Rams News

Rams' roster shrinks by 13
08/24 09:48 PM

By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff

It was a bad day at Rams Park for Clemson draft picks, unrestricted free agents from Philadelphia and safeties celebrating birthdays. Those were among the 13 players cut Monday as the Rams came close to reaching this afternoon's 60-player roster limit.
Running back Raymond Priester and offensive guard Glenn Rountree, both Clemson products, were the first casualties in the Rams' eight-man draft class of 1998. Priester, chosen in the fifth round (No. 129 overall), wasn't flashy enough as a runner to make the team at tailback and couldn't block well enough to make the transition to fullback, where the Rams hoped he would carve his niche.
As Clemson's career rushing leader with 3,904 yards, Priester didn't do much blocking in college.
``I think his next time around, he's going to have to zero in on probably the tailback position,'' Vermeil said.
And, according to Vermeil, Priester must pick up the pace. ``His whole personality makeup, and his competitiveness, has to pick up,'' Vermeil said. ``I think he's got to develop more of a sense of urgency if he wants to play in this league. Because he has some running ability, he really does.''
As for Rountree, a sixth-round pick (No. 159 overall), Vermeil simply said, ``He's just too far away.'' The Rams drafted Rountree hoping he would revert to his 1996 form at Clemson, when he was an effective run blocker. But that obviously didn't happen. Rountree played with a nagging ankle injury through most of the '97 season.
The most experienced player cut was cornerback Willie Clark, a fifth-year veteran signed May 6 from Philadelphia as an unrestricted free agent. Clark's one-year, $700,000 deal included a $100,000 signing bonus. Clark has played in 54 NFL games, including eight starts, but he didn't play corner well enough in the preseason to beat out another veteran -- Tony Stargell. And he didn't play special teams well enough to beat out safety Mike Scurlock.
Only one of the other 10 players cut Monday ever played a regular-season game with the Rams:
> Cornerback Billy Austin (New Mexico), safety Kadar Hamilton (Stanford), wide receiver Russell Shaw (Michigan), and offensive guard Fred Pollack (Nebraska) were rookie free agents. Hamilton ``celebrated'' his 22nd birthday Monday.
> Running back-fullback James Stewart, offensive tackle Matt Reem and defensive tackle James Manley were signed as free agents in the offseason. Manley once was a second-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings.
> Wide receivers Donnell Baker and Donald Sellers spent part of the '97 season on the Rams' practice squad. Sellers was promoted to the active roster for the final two games of the season but didn't play.
> Cornerback Joe Rowe spent the last five games of '97 on the Rams' active roster and played in the final two games.
The Rams freed up an additional roster spot by placing offensive tackle Roger Chanoine, a rookie free agent from Temple, on the injured reserve list for the season with a severely sprained ankle. The Rams feel Chanoine has some potential.
Monday's moves left the roster at 65, meaning the Rams must cut five more players by 3 p.m. today. As of Monday afternoon, the Rams were working on injury settlements for linebackers Daryl Bush (knee) and Muadianvita Kazadi (biceps), before waiving them. They were trying to decide whether to place defensive end Corey Sears (knee) on injured reserve -- which would put him out for the season -- or waive him with an injury settlement.
Vermeil said one of the remaining cuts probably would be at quarterback. He spent Monday night trying to decide whether to release Will Furrer or Kurt Warner.
Ram-blings: Jerald Moore began working at fullback Monday to help the Rams' depth there. The release of Stewart and Priester means Derrick Harris is the only fullback on the roster. . . . Tight end Mitch Jacoby, who lines up occasionally at fullback in an H-back role, will be out for at least two weeks after undergoing thumb surgery.

The cuts

Name                Pos.   How Acq./Yr.
Billy Austin         CB      SFA-'98
Donnell Baker        WR      SFA-'97
Willie Clark         CB      UFA-'98
Kadar Hamilton       S       RFA-'98
James Manley         DT      SFA-'98
Fred Pollack         OG      RFA-'98
Raymond Priester  RB/FB      D5-'98
Matt Reem            OT      SFA-'98
Glenn Rountree       OG      D6-'98
Joe Rowe             CB      RFA-'97
Donald Sellers       WR      RFA-'97
Russell Shaw         WR      RFA-'98
James Stewart     RB/FB      SFA-'98

Key: SFA -- street free agent; RFA -- rookie free agent; UFA -- unrestricted free agent; D -- draft choice, with round selected.

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