When Rams defensive tackle Claude Wroten was suspended for the 2008 season, he forfeited $445,000 in signing bonus money.

He also might have to write a check for more than $200,000 to the team.

Per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Rams have filed a grievance against Wroten, seeking repayment of his signing bonus allocation for the third year of his four-year rookie deal.

It’s an open-and-shut case, as we see it.  Wroten, through his own actions (and stupidity . . . more on that in a minute) has put himself in a position where he won’t deliver on one-fourth of the services that he promised to provide when he received a signing bonus, which contrary to the beliefs of many players and agents isn’t a lottery prize but advance compensation for future services.

If Wroten isn’t reinstated for 2009, he’ll owe another $200,000 as well.  And our guess is that, barring a dramatic increase in IQ points, Wroten won’t be back.

Here’s why.  Our buddy Howard Balzer of The Sports Xchange and InsideStL.com recently reported that the league was prepared to withdraw the one-year suspension, since it was imposed not for a positive test but for a missed test.  Instead, he was going to be fined four game checks. 

Wroten, however, didn’t show up for the appeal hearing.

Twice.

Seriously.

When he didn’t show for the first one, the league rescheduled it.  And then he didn’t show for the second.

Over the next year, Wroten will have to show up for every required test and stay clean.  He’ll also need to prove himself worthy of reinstatement come next July.  If the guy can’t show up for a hearing that ultimately has nearly $650,000 in the balance, our sense is that he has decided to pack it in and move on.