Rams News

Rams are early in negotiations with top-pick Wistrom

06/14

By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch

Nearly two months have passed since the draft, and just five weeks remain until the start of training camp. But it's still early in the negotiating process for defensive end Grant Wistrom, the Rams' first-round draft pick from the University of Nebraska.
``We've really been talking about some of the parameters of the deal, including structure and length,'' said Rams executive vice president Jay Zygmunt, who negotiates contracts for the team.
Zygmunt and Wistrom's agent, Tom Condon, have spoken periodically since the draft on April 18-19, including last week. No formal offer has been made by the Rams, but it's still very early in the process throughout the entire NFL. Only one first-rounder has been signed to date -- No. 19 overall pick Vonnie Holliday of Green Bay, a defensive tackle from North Carolina.
The Rams have a rookie salary cap of about $3.5 million this year, meaning all eight of their draft picks must count no more than $3.5 million against the team's overall salary cap this season. Based on the '97 draft, and an eight percent increase in the overall rookie cap, look for Wistrom to average more than $2 million a season.
Length of contract may be a bigger hangup at the moment -- not just for Wistrom, but for first-round picks throughout the league. The huge boost in the overall salary cap caused by the new television contracts may cause agents to seek shorter contracts. Why lock their clients into longer deals if they can reach free agency sooner, or if the cap keeps growing by leaps and bounds?
The Rams generally like to do five- or six-year deals with their first-round selections.
Back in business: The Rams' June minicamp, which concluded Sunday, marked the first practices for backup wide receiver Malcolm Floyd since he suffered a torn Achilles tendon in his right leg in mid-December. The injury required surgery.
``I'm trying to take things slow, because I know my body has to get back into football shape,'' Floyd said.
Floyd, who caught four passes last season, suffered the injury in practice. ``I just took a step in practice, and it went pop,'' Floyd said. ``I thought somebody kicked me, but there was nobody behind me.''
Safety Gerald McBurrows, whose 1998 season ended after eight games with a non-surgical knee injury, also continued to round into shape at the minicamp.
``It's kind of hard getting back into things,'' said McBurrows, who has started 13 games in his three NFL seasons with the Rams. ``I've been away for a while, and this was my first major injury, so mentally it's taken me a lot to get over it. But I'm back into it. I'm feeling good. Being back around the guys, that's what it took. It took getting back into the team atmosphere.''
Ram-blings: Even though the Rams made a tender offer to unrestricted free agent Ernest Dye, Dye did not attend the minicamp. Coach Dick Vermeil said he probably will inform Dye, an offensive lineman, that the team no longer is interested in re-signing him. . . . Rams employees and their families were treated to a team barbecue after Sunday's practice. . . . Cornerback Todd Lyght, who missed Saturday's workout to attend a wedding, was back on the practice field Sunday. . . . Newcomer Ed Simmons was listed as the starting left guard for the minicamp.

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