A little-known provision in the collective bargaining agreement could be a huge detriment to a prolonged holdout by Steven Jackson.
According to the NFL Players Association, players under contract must report at least 30 days prior to the first regular-season game or else they lose an accrued season of seniority.
The Rams open the regular season Sept. 7 in Philadelphia, so Jackson must report by Aug. 8 ? a week from Friday ? or else the 2008 season will not count toward his eligibility for free agency.
If the current collective bargaining agreement is voided, as is being threatened by team owners, one of the side provisions is that players would need six years' seniority to be eligible for free agency following the 2009 season.
May 2008 - Los Angeles Rams Wiretap
Rams Won't Negotiate Until Jackson Is In Camp
Stephen Jackson's agent turned down the Rams' latest offer Friday afternoon, and the Rams responded by cutting off talks until the running back was in camp. Coach Scott Linehan's concise update on Saturday, "Nothing that I know of."
Rams' Jackson A No-Show
Rams' running back Steven Jackson, entering the final year of his contract, was a no-show for the first team meeting of camp on Friday, as reported by ESPN.com.
Coach Scott Linehan said Thursday after the team arrived at its new training site in suburban Milwaukee that Jackson had told him he would not be on the team charter flight from St. Louis.
Rams' DT Wroten Suspended Four Games
St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Claude Wroten was suspended Tuesday without pay for four games for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.
Wroten's suspension begins immediately, and he will be eligible to return to the team on Oct. 8.
The second-year player out of LSU, a third-round draft pick in 2006, made no tackles in Sunday's loss to Carolina.
Official: Chris Long Agrees To Long-Term Deal With Rams
Defensive end Chris Long agreed to a multi-year deal with the Rams on Sunday, leaving plenty of time for the second overall pick in the 2008 draft to report to training camp, according to an Associated Press report.
Report: Rams, Long Agree To Terms
The Rams and defensive end Chris Long, the second overall pick in the draft, reached an agreement on a contract Saturday night, according to a published report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Rosenbloom: Rams Not For Sale
Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom said on Monday that the team is not for sale, according to The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The franchise has hired a sports investment firm, but not to seek prospective buyers. Rosenbloom claims that firm was hired to field the many inquiries that had been swamping him and Rams president John Shaw.
"It's the same as it's been," Rosenbloom said of the team's status. "If the right person at the time right time with the right price came, I suppose that you might sell your house, right? So, I don't say never. ... If we get a phone call today from somebody who says the right things, we would listen. And that's why Moag is there."
Ex-Rams K Zendejas Charged With Rape
Los Angeles County prosecutors have charged former Rams' kicker Tony Zendejas with drugging and raping a female customer of his Pomona sports bar in January, as reported by the Associated Press on Thursday.
WR Burton Signs With St. Louis
Former Kentucky receiver Keenan Burton says he?s reached a three-year deal with the Rams, as reported by the Associated Press.
Burton says his agent, Todd France, finished the deal on Thursday. Burton says he believes the contract to be worth more than $1M.