RAMS : Reed Signs; Herrmann and Owens Waived

Doug Reed is tired of Mexican food and back in uniform. A rookie free agent called Big Bird will get his chance to play in the NFL. And 13 players--including quarterback Mark Herrmann and veteran linebacker Mel Owens, who will be placed on injured reserve today and probably will be out the rest of the season--were waived Monday by the Rams.

Indeed, the Rams had a busy holiday, trimming their roster to the 47-man limit. And today figures to feature another flurry of roster moves as they search the waiver wire for an ambulatory cornerback and try to decide which of their walking wounded will be put on injured reserve.

Reed, a six-year veteran defensive tackle, ended his 41-day holdout when he agreed to a one-year contract Monday. He said he was happy with the deal and happier still to be away from his favorite taco stand.

“I was off and on with the conditioning stuff,” Reed said. “When I got frustrated, I’d go down to the local taco shop and eat about 15 tacos. When I’m mad, I eat tacos. And I was mad about 30 of the 40 days.

“But really, I think I’m in decent shape. I’m in as good shape as some of these guys who’ve been here but haven’t been able to practice, so we’re all in the same boat.”

Reed, who requested to be traded at one point during his holdout, said he could put any bitterness and ill will he felt toward the organization behind him.

“I felt we should have started earlier and not waited until the last minute, but they needed me pretty bad and I’m here to close up the holes,” Reed said. “They had this big gap and they had to either rent a Mack truck or come to terms with me. Maybe now people can see how important my job really is.”

Herrmann, Jim Everett’s primary backup the last two seasons, is wondering if he’ll ever get any respect. The Rams had said they planned to keep three quarterbacks--including Chuck Long--but the rash of recent injuries apparently led to the decision to waive Herrmann.

Coach John Robinson said he would “still consider” retaining three quarterbacks in the likely event Herrmann passes through waivers, in which case the Rams could re-sign him as early as today. But Herrmann, who had an impressive exhibition season, was clearly disappointed.

“It’s very frustrating,” he said. “I thought I had a real good camp and progressed well. It’s disappointing, but it’s just the way of this business.

“You never know what can happen, but I’d be pretty surprised if I heard from some other team at this point. Eighty percent of the teams are in pretty good shape at quarterback right now, so I don’t anticipate anything happening.”

Rookie wide receivers Derrick Faison and Tony Lomack, friends who thought they were battling for the No. 4 receiver spot, came out winners Monday when the Rams decided to keep five receivers. Hamstring injuries to Henry Ellard, Flipper Anderson and Aaron Cox played a prominent role in that decision.

Faison, a 6-foot-4 free agent from Howard who did not play football as a college senior, earned the nickname Big Bird because of his unusual playing style. But his size, jumping ability and potential impressed Robinson.

“I can’t describe my feelings,” Faison said. “I didn’t sleep at all last night. Now I just have to work harder and harder to try and stay on the team.”

The Rams have two healthy cornerbacks--veteran Bobby Humphery and rookie Latin Berry--and the potential for disaster is obvious. Robinson was asked if he is contemplating moving safety Anthony Newman, who didn’t practice Monday because of a sprained toe, to cornerback.

“We’re considering moving Newman out there and we’re considering looking for somebody on the (waiver) wire or even a trade,” Robinson said. “We have to consider everything.”

Robinson said there were “eight or 10” players who were released Monday who might be of interest to the Rams, but he was quick to clarify that he was only interested in players with a perfect bill of health.

“We need a guy who can come running out of the locker room and play,” he said. “We don’t want to make any moves from their training room to our training room.”

Ram Notes

In addition to Mel Owens and Mark Herrmann, the Rams on Monday waived linebacker Stephen Bates, defense tackle General Brown, wide receiver Paco Craig, center Elbert Crawford, fullback Mel Farr, wide receiver Monty Gilbreath, offensive tackle John Guerrero, defensive tackle Jerry Leggett, safety Lupe Sanchez, wide receiver Tim Stallworth and running back Fred Whittingham. . . . Cornerback Jerry Gray, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Saturday, was walking briskly Monday around Rams Park. “There’s no pain at all,” Gray said. “I just can’t run on it.” . . . Unless the Rams pick up a cornerback who can return punts, Henry Ellard will be the punt-returner Sunday against Green Bay. It’s a job he won by default because of injuries to Tony Lomack (hamstring) and Darryl Henley (hip).

Linebacker Kevin Greene said there “is nothing that can substitute for training camp” after his first day of practice Monday. “I thought I could come in and jump right into it and have all the moves,” he said. “But I feel rusty and a little slow.” Greene said his strength and stamina were good, but that his timing and rhythm were off. That was evident in his first agility drill of the season when he tripped and fell. Greene said his 39-day holdout was “a very frustrating process” that caused a great deal of anxiety. “I’m still psychotic at this point,” he said. “I’m still bouncing off the walls and going nuts.”

Coach John Robinson said Jim Price, one of four tight ends currently on the 47-man roster, will go on injured reserve today with a hamstring injury. That will open one of the three roster spots needed to make former holdouts Greene, Michael Stewart and Doug Reed eligible to play in the season opener against the Packers. The other two positions must be made available by noon Friday, but the Rams have a host of players--including Gray, Henley, Alfred Jackson (groin) and Larry Kelm (knee)--who could be placed on injured reserve. A player put on injured reserve after Monday’s roster cuts is eligible to return after four weeks (it was six weeks last year). A player put on injured reserve before the cut must sit out the entire season.