Rams cut - Chris Draft???

This is an extremely difficult move to figure, but the Rams have cut linebacker Chris Draft, who by all indications would have started for them at strongside LB on Sunday. Draft was a team leader and is a versatile player capable of playing all three LB positions. This certainly isn't a "four pillars" move - Draft was a pillar of the community here before Steve Spagnuolo was even hired. This can't even be based on current play from what I know. Draft looked good at all the practices I went to. I saw nothing wrong with his preseason game play. He was used in preseason games in a pattern consistent with that of a player who'd locked up a starting job. Furthermore, the Rams' next-best LB, Larry Grant, has shown signs of being starter material but is out due to injury. They're actually going to start David Vobora Sunday, who hasn't yet shown he's as good as Draft on his best day.

Maybe I lack imagination, but I cannot picture Chris Draft doing something worthy of cutting him from the team three days before the season opens. Did he undermine a coach? Recommend Spagnuolo perform a physically-impossible sex act? Was his dogfighting ring exposed? Did he beat up a teammate? Get caught with drugs? Hookers? Both? I can't imagine Draft doing anything of the sort.

Three days before the season and you cut one of your leaders on defense? There HAS to be more to this. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Per Jim Thomas, this is a payroll-related move? Draft was cut three days before the start of the season because he wouldn't take a pay cut? The Rams demanded Draft take a pay cut even though they're below the salary cap? Why are the Rams are making financial moves like this, unnecessary to the salary cap, without regard for on-field performance, team chemistry, or ability of the roster to fill the vacancy? I can only assume it's because ownership wants or needs the money and doesn't care what it takes to get it.

Boy, and you thought 2008 was bad. Cheap sports team owners = disaster. We know this in St. Louis as well as they do anywhere, thanks to 30-some-odd years of cheap Bidwill.

If this is the way this team is going to be run, it needs to be sold, and quickly, or it'll be like Bidwill never left.

SECOND UPDATE: Draft says the Rams told him they needed to cut his salary because incentive payments that would come due to other players would put the Rams over the cap, later in the season, I guess. Assuming the Rams weren't posturing (lying) to Draft, then this was a pure salary cap move, not an owners-can't-afford-their-own-team move.

Though still a puzzlingly-timed, poorly, poorly planned one. Three days before the season starts, and we just noticed a salary cap problem that forces us to cut a starting linebacker?

Has management actually changed at Rams Park?

photo - stltoday.com