WR Curtis leads Rams' group of free agents

ST. LOUIS -- Kevin Curtis says he'll let his agent worry about a contract for next season. Until a few days ago, that's a phrase the St. Louis Rams' No. 3 wide receiver couldn't utter.

Curtis, who can become an unrestricted free agent, dumped his agent before the season and played the entire schedule without representation.

The speedy Curtis is probably the highest-profile Rams player due to hit the market after catching 40 passes for a 12-yard average and four touchdowns. He parted ways with Gary Wichard at the start of the season and just hired Kansas City-based Tom Condon, so during the schedule the Rams would have had to deal with him man-to-man.

"I didn't plan on not having an agent all season, but my biggest focus was just on playing football every Sunday, and I didn't want to be distracted," Curtis said. "It came down to the fact that it was way too stressful."

Curtis picked Condon around the same time the Rams (8-8) wound up with a 41-21 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. He felt Wichard had not kept him in the loop.

"I'm grateful for everything he did and I thought he was a good agent," Curtis said. "We just had a communication problem, and I just didn't feel comfortable talking with him about a new deal.

"I just felt like I never knew what was going on, and I didn't like that feeling."

Also mong the top potential free agents is cornerback Travis Fisher, who finished the year on injured reserve with a broken right forearm.

Offensive lineman Todd Steussie also is a free agent, although not so much by choice. He started 15 games at guard and tackle, revitalizing his career, but can't re-sign with St. Louis until free agency begins because the team signed him to a cut-rate deal.

Steussie must re-enter free agency because the NFL doesn't want teams to try to hide veterans and re-sign them to the type of contract that carries the same salary cap number as that of a rookie. Punter Matt Turk is in the same situation after wrapping up his first year with St. Louis.

Linehan said the coaching staff will take the next few weeks to evaluate Rams personnel before taking some time off.

"That's what this month's for," Linehan said. "We have guys whose contracts are up, and it's easier said than done to say if you want a guy back."