Redden Is Seeking Trade From Rams
Barry Redden’s agent confirmed Tuesday that he has asked the Rams to trade Redden--within the next two weeks, if possible.
George Kickliter of Auburn, Ala., originally made the request on Redden’s behalf after last season, when Eric Dickerson rushed for 2,105 yards, an NFL record, and effectively established Redden’s backup role for as long as Dickerson is with the Rams.
On Tuesday, he reiterated Redden’s desire to be traded.
“With Dickerson there, you’re not gonna get much of an opportunity, absent injury,” Kickliter said. “It’s purely that. He wants a chance to play. It’s not the pay or anything.”
Redden earned $140,000, plus a $10,000 reporting bonus, last season in the final year of his original three-year contract. He was due to collect an automatic 10% increase to $154,000 in his option year this season, but Kickliter recently closed a one-year extension agreement with the Rams, with an option in 1986.
That means that Redden is still not locked into a long-term contract that might discourage a trade. But the Rams have only 13 days to grant the wish before the 1985 trading deadline of Oct. 15. After that, all trades are off until Feb. 3, and that may be too late.
“Next year’s draft is a running-back draft, probably the best ever,” Kickliter said.
Ram Coach John Robinson values Redden as insurance and occasional relief for Dickerson. Now, however, he also has Charles White and Lynn Cain, so he might not feel uncomfortable without Redden around, especially if the price were right.
Whenever Redden’s name has come up in trade discussions, it is believed that the Rams have asked for a first-round draft choice in exchange, which is what they used to draft him from the University of Richmond in 1982. Their best offer has been a second-round choice.
The strongest possibility now would be a trade to a team that loses a top running back and suddenly needs an experienced pro, such as Redden, and is in no position to bargain.
Kickliter said that he mentioned a trade to Redden when it became apparent that Dickerson was going to be both successful and durable.
“I brought up the subject on several occasions, and he negated it for some time,” Kickliter said.
“But at the end of last season he OKd, so to speak, talking (to the Rams) about a possible trade. We didn’t make it in the form of any demand or threaten anything whatsoever--just brought it to their attention that it might be in everyone’s best interest if he could be traded.”
Redden has nothing to say about any of this. He doesn’t talk to the press, but it isn’t hard to guess.
Inside Redden is a ball carrier crying to get out of Dickerson’s shadow.
In his four years with the Rams, he has had little to say to the press about anything, but then, Redden hardly talks to anybody, including his coaches and teammates.
Dickerson’s holdout could have been an opportunity for Redden to show other teams what he could do. But he sprained an ankle in the last exhibition game against New England and aggravated it trying to play in the season opener a week later against Denver.
The opportunity then fell to White, who wrote a two-game human-interest story with a happy ending as Redden watched from the sideline.
Dickerson returned with a big night at Seattle, but Redden got another chance when Dickerson departed early with a tight hamstring against Atlanta last Sunday.
“But the way they were playing at the time, sitting on that lead, I guess they figured (Falcon quarterback David) Archer couldn’t score if they had seven quarters to go,” said Kickliter, who watched on television.
Redden rushed 18 times for 74 yards. In four years he has accumulated 763 yards in 159 attempts--a good month for Dickerson. He has gained nearly twice that yardage, 1,390, returning kickoffs. With a 23-yard kick-return average last season, he tied with St. Louis’ Stump Mitchell for the NFC lead.
Ram Notes Update on the Eric Dickerson negotiations: “Ongoing,” said his agent, Jack Rodri. “So far, we’re negotiating in good faith. It’s only the second quarter.” The talks are on hold while Ram Vice President John Shaw takes a brief vacation. . . . With 16,855 tickets remaining Tuesday, a sellout seemed highly unlikely for Sunday’s game against Minnesota. . . . The Philadelphia Eagle trades of defensive end Dennis Harrison to the Rams and linebacker Jerry Robinson to the Raiders were worth $20,000 each to those players. That’s how much they owed in fines for failing to report--$1,000 a day with a cap at $20,000. . . . People around the league seem to agree that the Rams scored big in getting Harrison for fourth- and seventh-round draft picks, but he became expendable when the Eagles signed Reggie White from the USFL.