Rams News

Gilbert visits Rams; six other teams consider him

Friday, March 13, 1998

By Jim Thomas
Of The Post-Dispatch

The Sean Over America Tour stopped Thursday at a familiar spot for defensive lineman Sean Gilbert - St. Louis.

Gilbert, a former Ram and one of the last "name" players still available in free agency, already has visited Carolina, Denver, Kansas City, Jacksonville and Miami. Dallas also remains in the hunt.

Gilbert's agent, Gus Sunseri, will ask interested teams to make offers next week and thinks as many as eight teams could enter the bidding. Not bad for a player who sat out the entire 1997 season in a contract dispute in Washington and currently carries the franchise-player designation.

"If his mind is right, from an ability standpoint, he could be one of the finest defensive linemen in football," Rams coach Dick Vermeil said.

Vermeil didn't sound too concerned about Gilbert's sitting out last season.

"I brought Claude Humphrey out of retirement," Vermeil said, speaking of his days as head coach in Philadelphia. "He was much older than Sean - over the hill supposedly. He had two great years for us. Played on my Super Bowl defensive team."

Vermeil has gotten glowing recommendations on Gilbert from defensive linemen D'Marco Farr and Kevin Carter.

"D'Marco loves him," Vermeil said. "These guys really respect him. I need that kind of reinforcement because I don't know him."

Gilbert, a No. 3 overall draft pick by the Rams in 1992, was part of the Rams' starting defensive front four in 1995, their first year in St. Louis. Farr and Carter were starters on that unit. In fact, six starters remain on defense from that '95 squad - the others being linebacker Roman Phifer, cornerback Todd Lyght, and safeties Keith Lyle and Toby Wright.

So there's a comfort zone here for Gilbert, who brought his wife along for the visit.

As a franchise player, any team that signs Gilbert will have to compensate Washington with two first-round draft picks. But the NFL Players Association has filed a grievance on Gilbert's behalf seeking to remove the franchise tag. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Monday in Washington - and a decision could be reached next week.

If the franchise label is removed, the Rams probably will go after Gilbert hard. If it isn't, Vermeil said the Rams aren't likely to give up two first-round picks. However, the Redskins have indicated that they would be willing to work out a trade - for something less than two first-rounders - if the franchise label sticks. Vermeil wouldn't rule out the possibility of a Rams trade.

The Rams traded Gilbert to the Redskins two years ago for a No. 6 overall pick, which they used to draft running back Lawrence Phillips.

Gilbert wraps up his visit today, and another former Ram - offensive guard Leo Goeas - will visit Rams Park. Goeas recently was cut by Baltimore.

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