By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Friday, Mar. 24 2006
Matt Turk apparently is in as the Rams' new punter, not Jason Baker. And Baker
isn't sure exactly how that happened.
By all accounts, Baker had a great free-agent visit with the Rams on Wednesday
and Thursday. Baker hit it off with special teams coach Bob Ligashesky.
"Coach Ligashesky's an outstanding guy," Baker said. "Would be a great guy to
play for, I think. (Place-kicker) Jeff Wilkins and I talked on the phone a
number of times."
Baker said his meeting with head coach Scott Linehan went well. But when Baker
returned home Thursday afternoon to Carmel, Ind., he was chagrined to learn
that the Rams were going with Turk, with the implication that Baker's contract
demands were beyond what the Rams were willing to pay.
"There was never even an offer presented," Baker said. "Literally, there was no
negotiation. I went over there with the intent of leaving a Ram. But I was
never even given an opportunity to say 'yes' or 'no' to anything. All I got was
a steak and had a doctor poke me a couple times.
"The thing about it is, if they would have just said, 'You know what, we're
thinking about maybe signing Matt Turk. We may be able to sign him for quite a
bit less.' I would've understood that.
"Matt Turk, when he is healthy, he's a great punter. No disrespect to him. But
to sort of use the 'we negotiated and we couldn't get Baker to take what we
offered,' just to make it justifiable to you guys (the media). ... We never
even had a conversation about a dollar."
According to Baker, the Rams kind of floated the idea of Baker playing for the
minimum. But given the fact that Baker led the NFC in net punting in 2005, and
the fact that he had a $1 million-a-year offer on the table from Carolina,
Baker thought the Rams were joking. Apparently they weren't.
"It's one thing if you choose to go a different direction," Baker said. "But
why fail to offer me a contract, and then try to give me a black eye by putting
it out there that I wanted too much money, and that it was a money issue. I
mean, be professional and at least call my agent back and just say we're going
a different direction."
The Rams have yet to announce Turk's signing, but two league sources told the
Post-Dispatch that they were signing him. Rams president of football operations
Jay Zygmunt could not be reached for comment Thursday night.
Fisher joins Rams
Free-agent running back Tony Fisher has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with
the Rams, according to league sources.
Fisher, 6-1, 222, went to Green Bay as an undrafted rookie in 2002 out of Notre
Dame and spent most of his four NFL seasons as the Packers' third-down back.
For his career, he has 235 carries for 880 yards and four touchdowns and has
caught 125 passes for 900 yards and five TDs. Last season, Fisher carried 60
times for a career-low 173 yards, but established career highs in both
receptions (48) and reception yards (347). He started four games last season,
sitting out two contests with a rib injury.
Fisher, 26, blocks and catches well but is not an explosive runner. He's
considered a very good special teams player. Fisher, who visited Rams Park on
Thursday, is expected to be the team's No. 3 running back behind
Steven Jackson
and Marshall Faulk.
Ram-blings
Minnesota LB Raonall Smith and New Orleans return specialist Michael Lewis also
paid free-agent visits to Rams Park on Thursday, but it was uncertain if they
were offered contracts. ... CB Corey Ivy has signed a three-year free-agent
deal with Baltimore. Ivy finished with 60 tackles, two sacks, an interception
and two forced fumbles in 2005, his only season with the Rams.
Linear Mode
