By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
Tuesday, Sep. 21 2004
The Rams have added another former Arizona Cardinal to their secondary, signing
safety Kwamie Lassiter on Tuesday. Contract terms weren't immediately
available.
Lassiter, 34, is a 10-year veteran who spent the first eight seasons of his NFL
career with Arizona, before playing for San Diego last season. With the Big
Red, he was a teammate of Aeneas Williams for six seasons (1995-2000), and
Justin Lucas for four seasons (1999-2002). Now, he's reunited with them in St.
Louis.
The Rams have more pressing needs at cornerback, where DeJuan Groce is expected
to miss Sunday's game against New Orleans with a sprained knee and Travis
Fisher remains sidelined with a broken arm. But there's not much available on
the market at cornerback.
Because of his familiarity with defensive coordinator Larry Marmie's system
when they worked together in Arizona, Lassiter should be able to get lined up
right away. He could help immediately in the Rams' nickel and dime packages.
The Rams' options at cornerback without Groce include second-year man Kevin
Garrett and undrafted rookie Dwight Anderson. Or the Rams could move Williams
back to cornerback from free safety.
Lassiter finished second in the NFL in interceptions with nine in 2001. In
1998, he had eight interceptions for the Cardinals, including four in one game
against San Diego, which tied an NFL record.
He had 100-plus tackles for four consecutive seasons, from 1999 to 2002, and
was on a similar pace last season with San Diego before suffering a
season-ending knee injury Nov. 16 against Denver. With the Chargers in the
midst of a youth movement, Lassiter was released 2 1/2 weeks ago, on Sept. 5.
To make room for Lassiter on the roster, the Rams released fullback Stephen
Trejo, who had appeared in both games this season on special teams
Of the Post-Dispatch
Tuesday, Sep. 21 2004
The Rams have added another former Arizona Cardinal to their secondary, signing
safety Kwamie Lassiter on Tuesday. Contract terms weren't immediately
available.
Lassiter, 34, is a 10-year veteran who spent the first eight seasons of his NFL
career with Arizona, before playing for San Diego last season. With the Big
Red, he was a teammate of Aeneas Williams for six seasons (1995-2000), and
Justin Lucas for four seasons (1999-2002). Now, he's reunited with them in St.
Louis.
The Rams have more pressing needs at cornerback, where DeJuan Groce is expected
to miss Sunday's game against New Orleans with a sprained knee and Travis
Fisher remains sidelined with a broken arm. But there's not much available on
the market at cornerback.
Because of his familiarity with defensive coordinator Larry Marmie's system
when they worked together in Arizona, Lassiter should be able to get lined up
right away. He could help immediately in the Rams' nickel and dime packages.
The Rams' options at cornerback without Groce include second-year man Kevin
Garrett and undrafted rookie Dwight Anderson. Or the Rams could move Williams
back to cornerback from free safety.
Lassiter finished second in the NFL in interceptions with nine in 2001. In
1998, he had eight interceptions for the Cardinals, including four in one game
against San Diego, which tied an NFL record.
He had 100-plus tackles for four consecutive seasons, from 1999 to 2002, and
was on a similar pace last season with San Diego before suffering a
season-ending knee injury Nov. 16 against Denver. With the Chargers in the
midst of a youth movement, Lassiter was released 2 1/2 weeks ago, on Sept. 5.
To make room for Lassiter on the roster, the Rams released fullback Stephen
Trejo, who had appeared in both games this season on special teams
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