ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Rams said Friday they were finalizing a deal to hire Jeff Fisher as their head coach.
Fisher spent 17 years as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans before stepping down at the end of the 2010 season. He was widely considered the top prize in this winter’s coaching sweepstakes.
Fisher, 53, replaces Steve Spagnuolo, who was fired following the Rams’ 2-14 season.
Fisher’s long stint in Tennessee included a Super Bowl matchup against the Rams in 2000 in which Tennessee fell 1 yard shy of forcing overtime in a 23-16 loss. The Titans won three division titles and made six playoff appearances under Fisher, who stepped down a year ago as the league’s longest-tenured coach, saying he needed a break. Overall, Fisher posted a 142-120 record (.542).
The Miami Dolphins also pursued Fisher. The Rams’ offer may have trumped Miami’s for several reasons. Sam Bradford was the No. 1 overall pick in 2010 and is considered a franchise quarterback despite an injury-plagued, unproductive 2011. The Rams have the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft and a favorable salary-cap situation.
In addition, Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff is the son of Fisher’s agent, Marvin Demoff.
The Rams might offer more power, too. The franchise is replacing both Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney, while the Dolphins have GM Jeff Ireland in place.
Titans sign Stevens
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans signed tight end Craig Stevens to a four-year deal, keeping him out of the free-agent market.
Stevens caught just nine passes for 166 yards in 2011, averaging a team-high 18.4 yards per catch.
“Obviously by the terms and the deal, (they) saw how valuable he was to that team and how important he was,” Stevens’ agent, Kenneth Zuckerman, said. “He’s real excited to get this behind him and start to prove to everyone that he’s worth it.”
The 6-foot-3, 268-pound Stevens was a third-round draft pick out of California in 2008 and has 24 starts over the past two seasons. He has 21 career catches for 297 yards and three touchdowns. But he is considered a key blocker for Chris Johnson, who has run for 5,645 yards and 38 touchdowns with Stevens at tight end.
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