laurinaitis wanted to avoid more than a missed tackle or a blown assignment.
Laurinaitis, a second-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, signed a four-year contract with the Rams on Wednesday.
He promptly headed to the Embassy Suites in St. Charles, Mo., checking in at the hotel a few of hours ahead of deadline for rookies to report for training camp.
"It's nice to have all that out of the way,'' Laurinaitis said. "It's time for football now.''
Rookies, quarterbacks and a few selected veterans will hold two 90-minute practices today at the team's headquarters in Earth City, Mo.
The first full-squad practice is slated for Friday afternoon.
Laurinaitis seemed truly relieved to have signed -- getting the "monkey off his back,'' as he called it -- his first NFL contract.
"Before I left, Coach (Steve) Spagnuolo kind of said, 'Hey, I don't like talking about all of that contractual stuff, but make sure you get into camp on time,''' Laurinaitis said. "You don't want anybody thinking of you as that guy holding out. You don't want that label on you.''
Projected as the Rams' starting middle linebacker, Laurinaitis couldn't afford to miss much practice time.
Cont...
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