29 August 2007 - 10:37

Rams' Holt lacking explosiveness after knee surgery  Comments

ST. LOUIS --- Six months after knee surgery for torn cartilage and a little more than one week before the St. Louis Rams' season opener, Torry Holt is not close to full health.

Still, the six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver feels good enough that he hasn't felt the need to revise his goal of another 1,300-yard season. To him it's just a matter of dealing with the accumulation of hits and the toll on his body over eight seasons.

"It's just one of those deals where I'm not recovering as quick as I used to," Holt said. "It feels good some days and some days it doesn't feel so good."

"I'm getting somewhat used to that, and I'm getting to the point where I can manage it pretty well."

It's not as if Holt, the fastest player to 10,000 yards in NFL history, is ready for the rocking chair. He has seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, and was the first player in NFL history with six of 1,300 in a row before last year when the knee problem hindered his effectiveness late in the season.

Still, he finished with an impressive 93 catches, second in the NFC, for 1,188 yards.

"I don't feel like I've lost too much explosiveness, I just haven't quite shown it yet," Holt said. "If I get into the week of the opener and things aren't looking good and I feel weak, then I'm concerned. Right now, I'm not concerned at all."

The Rams' pass-catching depth helps to ease his mind. Two of the team's biggest offseason acquisitions were tight end Randy McMichael, who has averaged 65 receptions the last three years, and wide receiver Drew Bennett.

"These guys have been stepping up and making plays for us," Holt said. "So I feel good about everything."

Holt underwent surgery on his right knee the third week of February, seemingly giving him plenty of time to recuperate. But he said the situation hasn't improved much, if at all, since the beginning of training camp when he estimated it was at 70 percent.

"I still feel a little pinch of pain in there at times depending on certain cuts," Holt said.

The Rams held Holt out of last week's preseason game at Oakland, a move that he said was a precaution. He said doctors have been optimistic about reduced swelling in the knee recently.

"I'm still going to have a little pain from time to time, but I think I can manage that," Holt said. "I don't know if it'll ever heal all the way, but I think it'll heal enough to allow me to go out and play."

Coach Scott Linehan has seen positive signs from one of the keys to the Rams' high-scoring offense.

"The last two days I've seen him more like the Torry Holt we've all grown accustomed to," Linehan said Monday. "It's becoming more and more encouraging every day."

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posted by Marcel. 29 August 2007 - 10:37

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