Rams News

McNeil's agent says Turner League is an option

06/13/98

By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff

Truth is stranger than fiction. Brian Ransom, agent for Rams cornerback Ryan McNeil, is threatening to take his client to the ``Ted Turner League'' that NBC plans to launch in 1999.
``He may never see the NFL again,'' Ransom said. ``I'd like to find out how soon their plans are finalized. I think he'd be happier playing for less in a situation like that when you've got a feeling of participation and respect, instead of being just a piece of meat.''
The Rams have offered to make McNeil the highest-paid player on the team -- in terms of average salary. They offered him a four-year, $13 million contract in early March that included a $3.6 million signing bonus. McNeil would receive a total of $5.5 million in the first year of the deal -- in signing bonus and base salary. The offer is still on the table.
If that offer isn't to McNeil's liking, the Rams say McNeil can play for the one-year franchise player figure of $3.2 million. McNeil is a good cornerback, but he's yet to prove he's an elite cornerback worthy of the five-year, $27 million that Ransom wants.
He led the NFL in interceptions last season, but also led all Rams defenders in penalties. The Mike Giddings Pro Scout scouting service, which the Rams' subscribe to and hold in high esteem, has McNeil rated as only the 24th best cornerback in the NFL.
Still, Ransom accused the Rams of stressing finances over winning.
``When have they gone out on a limb to do anything?'' Ransom said. ``I think they've always been sort of reactors more so than proactors. And they have ownership that's geared to the bottom line, like a Nabisco.''
Well, the Rams did make the bold trade up to the No. 1 overall slot for Orlando Pace in the 1997 draft. Drafting controversial running back Lawrence Phillips with the No. 6 overall pick in 1996 certainly was a gamble, although it ultimately backfired.
The Rams have 17 players on the roster who have a 1998 salary cap number in excess of $1 million -- a total yet to include this year's first-round draft pick -- defensive end Grant Wistrom of the University of Nebraska. And they have spent at or near the salary cap limit every season since moving to St. Louis.
At the moment, the Rams have all the leverage. McNeil can either play for the one-year franchise player number, or play for the $13 million over four years . . . or not play at all.
Of course, that leverage could change in a hurry if McNeil boycotts training camp, and potential replacements Dexter McCleon, Willie Clark and Taje Allen are getting burned.

Speaking of the Turner League
Here's what Carolina Panthers quarterback Kerry Collins thinks of playing in the proposed new league: ``I'd rather stick a fork in my eye than do something like that. To me that would be taking a step down in a big way.''

Moon school
Rams quarterback Tony Banks has been invited to an informal quarterback ``school'' at the Houston home of veteran QB Warren Moon of Seattle.
``Supposedly, he wants us to come out there this month -- all the black quarterbacks,'' Banks said. ``I don't know if we're still going to do it. We're still trying to wait on him to give us the final word. But if I could come pick his brain for a week, I'd love to. I'd be dumb not to.''
Besides Banks, Kordell Stewart of Pittsburgh and Steve McNair of Tennessee have been invited.

The Rams & creatine
Some critics of the new diet supplement creatine say it leads to muscle spasms and pulls. Two Rams who have had hamstring problems are wondering if creatine led to their injuries.
Starting strong safety Toby Wright says he's certain.
``It did. Without a doubt,'' Wright said. ``I'd never had a pull in my life. I did creatine after the '95 season.''
Wright used creatine because he wanted to bulk up for the '96 season. He did, reporting to training camp at about 220 pounds. Two weeks into camp, he suffered a severe hamstring tear and hasn't really been the same player since. He quit using creatine, but re-injured the same hamstring during training camp in '97.
``It is a bad thing for me,'' he said. ``I won't touch anything if it says creatine.''
Meanwhile, offensive guard Ryan Tucker thinks creatine led to his current hamstring injury, which he suffered the last week of May and which has kept him sidelined for this weekend's minicamp at Rams Park.
``I was taking it at the time, and I wasn't taking it properly,'' Tucker said. ``I was loading up. I was taking too much for too long and I kind of did it sporadically. I didn't do what they call a cycle of creatine.''
Tucker said he is not using creatine right now.

Ram-blings
Be on the lookout for more Zestfully clean Ironhead commercials. Fullback Craig Heyward recently filmed three more soap commercials in Toronto.
> Heavyweight agent Marvin Demoff is now representing Banks, along with Banks' original agent -- Harold ``Doc'' Daniels.
> Rams offensive lineman Zach Wiegert, a restricted free agent, still hasn't signed his one-year tender offer from the team. But the delay is probably due to the fact that Wiegert recently switched agents -- to Jim Steiner of the St. Louis-based Sports Management group.
(Some information provided by Post-Dispatch wire services and writers in other cities.)

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