Holt restructures contract, rams save cap $

According to todays post dispatch, the rams and torry holt agreed to a restructuring that would save us $1.8 million this year. We now have 6.1 million in cap space, only 11 teams have more room. This was apparantly done a while ago but only made public today.

Someone please post the article.

We are also looking at jay williams as a reserve defensive end.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[HUbison]

Originally Posted by GC

Someone please post the article.

Your wish is my command.

Holt's contract restructured in salary-cap maneuver
By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
03/24/2005

Wide receiver Torry Holt renegotiated his contract to free salary cap money for the Rams.
(Chris Lee/P-D)



Marshall Faulk wasn't the only high-profile Rams player to restructure his contract in the past few weeks. With much less fanfare, wide receiver Torry Holt renegotiated his deal in a move to help free salary-cap money for the Rams.

But while Faulk took a pay cut, Holt simply converted most of his 2005 base salary into signing bonus. He still gets the same amount of money, but nearly $2.1 million of it gets spread out over the remaining five years of Holt's contract for cap purposes. The move saves the Rams nearly $1.8 million in cap space for this year.

Holt and his agent, Gregory Williams, agreed on the restructuring several weeks ago, and the Rams turned the paperwork into the league in early March. The Rams wanted to have the money available early in the free agency period - just in case they needed it and just in case they didn't agree on a multiyear deal with left tackle Orlando Pace.

"We had to be ready to strike," Rams president of football operations Jay Zygmunt said in a recent interview. "Because you just can't wait (in free agency). It seems that players take one visit. They just come in and sign."

As it turned out, Pace signed a seven-year, $52.9 million contract last week, freeing an additional $2.4 million in cap space. Between the Pace deal and the Holt restructuring, the Rams suddenly find themselves with about $6.1 million in cap room. Only 11 teams in the league had more cap room at the start of this week.

The breakdown on Pace's contract is as follows. Besides his $15 million signing bonus, he gets base salaries of $2.975 million this season, $3.975 million in 2006, $4.075 million in '07, $5.175 million in '08, $5.975 million in '09, $7.175 million in 2010, and $8.375 million in 2011. He also gets a $25,000 offseason workout bonus in each of the seven years of the contract.

Williams on the way?

The Rams have made a contract offer to free-agent defensive end Jay Williams.

Williams, 33, spent the first six years of his career with the Rams - from 1994-99. He was a rotation player on the 1999 Super Bowl championship squad, registering 25 tackles with four sacks.

Williams spent the 2000 and 2001 seasons with Carolina, and then played for Miami from '02 through '04. Due a $400,000 roster bonus at the start of the 2005 free agency period, Williams was a cap casualty in Miami in late February.

With the Rams, Williams would replace Bryce Fisher in a reserve role. He had 52 tackles, two sacks and 18 quarterback pressures in a similar role for Miami last season.

Williams' agent, Ron Del Duca, said Williams wants to visit Rams Park before making his decision, and probably will do so early next week. Kansas City also has expressed interest in Williams, although the Chiefs have yet to make an offer.

Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil and defensive line coach Carl Hairston had those same job titles for St. Louis when Williams played with the Rams.

Play dough

After committing to Anthony Hargrove as their starting right defensive end this coming season, the Rams couldn't afford to keep Fisher, who signed a four-year, $10 million free-agent contract with Seattle last week. Fisher's deal included a $2 million signing bonus.

Meanwhile, the one-year contract former Arizona defensive back Michael Stone signed with the Rams was for $530,000, including a $75,000 signing bonus according to the NFL Players Association.

Goodspeed signs

Fullback Joey Goodspeed signed his one-year, $656,000 tender offer this week with the Rams as a restricted free agent. Two of the Rams' three restricted free agents have signed one-year tenders. Long snapper-fullback Chris Massey signed last week, but wide receiver Dane Looker hasn't signed.

[psycho9985]

I'm really suprized that Torry did that,but good for him I like his team first attitude.Now maybe Rev. Ike will do something similar.

I dont think we want bruce to restructure at this point. First of all, if we open more cap money, what are we going to do with it? Second, after this season, bruce will be heading into the last year of his contract. We are going to need him to restructure next year in a big way, especially if people on this board are right about how good kevin curtis is.

general counsel

[HUbison]

Originally Posted by general counsel

I dont think we want bruce to restructure at this point. First of all, if we open more cap money, what are we going to do with it? Second, after this season, bruce will be heading into the last year of his contract. We are going to need him to restructure next year in a big way, especially if people on this board are right about how good kevin curtis is.

general counsel

Ditto, GC. Next year is the year we will need a big helping hand from Ike. To do it this year wouldn't be necessary.

[AvengerRam]

Torry is the model draft choice.


Produced pretty much from day one.

Became an elite player within 2 years of being drafted.

Never says anything that gets himself in trouble.

Never gets arrested.

Never been seriously injured.

Signed a long-term deal when his rookie contract expired.

And now, restructures to give the team more cap room.

[WILLN107]

Av I hope you didn't just jinx him by saying all that. It will be all your fault if he comes up lame and cant play this year.

[ZigZagRam]

Never says anything that gets himself in trouble.

He hasn't said anything but let's not forget the people around here crucified him for the tutu incident.

I still can't believe some people around here wanted to trade this class act, and a Pro Bowler.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Torry in the horns his whole career, and that's a real good thing.

Go 81!

[HUbison]

Originally Posted by ZZR

I wouldn't be surprised to see Torry in the horns his whole career, and that's a real good thing.

Well he's learning about staying with one team from the best. Holt & Bruce...dare I say the greatest receiver tandem in the history of the game?

[ZigZagRam]

I don't know about that. A couple folks up in Seattle think Darrell Jackson and Koren Robinson are just as good: Koren Robinson and Darrell Jackson.

[DJRamFan]

Holt's a class act totally. I have to wonder how long Bruce plans on playing when they go into that last year of his contract.

Double Z, if that comment regarding people in seattle thinking that robinson and jackson are on the same level as bruce and holt, someone is spending a lot of time eating those funny mushrooms.

general counsel

[ZigZagRam]

"They get more opportunities," Koren Robinson said of the Rams' starting wideouts. "But we have more weapons, and we understand our roles. "We don't get the opportunities, but I feel like talent-wise, we're just as good as Torry and Isaac."

I believe it was the Mary Jane talking.

Double Z, much harder narcotics would be required to come to that conclusion! I think talent wise, koren robinson is terrific and i hope that his unfullfilled potential remains just that. In addition, i dont see either bruce or holt in rehab or getting suspended like robinson.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[GSOT]

Rams fans need to relize holt is a top 3 reciever in the nfl CONSISTANTLY and start to accpreciate him more. He will be in the hall.