RAM NOTEBOOK : Gandy Set to Prove He’s the Answer, Not Question Mark

ANAHEIM — Wayne Gandy, the Rams’ rookie offensive tackle, paused, then looked puzzled.

“Who’s Trent Dilfer?” he asked his agent, Neil Schwartz.

Schwartz and his newest client made their goodwill tour through the Ram mini-camp, which concluded Sunday.

But before Schwartz left for New York, he warned Gandy of a storm on the horizon--the possible backlash from fans and the media about the team bypassing Fresno State’s Dilfer, projected as a franchise quarterback, with the fifth overall pick to trade down and take Gandy with the 15th selection.

Gandy responded with his question, and although an innocent one now, will be answered repeatedly this season.

Gandy will be watched, his play dissected and his productivity scrutinized.

How many sacks will Gandy give up from the left tackle position? How will quarterback Chris Miller’s often-injured left knee hold up with a rookie protecting his blindside? How will Gandy’s rumored bad back--an injury the tackle and agent deny him having--hold up during the season?

“I don’t worry about what the (critical) fans think,” Gandy said. “I could care less. You will always have those kind of people. They’re not in my shoes, when I’m out there on the field trying my best.

“All I can promise Anaheim and the Rams is that any time I’m on that field, I’m going 100%.”

The Rams had announced they would take Dilfer or Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler, if either was available, with the fifth pick. Shuler went to Washington with the third pick, and the Rams passed on Dilfer at No. 5.

Still, the Rams are convinced they filled not only a weakness on the offensive line and got two valuable extra draft picks. Those selections were defensive end Brad Ottis of Wayne State (Neb.) in the second round and running back James Bostic of Auburn in the third.

“The Rams didn’t want a quarterback to begin with,” Gandy said. “They knew what they wanted, and if it would have been a quarterback, they would have stayed in the position and got him.”

This fall, it’s Gandy’s job to prove them right. He will find it tough at first, learning a new system. And his first regular-season matchup probably will be against Arizona’s Clyde Simmons, one of the best defensive ends in the NFL.

Does Gandy, 6 feet 4 and 289 pounds, hear footsteps?

“As far as coming in and playing,” he said, “I’m not a bench kind of guy. They will be paying me a lot of first-round money, and it won’t be to sit on the bench.”

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Add tackle: Gandy graduated in December with a degree in finance, which he says will be handy during contract negotiations. He and Schwartz are seeking at least a four-year deal.

“We won’t wait to see what the 14th or 16th pick gets,” Schwartz said. “We’re aware of the numbers, and we would like to get him signed as soon as we can.”

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Catch it: Rookie wide receiver Isaac Bruce of Memphis State, the Rams’ 33rd overall pick, missed Sunday’s final mini-camp workout because of a mild hamstring strain.

But it didn’t affect Knox’s enthusiasm about his receivers, particularly the rookies.

“This is the best group of receivers we’ve had since we’ve been here,” said Knox, who took over in 1992. “We have six or seven guys who can run and catch.”

Knox singled out Bruce, fourth-round draft pick Chris Brantley of Rutgers and rookie free-agent Turhon O’Bannon of New Mexico. Brantley had two impressive catches in Sunday’s workout, and Bruce played well Saturday, including a nice grab with cornerback Todd Lyght, the Rams’ top defender, draped over him.

Despite the optimism, the Rams still want a veteran wide receiver. They will negotiate today with free-agent wide receiver Haywood Jeffires of Houston.

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Heavy hitter: Rookie Toby Wright of Nebraska, a possible starter at strong safety, also caught Knox’s eye.

“Toby will be impressive once he gets his pads on,” Knox said. “He can hit. He’s a human missile out there.”