It's so hard to believe Grant Wistrom is no longer a Saint Louis Ram. But I don't blame him. Seattle gave him 53 reasons to leave Saint Louis. 6 of the reason are the 6 years in his contract. 14 more reasons are the $14 million dollars that are included in his signing bonus. And the other 33 reasons are another $33 million he can earn over the 6 years of his contract. Like I said, I don't blame Grant for leaving.

I don't blame him because in the NFL, contracts are rarely guaranteed like they are in the NBA. No sir. NFL contracts are often backloaded because players will never see that money. There is only one way to guarantee a job is a signing bonus. The signing bonus works in two ways:

1. You get the signing bonus immediately

2. Your signing bonus counts against the cap as long as you play. So if Wistrom were cut in his first year, all $14 million would count against the cap

Wistrom contract guarantees more than money. It means he will be playing football for a minimum of 3 more years. Anything less will probably really hurt the team cutting him. Because of job security - something I myself would enjoy - I don't blame Grant at all for signing with anyone.

I can thank Grant for so many things. I can thank him for 285 tackles, 42 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 5 interceptions, and 2 touchdowns. With scheduled visits to the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys, I am happy he didn't stoop to being a Cardinal and I know many Rams fans would NOT like to see him as a Cowboy. For me, I'm glad he ended up on an up-and-coming team and it will be fun to see him twice a year when his team plays the Rams.

So I don't blame him for leaving the cap-strapped Rams (Jim Thomas in his Rams report shares that the Rams have $1.8 million remaining in cap room) with any potential draft picks unsigned, and I want to thank Grant for his service in Saint Louis.

Over 6 years, Grant has done so much and has been a stellar example and role model. Thanks, Grant!

But most importantly, Grant, thank you for your charity work. I've been to public events where you signed autographs in exchange for donations to charity. That example and your contributions to kids is remembered and will be missed.

Thank you for always having the motor running. Thanks for showing other Rams the drive we want to see. Thanks for trying to outwork everyone. I know you must have motivated some players to try and keep up with you. Thank you.

Finally, thank you for being my daughter's favorite defensive player. She met you before the NFC Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, January 27th, 2002. It broke her heart to hear you left the Rams. She "freaked out" until I explained that you were not traded but that you went for a job and for guaranteed salary. I saw your letter from

Ram on,
Don
Don, the Rams Nation columnist can be contacted at Don@RamsNation.org.