St. Louis signs 3 draft picks; No. 1 choice yet to agree

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams on Tuesday signed three draft picks, defensive end Victor Adeyanju, offensive guard Tony Palmer and linebacker Tim McGarigle, moving closer to getting the full roster under contract heading into training camp.

Coach Scott Linehan said he expects first-round pick Tye Hill, a cornerback from Clemson, to miss little if any of training camp. The first practice is Thursday morning and the Rams had signed four of their picks.

Last week, offensive guard Mark Setterstrom, a seventh-round pick, signed. Linehan said he'd be "very surprised" if the remainder of the picks, with the exception of Hill, weren't on the field for the first workout.

Hill, he believes, should be right behind the rest.

"Things are starting to pick up a little with him," Linehan said. "The talks have all been very positive and we've moved forward.

"You know how it goes: Once everyone else starts signing you can kind of take that anxiety away from the players and their agents that they're doing the right deal for their players."

The Rams also signed kicker Remy Hamilton, a camp leg who'll provide relief for Jeff Wilkins, and wide receiver Joshua Tinch, and released tight end Jonathan Williams to reduce numbers at a crowded position.

The team also reduced its quarterback stable to a manageable four by releasing Jeff Smoker, a sixth-round pick in 2004. Smoker and Ryan Fitzpatrick, a seventh-rounder last year who led a comeback victory over the Texans after injuries had shelved Bulger and backup Jamie Martin, had been on the bubble.

The lone medical issue heading into camp involved linebacker Trev Faulk, who underwent back surgery in the offseason. Faulk's physical will be one of the most important of the first day, although Linehan expressed optimism.

"All indications are he'll be ready to go," Linehan said. "So we're really in pretty good shape as far as lack of injury issues being carried over from last season, or anything from the spring."