Rams-Ellard Talks May Not Be Over, After All
The Rams, who indicated Tuesday that they were prepared to do without wide receiver Henry Ellard this season, hedged a little on that stance Wednesday.
“I don’t think anything is written in stone,” Coach John Robinson said of possible future negotiations with Ellard, now in the 68th day of his holdout.
Tuesday evening, after a meeting between Ellard, agent Mike Blatt, Ram owner Georgia Frontiere, Robinson and Vice President/Finance John Shaw, the Rams issued a statement saying that negotiations with Ellard in 1986 had come to an end.
“It appears that Henry Ellard will not be playing for the Los Angeles Rams this year,” the statement read.
Ellard was shocked by the news, having believed that the Rams were going to come back with a counteroffer to the proposal he and Blatt had made Tuesday.
“Then, I’m watching the 11 o’clock news and it said that negotiations have broken off,” Ellard said from his home in Fresno. “I couldn’t believe it. Shaw never talked about that. I thought he would come back with a counteroffer.”
Blatt said Wednesday that Ellard had lowered his salary demand by $110,000 since May, from a three-year, $1.5-million proposal to three years at $1.39 million.
He said the last words Shaw said to him at the Tuesday meeting were, “I’ll give you a counterproposal tomorrow.”
Then came the statement relased Tuesday evening.
Ellard said Wednesday he has decided to bypass Shaw and talk directly to Robinson and Frontiere.
“Either Robinson or Georgia has to talk to Shaw,” Ellard said. “It doesn’t matter one way or another to him, that’s what it seems like. He’s telling the coach one thing, and someone else another. I’m hoping to talk with Georgia just to find out what’s been said. I have to see if we can work it out. I think there’s a chance.”
Shaw had no comment.
Ram Notes Quarterback Steve Bartkowski said Wednesday that his right knee, injured in last Sunday’s 34-20 loss to the Eagles, is responding well to treatment. Bartkowski said he might be able to play Sunday against Tampa Bay at Anaheim Stadium, but Coach John Robinson said he expects Steve Dils will start. . . . The Rams moved quarterback Jim Everett to the 45-man roster. Everett fills the spot left by linebacker Steve Busick, who is out for the season with a knee injury.
