By Nick Wagoner
Senior Writer

The Rams filled another need Friday by adding an old friend of their new coach. Gus Frerotte agreed to a X-year deal with St. Louis on Friday.

The deal instantly gives the Rams an experienced backup behind starter Marc Bulger, a role that was filled a season ago by Jamie Martin.

"Gus will be our backup quarterback," Rams' head coach Scott Linehan said. "Having coached him for the past three years, he has great knowledge of our system. He was 12-6 as a starter for me as offensive coordinator, and he'll be a great asset for Marc as well as our team because of his background and experience."

Frerotte’s signing comes as little surprise only days after he was released by the Dolphins in a cost cutting move that enabled them to trade for Daunte Culpepper. Frerotte, who has been in the league for 12 years, will be reunited with Linehan in St. Louis.

Linehan coached Frerotte in Minnesota for two seasons and again last year in Miami as offensive coordinator. Frerotte had one of his finest seasons last year, going 9-6 as a starter and finishing with 18 touchdown passes and 2,996 yards through the air. Though his quarterback rating was a below average, Frerotte performed better than many expected entering the season in helping the Dolphins to a surprising 9-7 finish.

As it became clear that Miami was looking for an upgrade in Culpepper or Drew Brees, Frerotte’s status also began to crystallize. Miami officially released him on Wednesday, paving the way for the trade for Culpepper.

Soon after his release, Frerotte made his potential destinations clear. He preferred Denver and St. Louis as possible destinations with a return to Miami at a lesser rate also a possibility. But ultimately, Frerotte’s desire to stick with Linehan won out.

For his career, Frerotte has thrown for 18,093 yards and 95 touchdowns with a quarterback rating of 75.3. Getting an experienced backup could prove to be important for the Rams, considering some of the injury problems Bulger has suffered recently. His signing leaves the Rams with four quarterbacks on the roster. Jeff Smoker and Ryan Fitzpatrick will probably compete for the third quarterback spot in training camp.