Erik Burkhardt, the agent for unrestricted free-agent wide receiver Danny Amendola, said earlier this month that Titus Young's fling with the St. Louis Rams would have no impact on his client's future.
Burkhardt was essentially correct. Young didn't last long enough to catch a pass from Sam Bradford, and his release on Friday could, in fact, help Amendola's chances to re-sign with the Rams. Hurdles, however, still remain.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Saturday that Amendola and the team are "far apart" on a new deal. The newspaper also stated that free-agent wideout Brandon Gibson unlikely will be brought back because of cap limitations, meaning St. Louis could conceivably be left with just three receivers on the roster -- Austin Pettis, Chris Givens and Brian Quick -- who played for the Rams in 2012.
"Not a concern whatsoever," Fisher said. "There's options out there. The free-agent market, there's options out there, and it's a great draft for a receiver this year."
Fisher acknowledged Amendola was a priority, saying, "Oh yes, we've got a number of unrestricted free agents on our roster that we want back, and Danny would be one of them. 'Jack' (Steven Jackson) would be another. We've got plenty of time. The process is ongoing. We're communicating with their agents and so on and so forth."
The newspaper reported it's "universally expected at Rams Park" that Jackson will void his $7 million player option and test free agency. As for Amendola, he's likely to draw interest on the open market, but the issue boils down to what the 27-year-old wideout is asking for -- and what the team is ultimately willing to fork over.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
