It didn't quite turn out that way. Bell battled a hamstring injury for a good part of the season, and there were also whispers that he wasn't nearly the weight the Rams thought he should be.

Listed as 295 pounds on the roster, there were whispers that Bell was in the low 280s. Coaches wanted him bigger, and there were early plans this offseason to play him at right tackle following the release of Orlando Pace.

Now, Bell is still at his familiar left guard spot, and also has his weight up close to 300. He has been helped by a full-time personal chef, who prepares meals for Bell, and does it in a healthy way.

"When you're a young bachelor, sometimes it's hard to stay on top of your diet and stuff like that," Bell said. "But I have a full-time guy now and I think that's helped."

The "guy" is Tom McCann, Bell's cousin, who had been talking about entering culinary school.

Bell said he told McCann, "Hey man, work for me. Get your feet wet. Start dabbling. He likes to read about nutrition, he wants to major in nutrition."

It all starts with a good breakfast, and continues throughout the day with double portions and power shakes.

"It's all healthy stuff," Bell said. "It kind of regulates my intake of calories and carbs and proteins."

--DT Orien Harris has bounced around the NFL since being drafted by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2006 draft.

From training camp to practice squads is how it went for Harris for two seasons, until playing 14 games for the Bengals last year. Harris was made expendable by Cincinnati's signing of defensive tackle Tank Johnson.

For the Rams, there is opportunity with little depth behind starters Adam Carriker and Clifton Ryan, and this year's fourth-round pick, Darell Scott.

"It always feels good to be wanted," Harris said after the trade.

He is also aware of how coach Steve Spagnuolo's defensive line personnel rotated a lot, using players in different situations.

"I'm real excited," he said. "I've talked to him (Spagnuolo). I've seen what he's done to his teams. It's a blessing. It's always good when you're wanted. They really showed an interest in me, and I'm happy about that."

Rams general manager Billy Devaney called Harris "a pretty good athlete," and said he could play either defensive tackle spot. "We just have left and right tackles," Devaney said. "He kind of flashed at times last year in Cincinnati."

--Rookie LB James Laurinaitis will be available to attend the Rams' OTAs, which start May 19, unlike other players from schools that are on a quarterly calendar.

The earliest rookies can begin offseason work after the first minicamp is May 15. It all depends on when the school's graduation is held. Several schools in the Big 10, Pac-10 and others are on the quarterly calendar and don't end until the first or second week in June.

Most colleges are finished by the middle of May.

Planning ahead, Laurinaitis took a full load of classes last summer at Ohio State so he would be finished his requirements for graduation in March.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "He won't have issues like me. That kid is way ahead of where I was. Everybody should be on the same plane coming in but the expectations are so high. All he needs to do is just focus on the day-to-day and don't be overwhelmed. I know it seems like everybody is pulling at you but just be you. He has seemed to do that so far." -- DE Chris Long, the second pick in the draft last year, on OT Jason Smith, the second pick this year.