Rams News

Rams grab Bono in
trade with Green Bay
04/04 11:50 PM

By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff

Just days after Mark Rypien's departure to Atlanta, the Rams have solidified their quarterback position by trading for Green Bay's Steve Bono.
The Packers get an undisclosed late-round pick in the 1999 draft for Bono. The Rams get a proven backup and spot starter in Bono, whose record as a starter (28-12) gave him the best winning percentage (.700) among active quarterbacks in the league entering the '97 season.
``I saw him a lot at Kansas City,'' said Rams coach Dick Vermeil, who used to broadcast Chiefs exhibition games. ``He played in the Pro Bowl after the '95 season. . . . He's paid his dues. He's moved around the league. He's been a very effective guy coming off the bench.''
St. Louis will be Bono's sixth NFL stop. He broke in with Minnesota in 1985. After two seasons there, he spent two years in Pittsburgh, five in San Francisco, three in Kansas City, and backed up Brett Favre in Green Bay last season. He came off the bench in the Packers' final two regular-season games and completed five of 10 passes for 29 yards.
In 80 NFL games, Bono has engineered seven fourth-quarter comebacks and has five 300-yard passing games.
His best season came with Kansas City in '95, when he threw for 3,121 yards and 21 touchdowns -- both career highs -- in leading the Chiefs to an NFL-best 13-3 record and the AFC West title. But the Chiefs were stunned by Indianapolis 10-7 that season in Bono's only career playoff start.
Bono was intercepted three times in that game. He was less effective in 1996 for the Chiefs, who missed the playoffs, and was released by Kansas City last June.
The trade to the Rams materialized quickly over the weekend. Packers general manager Ron Wolf called the Rams on Friday to see if they were interested.
``I said, `Well, we'd have to be interested in him,' '' Vermeil said. ``It worked out that it was a good deal for us.''
Bono, 35, is five months older than Rypien. The Rams inherit Bono's existing contract -- which calls for him to make $550,000 in '98. That's the salary the Rams were offering Rypien, who took a more lucrative deal with Atlanta.
But the Rams are not obligated to any signing bonus with Bono. If he struggles in camp and the Rams cut him before the start of the regular season, they will owe him nothing.
Vermeil emphasized that Bono was acquired to compete for the backup job with Will Furrer.
``Hey, Tony (Banks) is our starting quarterback,'' Vermeil said. ``Right now, Will Furrer is our backup, and Steve Bono will be given the opportunity to compete for it. It's the same thing I was telling Mark Rypien -- that the backup job was going to be open for competition.''
The Rams appear set at quarterback entering training camp. Banks will be in the third year of a three-year contract. Furrer recently signed a two-year deal. Former Arena League and Northern Iowa quarterback Kurt Warner was signed as a ``street'' free agent on Dec. 26 and is competing this spring in NFL Europe -- formerly called the World League.

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