Rams News

ST. LOUIS RAMS

July 8, 1998

With the countdown to training camp at less than two weeks, the St. Louis Rams are getting down to the business of signing No. 1 draft pick Grant Wistrom.

The Rams want to avoid any prolonged negotiations that might keep Wistrom out of training camp.

Last year, No. 1 overall pick Orlando Pace missed all of training camp before agreeing to a contract. The late start put Pace behind and he never completely caught up. He didn't even crack the starting lineup until Week 5.

Both running back Lawrence Phillips and wide receiver Eddie Kennison were late reporting to training camp in 1996.

The Rams are counting on Wistrom to challenge Jay Williams for the starting spot at right defensive end, but Wistrom won't be able to do that until he gets a good grasp of former defensive coordinator Bud Carson's complex defensive schemes.

Wistrom should garner close to $2 million a year based on the early returns from the rookie market.

Running back Fred Taylor, the No. 9 overall pick, got a six-year, $10.7 million contract with a $5 million signing bonus from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Offensive lineman Tra Thomas, the No. 11 overall pick, got a five-year, $8.3 million deal from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Wistrom's agent, Tom Condon, has three other first-rounders in addition to Wistrom. Those are quarterback Peyton Manning (No. 1 overall pick by Indianapolis), offensive lineman Kyle Turley (No. 7 overall pick by New Orleans) and cornerback R.W. McQuarters (No. 28 overall pick by San Francisco.

The Rams have already signed almost half of their draft picks, and everybody but Wistrom could be on board by next week.

Most notably, Illinois running back Robert Holcombe, the team's second-round draft choice, agreed to a four-year, $2.55 million contract last week. The contract includes a $900,000 signing bonus. Holcombe also was represented by Condon.

Defensive end/linebacker Leonard Little (third round), offensive guard Glenn Rountree (sixth round) and defensive end/linebacker Jason Chorak (seventh round) also have come to terms with the Rams.

Negotiations are still in progress with wide receiver Az-Zahir Hakim (fourth round), tight end Roland Williams (fourth round) and running back Raymond Priester (fifth round).

Rookies are scheduled to report to the Rams' training camp at Western Illinois University in Macomb on July 18. Veterans are due July 23.

The Rams think they got a steal in undrafted rookie linebacker Daryl Bush from Florida State.

The 6-1, 238-pound Bush was passed over in the draft because of concerns over knee problems and his lack of speed. Bush suffered his latest knee injury early in the Sugar Bowl.

"He's 90 percent, but he's playing like he's 100 percent," Rams coach Dick Vermeil said of Bush during the club's June minicamp.

Bush has been timed at 4.95 seconds in the 40, but Vermeil said the straight A student makes up for being a step slow afoot by being a step faster mentally.

"Nowadays everybody is looking for the superhuman," Vermeil said. "I'm sometimes equally impressed with a guy who doesn't run as fast, but is a lot smarter. He gets there at the same time."

--Rams assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach Mike White was with former San Francisco head coach Bill Walsh when a gambler punched Walsh in the mouth at a Lake Tahoe casino last week.

White and Walsh were playing blackjack when Walsh got into an altercation with 30-year-old man from Bakersfield, Calif. The man was cited for misdemeanor battery.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We will run the ball more efficiently and more deliberately than a year ago. I know that. I have already seen those fundamentals improve." -- Rams coach Dick Vermeil, on a running game that ranked 24th in the NFL last season.

The most interesting battles during training camp will be on the offensive side of the ball. They include:

--Ricky Proehl vs. Eddie Kennison for starting wideout opposite Isaac Bruce.

--Jerald Moore vs. Robert Holcombe for starting feature back.

--Wayne Gandy vs. Fred Miller for starting right tackle.

--Craig Heyward vs. rookie Raymond Priester for starting H-back/blocking back.

--Steve Bono vs. Will Furrer for backup quarterback.

FRANCHISE PLAYER: CB Ryan McNeil ($3.22M tender).

TRANSITION PLAYER: None.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS (not tendered offer): LB Britt Hager (a special teamer and backup who will not be re-signed); P Mike Horan (won't be re-signed); C Vernice Smith (will not be re-signed); LB Brett Wallerstedt (won't be back).

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT (tendered offer): OG Ernest Dye (could be back on one-year contract).

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: None.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS: S Billy Jenkins, Jr.

DRAFT CHOICES SIGNED: RB Robert Holcombe (2nd; $2.55M/3 yrs, $900,000 SB); LB Leonard Little (3rd; terms unknown); OG Glenn Rountree (6th; $599,000/3 yrs, SB unknown); LB Jason Chorak (7th; terms unknown).

PLAYERS RE-SIGNED: OG Ethan Brooks (EFA; $198,000/1 yr); LB Troy Dumas (RFA; $397,000/1 yr); WR Malcolm Floyd (UFA; 1 yr, $325,000); QB Will Furrer (UFA; $825,000/2 yrs, SB unknown); RB Derrick Harris (EFA; $238,000); TE Aaron Laing (RFA; $397,000/1 yr); RB Amp Lee (UFA; $4M/3 yrs, $1.25M SB); DT Chris Maumalanga (EFA; $238,000); S Gerald McBurrows (RFA; 397,000/1 yr); CB Joe Rowe (EFA; $158,000); S Mike Scurlock (RFA; $397,000/1 yr); WR Donald Sellers (EFA; $158,000/1 yr); LB Lorenzo Styles (RFA; $397,000/1 yr); WR J.T. Thomas (RFA; $397,000/1 yr); RB David Thompson (EFA; $198,000/1 yr); OG Zach Wiegert (RFA; $397,000/1 yr); DE Jay Williams (EFA; $238,000/1 yr, $12,000 SB).

PLAYERS ACQUIRED: DT Ray Agnew (UFA Giants; $8M/4 yrs, $2M SB); TE Tyji Armstrong (FA); QB Steve Bono (Trade Packers for 7th-round pick in 1999 draft); CB Willie Clark (UFA Eagles; $700,000/1 yr, $100,000 SB); OL John Flannery (UFA Cowboys; $1.175M/2 yrs, $175,000 SB); LB Eric Hill (UFA Cardinals; $5.25M/2 yrs, $1M SB/$3.125M guaranteed); DT James Manley (FA); DT Joe Phillips (FA, had been cut by Chiefs; $1.6M/2 yrs, $500,000 SB); WR Ricky Proehl (UFA Bears; $6M/4 yrs, $1.6M SB); OT Ed Simmons (FA, had been cut by Redskins; $550,000/1 yr, $50,000 SB); P Rick Tuten (UFA Seahawks; $1.9M/3 yrs, $300,000 SB).

PLAYERS LOST: WR Keith Crawford (UFA Falcons; $1.2M/2 yrs, $200,000 SB); OG John Gerak (cut); DT Bill Johnson (UFA Eagles; $3.9M/2 yrs, no SB/$2.3M guaranteed); LB Robert Jones (cut); DE Leslie O'Neal (cut); QB Mark Rypien (UFA Falcons; $1.8M/2 yrs, $400,000 SB); WR Torrance Small (UFA Colts; terms unknown).

MEDICAL WATCH: No updates.

July 8, 1998

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