Rams, Cornerback Gray Close to Working Out Multi-Year Agreement : Football: His signing said to be a high priority because new defensive scheme emphasizes man-to-man pass coverage rather than zone.

The Rams and veteran cornerback Jerry Gray are very near to agreeing to terms on a multi-year deal, according to several team sources, and could announce the agreement as soon as next week.

Gray was excused from the team’s mini-camp Wednesday to meet with his agent, Marvin Demoff, who has had at least one extensive negotiating session with the Ram front office.

“I think it’s done in spirit,” said one Ram official.

The Rams’ last offer to Gray, who signed a one-year contract with a base salary of $500,000 last year, was for a two- or three-year deal worth about $700,000 a season. The terms of that offer are believed to be, in principle, acceptable to Gray and Demoff.

Gray, 28, rejected a similar offer last year, choosing instead to take the one-year, incentive-laden deal and hope for a richer long-term contract later. Instead, Gray tore a ligament in his knee in the team’s last exhibition game and never regained his former Pro Bowl form.

“This is a deal we never thought would give us problems,” said Ram Executive Vice President John Shaw, who denied that the deal was done but didn’t deny that the two sides were close. Shaw is in Minneapolis this week for league meetings.

“It’s up to Jerry and Marvin to say whether it’s done,” Shaw said, “but I would say there isn’t much left to disagree on.”

Shaw is scheduled to meet one more time with Demoff either Tuesday or Friday of next week.

On Tuesday, as he prepared to meet with Demoff, Gray said he understood the talks were going very smoothly.

“I know he and John had a talk. . . . I think they are pretty close,” Gray said.

Demoff could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Gray also said he would not be repeating the short-term decision of last year.

“I know we’re not going to do a one-year deal,” he said.

Gray, a six-year veteran, participated in last month’s mini-camp and the two-week mini-camp the Rams are currently conducting to give the brass a chance to see that his knee is sound.

The Rams have put a high priority on signing Gray early because they have changed their defensive system from a zone style to a man-to-man coverage scheme, which increases the importance of the cornerbacks.

Robinson said newly converted defensive end Kevin Greene should be very comfortable in the new defensive system.

In the old 3-4 set, Greene was an outside linebacker rushing from the left side, occasionally drawing smaller running backs in pass protection. This year, he’s the right-side defensive end, lining up against a 280-pound tackle on every down.

“The days when outside linebackers rush against backs are over,” Robinson said. “That’s what happened four years ago, three years ago. But last year, almost every scheme was based on the outside pass rusher, the Derrick Thomases, the Lawrence Taylors, the Kevin Greenes, the (Pat) Swillings, they all rushed on tackles. . . .

“It’s such a pass-rush-oriented group (the new defensive coaching staff) that his opportunities for the spectacular defensive play will be up 20%.”

Here are some of the details of the Rams’ complicated trade for offensive lineman Gerald Perry:

--If Perry can’t play at least four games for the Rams this season because of legal problems, the Rams have their choice of returning him to the Denver Broncos for Denver’s fourth-round pick in the 1992 draft or keeping him and refusing the pick.

--If Perry plays four games, the trade is complete.

The Rams are anxious for Perry to be done with his legal morass in Denver, but they don’t want him to report until he has either served his time or is completely done with the situation.

Perry is expected to serve about 30 to 45 days in jail for several brushes with the law, including a final outstanding charge of third-degree sexual assault. Perry’s jail time could run deep into training camp.

Ram Notes

The two-week mini-camp, the last organized team workouts until July, will close today. . . . Some individual players will come to Rams Park by position in the first few weeks of June.