Rams Sign Ram Killer And Former Seattle Kicker Josh Brown

[Kevinator]

On a day when the Rams said goodbye to longtime place-kicker Jeff Wilkins, they said hello to his replacement, noted Rams killer Josh Brown.

Wilkins met with team officials Friday morning to inform them that he was retiring. Although not a total shock, it caught Rams management by surprise. Wilkins is a veteran of 14 NFL seasons, including the last 11 with the Rams.

But the Rams moved quickly to replace Wilkins, signing Brown to a five-year deal Friday night.

"He's going to be a Ram," coach Scott Linehan said. "But it's such a bittersweet day with Wilkie retiring earlier in the day."

Brown, a five-year pro from Nebraska, has spent his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks. He finished seventh in the league in scoring in 2007, with a career-high 127 points, making 28 of 34 field-goal tries. In 2006, Brown kicked a pair of game-winning field goals to defeat the NFC West rival Rams.

Brown's 54-yarder as time expired gave Seattle a 30-28 victory on October 15, 2006, in the Edward Jones Dome. A month later at Qwest Field, Brown's 38-yarder with 9 seconds to play gave Seattle a 24-22 victory.

If the Rams had won either of those games, they would have been NFC West champions instead of the Seahawks.

The departure of Wilkins (coupled with Thursday's release of Isaac Bruce) reduced the Rams' number of Super Bowl XXXIV participants to three.

Only Torry Holt, Leonard Little and Orlando Pace remain from the 1999 team that defeated Tennessee 23-16.

Wilkins declined to meet with reporters Friday, instead issuing a statement: "Throughout my 11 years with the Rams, everybody in the organization has been fantastic — from the top to the bottom," he said. "But my retirement is best for me, my family, and the Rams."

Wilkins' retirement has as much to do with health issues as anything.

Nagging leg and back injuries, which could be nerve-related, have spread, and treatments have been unsuccessful.

Wilkins, 35, is the Rams' career leading scorer, with 1,223 points, and holds franchise marks for field goals attempted and field goals made. He ends his career having made 371 consecutive extra points, which ties Denver's Jason Elam for the NFL record.

Wilkins, nicknamed "Money" by former Rams coach Mike Martz for his clutch-kicking exploits, made the Pro Bowl in 2003. His NFL record of 64 extra points made in one season (1999) was broken in the 2007 season by New England's Stephen Gostkowski.

[Diofan]

Now you just need a team for Brown to Kick for