Strickland Returns to Rams, Signs for Two Years : Football: Linebacker reports to camp after 27-day holdout. Contract believed to be worth about $400,000 a season. Three still unsigned.

The Rams’ holdout list was reduced to three Tuesday when outside linebacker Fred Strickland signed a two-year deal believed to be worth about $400,000 a year.

“Finally,” said Strickland, a 6-foot-2, 250-pounder who had missed 27 days of training camp. “I thought this would be done in mid-July after voluntary mini-camp, but business is business. I had to get the business part of it squared away.”

Now, Strickland can get down to the business of playing a new position in a new defensive alignment. Strickland, a 1990 starter at inside linebacker until he broke his leg in the fifth game, is being moved to outside linebacker and will battle for the starting position on the left side of the Rams’ new 4-3 set.

“It’s a big difference because there’s no time to sit back and read--you’ve got to be quick and react right away,” Strickland said. “But I played there in college, so I think I’m ready. I learned the defense in mini-camp and I’ve been studying the plays.”

Strickland, who participated in a light workout Tuesday and will play in Saturday night’s exhibition game against the Seattle Seahawks, said he is far from being in game condition. But he said his left fibula, which sidelined him for most of 1990, is fully healed.

Ram Coach John Robinson was relieved to have Strickland in camp, but couldn’t predict whether Strickland would be able to earn a starting position by the Sept. 1 season opener against the Phoenix Cardinals.

“The only scary thing that remains is he can’t afford to have a setback like (offensive tackle) Gerald Perry,” Robinson said. “He has to progress now in a steady manner.”

Perry still hasn’t recovered from a knee injury he suffered on his first day of practice two weeks ago.

Strickland missed four games in 1989 because of an ankle injury, and he speculated that his injury-prone past might have prolonged negotiations with the Rams.

“We knew they would focus on that to try to keep the money down, but we said right away that if you’re going to use that as an excuse, then we have nothing to talk about,” Strickland said. “There were other things that might have held things up, too, like them trying to get (No. 1 draft pick Todd) Lyght in.”

Lyght, offensive tackle Irv Pankey and fullback Buford McGee are the only unsigned Rams.

A second-round draft pick from Purdue in 1988, Strickland recorded 43 tackles (34 solo) as a rookie reserve and 63 tackles (53 solo) as a starter in 1989. He made 25 tackles (17 solo) before the injury last season.

He didn’t see the Rams’ 24-3 exhibition victory over the San Diego Chargers Monday night, but he did watch the Rams’ Aug. 3 exhibition opener against the Atlanta Falcons and liked what he saw.

“It looks like the left linebacker gets to rush a lot, and I like playing over the tight end,” said Strickland, who has recorded six sacks in three seasons. “They’re also blitzing a lot more than they have in the past. I think I’m going to enjoy it.”