Smith, Goldberg expected to contribute more for Rams
April 23rd, 2007 | by Kevin Morris |
The St. Louis Rams improved their veteran depth at two positions on Friday, re-signing linebacker Raonall Smith and offensive lineman Adam Goldberg, two players who had key backup roles with the club in 2006.
A five-year veteran, Smith rejoined the Rams after spending the first two months of the free agency period exploring his options with other teams. An unrestricted free agent, Smith can play both outside linebacker positions, and, for a St. Louis team that is thin at the position, he figures to be a top reserve in 2007.
His one-year contract includes a base salary of $595,000.
Smith, 28, played the first four seasons of his career with the Minnesota Vikings before signing with the Rams as a free agent in 2006. He appeared in all 16 games last season and registered 24 tackles. The former Washington State standout was Minnesota’s second-round pick in the 2002 draft.
He missed his entire rookie campaign with a shoulder injury suffered in the preseason, and his career never really took off during his Vikings’ tenure the way the team had anticipated it would.
Goldberg, 26, also began his career with the Vikings, signing with the club as an undrafted college free agent in 2004. After two seasons with Minnesota, including a 2005 campaign in which he logged 12 starts, Goldberg was traded to the Rams in 2006.
The former Wyoming star has appeared in 44 games and started 20 of them. Goldberg can play every offensive line position with the exception of center and most of his starts have been at tackle. His one-year contract is for $850,000.
