Rams Pick Up Trent Green

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

February 15, 1999 / 4:34 PM EST / CBS Sportsline

The free agency period is off to a good start for the St. Louis Rams, who signed quarterback Trent Green to a four-year deal Monday. Terms were not disclosed.

A day earlier, the Rams signed offensive guard Adam Timmerman, formerly of the Green Bay Packers, to a five-year contract worth $18.7 million.

The Rams, criticized for a lackluster free agent class last season, have already crossed off two names at the top of their wish list for this offseason. The period for signing free agents began Friday.

Green, 29, is a St. Louis native who started 1998 as an unknown third-stringer for Washington, but ended up starting 14 games. He completed 278 of 509 passes for 3,441 yards and 23 touchdowns. The Redskins struggled in the first half of the season, but went 6-3 over the final nine weeks to finish 7-9.

The Rams have also offered a contract to incumbent starting quarterback Tony Banks, but he'd probably be coming back as a backup to Green. In Banks' three seasons, the Rams have gone 6-10, 5-11 and 4-12.

St. Louis had been interested in Rich Gannon, the former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback who signed with the Oakland Raiders Monday. Former Raiders quarterback Jeff George had also been scheduled to visit Rams Park Monday.