Erstwhile St. Louis Rams wide receiver slash veteran presence Mark Clayton was quoted recently about the NFL lockout, suggesting that the players are happy with where things are and that the biggest remaining hurdle is not the negotiation so much as the actual implementation of everything they’ve been negotiating.
Which is good news for Mark Clayton in particular, seeing as he’s still without a job.
A free agent after the 2010 season, Clayton has been seen as a likely Rams target since before the lockout began, but in the meantime the Rams have drafted two wide receivers—Austin Pettis and Greg Salas—and telegraphed a greater reliance on tight ends with the selection of Lance Kendricks. With Donnie Avery set to return in 2011 and the rest of the Rams’ spotty corps of receivers still on the books, new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels might not have a role for Sam Bradford’s first NFL security blanket.
He’ll get a job somewhere after his promising first half with St. Louis, but I’m sure Clayton would like to know sooner rather than later where he’s going to spend the next year. He’ll enjoy the end of the NFL lockout as much as anyone.