Rams sign Glover to bolster defense

~ The six-time Pro Bowl lineman was released by Dallas for salary cap reasons.

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams began the rebuilding job of their 30th-ranked defense on Monday, signing six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle La'Roi Glover to a three-year contract.

Glover, 31, was released by Dallas last week for salary cap reasons. He lost his job to Jason Ferguson last season, but then earned his sixth straight Pro Bowl berth.

The Rams contacted him on Friday, a day after he was released.

"He's a great player, still has some really good years left in him," Rams coach Scott Linehan said. "He's quietly confident. He's not going to sit up here and say he was happy about Ferguson coming in to replace him."

Glover quickly found a new home with the Rams, whose new defensive coordinator, Jim Haslett, coached Glover during some of his best years with the New Orleans Saints. Plus, the Rams need help on the interior line with Ryan Pickett and Damione Lewis both unrestricted free agents, although Linehan didn't rule out either or both players returning.

Linehan's new staff includes another former Saints assistant, Rick Venturi, who'll be the assistant head coach and linebackers coach.

"I know what type of coach he is, and I know his resume," Glover said. "I think they can put together schemes very well, they can motivate, they can do all the things that great coaches do."

Glover said other teams had interest, but were holding off because of uncertainty regarding the collective bargaining agreement. The Rams were about $10 million under the cap on Monday and ready to strike.

"I don't particularly like doing all the traveling and all the free agent stuff, so I figured if it fits, why not try it on?" Glover said. "I didn't want to be traveling from team to team to team to team and wishing and praying that the CBA gets done, I kind of wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible."

Glover has 71 1/2 career sacks, second all-time among defensive tackles behind Warren Sapp's 84 1/2, and led the NFL with 17 in 2000. He had 21 1/2 sacks in four seasons with the Cowboys.

He wasn't surprised when the Cowboys cut him loose.

"I kind of knew what the options were," Glover said. "I knew it was going to come eventually, and here we are."