Rams Sign Former Seahawk Center and Long-Snapper

Proving once again that wherever Chuck Knox goes, Blair Bush is soon to follow, the Rams made the 14-year veteran center their first Plan B acquisition of the Knox era by signing him to a one-year contract Tuesday.

In 1983, one of Knox’s first moves as the Seattle Seahawk coach was to trade a No. 1 pick for Bush, who started and was the long-snapper there for six seasons before moving to the Green Bay Packers in the 1989 Plan B period.

Bush, 35, has been the Packers’ backup center and long-snapper for the last two seasons (he started in 1989), and immediately becomes Knox’s long-snapper and main backup center behind probable starter Bern Brostek.

“Chuck is a great coach and a good man to work for,” Bush said at Rams Park Tuesday. “The first year up in Seattle, Chuck was able to turn the program around, go all the way to the championship game.

“You know, Chuck’s going to make it happen. That’s when football’s fun.”

Bush’s signing further clouds the future of veteran center Doug Smith, who finished last year as the starter after the experiment of moving Tom Newberry from guard was abandoned. Smith, left unprotected, is not a proven long snapper, and it’s unlikely the Rams would keep Smith and Bush on the roster.

Interestingly, Smith and Bush are the exact same age, each born Nov. 25, 1956.

“Doug’s a great player, there’s no doubt about that,” Bush said. “I’m able to play center probably similar, but I’ve deep-snapped my whole football career. I’m pretty good at it. Last couple years, some teams had to designate a spot just for the deep-snapper.”

Said Knox: “I told Doug early in the spring that we were looking for a guy that would play and also make the long snap. What this means is there will be competition.”

Last season, the Rams kept Mike McDonald, recently signed with the Packers, in that role. But Knox says he has no intention of using a roster spot just for a long snapper.

Ram Notes

Unprotected Philadelphia Eagle Jeff Feagles and free-agent Don Bracken appear to lead the pack in the Rams’ search for a punter. Feagles worked out for the Rams last week, and Bracken, cut by the Packers in last year’s training camp, worked out Tuesday.