Holt's agent threatens holdout

[Gunzlingr]

The Rams have maintained an even strain amid threats that wide receiver Torry Holt would miss the club's minicamp this weekend.

Holt's agent, Greg Williams, stirred the pot over the weekend with comments that appeared on ESPN.com. Williams said Holt would not report to the Rams three-day minicamp that begins Friday unless he received a contract extension. Williams could not be reached Tuesday.

Jay Zygmunt, Rams president of football operations, didn't up the ante or engage in a war of words Tuesday. He said that the team had opened negotiations with Holt and Williams months ago and that the sides had talked Friday.

"The situation is not unique to Torry," Zygmunt said. "Any deal is just a phone call away. After so many years, you can expect the unexpected, but it's our intention to keep Torry here."

more (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/Sports/Rams/706244BA92F40F8386256D2600113576?OpenDocument&Headline=Holt's+agent+threatens+holdout%3B+Rams+offer+deal+close+to+Bruce's)

[The_Philster]

The Rams have maintained an even strain amid threats that wide receiver Torry Holt would miss the club's minicamp this weekend.

Holt's agent, Greg Williams, stirred the pot over the weekend with comments that appeared on ESPN.com. Williams said Holt would not report to the Rams three-day minicamp that begins Friday unless he received a contract extension. Williams could not be reached Tuesday.

Jay Zygmunt, Rams president of football operations, didn't up the ante or engage in a war of words Tuesday. He said that the team had opened negotiations with Holt and Williams months ago and that the sides had talked Friday.

"The situation is not unique to Torry," Zygmunt said. "Any deal is just a phone call away. After so many years, you can expect the unexpected, but it's our intention to keep Torry here."...
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[Gunzlingr]

Wide receiver Torry Holt will be catching passes today at Rams minicamp. And if all goes well, he could be signed to a new contract by the end of the day.

Despite earlier reports that Holt might skip this weekend's full-squad minicamp unless he got a new contract, Holt phoned coach Mike Martz on Wednesday morning and told him otherwise.

"He really felt like the right thing to do was to be here," Martz said. "And I feel like he's felt that way all along. I can't imagine Torry not wanting to be here. I mean, that's just not Torry."

Holt was on hand for Thursday evening's team meeting at Rams Park. Beyond that, Holt's agent, Greg Williams, is scheduled to meet with Rams president of football operations Jay Zygmunt Friday at Rams Park, a sign that the two sides are close to an agreement.

The Rams have had a contract offer on the table for more than a week. According to team sources, it is basically the same contract that Isaac Bruce signed in August 2000. That contract is worth $42.1 million over seven years, including a signing bonus of $11.55 million.


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[The_Philster]

Upon completing his first practice session Friday morning, Torry Holt said he wouldn't be disappointed if this weekend's minicamp came and went without a new contract.

Which is a good thing, because there were no talks Saturday between president of football operations Jay Zygmunt and Holt's agent, Greg Williams. It's looking more and more as though the minicamp will indeed come and go without a new deal for Holt, the Rams' Pro Bowl wide receiver.

"If things don't get worked out this weekend, fine," Holt said. "We still have a couple more months before training camp opens. Hopefully, something will get done then, and we can come back to work and work towards a championship. I hope and I pray that the Rams step up and do the right thing by me." ...

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[The_Philster]

The St. Louis Rams concluded a three-day mini-camp on Sunday afternoon.

What was not completed, despite optimism at the outset of the weekend that the two sides were focusing in an on agreement, was a new contract for standout wide receiver Torry Holt. And now, with what seems to be some sort of stumbling blocks, no one seems able to say when, or even if, a deal will be consummated.

"It could happen (tomorrow) or it could happen six weeks from now," said one source close to Holt. "Who knows?"

Contrary to earlier statements made by agent Greg Williams to ESPN.com, indicating that his client would not attend the mini-camp unless his contract situation was resolved, Holt participated in the weekend workouts. The rationale from Holt was, in part, that a demonstration of good faith would nudge negotiations toward a speedy conclusion....

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