If USFL Folds, Rams Might Tune In on Flutie

Doug Flutie to the Rams?

That possibility emerged Tuesday when the United States Football League was dealt a near-fatal blow by the jury hearing its antitrust suit in New York.

By failing to award the USFL the huge damages it sought from the National Football League, the jury may have virtually assured the demise of the USFL.

If that happens, Flutie could be Anaheim-bound, for the Rams made the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Boston College one of their 1985 draft choices.

But, judging by comments made Tuesday, neither side is overly enamored of the idea.

Ram Coach John Robinson said he thought it was too early to discuss the possibility.

Two of the resident Ram quarterbacks, Dieter Brock and Steve Bartkowski, said they didn’t care one way or another.

As for Flutie, he said thanks but he’d just as soon play for the New England Patriots.

“It’s premature for us to comment right now,” Robinson said of Flutie after an evening practice session. “The USFL may still have a full season--you just don’t know. He’s somebody else’s property right now, and it would be inappropriate to talk about a man who’s the property of another team.

“If he becomes a free agent, then we’ll have something to say.”

Brock, asked what he thought about having yet another quarterback challenge him for his job, said: “It wouldn’t bother me. I wouldn’t care. That’s about all I can say.”

Added the veteran Bartkowski, taking part in his first camp with the Rams: “I don’t have a reaction. I don’t feel either way about it. I’ve never met him, but I’d be interested in meeting him. There’s nothing you can do about it if they (the Rams) decide to give him a shot.”

Flutie, who was in Houston Tuesday to train with his USFL team, the New Jersey Generals/Houston Gamblers, told the Houston Post that he would not try to take advantage of the jury’s decision.

“I’m not looking to get out of it (his contract),” he said, “but I think it would be advantageous for Mr. (Donald) Trump to sell my contract if we don’t play. My main concern is whether we’re going to play or not.

“Financially I’m covered, but I want to play football. I’d love to play for the Patriots, but the Rams have my rights. I plan on playing this year, I just don’t know where.”

Flutie’s agent, attorney Bob Woolf, said he would meet with the quarterback today in Boston in an effort to consider the options. Woolf said he had spoken to Flutie Tuesday and that the jury decision had surprised Flutie.

“He was in a state of shock because we just don’t know what’s going on,” Woolf said. “In fact, the whole last several months have been somewhat shocking what with the merger of the two teams (Generals and Gamblers) and having (Jim) Kelly (the USFL’s top quarterback) there. It really has led to a lot of confusion.”

“We’re going to meet tomorrow and confer and try to sort out the ramifications.”

Woolf said that he, too, had been taken aback by the verdict.

“I was surprised,” he said. “I always thought the USFL was going to win. I did think there would be damages. I didn’t think there would be extraordinary damage, but certainly I didn’t think it would be $3.

“I think it certainly puts the league in jeopardy, and now I think it’s extremely questionable whether it continues.

“In our own position with Doug, not only are we under contract to the team, but we’re also under contract to (General owner) Donald Trump. He has a personal guarantee on our contract, so therefore I don’t think that we’re free to really talk to anybody until after we talk to Donald Trump and see how he feels about it and see what’s happening.

“The scenario that would make sense if the league did not continue would be to allow Doug to go to the NFL and to the Rams if the Rams wanted him, and then of course any money that was paid by the Rams or any other team in the NFL would offset the money that he was guaranteed.”

Woolf said he has had no contact with the Rams concerning Flutie and did not expect any in the near future.

“I’ve never spoken to them because it would have been tampering because we’re under contract to another team,” he said. “Even now I don’t think there would be any unless we are allowed to do so by Donald Trump.”

Should the USFL fold, the Raiders, too, could be indirectly affected.

Raider officials still muse about Kelly. Buffalo owns Kelly’s NFL rights, but Kelly has said that he’d like to be a Raider.

Last winter, the Bills threatened to charge the Raiders with tampering. After the next draft, the Bills will have only a right of first refusal on Kelly. There is still speculation that Kelly might try to force a trade. The Raiders, whose quarterback picture is still unsettled, might be willing to do their part.

Otherwise, the Raiders have rights to only one USFL player, James Farr, a Tampa Bay guard who didn’t play much.

The caliber of two of this year’s Raider opponents might improve, however. Were the USFL players to come over, Dallas could add Herschel Walker and Washington Kelvin Bryant.

Al Davis, the Raiders’ managing general partner who testified on behalf of the USFL, would not comment on the verdict when reached Tuesday by a Times reporter.

Times staff writers Mike DiGiovanna, Mark Heisler and Steve Lowery contributed to this story. NFL RIGHTS TO TOP USFL PLAYERS

Player Pos. USFL Team NFL Team Herschel Walker RB New Jersey Dallas Jim Kelly QB New Jersey Buffalo Doug Flutie QB New Jersey Rams Doug Williams QB Arizona Tampa Bay Kelvin Bryant RB Baltimore Washington Irv Eatman OL Baltimore Kansas City Jerry Holmes CB New Jersey NY Jets Cliff Stoudt QB Birmingham Pittsburgh