St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger, who skipped a mandatory meeting Thursday when the team reported to training camp, has agreed in principle to a six-year, $62.5 million contract that secures his future in St. Louis beyond 2007. Bulger's new deal includes $26.5 million in guaranteed money, sources said. He participated in the team's first on-field practice Friday morning after missing Thursday's meeting meeting when the Rams reported to camp. Bulger had recently suggested he could stage a training camp holdout only to soften the threat, but when he missed the meeting Thursday it raised the specter of a looming camp absence even though Rams coach Scott Linehan described it as "excused ... for personal reasons." Bulger had one year remaining on a four-year, $19.1 million contract. His agent, Tom Condon, was finalizing contract language on the new deal this morning with Rams general manager Jay Zygmunt.

Marc Bulger's agent, Tom Condon, spent most of Tuesday morning in a negotiating session here with Jay Zygmunt, the Rams' president of football operations-general manager. It was the latest in a series of meetings aimed at a contract extension for Bulger, the Rams' Pro Bowl quarterback. Before Tuesday's session, the parties had met at the NFL owners meetings in March in Phoenix, last month in St. Louis and two weeks ago in Los Angeles. Zygmunt rarely comments on continuing negotiations. When asked about an extension for Bulger on Tuesday, his only reply was: "I just want to reaffirm that it's our No. 1 priority right now. That's really what it is." Zygmunt declined to divulge any details of the team's contract proposal, but it is believed that the Rams have offered Bulger a contract that would place him among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league and make him the highest-paid player in Rams franchise history.

Rams cornerback Fakhir Brown was suspended Friday for the first four games next season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. The league didn't reveal the specific nature of the violation. Brown's agent, Ted Marchibroda, didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

Rams players are to report for training camp two weeks from today. Will quarterback Marc Bulger be among them? In an interview Tuesday on Sirius NFL Radio, Bulger hinted that if he doesn't have a new contract in place before camp, he might consider a holdout. "I don't think it's going to happen, but you never know. I don't want to rule anything out," he said. "The Rams have been good to me. I've been there my whole career, and I think everything's going to get worked out." Bulger added that he'd originally hoped a new deal would be reached shortly after the 2006 season.

The St. Louis Rams have signed seventh-round draft pick Keith Jackson to a three-year contract, the team said Monday. Terms were not disclosed.

There aren?t many good quarterbacks in the NFL. Marc Bulger clearly ranks among the great ones. So, yes, Bulger is going to collect top dollar on his next contract, one way or another. There is no debate here. Bulger is a rare commodity. So the Rams should just do the right thing and lock him in to a long-term contract extension. If Bulger plays out the final year of his four-year, $19.1 million contract, his value will only grow. He is comfortable with Scott Linehan?s offense, which exploits his passing accuracy and does a good job protecting him. He has terrific weapons at his disposal and he plays behind a maturing offensive line. He is almost certain to post large numbers this season.

Second-year defensive tackle Claude Wroten, expected to assume a significant role with the Rams this season, faces misdemeanor charges in Louisiana and possible league scrutiny as well, following an alleged incident last week on the LSU campus. A spokesman for the LSU police department confirmed Wroten was arrested late last week and charged with criminal damage to property after an alleged argument with a girlfriend who had told him she was ending their relationship. According to Maj. Lawrence Rabalais of the LSU police, Wroten kicked down the door to the girlfriend's campus apartment and forcibly entered the residence after she refused to return items he had asked her to return to him.