With their secondary struggling with injuries the St. Louis Rams added former San Francisco 49ers safety Michael Lewis Wednesday, looking to shore up a defense that needs immediate depth. Lewis, a Pro Bowl selection in 2004, started for the 49ers until rumored friction with Mike Singletary led him to ask for his release three games into the 2010 season.
Defensive tackle Clifton Ryan, suffering from migraines, was placed on injured reserve to open a spot for Lewis on the active roster.
In a career that began in 2002 Lewis, 30, has 12 interceptions and 10.5 sacks. Originally a second-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, Lewis was briefly benched by the Eagles and signed with the 49ers as a free agent following the 2006 season. Perhaps most impressively, he was the winner of the 2005 EA Sports Madden Bowl. So he’s got that going for him. The Post-Dispatch notes that Lewis is “yet another Rams defender who once played for coach Steve Spagnuolo”, in this case when Spagnuolo was defensive backs coach at Philadelphia.