Robinson Satisfied With Plan B Crop : Football: The Rams sign two more free agents, New England fullback Mosi Tatupu and Charger cornerback Sammy Lilly.
The Rams performed no miracles in the just-concluded Plan B signing period, landing no sure-thing, instant-impact players such as Ronnie Lott. But after signing two more free agents Monday, the Rams have seven players they believe will help erase memories of last season’s 5-11 plummet.
On Monday, hours before the midnight deadline, the Rams signed New England fullback Mosi Tatupu and Charger cornerback Sammy Lilly.
Also, kicker Mike Lansford, who was history when the Rams signed Tony Zendejas last month, officially ended his tenure with the team by signing with the Cleveland Browns. In addition, special teams linebacker Greg Clark signed with the Packers.
Overall, the Rams signed five defensive players--along with Zendejas and Tatupu--and lost only four.
“I think we’ve acquired people in areas where we need help and where we want competition,” Coach John Robinson said Monday, specifically referring to pass-rushing defensive ends and cornerbacks. The Rams signed two of each. “It’s important to have a young group of people that are going to create an identity for themselves and this defense.
“I don’t think we went into it expecting it to be a miracle, or come out of Plan B saying, ‘Oh, boy, we’re in great shape.’ I think one of the big errors you can make in Plan B is to let your expectations get high and expect these people to solve all your problems.
“So, yeah, I feel we pretty much hit what we hoped we would hit.”
And about the general understanding after last season that Robinson would have more say in all personnel matters, and that owner Georgia Frontiere might be more willing to loosen her purse strings?
“I think everybody has a good feeling here about the way we went at it and what we accomplished,” Robinson said. “Absolutely.”
Said Executive Vice President John Shaw, who at times disagreed with Robinson in the past over personnel matters: “I think that we’re fairly happy with it. Coach gave us a list of certain guys he was interested in obtaining, and we’ve obtained a couple of what he considered key players.”
Losing out on Lott, clearly, was the most publicized part of the Rams’ Plan B adventure, but Robinson made no suggestion that he was deeply bothered by the 31-year-old’s signing with the Raiders.
Shaw argues that Lott never followed up on initial talks with the Rams, and that he was probably willing to pay Lott more than the $1.65 million he will receive from the Raiders. Rams coaching sources say they’ve been told the 49ers coaches think Lott is nearly through as a player and didn’t want him back.
“One of the things that’s clear to me is that we have to have a new infusion (in) our defense,” Robinson said. “We have to make an impact on defense, and that impact has to be (with) youth.
“And we’d like to see people we picked up do it for more than just short term.
“At the safety position we have young players that need to play, and we made offers on both (Lott and Buffalo’s Leonard Smith), but we felt we had to keep it in perspective with wanting our young guys to play.”
Robinson figures defensive ends Gerald Robinson and Karl Wilson will push everybody else vying for the open right end spot, that Lilly and Rodney Thomas will step up the competition for the fifth defensive back position, and that linebacker Glenell Sanders and Tatupu will bolster the special teams.
End of an era. Lansford’s signing with the Browns ends nine years of kicking for the Rams. Over the last eight, he was the man Robinson always counted on to hit the pressure kick.
“I have a great deal of sadness about him (leaving),” Robinson said. “He was one of my favorite players. I hope he makes a comeback and continues to kick. You know kickers, sometimes the change of scenery can help them.”
Ram Notes
Coach John Robinson said 13-year NFL veteran Mosi Tatupu, who played two years under Robinson at USC, fills the team’s need for a powerful, 10-plays-a-game fullback. “What I was looking for was a lead-blocking fullback, a short-yardage, goal-line, first-down, big, powerful person. Our fullbacks are not powerful, so Mosi was a fit.” The 35-year-old Tatupu (6-feet, 227 pounds) played all 13 years with the Patriots, but carried the ball only 16 times last year. . . . Robinson said that since the Rams didn’t get an impact defensive player under Plan B, the search continues--including investigating trades for available big-name talent and figuring out what to do with their No. 1 draft pick, the fifth selection overall. “You don’t want to get a high-profile guy just for the name or for the temporary morale from a PR standpoint,” Robinson said. “But if we can find an impact player in an area where we need help, we would definitely look for that and are looking for that.”