St. Louis Rams: Thursday's News, Nuggets and Notes at Noon

Welcome to Thursday's St. Louis Rams "News, Nuggets and Notes at Noon," the daily one-stop destination for all major Rams headlines and related information.  

Today we will look at Peyton Manning, Rams unrestricted free agents, other free agency news and, of course, even more on Gregg Williams and Bountygate.  

Peyton Manning's Potential Impact on the Rams' No. 2 Pick 

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN as reported in this article, 12 teams or nearly 40 percent of the NFL's 32 teams have already contacted representatives for Manning. 

Among the teams mentioned in that report include Rams' NFC West rivals Arizona and Seattle. Other teams who have reportedly reached out already include Miami, Kansas City, the New York Jets, Tennessee and Washington. 

The name that likely pops out for Rams fans among that list is Washington, a team who has been consistently named as one of the two most likely suitors for St. Louis in a trade of the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and quarterback Robert Griffin III. 

According to this column by Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch earlier this week, the Redskins have been the favorite to land the No. 2 pick.

The apparent heavy interest in Manning could be a good news/bad news thing for the Rams.

The good news is that there are at least a dozen teams making no less than entry-level inquiries about another quarterback.  That dozen could turn into 15 or more by the week's end.  

Although interest in Manning does not necessarily indicate interest in RG3 and the Rams' aforementioned draft pick, any of these teams could potentially be interested in Griffin III, too. If they are looking for a new starting quarterback, they may be interested in adding either QB.

Of course, that can only be evaluated on a team-by-team basis. Obviously not every team who might be interested in Manning would be interested in RG3.  Conversely, not every team interested in RG3 will be interested in Manning.

Some veteran teams will want Manning because he offers the ability to win now and pursue a Super Bowl immediately (if healthy). Some of those teams might not be interested in RG3. 

On the other hand, some teams who deem themselves a few years away from the promised land will more than likely be more interested in Griffin III as a quarterback with whom to build rather than Manning, who might be out of the league by the time the team becomes a contender. 

As for the potential bad news, if Washington were to land Manning, that would take one of the favorites to end up in a bidding war for RGIII out of the mix.  According to this article from the Washington Post, the Redskins are in position to make a hard push for Manning.

If Washington gets Manning, it could potentially result in a diminished final offer for the No. 2 pick. 

However, there are apparently at least 12 teams interested in a new QB, so it is highly unlikely that there would not still be several strong suitors for the No. 2 pick. It's more than likely that the Rams would still incur a plethora of exceptional offers for the rights to RG3.

Keep in mind as well that Marshall Faulk says Manning will not ultimately go to the NFC (as reported here by USA Today), even if he entertains offers from teams in that conference in an effort to optimize the eventual contract he receives. 

If that is the case, the worry over Manning to the Redskins is moot.  

Time will tell the story and time will reveal how much (if any) the presence of Manning's availability impacts the Rams and their shopping of the No. 2 pick.  

Tony Softli of 101sports.com offers his opinions on Manning's impact on free agency and the Rams No. 2 pick, and suggests that a domino effect is already underway.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch shares his views on the presence of Manning in free agency and the potential impact that he may ultimately bring to St. Louis.  

Miklasz asserts, among other things, that a Manning landing in Seattle or Arizona has at least some potential, and that his presence in free agency could impact the No. 2 pick sweepstakes, too.  

St. Louis Rams Unrestricted Free Agents: Who Will Stay and Who Will Go?

Ron Clements of cbssports.com shares his take on which of the Rams' unrestricted free agents might stay and might go. 

Will we see Jerious Norwood, Cadillac Williams, Brady Poppinga, Bryan Kehl, Donnie Jones and/or Brandon Lloyd return to the Rams in 2012?  Check out Clements' opinions here. 

2012 NFL Free Agency: Looking at St. Louis Linebackers and Available Free Agents

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com continues his position-by-position look at the Rams and 2012 free agents.  

In this piece, Wagoner looks at the Rams' linebacker corps and reveals his top five available inside and outside linebackers, including Curtis Lofton of Atlanta and Erin Henderson of Minnesota. 

All Things Gregg Williams and Bountygate

101sports.com has compiled a collection of reports on Gregg Williams and the much-discussed bounty program that Williams oversaw from 2009 through 2011 in New Orleans. 

For just about anything relevant to the ongoing saga, please click the above link for an article of interest from any of a number angles and sources. 

Keeping Things in Perspective 

Houston Texans running back Arian Foster is staying with the Texans after agreeing to a five year, $43.5 million dollar deal, according to this report. 

I would encourage each of you to watch his emotional press conference at the link above. It is nice to see a professional athlete show such depth and appreciation for what he has earned through his work in the NFL.

Have a great day, STL Rams nation.  

Shane Gray covers the St. Louis Rams year-round. You are encouraged to check out the rest of his work here and to follow him on Twitter.