Back to school for Bulger

ST. LOUIS -- It's back to school days for St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger.

With a new head coach in Scott Linehan, Bulger is having to learn a new playbook and the terminology that goes with it.

"Right now, it's just tough," Bulger said. "When words overlap, it makes it a little difficult. It's a different language. You know, I took Latin and all that stuff and it's supposed to help you when you learn Spanish.

"I could go in and take a test and write it all down and I can have all the answers to what we've put in so far but to literally go out and speak the language to someone would be a completely different thing."

Naturally, there is a transition from Mike Martz, who is the offensive coordinator at Detroit, to Linehan, who was the offensive coordinator at Miami last year. The schedule of meetings is different. The practice structure has changed.

Still, Bulger said it's not something that can't be picked up quickly. "Football is football, so it's not completely new," he said.

Linehan expects the players to catch on to his way of doing things, but he said he realizes it takes time. He does not think it is difficult for players to unlearn previous terminology and pick up his system.

"It kind of depends on the individual, but I think for the most part I haven't seen anybody who resists that at all," Linehan said. "There is no resistance to change because I think they all understand that even though there were a lot of good things happening around here, because of the change, they'll reap the rewards of some new freshness and things like that."

Bothered by a shoulder injury last year, Bulger saw action in just eight games. He finished the season completing 197 of 287 passes (66.9 completion percentage) for 2,297 yards. Bulger tossed 14 touchdown passes and suffered nine interceptions for a 99.4 passer rating.

Bulger went on the reserve/injured list on Dec. 20 with the ailing shoulder that had forced him to miss the previous four games and kept him out of the last two. He started all eight games he played in but only was able to finish five of them.

He first injured his shoulder Oct. 17 at Indianapolis, missing the end of that game and the next two. Bulger then reinjured the shoulder on Nov. 20 against Arizona in what would be his last action of the season.

That is all behind him now.

"It feels good," Bulger said about his shoulder. "Obviously, I'm just throwing. I'm not getting hit. It's not sore."