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  • #1

    We sign yet ANOTHER tackle

    Rams add ex-Redskins DT Holsey, cut Walton
    June 18, 2004
    SportsLine.com wire reports

    ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams signed veteran defensive tackle Bernard Holsey to a one-year contract on Friday and released safety Shane Walton.

    Holsey started all 16 games for the Washington Redskins in 2003, recording 41 tackles and 2.5 sacks. In his eight-year career, he has played in 104 games, starting 36, and has 182 tackles, 8.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

    Walton played in four games last season before being placed on injured reserved Oct. 9.
    Tags: None
    • #2
      Re: We sign yet ANOTHER tackle

      Can't say I'm too surprised. The Rams have Shivers, who looks like he's going to be our starter once Aeneas is gone, as well as Coady and some promising undrafted free agents at safety. Those guys are playing behind too established and talented safeties in Williams and Archuleta. Walton was expendable, but it's unfortunate to see him go when he didn't really have a chance to show much.

      Meanwhile, the Rams have a lot of questions at defensive tackle, because Pickett and Lewis haven't performed up to their draft status (though they haven't been horrible) and the Rams lost arguably their most consistent defensive tackle to free agency. It looks as if St. Louis is trying to bring in more talent and depth to the line in case Pickett, Lewis, and Kennedy don't pan out this season or suffer injuries (which wouldn't be surprising either).

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        • #3
          Re: We sign yet ANOTHER tackle

          Well, this is the kind of stuff I like to see our FO do: Address an unhideable weakness. It is encouraging.

          Is this Hosley guy any good? Can anyone comment. He started all 16 games so I'm guessing he has some talent.

          Nick, you're posting my stuff about our DTs.

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            • #4
              Re: We sign yet ANOTHER tackle

              From Pasquarelli's article on the signing:

              "A seven-year veteran, Holsey has played mostly at tackle during his career, but can line up at end as well, and his addition provides St. Louis some flexibility. It would seem that the Rams' greater need is at end, where they lost starter Grant Wistrom in free agency and where Pro Bowl performer Leonard Little faces felony charges based on an April arrest for alleged drunk driving, but landing Holsey could enable coaches to shuffle one of their tackles to the outside spot.

              Holsey, 30, was one of the better players remaining in a diluted unrestricted pool and it was somewhat surprising, even given the journeyman nature of his career, that he went largely ignored until now. Holsey's representatives spoke with the Atlanta Falcons early in the signing period but nothing developed."

              Doesn't tell us much, but I'm intrigued about the mentioning of one of our tackles sliding over to end. I've heard rumblings about maybe Lewis moving over, but nothing substantial.

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                • RamWraith
                  Veteran tackle agrees to one-year deal: RAMS
                  by RamWraith
                  Veteran tackle agrees to one-year deal: RAMS
                  By Bill Coats
                  ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
                  Thursday, Jun. 08 2006

                  The Rams, who had been seeking help for the interior of their defensive line
                  since losing free agents Ryan Pickett and Damione Lewis in March, believe they
                  have found some in veteran tackle Jason Fisk.

                  The team agreed to a one-year deal with Fisk on Tuesday. He is expected to sign
                  a contract when he arrives in St. Louis today and be on the field Friday at
                  Rams Park for the start of a three-day minicamp.

                  The Rams also signed kicker Remy Hamilton and agreed to terms with cornerback
                  Kevin Timothee. Both were free agents. Kicker Josh Cummings, an undrafted
                  rookie, was released.

                  The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Fisk said he was ready to begin preparing for his 12th
                  NFL season. "I've been training pretty good for the last couple of months, just
                  in case I had an opportunity to do this," he said in a telephone interview from
                  his home in Davis, Calif. "I think I'm in fairly good shape."

                  Still, Fisk, 33, said that because of family considerations, this probably
                  would be his final season. He and wife, Miriam, have two daughters - Julia, 9,
                  and Carmin, 3 - and a son, Tucker, 7. They will remain on the West Coast during
                  the season.

                  Fisk, a Stanford product, was a seventh-round draft pick by Minnesota in 1995.
                  He played four years with the Vikings, three with Tennessee, three with San
                  Diego and last season with Cleveland.

                  Fisk started for the Titans in the Super Bowl in January 2000, won by the Rams
                  23-16. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em," he said, laughing.

                  He saw action in all 16 games with the Browns last season, collecting 39
                  tackles. When he was released after the season, Fisk thought he might call it a
                  career. "I was kicking the idea around," he said. "But I couldn't find anything
                  better to do."

                  Several teams contacted his agent. He said he picked the Rams mainly because
                  he's more comfortable in a 4-3 defense, which is expected to be the team's base
                  alignment. Fisk acknowledged that he had difficulty adapting to 3-4 defenses
                  with the Browns and Chargers.

