Coach Steve Spagnuolo had no problem with Jackson being absent last week. In fact, it was Spagnuolo that told Jackson to stay home in Las Vegas to ensure that he was present for the birth of his child.

Spagnuolo said Jackson wanted to fly to St. Louis just to be present at the coach's first team meeting March 16. At that point, Jackson's girlfriend had not given birth yet. Spagnuolo told him to just stay there and get to St. Louis when he could.

Jackson is expected to be present next week when Spagnuolo holds his first minicamp with the team from April 2-4 (Thursday through Saturday).

"It will be great to get the guys on the field and starting seeing what we have," Spagnuolo said. "Of course, you really don't know about them as players until the pads come on (in training camp)."

--It was thought the Rams would have quarterback Gus Frerotte under contract by now to be the backup to Marc Bulger, but so far it hasn't happened. Frerotte has been on vacation, but there is also an odd dynamic at work with any contract negotiations that will take place.

Frerotte's agent is Marvin Demoff, who is the father of Kevin Demoff, the Rams' new contract negotiator.

--The Rams did not receive any compensatory picks in this year's draft, and also lost out on the opportunity to have Mr. Irrelevant for the second consecutive year.

Mr. Irrelevant, the final pick in each year's draft, is "honored" in Newport Beach, Calif., during week-long activities in June. Last year, linebacker David Vobora not only was Mr. Irrelevant, but he also made the team and started one game at middle linebacker.

After the league assigns 30 compensatory choices based on free agents lost from the year before, the teams with the first two picks in the draft receive the final two selections so there are 32 extra choices, an average of one per team.

The Rams have the second pick in the first round of the draft, as they did last year, but they also tied with Kansas City with a record of 2-14 so the two teams alternate the second and third picks of each round. Because the Rams pick before Kansas City at the start of the seventh round, the last two selections are considered the eighth round. That gives the Chiefs the final pick of the April 25-26 draft.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think Spags and I have a good player-coach relationship. I can talk to him about anything: life, football, whatever. I think that relationship carries over on the field, too. Spags isn't really that tough. He just wants you to do the right thing and play hard. If you do, he's cool. If you don't, well, he'll find someone else to do it." -- Rams S James Butler on coach Steve Spagnuolo.