Rams News

Rams cut 8 players, get Jones in trade
08/30 11:40 PM

By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff

While reducing their roster by seven players, the Rams still managed to double their Mike Jones quotient. They acquired New England defensive end Mike Jones -- not to be confused with Rams linebacker Michael Jones -- on Sunday in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2000.
In New England, Jones was beaten out by rookie Greg Spires, a third-round draft pick from Florida State, as the backup to Pro Bowler Willie McGinest. Spires led the Patriots in sacks (four) and tackles in the preseason. The Patriots were glad to get a fifth-rounder, even two drafts down the road, because Jones probably would've been cut.
But the Rams were happy to get help at their right-end position, where the club has decided Jay Williams is not the answer and Grant Wistrom is not ready to start. So not only could Jones play a lot in Sunday's season opener against New Orleans, he may start.
``I know our Pro Scout service from a year ago had him rated as a `blue' (elite player) and had him rated in the top 10 defensive ends in football,'' Rams coach Dick Vermeil said. ``He has played both end and tackle.''
Jones, 29, was a college teammate of Rams defensive tackle Ray Agnew at North Carolina State. They also played together for one season -- 1994 -- in New England. Jones, 6 feet 4, 280 pounds, originally was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals early in the second round (No. 32 overall) in 1991.
He has played in 108 games in his seven NFL seasons -- three with the Cardinals and four with the Patriots -- including 57 starts. He has 24 career sacks, including four last season when he started seven games.
Jones would have counted $1.3 million against New England's salary cap. But after subtracting his Patriots signing bonus, as well as some offseason workout and roster bonuses, the Rams will be liable for only about $750,000 of that total.
Jones probably will play in running situations for the Rams, with first-round draft pick Wistrom coming in on passing downs. When asked about Wistrom's development, Vermeil said, ``Well, he's not where we'd like him to be. But he did some good things in the (Kansas City) ballgame the other night.''
Wistrom missed more than a week of training camp with a pinched nerve in the neck and shoulder area.
While adding Jones, the Rams cut three defensive linemen Sunday in reaching the regular-season roster limit of 53: Chris Maumalanga, Bryan Robinson and Jeff Zgonina.
Maumalanga signed with the Rams Dec. 15 but did not play in a game.
Robinson appeared in 11 games a year ago, recording eight tackles and a sack. He was a dominating presence early in '98 training camp, then was slowed for a couple of weeks with a knee injury.
Zgonina was a valuable backup and special teams player a year ago, when he registered 22 tackles and two sacks. But the trade for Jones, coupled with the offseason pickups of free agents Agnew and Joe Phillips, made him expendable.
Also released Sunday were linebacker Jason Chorak, wide receiver Malcolm Floyd, tight end Mitch Jacoby, offensive tackle Jeremy McKinney, and running back and kick returner David Thompson.
Chorak was a seventh-round draft pick in April. Floyd had made the club on Saturday night, but the Rams reversed field Sunday and decided to keep Johnny ``J.T.'' Thomas.
Jacoby was waived with an injury settlement. Because of his versatility -- he could play the team's ``H-back'' (fullback) position as well as tight end -- he probably would have made the roster were it not for a thumb injury that required surgery. Instead, Tyji Armstrong made the club.
Thompson was the team's rookie of the year last season, when he set franchise rookie records for kickoff returns (49) and kickoff return yardage (1,110). His release meant June Henley was among the six running backs -- five tailbacks and one fullback -- to make the club.
``The only way David could really be in that group was strictly as the kickoff return guy,'' Vermeil said. ``He became a pretty good kickoff return guy. But hopefully, we can pick up the difference with Tony Horne and Az Hakim and one of the other backs. Hey, I would have loved to have had him.''
Vermeil, in fact, raved about Thompson last spring during the team's minicamps.
``To me, he was the best-looking guy in that atmosphere,'' Vermeil said.

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