ANALYSIS : Rams Face Tough Choices
Studying the NFL’s free-agent market has never been an exact science for the Rams.
But now figure in the new salary cap of $33.8 million per team, along with the Rams’ lack of depth and need for starters at key positions.
A chemistry experiment just waiting to explode, right?
Maybe not.
The Rams have 35 players under contract for $21.8 million, not counting the seven restricted free agents on their roster that they have yet to re-sign. Depending on which players it keeps, the team could have between $8 million and $12 million left to spend on free agents.
The Rams will need to stretch every dollar because their needs lie at some pretty high-priced positions--quarterback, wide receiver, defensive back, defensive tackle and offensive line. With the cap, it could be a buyer’s market.
There’s talent out there, but the smart shoppers will have to buy early. Because of the cap, teams will be snapping up veterans in the first few weeks of the free-agent signing period, which begins Friday.
Can the Rams compete?
A look at what they could do, should do, and probably will do:
QUARTERBACK
Situation: Here’s a hint: Quarterback Jim Everett’s Orange Park Acres house is up for sale. Don’t look for T.J. Rubley to be moving in. Everett’s on the way out and the coaching staff learned that Rubley wasn’t the answer when he struggled in seven starts last season.
Conventional wisdom tells the Rams, who pick fifth in the April 24-25 draft, to trade up for Cincinnati’s top pick or Indianapolis’ second selection, and take one of the top quarterback prospects--Tennessee’s Heath Shuler and Fresno State’s Trent Dilfer. But Coach Chuck Knox turns 62 in April, has two years left on his contract and may not have the time and patience to develop a rookie quarterback. Besides, the Rams want to win now , so an experienced quarterback is a necessity.
Who’s available: Slim pickings. Detroit’s trio of Erik Kramer, Rodney Peete and Andre Ware are unrestricted, as well as Dallas’ Bernie Kosar, Atlanta’s Chris Miller and Miami’s Scott Mitchell. But Kosar is immobile and throws sidearm, Miller is a walking body cast and Mitchell was impressive, unimpressive and injured at different times throughout the season. Kramer is the best of the Detroit trio.
Wish list: Remember Dave Krieg, Joe Montana’s caddie in Kansas City last season? Krieg is unrestricted, played nine seasons for Knox in Seattle and is interested in becoming a starter again. He made $1.9 million last year with the Chiefs, so the price could be right if the Rams unload Everett’s $2.5-million contract.
Trade possibilities: Jeff George is unhappy in Indianapolis and could wind up in Atlanta. Houston has salary cap problems and will be looking to unload an aging Warren Moon or backup Cody Carlson, who earned a combined $6.25 million last season. Will Moon, a native of Los Angeles, return home? Not likely. He’s 37 and made $3.25 million last season.
Who you’ll see in Anaheim Stadium next fall: Krieg is 33 . . . and he isn’t the answer.
WIDE RECEIVER
Situation: The Rams are in desperate need of a wide receiver with speed, big-play capabilities and the courage to cross the middle of the secondary. (See J.J. Stokes, who’s back for his senior year at UCLA). Henry Ellard is 32, unrestricted and would likely have to take a big pay cut to stay with the Rams. Flipper Anderson, the team’s deep threat, had only one touchdown catch in the final 10 games last season. Todd Kinchen has undergone knee surgery twice in the last nine months, and Ernie Jones busted a finger while dropping a pass in the end zone.
Who’s available: There’s a decent corps of unrestricted free agents in the Raiders’ Tim Brown, San Diego’s Anthony Miller, Minnesota’s Anthony Carter, Atlanta’s Michael Haynes and Houston’s Haywood Jeffires and Webster Slaughter. The draft has a handful of first-round picks, including Colorado’s Charles Johnson and USC’s Johnnie Morton, but none merit spending a top-five pick.
Wish list: The Raiders will probably re-sign Brown, and don’t look for Jeffires and Slaughter to be too excited about playing in the Rams’ rushing offense. Haynes reportedly wants to stay in Atlanta.
Who you’ll see in Anaheim Stadium next fall: Take a guess.
DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD
Situation: When the Rams lost cornerbacks Todd Lyght and Robert Bailey to knee injuries, they brought in four cornerbacks off the street in an attempt to fill a glaring lack of depth--Dexter Davis, Wymon Henderson, Sam Seale and Mitchell Price. So signing two cornerbacks--either through free-agency or the draft--is a must. And if the Rams don’t re-sign Michael Stewart or Pat Terrell, they also will be in the market for a strong safety. Free safety Anthony Newman signed a two-year deal in December.