                  "It usually requires a big, 350-pound guy playing nose tackle, and I struggled
                  a bit doing that," he said. "I'm looking forward to getting back into a 4-3."

                  Pickett, who signed with Green Bay, and Lewis, who went to Carolina, both were
                  Rams first-round draft choices in 2001. Their exit left Jimmy Kennedy and
                  La'Roi Glover as the probable first-team tackles. The only other defensive
                  tackles on the roster were Brian Howard and Jeremy Calahan, plus rookies Claude
                  Wroten...
                  -06-08-2006, 04:47 AM
                • Nick
                  Some notes about Holsey
                  by Nick
                  This guy is going to be what Brian Young would have been had he been retained. Holsey was arguably the best lineman on a weak Redskins defensive line last season. He started all year for them, and while he probably isn't an every down starter, the impression I've got from some Redskins fans is that he shows a lot of intensity and is a good pass rushing DT coming off the bench. I think we gained a very good depth player by signing him, and I would imagine he'll beat out the rookie DTs that we picked up as free agents.

                  Also, look at what Holsey was able to do last season statistically in comparison to Young. While Young forced three fumbles, he had fewer solo tackles and fewer sacks that Holsey. That could be attributed to less playing time, but also keep in mind Young was playing with better overall defensive line players, including one of the league's sack leaders.

                  Personally, I think signing Holsey and releasing Walton was a good move by the franchise to help add good depth to a questionable position. We know that Aeneas and Arch are going to play good ball for us, and we know Coady can step in and perform moderately. Shivers has potential, so Walton seems like the odd man out, especially coming off his injury. Meanwhile, signing Holsey gives us another man at DT and keeps Jackson from having to rotating between the interior and the exterior of the line, as I've heard that the Rams are interested in using him primarily on the bookends this year (think I read Howard say that).
                  -06-20-2004, 10:58 PM
                • Nick
                  Rams are hoping they end up with defensive line answers (Post Dispatch)
                  by Nick
                  Rams are hoping they end up with defensive line answers
                  By Bill Coats
                  Of the Post-Dispatch
                  07/22/2004

                  Any coach well-versed in football-speak will insist that all starting positions are open heading into training camp. But realistically, only two spots will be up for grabs when the Rams assemble next week in Macomb, Ill.

                  Both are on the defensive line: End Grant Wistrom, the team's first-round draft pick in 1998 and a five-year starter, snatched up Seattle's six-year, $33 million free-agent offer in the offseason. Brian Young, another free agent who was emerging as a top-flight tackle, accepted a four-year deal with New Orleans that included a $4 million signing bonus.

                  Those losses are significant for a once-porous defense that had improved into a respectable unit. Last year, the Rams ranked 16th among the 32 NFL teams in total defense, and sixth in the 16-team NFC. They led the league in takeaways with 46 - 24 interceptions and 22 fumble recoveries.

                  Wistrom, 28, piled up 108 tackles, fourth-best on the team and No. 1 among linemen, and had 7 1/2 sacks, a total exceeded only by All-Pro left end Leonard Little (12 1/2). Young, 27, had 102 tackles, No. 6 in team totals, including 2 1/2 sacks.

                  Defensive line coach Bill Kollar acknowledged that the challenge of filling those holes effectively has him fretting just a bit. "When you end up losing two guys that really played good for you and really set a good effort tone, it makes it tough," Kollar said. "It'll be a pretty interesting task, and we'll just see what we're able to get out of these (other) guys."

                  Despite his legal difficulties, Little is expected to report to Western Illinois University on Tuesday with the rest of his teammates, and to be available for the season. Meanwhile, Ryan Pickett started 13 games at nose tackle last year and should fill that role again this season, although he could wind up sliding over to Young's spot. Pickett's performance last season was hampered by a nagging ankle injury.

                  The leading candidates to take over for Wistrom at right end are Bryce Fisher, a fifth-year pro who has started just once in 20 games with the Rams; Sean Moran, a former Ram who recently returned as a free agent; and Erik Flowers, a six-year veteran who played in only three games in his first season with the Rams.

                  "Fisher will start out as the No. 1 guy," Kollar said. "Now, that's not saying that he is the starter. But right now, he's the guy that we've got in there, and it'll just depend on how it goes during training camp and the preseason games."

                  Kollar also indicated that newcomer Anthony Hargrove, a third-round draft selection from Georgia Tech, could figure into the mix. Hargrove stood out at the team's rookie minicamp and was solid in the full-squad minicamp that followed.

                  ...
                  -07-23-2004, 05:47 AM
                • RamDez
                  Veteran steps in for his injured teammate
                  by RamDez
                  Veteran steps in for his injured teammate
                  By Jim Thomas
                  Of the Post-Dispatch
                  08/07/2004





                  MACOMB, Ill. - Don't look for Bernard Holsey in an instructional fitness video any time soon. The veteran defensive tackle was doing a plyometrics workout during the offseason when he lost his equilibrium.

