Jeffires Rejects Rams’ Contract Proposal : Football: Houston wide receiver will entertain offers from other teams, including his own.
Free-agent wide receiver Haywood Jeffires on Friday rejected the Rams’ three-year, $3.9-million contract proposal, choosing instead to entertain offers from other clubs, including his current team, Houston.
Jay Zygmunt, Ram senior vice president, confirmed Jeffires’ decision, adding that the Rams don’t plan to submit a new contract deal to the three-time Pro Bowl selection.
“The bottom line is that he didn’t accept the offer,” Zygmunt said. “That’s basically it.
“At this point, I would say that it is more unlikely than likely (that the team will submit a new proposal).”
Fred Joseph, Jeffires’ agent, was unavailable for comment, but a representative at his Greensboro, N.C., office said Jeffires had rejected the proposal.
The Rams’ proposal, which included a $600,000 signing bonus, was about $700,000 a year less than Jeffires has been seeking.
Earlier Friday, Jeffires had told reporters in Houston that he wanted to keep his options open--including the Rams’ offer.
“Who doesn’t give you a take-it-or-leave it offer?” Jeffires said. “I’ll wait and be patient. It’s a cat-and-mouse game. A million dollars is easy to come by. I could get that from a lot of teams.”
Washington and Denver also had pursued Jeffires, the AFC’s leader in receptions in 1990, ’91 and ’92. But the Broncos signed Anthony Miller in March and the Redskins signed the Rams’ Henry Ellard on Wednesday. The Rams made the offer to Jeffires on Thursday.
Jeffires, who earned $900,000 last season with Houston, has indicated he would like to stay with the Oilers. Houston has made him a tentative offer worth $1.3 million a year and isn’t likely to offer more because of salary cap problems.
The Rams also have been interested in unrestricted free-agent receivers Ricky Sanders of the Washington Redskins and Greg McMurtry of New England. They also have scheduled a Tuesday workout for Cincinnati wide receiver Wesley Carroll.
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The Rams signed free-agent defensive back and punt returner Cliff Hicks, formerly of the New York Jets. Hicks, 5-feet-10 and 187 pounds, was a third-round draft selection by the Rams in 1987.
Hicks played three seasons with the Rams and three seasons with Buffalo before signing as a free-agent with the Jets last season. His first pro interception came in 1987 against Chris Miller, his former college teammate at Oregon and current Ram quarterback.