Rams : Gray Agrees to Terms, Is Expected to Practice Today
The Rams’ first draft choice, defensive back Jerry Gray of Texas, was their last draft choice to agree to contract terms Thursday.
Gray, who has missed nearly three weeks of training camp since other rookies reported, was expected to practice this morning before the squad goes to La Jolla to scrimmage the San Diego Chargers.
Gray, described as “a trained killer” by Coach Barry Switzer of Oklahoma, was a two-time All-American safety. The Rams plan to play him at cornerback.
He is a 6-foot 1-inch, 183-pounder with a speed rating of 4.4 seconds for 40 yards.
Gray’s signing leaves only holdout Eric Dickerson and unsigned nose tackle Greg Meisner missing from training camp.
In other negotiations, the Rams were about to waive veteran reserve safety Ivory Sully when trade talks with Tampa Bay came back to life. Sully had asked to be traded or released.
“We thought the trade was done,” Coach John Robinson said, “then something started that, frankly, irritated us. So we said, ‘We’ll put him on waivers.’ They (the Buccaneers) didn’t think they’d get him on waivers.”
Teams that finished lower than the Buccaneers last season would have first chance at Sully.
Ram Notes
Coach John Robinson said he won’t take running back Barry Redden, his six top offensive linemen and defensive linemen Reggie Doss and Charles DeJurnett to La Jolla for the scrimmage with the Chargers today. . . . Missing Thursday’s afternoon practice were linebackers Jim Collins (right calf pull) and Carl Ekern (bruised Achilles), cornerback Gary Green (left quad) and tight end James McDonald (left hamstring). All except Ekern are expected to be back by Monday, along with wide receiver Ron Brown, who had arthroscopic knee surgery. . . . Robinson said that linebacker Mike Wilcher “has improved dramatically,” but he didn’t exactly say that the ’83 second-round draft choice would be competing with George Andrews and Mel Owens for an outside linebacking position. “We have three starters there now,” Robinson said.