PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : RAMS : Knox Wants to Be Ready for Anything

With some form of veteran free-agency perhaps close as the NFL nears a long-awaited labor agreement, Coach Chuck Knox said he wants the Rams to be prepared to take full advantage of any new method to acquire talent.

The Rams, with a payroll slightly above the average NFL team, with a coach who attracts veteran players and with a need to build on a fragile foundation of talent, could be positioned to go after some big-name free agents.

The framework of a plan that NFL players and owners apparently have tentatively agreed to would allow players with five years of experience to qualify for free agency. Defensive end Reggie White, tackle Paul Gruber and quarterback Steve Young would be in this category.

“I think, from an organizational standpoint, you have to be poised and ready to adjust to whatever happens,” Knox said Friday. “And to be competitive in whatever the situation is.”

But Knox also stressed that it is crucial that the Rams keep their own important free agents. Linebacker Kevin Greene, middle linebacker Larry Kelm and kicker Tony Zendejas are three starters who could qualify for free agency.

“It would behoove the organization,” Knox said, “to be able to retain the talent that they want to keep.”