rams agree with terms with wade..

[suhpr3me]

see post below

[ramsbruce]

Rams Agree to Terms with Wade
Wednesday, June 27, 2007

By Nick Wagoner
Senior Writer

Jonathan Wade is the fastest member of the Rams' 2007 draft class and an instant contender to be the fastest Ram on the roster. So, it comes as no surprise that he wasted little to no time to come to terms on a contract that will have him in a Rams uniform quickly.

Wade agreed to terms with the Rams on a three-year deal Thursday as he becomes the second member of the team's draft class to officially become a Ram.

The Rams selected Wade in the third round of this year's NFL Draft, No. 84 overall out of the University of Tennessee. Wade was second team all Southeastern Conference as a senior for the Volunteers when he put up 52 tackles with four interceptions.

Wade was known as a physical talent with blazing speed, but still has work to do in learning the cornerback position. Wade started his collegiate career as a wide receiver but switched to defensive back in 2004. In 37 games on defense, Wade posted 110 tackles and six interceptions.

For the Rams, Wade has a little bit of a learning curve before he can contribute, but he should be in position to compete for the fourth cornerback job behind Fakhir Brown,Tye Hill and Ron Bartell.

Wade said at the team's minicamp that he understands he needs to learn as fast as possible because there are no breaks in the NFL.

"Everyone is here because they were blessed enough to be skilled at their position," Wade said. "No one is average here. Everyone is very good at their craft. You have to perform every single snap. That play that you want to take off in college or that snap in practice, that is not going to happen, especially not at camp because if you do and you continue to you will be sent home."

Wade follows the lead of seventh-round draft pick Derek Stanley, a wide receiver who agreed to a three-year deal earlier this week.

[RamWraith]

Wade, Rams reach contract terms
By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Thursday, Jun. 28 2007

A second Rams draft pick has agreed to contract terms. Cornerback Jonathan
Wade, a third-round selection (No. 84 overall) from Tennessee, received a
three-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.

On Tuesday, the team reached accord on a three-year contract with wide receiver
Derek Stanley, a seventh-round pick from Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Wade, 5 feet 10 and 195 pounds, was a wide receiver his first two seasons with
the Volunteers. He moved to defensive back as a redshirt sophomore and became a
full-time starter as a senior.

His experience on offense "helps me recognize a lot of things, helps me look
around and be able to kind of tell what going on," Wade said. "Knowing how to
look at defensive back from a receiver’s standpoint helps out a lot. I’ve come
a long way, but I have a long way to go."

Wade was an All-America sprinter at Tennessee, and his 4.36-second time for 40
yards was one of the fastest at the NFL scouting combine.

"Unbelievable speed," Rams coach Scott Linehan said. "His coverability as a
corner separates him from some of the other ones we had on the (draft) board. .
. . I like the idea of having great speed out there on the field to match up
with the kind of receivers we see week in and week out."

Linehan emphasized that though a bit raw, Wade made "a nice transition from a
guy who was a receiver to playing (cornerback) at a high level in the SEC. His
ball skills are solid. Being an ex-receiver, that’s something that he can make
a big-time strength."

In 51 games at Tennessee, Wade started 28 times at cornerback and three times
at wideout. He finished with 110 tackles and six interceptions, returning one
for a touchdown.

Wade, 23, is a native of Shreveport, La.

[PHAT-MONEY]

yeah boyyy.. lets play now!!

[Bar-bq]

Now, next year and those following become quite interesting.

It's pure speculation, but when Brown slows down, does Bartell become a starter and Wade shift into the Nickel role? I love Ron's presence in the Nickel package, but his demonstrations of size, speed and hands make him a great contender for a complimentary role to Tye Hill in the future.

[tomahawk247]

I love that Wade has signed early. He has great physical ability but is probably the player that would benefit the most from being in camp from the beginning.

[TekeRam]

His rap is that he's got the physical ability to be a first round talent but he's a bit raw in the skills of the position so I, too, am very glad he'll be there for all of camp. I'm also hoping hard that he just needs another year or two to get used to coverage and that his time as a WR does indeed help him in the long run. Wade could be a great steal.

[jkramsfan]

I liked this pick, he may be raw at that position,but he has the talent and it sounds like he wants to learn and get in there and play,I think we will be giving Linehan and his staff alot of credit for the defensive picks they have made the last two seasons. once these guys get some time on the field. haslett is building a good young defense,I hope he sticks around to see it through.

[Keenum]

Good. I think he's going to need a good bit of work for him to reach his full potential at CB (was a WR for a while). He's got a ton of speed, and once he gets his technique down, he can become a stud cover corner.