Rams : When Dils Gets Call, He Can’t Pass It Up
Steve Dils couldn’t help but savor the moment. The Rams called two days ago and wanted him . The same Dils they had cut loose like a kite in the wind last season.
This Dils is older, 33, grayer and hadn’t thrown a ball to anyone but the neighborhood kids in months. This Dils was several months removed from football and was selling commercial real estate in Atlanta. And the Rams called him him.
“I had to retire to finally get some leverage,” Dils said moments after his arrival at Rams Park Thursday.
The Rams, fearing that backup quarterback Mark Herrmann’s rib injury would still be tender by season opener, picked up the phone and called temporary services.
Dils answered and signed a contract for a guaranteed lump sum to fill in until Herrmann gets well. After that, Dils goes home.
“This wasn’t just a grand gesture on my part,” he said. “ ‘Oh, the Rams need somebody.’ I’m making some money out of it.”
Dils was the logical choice, having been the Rams’ backup from 1984 through 1987. He was the only available quarterback out there who could step in and run Ernie Zampese’s offensive system.
Dils spent last season with the Atlanta Falcons and then retired. He stayed in Atlanta, hooked on with P.C. Associates, a commercial real estate company, and planned to live happily ever after.
He had only been at the firm for two months and didn’t know how the Ram proposition would go over with his new boss: “Uh, sir, I’d like to go play for the Rams for a few weeks.”
His boss, though, gave him a leave of absence.
So Dils shuffled his business schedule and took off.
It has been a long time since he enjoyed this kind of leverage. In their annual waiver-wire games, the Rams released Dils last September with the intention of re-signing him the next day. The move was done to get an injured player on the final 45-man roster so the team could put him on four-week injured reserve instead of losing him for six.
But Atlanta claimed both Dils and backup quarterback Hugh Millen, which prompted the Rams’ signing of Herrmann.
The Rams weren’t through with Dils, though. He was the Falcons’ starting quarterback when the Rams rolled into Fulton County Stadium on Oct. 9. His former teammates showed no mercy, sacking him six times en route to a 33-0 victory. Dils no doubt will relive the memories in the coming weeks.
How long will Dils be here? At least through the opener against Atlanta, Robinson said. And that’s even if Herrmann is ready.
“The scenario that I thought we couldn’t allow to happen would be us (being) in somewhat control of the game, or doing OK, and then find ourselves losing the quarterback, and then losing the game because we were inefficient,” Robinson said. “That, I think, would be a grave error.”
Dils played in 57 games with the Rams, starting nine. In 1986, he replaced injured Steve Bartkowski and led the Rams to three victories, which included a 20-17 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
Cartilage once held linebacker Mark Jerue’s knees together. Now, it seems they’re bound by adhesive tape. And ice packs have become their constant companions.
Jerue is attempting another comeback after another knee operation. He started 12 games at inside linebacker last season before his knees wore down because of a chronic arthritic condition.
He is still weeks away from putting on a uniform, but refuses to accept that, at 29, his career may be over.
“I’m not thinking that way now,” he said. “It’s not like it’s not getting better. Every week is better than the week before.”
There are even days when the comeback feels complete, he said.
“But I can’t get days back to back,” he added.
Starting right guard Duval Love has agreed to a two-year contract and will report to practice today, ending his 30-day holdout.
The breakthrough came during a tense Thursday meeting between Love’s agent Steve Feldman and the Rams’ Jay Zygmunt.
“We had a meeting of the minds,” Feldman said. “And we’re working to get the other two in.”
The other two are also Feldman clients, tailback Greg Bell and tackle Robert Cox. Negotiations continued Thursday night and more meetings were scheduled today. The mood in those talks was described as sensitive but encouraging.
Bell was the National Football League’s fourth-leading rusher last season with 1,212 yards. Cox is a valuable backup to veteran tackles Jackie Slater and Irv Pankey.
The other Ram holdouts are first-round fullback Cleveland Gary and tight end Damone Johnson, who is signed but not in camp.