Who’s available: Buffalo cornerback Nate Odomes, Mark Collins of the New York Giants and Houston’s Cris Dishman are unrestricted.
Wish list: Odomes had nine interceptions, tied for the league lead with Seattle safety Eugene Robinson. Collins is a former Cal State Fullerton standout.
Who you’ll see in Anaheim Stadium next fall: If the Rams somehow work out their quarterback problems through free agency, they could take Alabama’s Antonio Langham, considered a can’t-miss prospect, with the fifth pick. Collins would start if he signs.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Situation: See defensive backs. No depth. The Rams had to go with Jeff Pahukoa and Keith Loneker at left guard when starter Tom Newberry missed the last seven games with a knee injury. Darryl Ashmore did a decent job in place of right tackle Jackie Slater, who missed seven of the final eight games with a torn pectoral muscle. The Rams can’t afford to lose long-snapper Blair Bush and Slater, both unrestricted.
Who’s available: Dallas’ top three guards--Nate Newton, Kevin Gogan and John Gesek--are unrestricted, as well as Kansas City tackle John Alt, Buffalo tackle Howard Ballard, Kansas City guard-tackle Ricky Siglar and San Francisco guard Guy McIntyre and New England tackle Bruce Armstrong.
Wish list: Any of the Dallas linemen. Dallas quarterbacks were sacked only 29 times last season, the seventh-lowest total in the league. Newton is a two-time Pro Bowl selection and Gesek can play center, guard or tackle.
Who you’ll see in Anaheim Stadium next fall: The jury is still out, but pursuing one of the Dallas linemen would be the best bet.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Situation: The Rams need to sign a strong tackle to take some of the heat off Pro Bowl tackle Sean Gilbert, who saw more than his share of double-teaming last season. They also must re-sign defensive end Tony Woods, who came on strong late in the season. Defensive end Robert Young also must fully recover from knee surgery to give the Rams a good pass rush next season.
Who’s available: Dallas’ Jimmie Jones, Philadelphia’s William Perry and Minnesota’s Henry Thomas.
Wish list: Jones, an underachiever who didn’t start for the Cowboys, made $800,000 last season.
Who you’ll see in Anaheim Stadium next fall: Jones might factor in the Rams’ plans.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Situation: A disaster. The team’s lack of speed and depth was painfully evident on punt and kick coverage last season. Kinchen, their top punt returner, blew out his knee and was replaced by an aging Ellard, who was booed in the final home game for taking fair catches on punts that might have been returned. The Rams must re-sign punter Sean Landeta, on whom they maintain right of first refusal.
Who’s available: Buffalo’s Steve Tasker is considered one of the league’s best coverage men. And he’s not a bad kick returner, as the Raiders discovered in the playoffs. Detroit’s Mel Gray was fifth in the NFC in punt returns (8.6 yards) and fourth in kickoff returns (24.6).
Wish list: Tasker and Gray.
Who you’ll see in Anaheim Stadium next fall: Neither. Tasker will be looking to double his $500,000 annual salary. Gray turns 33 on March 16. Look for the Rams to try and pick up speed in the middle rounds of the draft, if there’s any speed left.
Ram Free Agents
UNRESTRICTED
Blair Bush, C-long snapper
Pat Carter, TE
Henry Ellard, WR
Wymon Henderson, CB
y-Darryl Henley, CB
Chris Martin, LB
Travis McNeal, TE
Jackie Slater, OT
Michael Stewart, SS
Pat Terrell, SS
Tony Woods, DE
x-Sean Landeta, P
x-Cleveland Gary, RB
RESTRICTED
Robert Bailey, CB
Dexter Davis, CB
David Lang, RB
Jeff Pahukoa, OG
Roman Phifer, LB
David Rocker, DT
Robert Young, DE
Free-Agency Timeline
Today--Deadline for clubs to designate franchise and transition players.
Thursday--Deadline for exercising options on players with option clauses for ‘94; expiration of all player contracts due to expire in 1994; deadline for qualifying offers to restricted free agents.
Friday--Signing period begins for unrestricted and restricted free agents; trading period begins.
April 18--Deadline for signing offer sheets by restricted free agents.
April 24-25--NFL draft.
June 1--Deadline for former club to receive negotiating rights for rest of season to unsigned restricted free agents.
June 15--Deadline for former club to withdraw original qualifying offer to unsigned restricted free agents.
July 15--Signing period ends at
1 p.m. PST for unrestricted free agents.
x--Rams have right of first refusal
y--On leave of absence from the team pending outcome of cocaine distribution charges.