Rams Will Release Jones, Farr, Agnew
Linebacker Mike Jones, hero of the St. Louis Rams’ Super Bowl victory a year ago, has been told by the team that he won’t be re-signed.
The Rams also cut two other starters from their porous defense, tackles D’Marco Farr and Ray Agnew.
The moves were made to improve one of the NFL’s worst defenses and to get the team under the salary cap of $67.4 million for the start of the free-agent period on March 2. Backup center Steve Everitt also was informed he would be cut.
Team spokesman Rick Smith said the players would be officially waived today.
All the moves came in preparation for today, when teams must designate franchise and transition players for the free-agent signing period.
Jones, who will be 32 in April, is best known for the tackle on Tennessee’s Kevin Dyson at the one-yard line on the final play of the 2000 Super Bowl, won, 23-16, by the Rams. But like most of the St. Louis defense, he had an off-year as the team gave up almost double the points it did the year before--471 compared with 242 in 1999.
“He kind of expected this would happen,” Harold Lewis, Jones’ agent, said Wednesday. “But I guess you would say it’s still a shock because you never want to face that day.”
There are reports Jones could end up with Kansas City, whose coach is now former Ram coach Dick Vermeil.
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The Washington Redskins will release five players today, including former all-pro guards Tre Johnson and Keith Sims.
Johnson, Sims, and tackle Derek Smith failed physicals, and wide receiver Irving Fryar and tackle Kareem Ellis also were to be waived.
The Redskins are as much as $14 million over the salary cap and the moves will save them about $5 million, the Washington Post reported.
The Redskins also said they won’t make an offer to free-agent running back Gerald Arnold.
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Needing to clear salary cap space and planning to revamp their defensive system under new Coach Herman Edwards, the New York Jets cut Bryan Cox and two other linebackers.
Released along with Cox were fellow inside linebacker Dwayne Gordon and outside backer Roman Phifer. Also cut was defensive tackle Ernie Logan and running back Bernie Parmalee.
The Jets saved about $11 million in salary cap money with their moves. They also restructured the contract of receiver Wayne Chrebet and are close to doing the same with quarterback Vinny Testaverde, which would save at least another $2 million.
Before the moves, the Jets were an estimated $6 million over the cap.
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Atlanta Falcon cornerback Ray Buchanan signed a $36-million, six-year contract, one day before he would have been designated a franchise player.
“They came to me with a contract they thought was fair,” the former all-pro player said. “There were a couple of wrinkles we had to iron out, but other than that we weren’t too far off.”
Buchanan’s contract, hammered out between his agent, Eugene Parker, and Falcon General Manager Harold Richardson, includes an $8-million signing bonus that matches the franchise record figure that offensive tackle Bob Whitfield agreed to Dec. 26.
In other news, cornerback Conrad Hamilton, who sat out the 2000 season recovering from an injury, signed with the team.
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Three-time all-pro nose tackle Ted Washington will be among the first players cut by the Buffalo Bills today.
Washington’s agent, Angelo Wright, said the team would release Washington because he turned down a pay cut for the second consecutive year.
“It wouldn’t behoove us to take a pay cut. He’s got three years left in him as a starter and maybe another year as a backup,” Wright said.
Washington, who completed his sixth year in Buffalo, was scheduled to make about $7.6 million--including bonus money--next season. That’s deemed far too expensive for the salary-cap strapped Bills who are projected to be more than $13 million over the cap.
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Miami Dolphin offensive tackle Richmond Webb underwent surgery to remove bone spurs and loose particles from his right elbow. Webb, a seven-time all-pro and unrestricted free agent, started 14 games for the Dolphins last season.