WHAT NEXT FOR HOLT?

Former Rams receiver Torry Holt finally got what he wanted -- a release. But what next for the possible Hall of Famer, who’s a whopping 3.5 years younger than Terrell Owens? The fact that the Rams squatted on Holt’s rights until March 13 kept him from getting a crack at the open market when the money was flowing. On one hand, his agent could have/should have insisted on a February 27 trigger for the $1.25 million roster bonus due March 18, which would have forced the team to move him out sooner. On the other hand, those glowing comments from ownership about Holt would have been a lot more meaningful to us if the Rams had cut Holt before free agency launched -- like the Bucs did with multiple veterans. As a result, teams like the Seahawks and the Bengals and the Bills don’t have a need for Holt. And, suddenly, a team like the Cardinals might have a viable short-term replacement for Anquan Boldin if they choose to trade him. Who else could be interested? (And we emphasize in this regard the word “could.”) The Vikings chased receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, so maybe they’d be interested in a guy who spent his career playing in a dome. The Niners need wideouts, and it would be interesting to see him reunited with Isaac Bruce a decade after the won a Super Bowl in St. Louis. The Jets should be interested -- but then again they need a quarterback first. The Jaguars have been longing for a receiver who can actually receive, and the Ravens would surely like to upgrade, now that they have a quarterback of the present, and future. Health will be a key threshold issue for Holt. Though he hasn’t missed any playing time, he has had periodic knee issues. And, in 2009, Holt had less than 1,000 receiving yards for only the second time in his career, and he generated the lowest yards-per-catch in ten NFL seasons. Still, if Terrell Owens is worth $6.5 million for a year, we tend to think that Holt is worth at least that much. And he should get another job as quickly as he wants one.