                  "It was one of those freak accidents," Holsey said. "I was doing box jumps and kind of lost my balance. I fell down and my leg kind of stayed up on the box."

                  He suffered a torn quadriceps tendon in his left leg and underwent surgery in February. Which is hardly the best way to begin the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

                  Because of the surgery, Holsey wasn't expecting to hear from NFL teams until the start of training camp. Much to his surprise, the Rams signed him to a one-year, $660,000 contract on June 18.

                  "I really wasn't expecting that," Holsey said. "The Rams came out of the blue on that one. I really appreciate their trust and faith in me that everything's going to work out for the best."

                  For the most part, Holsey had been a spectator during the first nine days of camp as he continued rehabilitation work on his leg. Now, it's time for Holsey to reward the Rams for that "trust and faith."

                  Thursday afternoon, defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy was lost for 10 to 12 weeks with a fractured foot. On Friday afternoon, Holsey took part in his first full-scale practice with the Rams.

                  Kennedy wasn't going to start this season; Ryan Pickett and Damione Lewis will handle those chores. But Kennedy had shown enough to merit a spot in defensive line coach Bill Kollar's rotation.

                  "Obviously, he still had a ways to go," Kollar said. "But he was getting better and working pretty hard."

                  With Kennedy shelved for at least half the season, Holsey becomes the No. 1 candidate for the No. 3 spot at defensive tackle.

                  "To me, starting is not that important," Holsey said. "I'm here to play. And the way Coach Kollar rotates his guys, I'm going to get to play a good amount."

                  Given Lewis' injury history, Holsey could play even more than he thinks. An eight-year veteran from Duke, Holsey has played for the New York Giants, Indianapolis, New England and Washington. He has started only 33 of 104 games over that span, but started all 16 games last season for the Redskins.

                  "He's a stout-looking guy and stuff," Kollar said. "I know he's a tough guy, which we like."

                  Other possibilities for tackle help off the bench include defensive captain Tyoka Jackson and youngsters Brian Howard, Justin Montgomery and Kevin Aldridge.

                  "Over the last couple years, Ty has really done a good job at left end for us, and we really like him out there,"
                  ...
                  -08-07-2004, 12:54 PM
                • RamsFan16
                  Needs Remain for Rams
                  by RamsFan16
                  Needs Remain for Rams
                  Thursday, March 16, 2006

                  By Nick Wagoner
                  Senior Writer

                  It has been less than a week since free agency began and the Rams have nearly completed their free agent shopping already.

                  With the addition of Will Witherspoon at middle linebacker, La’Roi Glover at defensive tackle, strong safety Corey Chavous and cornerback Fakhir Brown, St. Louis filled some important holes.

                  However, many of those holes were newly dug by the loss of the likes of Adam Archuleta, Damione Lewis and Ryan Pickett. While the Rams were still holding out hope that Pickett would accept their standing contract offer, they still have plenty of other needs that must be addressed. Pickett is expected to choose Green Bay, perhaps by the end of the day.

                  As it stands, St. Louis probably has enough cap room (believed to be around $8-10 million, part of which needs to be saved for signing the draft class), to make another move or two in free agency. After signing Witherspoon, coach Scott Linehan said the team would look to continue to make a couple more additions to bolster the defense.

                  Even with the addition of Brown since then, financial restraints would indicate that there has to be some concessions made that some of the players already in place will be ready to play.

                  “I think we’ve got to give a little benefit of the doubt to some of the players that are already here,” Linehan said. “In no way is this a reflection on guys that have played here before that may or may not be coming back, because for whatever reason the defense didn’t have a lot of success last year or the year before, there are some guys here that are going to benefit from the addition of some of these players, not just because of their ability, but we’re bringing in some great leadership and knowledge of the game that will help develop some of these players that are already here. So I’m excited to see those guys develop as well.”

                  Had the Rams found a way to bring Pickett back, it would likely have put a halt on free agent spending with the possible exception of a punter and/or backup quarterback. With Pickett not returning, there will be a little more wiggle room to fill some important needs.

                  Either way, it appears that many of the team’s remaining needs will be filled through April’s NFL Draft. With that in mind, here’s a glance at what needs remain and possibilities for how those needs will be filled.

                  • Strong side linebacker

                  - Witherspoon is in place in the middle with leading tackler Pisa Tinoisamoa holding down the weak side spot. That leaves one more linebacker job open for competition. If training camp started today, that spot would likely come down to Dexter Coakley and Brandon Chillar for the starting job. Some members of the coaching staff see potential in Chillar, but he was up and down last season. Coakley continues...
                  -03-16-2006, 10:55 AM
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