ST. LOUIS -- The Rams added a backup quarterback on Wednesday when veteran Shaun Hill, formerly of the Detroit Lions, agreed to a one-year deal with the club.
Hill, 34, made a free-agent visit to St. Louis in 2012 but chose to re-sign with Detroit instead. Hill will back up Sam Bradford but gives the Rams some insurance at the position with Bradford returning from a knee injury.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported Hill's deal is worth $1.75 million.
The Rams were looking for a veteran to back up Bradford after Kellen Clemens, who started nine games last season as Bradford's backup, moved on to San Diego on a two-year deal. Before Wednesday, the only other quarterback on the Rams' roster was youngster Austin Davis, who has yet to appear in an NFL regular-season game.
Bradford has suffered season-ending injuries in two of the past three years. He was limited to 10 games in 2011 because of a high-ankle sprain and played in just seven games in 2013 before tearing his ACL.
Despite Clemens' success in 2013, Hill represents a solid upgrade at that position. He has a strong resume for a backup quarterback. He has made 26 career starts, going 13-13, and has a 61.9 completion percentage, 41 touchdowns, 23 interceptions and a passer rating of 85.9.
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A Kansas native who played at Maryland in 2000-01, Hill went undrafted and didn't appear in his first NFL game until 2005 with Minnesota. He was with San Francisco in 2007-09 -- he threw his first NFL regular-season pass in 2007 while starting two games -- and then was traded to Detroit for a seventh-round pick. He spent four seasons in Detroit as the backup to Matthew Stafford.
Hill, who lives in the Lake of the Ozarks area, has a connection to the Rams through quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti, who was in the same position in San Francisco in 2007.
Hill has enjoyed success playing against the Rams over the years. He is 4-0 with nine touchdowns, three interceptions and a passer rating of 100.1.
RAMS ADD DEFENSIVE LINEMAN
The Rams on Tuesday agreed to a one-year deal with defensive lineman Alex Carrington, formerly of the Buffalo Bills.
Carrington, a 6-foot-5, 301-pounder, played four seasons in Buffalo after being selected in the third round of the 2010 draft out of Arkansas State. The 26-year-old started three games for the Bills last season before suffering a torn quadriceps tendon.
In his 44-game career, which includes nine starts, Carrington has 33 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, four sacks, eight quarterback hurries, six passes defensed and one forced fumble.
Carrington, who reportedly also drew interest from the Browns, Raiders and Steelers, adds depth to a strong Rams defensive line group and figures to back up starting tackles Michael Brockers and Kendall Langford.
You can follow Nate Latsch on Twitter (@natelatsch) or email him at natelatsch@gmail.com.
