Rams : Brown Gets 2 Weeks to Run Down New Job With Old Teammates

Whatever Ron Brown did to or for the Rams in recent years is just water under the track, so to speak.

At least that’s what they’re saying in Anaheim, where Brown began Chapter 2 of his Ram career Monday, this time as an unproven entity looking for steady work. A far cry from Brown’s glamour and glitter arrival after a gold-medal sprint in the 1984 Summer Olympic Games.

This time, Brown is in for a 2-week tryout, after signing a 1-year contract Monday. No strings attached, no promises. Apparently.

“To me it’s like all of a sudden somebody said ‘You get a free guy and you got to decide in 2 weeks,’ ” Robinson said. “It’s a guy who can be a great kickoff return guy who’s got great speed and is a proven player in this league. You get to work him out for 2 weeks and then you have to decide.”

Brown is back because he ran out of options. He retired last April after butting heads with the Rams over a new contract. Brown wanted more money. The Rams didn’t want to pay it. Fine. Brown quit, setting his sights on Seoul and a track career.

When he failed to make the Olympic team, Brown was left with nowhere to run. The Rams tried to get what they could for him, setting up a nice little deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for second- and fifth-round picks.

When the deal fell through, partly because of Brown’s apparent lack of football commitment to Tampa Bay, the Rams were miffed. So last week they allowed the trading deadline to pass, forcing Brown into a play-at-our-price or sit-out-your-career situation.

So Brown is being squeezed back to Rams’ minimum wage and is trying to forgive and forget. His contract provides for $220,000 on a pro-rated, per-game basis--if he makes the team. The Rams get a 2-week roster exemption on Brown before having to make a move.

And what about those bitter feelings between Brown and management? What about the players here who didn’t quit, the ones who went through 2-a-day workouts in training camp? Who takes the bullet when and if Brown is moved to the active roster?

Robinson promised Monday that Brown will be running on a clean slate. Brown’s future is his to decide. He’s got the whole world in his hands.

“He’s going to have to do it on the field,” Robinson said. “No one’s going to say we’re not going to give this guy a chance because he left. There’s no hidden baggage anywhere. In the same respect, what we see out there is how we’re going to respond.”

Robinson compared the situation to that of Greg Bell, who came to the Rams from Buffalo last season with a reputation as a malingerer. So far this season, Bell has malingered for 650 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“When Greg came here, we tried to say hey we’re cutting loose all the baggage, anything that’s followed you along,” Robinson said. “Show us. And Greg Bell showed us. So Greg Bell’s playing. I try to keep it as simple as possible. The only thing we want Ron Brown to do is show us. Show us.”

Brown is glad the Rams are in this show-me state.

The ghost of David Cone? Some San Francisco 49ers players, including safety Ronnie Lott, said comments made by Robinson on his weekly television show Saturday inspired the 49ers’ defense Sunday. Robinson said, in effect, that the 49er defense wasn’t what it used to be.

Robinson didn’t deny the charge Monday.

“It’s not,” he said of the defense. “But what I said was obviously a very complimentary statement about them. I said this has been one of the great defenses in history. . . . I don’t think they’re quite that right now.”

Is it just like Lott to take things out of context?

“I taught him well,” Robinson said.

Lott played for Robinson at USC.

So what ever happened to Flipper Anderson? Remember him? The skinny kid from UCLA? Great speed, good hands, a second-round pick?

Anderson was sensational in training camp, catching 9 passes for 233 yards and 3 touchdowns in 5 exhibition games.

Through 6 regular season games, Anderson has 1 catch for 21 yards.

Here’s a 1-catch recap: It was the Sept. 11, the first quarter, Anaheim Stadium. The opponent was Detroit. On first and 10 at the Lion 38, quarterback Jim Everett dropped and back threw to Anderson.

So far, Flipper Anderson, this has been your NFL life.

“He’s there,” Robinson said, verifying Anderson’s existence. “The ball’s not going to him.”

The Rams wanted balance in their receiving corps. So far, Anderson is trailing Henry Ellard by 31 receptions. Robinson said he’s concerned.

“We have to spread it around some,” he said. “Sometimes you take what’s there. And Henry was there. But that is a problem right now.”

And really, the Rams expected more double coverage on Ellard this year and haven’t been seeing it. Not to worry, though. Anderson’s second catch is coming soon to a stadium near you.