PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : RAMS : Gary Should Get to Play on Monday

Tailback Cleveland Gary should play for the first time this year Monday night against the San Diego Chargers unless he has more problems with the muscle strain in his right leg that kept him out of the first exhibition game.

Gary may see the bulk of first-half play because tailback Marcus Dupree is nursing a sore toe on his left foot and might not play.

“He doesn’t fumble the ball on the practice field,” Coach John Robinson said of Gary’s propensity to lose the ball. “I think this year so far I’ve seen one fumble out of maybe a hundred carries on the practice field. Somehow in games you get more excited and maybe less disciplined. We’re trying to work with him on it.

Gary practiced Saturday, after reaggravating the muscle Friday.

Robinson said that newly signed center Tom Newberry will probably play in the second quarter Monday. The Rams will see how Newberry, who has never played an NFL game as a center, makes the adjustment, and Robinson seemed to expect some trouble. . . . Robinson said he was tired of answering questions about unsigned No. 1 draft pick Todd Lyght and had no comment about how seriously Lyght was damaging his ability to become a starter this season. “I can only answer that so many times,” Robinson said. “I’ve answered it every day on every guy. I think Todd has a good chance to make our team. I’m not quite certain when the two-week (roster) extension comes in, we’ll just have to see how it goes. I just can’t keep giving percentages or measurements to that.” . . . The Rams expect rookie cornerback Robert Bailey, who broke a bone on his right hand last week, to return to practice next week.