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Free-agent wide receiver Brandon Gibson is looking for a fresh start and won’t return to the Rams next season, league sources told the Post-Dispatch on Saturday.
[hil]The Rams were interested in re-signing Gibson, but only to a point[/hil] as they attempt the annual task of upgrading their wide receiver corps. In a commitment to young wideouts Chris Givens, Brian Quick and Austin Pettis, the Rams wanted Gibson back in a role and for money commensurate to a No. 3 or No. 4 wideout.
But there has been healthy interest in Gibson in the free agent market and plenty of phone calls from other teams as the NFL’s so-called “legal tampering period’’ begin Saturday (or late Friday night outside of the Eastern time zone).
Indications are that Gibson will have a chance for a No. 2 role (or at worst a No. 3) with a contract offer expected soon. The free-agency period begins Tuesday afternoon.
Acquired by the Rams as part of the Will Witherspoon trade with Philadelphia on Oct. 20, 2009, Gibson has caught 174 passes for 2,090 yards (12.0 yards per catch) with nine touchdowns in 54 games for the Rams. Over Gibson’s 3½ seasons in St. Louis, only Danny Amendola caught more passes (187) and no receiver has had more yards or TDs.
Once you get past the “glitter” in this year’s free-agent wide receiver crop, namely Mike Wallace (Pittsburgh), Wes Welker (New England) and Greg Jennings (Green Bay), the market falls off noticeably. With that in mind, the interest Gibson has generated isn't really surprising.
The lean market also could work in Amendola’s favor. Brian Hartline provided a benchmark of sorts Friday when he re-signed with Miami for a reported $6.1 million a year over five years, saying he gave the Dolphins a home-team discount at that.
That’s the kind of deal Amendola seeks, according to those familiar with the negotiations. That’s more than the Rams are willing to invest, given Amendola’s recent injury history. So he appears headed to the market once free agency starts Tuesday. [hil]And if the market materializes as expected by Amendola’s agents, he will be headed to a new team sooner rather than later.[/hil]
[hil]Similarly, the market for defensive end William Hayes is expected to be much higher than the Rams are willing to pay for someone who is a No. 3 end in St. Louis[/hil]. So he also could be out after recording seven sacks and playing strong run defense last year.
As for running back Steven Jackson, there weren’t a lot of phone calls inquiring about him Saturday according to those close to Jackson. But Atlanta still is regarded as the frontrunner for his services, and the Falcons aren’t the only team interested.
During a barrage of media interviews Thursday and Friday in New York, Jackson sounded very much like someone who has made his mind up to leave the Rams.
“I understand the business side of it,” Jackson told Sirius XM NFL Radio. “I still have a great relationship with the (Rams’) organization, and one day I’ll be going back there.”
Just not as a player. Jackson said it wasn’t about the money, although the Rams were prepared to offer him about $3.5 million to return — or about half the $7 million he was due in 2013 before voiding his contract. More bothersome to Jackson is what shaped up as a reduced role as the Rams commit more to youngsters Isaiah Pead and Daryl Richardson — and perhaps a new back — in the running game.
The Rams’ front office stayed up late Friday and was up early Saturday, making calls and monitoring the first day of the 3½-day legal tampering period. Phone calls with outside free agents are allowed, and so is negotiating. But the NFL sent out memos to all teams saying no contracts can be signed — and teams can’t even agree to terms — until after 3 p.m. (St. Louis time) Tuesday.
With William Moore re-signing with Atlanta, another possible option was taken off the free-agent market for the Rams at safety. But Houston’s Grover Quin remains a possibility, and Detroit’s Louis Delmas could be even more attractive to the Rams now that former Lions secondary coach Tim Walton is the Rams’ defensive coordinator.
At offensive tackle, the St. Louis-based CAA sports agency could hold the key because agents Tom Condon and Ben Dogra represent Sam Baker (Atlanta), Jake Long (Miami), Andre Smith (Cincinnati) and Sebastian Vollmer (New England). The only other “name” tackles represented by other agents are Minnesota’s Phil Loadholt and New Orleans’ Jermon Bushrod.
At outside linebacker, sources said the Rams have at least some interest in Oakland’s Phillip Wheeler and Baltimore’s Dannell Ellerbe. Jacksonville’s Daryl Smith could be another possibility, but he turns 31 on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Rams have made one-year tender offers to retain a pair of exclusive rights free agents: center/guard Tim Barnes (University of Missouri) and tight end Mike McNeill (Kirkwood High). Exclusive rights free agents are players with fewer than three years NFL experience. Once they are tendered, their only options are to play with that club or not play at all.
