Conlan Ready for New Challenge : Rams: Linebacker says leaving Buffalo was difficult, but he hopes to play a major role in 4-3 defensive scheme.
Free agency has helped make Shane Conlan a rich man, but the process was no joy ride. Conlan, the 29-year-old, three-time Pro Bowler was introduced as the newest Ram Monday at Rams Park and said he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Which means his father feels as if he had just been dug out from under a collapsed skyscraper.
“Every time I would call my dad, he would ask, ‘Got a job yet?’ ” Conlan said. “I’d say, ‘No, but we’ve got some offers.’ And he would say, ‘Sign one.’ ”
Weighing offers from the Raiders and Steelers until the last minute, Conlan put his name on the dotted line of a $5.4-million, three-year contract Sunday night and became a player whom Coach Chuck Knox describes as the “keystone of the resurgence of the Ram defense.”
Conlan, who has never played middle linebacker in a six-year NFL career with Buffalo, will get his chance with the Rams. And that was a key a factor in his decision to leave a team that plays an hour from where he grew up, not to mention a team that has played in the last three Super Bowls.
“You watch films and you see these middle linebackers making all these plays and you say, ‘One time in my career I want to be in spot,’ ” Conlan said. “That’s one of the main reasons I’m playing here. I’m excited about playing the position, about playing on grass and I’m excited about the coaching staff.
“I loved playing in Buffalo. I grew up 70 miles south of Buffalo and went to Penn State, which is about three hours from my home. My family is there. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the Bills’ organization and Coach (Marv) Levy and I have lot of friends on the team.
“It was a tough decision, but I’m ready for a new challenge.”
Knox said he had absolutely no qualms about Conlan’s ability to make the switch from inside linebacker to middle linebacker.
“He’s got Pro Bowl talent, good striking ability and he can move,” Knox said. “He won’t be bothered by the change of position. If he can play like that inside in a 3-4, he can play middle linebacker in a 4-3.”
The Rams weren’t the only team offering a chance to play in the middle, on grass and on the West Coast, though.
“I think location had a lot to do with it,” Conlan said. “Anaheim’s a little different from (El Segundo) where the Raiders are located. There was a time when I said I would never want to play on the West Coast, but it’s beautiful here. My wife’s excited about it.”
The money, of course, was also a key factor in Conlan’s decision and that’s where the Rams’ new zeal to wheel and deal and Senior Vice President Jay Zygmunt’s creative contract played key roles.
“Jay told us early on that they would make a real strong effort in the free-agent process, but we sort of sat back to wait and see proof of their commitment,” said Brett Senior, Conlan’s agent. “And at one stage, last Wednesday when Shane was visiting the Steelers, we thought, in terms of the financial aspect, that the Rams had peaked and would back down.
“But they came right back aggressively and came up with an innovative package to get him here.”
According to Senior, Zygmunt restructured the pay schedule and guaranteed “a good, strong percentage” of the deal. But Zygmunt said it wasn’t anything all that unusual.
“It was like any negotiation,” he said. “We found something that met their needs and was acceptable to us.”
Senior: “We had more money on the table from other teams, but it wasn’t packaged as well. The Raiders made a very strong effort, but they wanted to put us on hold for awhile. The Rams made it clear that Shane was their No. 1 priority and that convinced him to walk away from some other deals.”
The Rams have now signed four free agents. Only New England, which has signed five, has been more active in the free-agent market. But the Rams now figure to hold back until after the draft to sign anyone else.
“I’m very impressed with the commitment of Georgia (Frontiere), (Executive Vice President) John Shaw and Jay Zygmunt,” Knox said. “These signings are a statement. A very positive statement.”
Ram Notes
Coach Chuck Knox said the signing of Shane Conlan wasn’t necessarily the death knell for middle linebacker Larry Kelm, who remains unsigned. “Larry Kelm is still a part of our team and we’re going to continue to try and sign him,” Knox said. “You need more than one middle linebacker.”. . . Ram wide receiver Emile Harry, an unrestricted free agent, has signed with the Denver Broncos. Harry graduated from Fountain Valley High School. . . . Conlan said he is bothered by reports that often is injured. “It’s a little upsetting when people say, ‘Oh, he’s always hurt.’ I didn’t miss any games my first year, my second year I missed 2 1/2 games. Then the third year, I had the knee injury and was fortunate to miss just six games and not have to have surgery. Other than that, I just hurt my ankle a little in the bottom of the pile last season.”