Rams Cut 13 Players; Some Get to Come Back

The Rams didn’t labor long Monday, choosing to prune their player roster to 47 and then leave the rest of the personnel work for today.

They didn’t have much choice, really. Thirteen players had to go, but now comes the fun part: Who gets to come back?

Gone, at least on paper, is quarterback Steve Dils, the human insurance policy; tackle Kevin Robbins; quarterback Jeff Carlson; safety Thom Kaumeyer; guard Warren Wheat; receiver Thomas Henley; running back Mel Farr Jr.; fullback Pernell Taylor; center Rodney Lossow; defensive tackle Henry Brown; linebacker Richard Brown; center/guard Navy Tuiasosopo and tight end Richard Ashe.

Don’t worry about Dils. Unless another team claims him on waivers, he returns to the Ram roster today and stays there until Mark Herrmann’s tender ribs heal adequately. Herrmann practiced Monday but isn’t supposed to be ready in time for the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons.

“It’s not that big of a shock,” Dils said. “I knew it was a possibility driving in this morning, especially this year.”

Mind you, the Rams weren’t exactly hiding their intentions about Dils. He attended the morning meetings, worked out on his own afterward and would have taken part in the afternoon practice had league rules not prohibited it. His absence, if all stays quiet on the waiver wire, will be temporary. If it doesn’t, Dils said he will retire for good.

“Unless (the new team is) going to guarantee me a whole season’s salary better than what I made before,” he said.

Dils, who went through this waiver wire act last year and was claimed by the Falcons, said he understood the Rams’ logic this time around. The Rams needed to protect players and Dils was available. Simple.

“This one is a little easier to take,” he said. “You’re not taking it quite as seriously. Last year, you’re trying to make the team, you think that you’ve got it made and then they try to fiddle around with the roster and you end up in Atlanta. This year is going to be different than that.”

Of the 13 Rams cut, six will find their way onto the new developmental squad composed of rookies and first-year players. As with everyone else, a developmental squad candidate has to first clear waivers. That explains why mum was the word at Rams Park.

“I just don’t want to get anybody claimed,” said Coach John Robinson, explaining his reluctance to disclose his probable six. “It’s new ground, so we have to be cautious.”

At least one good bet for the squad would be Carlson. After that, who knows? A lot depends on the roster tinkering that goes on today.

Robinson said linebacker Mark Jerue, still recovering from a knee injury, might be placed on injured reserve. With the new rules as they are, Jerue would be lost for a minimum of six weeks.

As for the future of Richard Brown, look for him to return to the team. Robinson hinted that much when he said, “That’s not over. That’s not over at all.”

Also curious was the absence of both Wheat and Robbins from the roster. The Rams have seven offensive linemen and will probably add an eighth for security.

Ram Notes

Mark Herrmann’s return to practice uniform was uneventful. His injured ribs inhibited his throwing motion, and Coach John Robinson predicted Herrmann wouldn’t be ready until the Rams play the Indianapolis Colts Sept. 17. . . . Linebacker Fred Strickland (knee) could return to practice as soon as Wednesday, said defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur.