Rams Preparing Their Plan B List : Pro football: Dupree, McGee and Smith reportedly won’t be protected.

Running backs Marcus Dupree and Buford McGee and center Doug Smith will head the Rams’ list of unprotected players submitted by today’s noon Plan B deadline, according to a team source.

New Ram Coach Chuck Knox said the team was “leaning toward” protecting 37-year-old tackle Jackie Slater and still listening to trade offers.

“Everybody’s talking to everybody, everybody’s trying to make a deal, see whether or not their 37th guy might be more valuable to you than their 37th guy,” Knox said Friday.

Because leaving a player unprotected means a team can lose him without getting anything in return, teams are trying to trade players before the deadline.

Slater, a seven-time Pro Bowl player, is unsigned after his 16th season in the league.

“We haven’t totally resolved that,” Knox said. “But I would say we would be leaning toward protecting him. He’s part of the plans for now. I don’t know for (the) future . . . but he’s a fine football player, he can still play. And we have a need at that position.”

Slater said that he didn’t know if he would be protected, and that being left off the protected list would be a sign to him that the Rams no longer wanted him.

“I think I’ll figure out what their plans are for me playing with them this year if I’m on the list or not,” Slater said. “I’d very much like to be in their plans and play next season, but if I’m not, I guess I’d have to consider playing elsewhere.

“I feel like I can still play, for somebody, at a fairly high level in this league.”

Also Friday, Knox announced the hirings of former Kansas City Chief tight end coach Jim Erkenbeck to coach the Rams’ offensive line, former Indianapolis Colt receiver coach Milt Jackson to do the same for the Rams, and former Green Bay Packer special team coach Howard Tippett to coach the Rams’ tight ends and special teams.