Quarterback Sam Bradford impresses St. Louis Rams at minicamp | NFL

ST. LOUIS — For five practices over three days, Sam Bradford called the play in the huddle, stepped up to the line and lined up under center.

Let the transition begin, from spread offense in college at Oklahoma to pro quarterback with the St. Louis Rams. By all accounts, it was a good start for the first player taken in last month's draft.

"Sam did a terrific job," offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said Sunday after the conclusion of the Rams' rookie minicamp. "All the reasons for drafting him were obvious. He's very smart. Got a great command of the huddle. He's got great attention to detail.

"By the end of the weekend, he was repeating things like he got 'em in the installations. And he's very talented. So you take the talent and then the 'work hard' and I think he progressed well in five practices."

By design, every snap the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner took over the weekend was under center, as opposed to the shotgun formation.

Bradford realizes the speed of the game picks up in about two weeks, when he starts practicing with the veterans. It will speed up more in the exhibition season and again when the regular season starts.

"I felt like I was in the right place most of the time with the ball," Bradford said.

"But even at the speed we were playing this weekend, I was a half a count or a count late."

Notes

• Federal authorities are looking into allegations made in a civil lawsuit accusing the New Orleans Saints of trying to cover up a senior staff member's theft of prescription Vicodin pills from team training headquarters.

"The DEA was referred this case and there is a pending investigation," said Special Agent Roberto Bryan Jr., a spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The civil suit was filed Friday by former Saints security director Geoffrey Santini, a retired FBI agent who gave federal authorities evidence he collected before resigning from the team in August.

• Bob Karmelowicz, Detroit's defensive-line coach last season, died Saturday of an illness, team officials said. He was 60.

Karmelowicz was an assistant coach with five NFL teams over 18 seasons and for several college teams, including Washington State in 1987 and 1988.