Still room to improve

By R.B. Fallstrom ~ The Associated Press

MACOMB, Ill. -- Torry Holt led the NFL with 117 receptions last year, and this year he sees room for improvement.

If the NFL follows through on its plan to emphasize enforcement of its rule prohibiting downfield contact, the St. Louis Rams' prolific wide receiver figures to be a beneficiary.

"People say we should have better years because of the new rules they've put in," Holt said. "But I don't know if the rule is going to work until we get out there in the games.

"I'm not really tripping over the new rule. I'm just trying to go out there and play the type of football I'm capable of playing."

At the league meetings, owners approved enforcing existing rules focusing on illegal contact against receivers outside 5 yards from the line of scrimmage. Coach Mike Martz is on the competition committee and helped bring attention to the topic after receiving yardage per game -- 202 yards per team -- hit an 11-year low last season.

Not that the extra contact has done much to slow down Holt. Last season his receptions total and 1,696 receiving yards both ranked in the top 10 in NFL history. He also had 10 100-yard receiving games -- a franchise record and only one shy of the NFL record.

Last year was his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season.

Yet, there's no sense of satisfaction. Holt came to training camp with a list of items he'd like to work on.

"I'm looking to continue to improve my skills, continue to improve on my run after the catch, continue to work on coverage reception," Holt said. "There's some things I've got jotted down.

"Hopefully, at the end of camp I'll have reached all of those and when the season starts I'll see where I'm at."

The Rams expect another big year from Holt, who has put up huge numbers since he was taken with the sixth overall pick of the 1999 draft. Holt and teammate Isaac Bruce, who last season had 69 catches for 981 yards and five touchdowns, are perhaps the NFL's most dangerous receiving duo.

Holt has made a steady ascent, going from 52 catches as a rookie to 81 in 2001 to 91 in 2002 to last year's career-high numbers.

"Torry and Isaac come in in the same shape and the same way every year," quarterback Marc Bulger said. "That's going to be a given that those guys are going to be at All-Pro level."

Holt, who routinely walks around with a big smile on his face, also is trying to show a more serious side at training camp. To demonstrate his commitment, he left at home his radio-controlled cars that filled much of his spare time in past seasons.

"I didn't bring nothing this year," Holt said. "I'm surprised at myself. I just said I'm going to come into camp and I'm going to try to stay as focused as I can, work on some things, and just want to play with my toys once I get home."

Then he added with a laugh, "I'm a mature Torry Holt."