Free-agent wide receiver Brandon Gibson is looking for a fresh start and won’t return to the Rams next season, league sources told the Post-Dispatch on Saturday.
[hil]The Rams were interested in re-signing Gibson, but only to a point[/hil] as they attempt the annual task of upgrading their wide receiver corps. In a commitment to young wideouts Chris Givens, Brian Quick and Austin Pettis, the Rams wanted Gibson back in a role and for money commensurate to a No. 3 or No. 4 wideout.
But there has been healthy interest in Gibson in the free agent market and plenty of phone calls from other teams as the NFL’s so-called “legal tampering period’’ begin Saturday (or late Friday night outside of the Eastern time zone).
Indications are that Gibson will have a chance for a No. 2 role (or at worst a No. 3) with a contract offer expected soon. The free-agency period begins Tuesday afternoon.
Acquired by the Rams as part of the Will Witherspoon trade with Philadelphia on Oct. 20, 2009, Gibson has caught 174 passes for 2,090 yards (12.0 yards per catch) with nine touchdowns in 54 games for the Rams. Over Gibson’s 3½ seasons in St. Louis, only Danny Amendola caught more passes (187) and no receiver has had more yards or TDs.
Once you get past the “glitter” in this year’s free-agent wide receiver crop, namely Mike Wallace (Pittsburgh), Wes Welker (New England) and Greg Jennings (Green Bay), the market falls off noticeably. With that in mind, the interest Gibson has generated isn't really surprising.
The lean market also could work in Amendola’s favor. Brian Hartline provided a benchmark of sorts Friday when he re-signed with Miami for a reported $6.1 million a year over five years, saying he gave the Dolphins a home-team discount at that.
That’s the kind of deal Amendola seeks, according to those familiar with the negotiations. That’s more than the Rams are willing to invest, given Amendola’s recent injury history. So he appears headed to the market once free agency starts Tuesday. [hil]And if the market materializes as expected by Amendola’s agents, he will be headed to a new team sooner rather than later.[/hil]
[hil]Similarly, the market for defensive end William Hayes is expected to be much higher than the Rams are willing to pay for someone who is a No. 3 end in St. Louis[/hil]. So he also could be out after recording seven sacks and playing strong run defense last year.
As for running back Steven Jackson, there weren’t a lot of phone calls inquiring about him Saturday according to those close to Jackson. But Atlanta still is regarded as the frontrunner for his services, and the Falcons aren’t the only team interested.
During a barrage of media interviews Thursday and Friday in New York, Jackson sounded very much like someone who has made his mind up to leave the Rams.
“I understand the business side of it,” Jackson told Sirius XM NFL Radio. “I still have a great relationship with the (Rams’) organization, and one day I’ll be going back there.”
Just not as a player. Jackson said it wasn’t about the money, although the Rams were prepared to offer him about $3.5 million to return — or about half the $7 million he was due in 2013 before voiding his contract. More bothersome to Jackson is what shaped up as a reduced role as the Rams commit more to youngsters Isaiah Pead and Daryl Richardson — and perhaps a new back — in the running game.
The Rams’ front office stayed up late Friday and was up early Saturday, making calls and monitoring the first day of the 3½-day legal tampering period. Phone calls with outside free agents are allowed, and so is negotiating. But the NFL sent out memos to all teams saying no contracts can be signed — and teams can’t even agree to terms — until after 3 p.m. (St. Louis time) Tuesday.
With William Moore re-signing with Atlanta, another possible option was taken off the free-agent market for the Rams at safety. But Houston’s Grover Quin remains a possibility, and Detroit’s Louis Delmas could be even more attractive to the Rams now that former Lions secondary coach Tim Walton is the Rams’ defensive coordinator.
At offensive tackle, the St. Louis-based CAA sports agency could hold the key because agents Tom Condon and Ben Dogra represent Sam Baker (Atlanta), Jake Long (Miami), Andre Smith (Cincinnati) and Sebastian Vollmer (New England). The only other “name” tackles represented by other agents are Minnesota’s Phil Loadholt and New Orleans’ Jermon Bushrod.
At outside linebacker, sources said the Rams have at least some interest in Oakland’s Phillip Wheeler and Baltimore’s Dannell Ellerbe. Jacksonville’s Daryl Smith could be another possibility, but he turns 31 on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Rams have made one-year tender offers to retain a pair of exclusive rights free agents: center/guard Tim Barnes (University of Missouri) and tight end Mike McNeill (Kirkwood High). Exclusive rights free agents are players with fewer than three years NFL experience. Once they are tendered, their only options are to play with that club or not play at all.
