Rams : Irvin, Evans Finally Get on Board
With London calling and seats on tonight’s charter flight going fast, the Rams are tending to the last-minute business of getting player contract squabbles resolved.
Friday, long-time holdout Henry Ellard happily signed a four-year deal. Saturday, holdout LeRoy Irvin unhappily reported to camp, followed later in the day by the Rams’ first draft choice, Donald Evans, who flew in from North Carolina and signed a four-year, $800,000 contract late Saturday evening.
“I’m happy it’s over but I’m not happy with the deal,” Evans said. “It’s the lowest deal in the second round, but I didn’t want to put my football career in jeopardy. I’m ready to play football, ready to prove to people they made the right deal.”
Irvin attended Saturday morning’s practice but did not participate because of a sore hamstring. He did listen long and hard to a sideline lecture by Ram Coach John Robinson, the gist of which had to do with Irvin not allowing his attitude to affect his play.
So briefed, the usually loquacious Irvin had a short statement for the press.
“I’m back in camp,” Irvin said, “but my problems haven’t been resolved. I will fulfill my obligation. I’m not happy, I’m not going to lie to the fans. That’s all I’m going to say.”
So why did you come back?
“I had to,” Irvin said.
The Pro Bowl cornerback was, in fact, under contract and was presumably being fined $1,000 a day since his holdout began last Sunday.
Irvin signed a two-year extension in March that will pay him a $300,000 signing bonus and $700,000 in salaries for the 1988-89 seasons. But Irvin isn’t happy with the last year of his present contract, in which he’ll receive $250,000. He was obviously moved by the off-season signing of Dallas cornerback Everson Walls, who will earn $700,000 this season.
Asked whether he wanted to be traded, Irvin would only reply, “I don’t know.”
Robinson would not specifically comment on his conversation with Irvin.
“I assume LeRoy will come in, and when he’s 100%, he’ll give 100%,” Robinson said. “His unhappiness, which I assume is financial, is not relative to his performance on the field.”
Robinson said Irvin would likely play in the London exhibition game against the Denver Broncos next Sunday, then added:
“We all have a right to the way we feel, but we don’t have the right not to perform at maximum ability as some form of protest. We won’t tolerate that, and haven’t tolerated that from anybody. That’s not a comment on LeRoy. . . . No player is so good that he can go out and not give 100% and not have a detrimental effect on the team.”
As for Evans, he arrived in town on Saturday and appeared at the Rams’ Cal State Fullerton training camp at 8 p.m., accompanied by agent Steve Weinberg. It was presumed that Evans was there to sign a contract, but three times Evans walked out of the talks held in the office of Jack Faulkner, the team’s director of football operations.
Finally, Evans somewhat unhappily agreed to the deal at about 10:20 Saturday night.
While some incentives were included, there weren’t as many as he expected.
Ram Notes
The Rams will leave at 7:15 this evening from Los Angeles International Airport, arriving in London’s Heathrow Airport Monday at 1 p.m. . . . John Robinson said the London trip deadline may have expedited negotiations with the team’s holdouts. “I sense that’s true,” Robinson said. It appears now that holdout tackle Irv Pankey will be the only Ram to miss the trip. . . . The team’s adventurous linebacker, Mel Owens, who has traveled the world and recently ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, said he can’t wait to get to London. “It’s a civilized New York,” Owens said. “I’ll do the restaurant scene and the theater scene.” And if his teammates want any travel tips, Owens is “selling information at a high cost.” . . . Irvin’s holdout has given rookie cornerback Clifford Hicks some valuable practice time. Robinson said Hicks will play about a half against the Broncos and also return punts. . . . Free-agent nose tackle Jim Byrne underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Saturday and will be out 6 to 8 weeks.
