Nothing has come easy in the NFL for St. Louis Rams center Brett Romberg. Now he has another fight on his hands.
"There's always something,"
Romberg said. "There's always somebody ready to come in and test your will."
This time, it's third-year pro Mark Setterstrom, a former University of Minnesota guard who is challenging Romberg for the first-team job at center. The position has been in flux since Andy McCollum suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 2006 opener after 97 consecutive starts.
Setterstrom, 24, started the last six games of his rookie season at left guard and held on to that spot heading into last season. But his season ended in Week 3 when he tore a ligament and damaged cartilage in his left knee.
After the Rams signed free agent Jacob Bell, who started 46 games at guard in four seasons with Tennessee, the decision was made to try Setterstrom at center.
Setterstrom has the edge in size: He's 6 feet 4 and 314 pounds; Romberg goes 6-2 and 298. But Romberg, a three-year starter for the Miami Hurricanes and the winner of the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center in 2002, has a vast experience advantage.
"I've never played (center) before, so I'm going to have to work really hard at it,"
said Setterstrom, a seventh-round draft pick. "But at the same time, it's something new, it's something exciting."
After a somewhat ragged start at minicamp, Setterstrom is beginning to settle in.
"He's taken that role and the challenge of that position to heart, and he wants to be great at it,"
coach Scott Linehan said. "I think our competition at that position's going to be pretty good."
Romberg, who has been working with the first unit this spring, missed seven games and most of an eighth because of injuries to both ankles.
Neither Romberg nor Setterstrom reported any lingering problems from last season during minicamp and organized team activities. Training camp July 25-Aug. 14 in Mequon, Wis., will be far more demanding and should produce the starting center.
"You've always got to create some kind of competition or it would be kind of lackadaisical, and a lot of things would be taken for granted,"
Romberg said. "Competition is always encouraged."
Added Setterstrom: "I just want to get on the field, so I'm looking forward to the challenge."
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