St. Louis Rams: Shane's Saturday St. Louis Sound off with Free-Agency Grades

Welcome to the second weekly edition of the St. Louis Rams "Saturday St. Louis Sound off" column.  I hope each of you are having a wonderful weekend thus far. 

St. Louis Free-Agency Recap With Grades on Key Players Signed at Positions of Need

At this point in the offseason, grades are always incomplete.  Why is that?

Simply put, the NFL Draft has still not taken place, and the June cuts' portion of free agency is still down the road.  Not only that, but we still have three weeks until the draft arrives, and more moves could conceivably be on the way in the meantime.  

With that in mind, the following are my preliminary grades regarding the free-agent acquisitions at areas of need.

Cornerback: Cortland Finnegan

Finnegan is an elite NFL defensive back.  Not only that, he is just 28 and in his prime.

According to an article from Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch with information from Pro Football Focus, Finnegan rated as the third-best corner in the NFL in 2011, adept against both the run and pass.

What makes his addition even better is that he knows much of the coaching staff well and the Jeff Fisher defense intricately.  

He made the Pro Bowl following the 2008 season with Fisher at the helm in Tennessee and hopes to attain a few more Pro Bowl berths under Fisher in the Gateway City. 

Grade: A- (The Rams may have overpaid slightly, or this addition would have garnered an A.) 

Wide Receiver: Danny Amendola (Restricted Free-Agent Tender) and Steve Smith

As many of you read in this piece, I feel that the almost certain return of Amendola (who will be back unless someone shows a willingness to part with a second-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft) could be critical to the hopes the Rams have of fielding a rejuvenated offense this season.  

Who else in the NFL is adding a receiver who caught 85 passes in their last full season other than St. Louis?  The answer to that is nobody. 

As for Smith, his signing was a low-risk, high-reward move.  He is on a one-year deal, and if the 26-year-old, 2009 Pro Bowl wideout does not bounce back, the Rams move on without him in 2013.  

However, if he is able to return to the form he showed prior to his 2010 microfracture surgery, St. Louis will be onto something.  

St. Louis did not succeed in landing the likes of Pierre Garcon or Robert Meachum, both of whom I liked a lot. 

However, they did talk to the exceptionally athletic Jerome Simpson on Wednesday, and he could be in play after he completes his 15-day jail sentence that he began on Thursday night following a drug charge conviction. 

Finally, St. Louis will likely select at least one wide receiver in this month's draft.  

It is safe to say that the wide receiver corps will look much different in the coming campaign, and  following a 2-14 season that saw the Rams score 12 touchdowns on the year, that has to be a good thing. 

Grade: B (The Rams declined to overpay for Garcon or Meachum and will likely retain Amendola after adding the now-healthy Smith but still likely need more help here.) 

Tight End: Matthew Mulligan 

This under-the-radar signing was a very solid one. 

The 6'4", 265-pound 27-year-old is a blocking tight end and a pretty darn good one, filling a hole for St. Louis and helping Fisher get his ducks in a row for the running game he desires to display. 

Mulligan only has six career catches in three seasons with the New York Jets, so do not expect too much of him in the passing game.  He is here to block and should do so very well.  

He also knows the system of new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer after sharing mutual time with him in the Big Apple, so his presence and knowledge should assist fellow tight ends Lance Kendricks and Michael Hoomanawanui in catching on more quickly. 

Speaking of Kendricks and Hoomanawanui, they both should be better in 2012.  

Kendricks should have shaken off his first-year jitters and display the hands that made him a second-round draft choice last year.  

Hoomanawanui, if he can stay healthy, could provide a very nice boost as both a blocker and as a versatile and big target in the passing game.  Newly-retired Torry Holt gave Hoomanawanui a pep talk and told him " he's got to pick it up a little bit." 

Looking at tight end, the Rams added just what they needed in picking up Mulligan, assuming his aforementioned teammates indeed pick it up a little bit this season. 

Grade: B+ (Nothing flashy, but met their need quite nicely by adding Mulligan.  This signing garners a B+ rather than an A- due to the fact that he presumably adds so little versatility or threat in the passing game, based upon his career history.)

Defensive Tackle: Kendall Langford 

Langford played defensive end last season with the Dolphins because they utilized a base 3-4 alignment.

However, he 26-year-old Langford will likely play almost exclusively at defensive tackle with the Rams in the St. Louis 4-3 alignment.  

Walterfootball.com had Langford rated as the fourth-best free-agent defensive tackle this year.

He looks to be a very nice fit for the Fisher defense.  Many believe that defensive tackle is his best position, and he will play as a three-technique in St. Louis. 

Sandwiched by defensive ends Chris Long and Robert Quinn, Langford should provide a good push and add pressure while aiding the pass rush stats of the aforementioned DE's. 

Grade: B+ (Langford should be very productive inside for St. Louis.  However, he is not necessarily a sure thing on the interior after playing a 3-4 defensive end role so much in Miami, so that knocks this addition from an A- to a B+.  

That said, Langford should indeed be just fine. Look for the Rams to add an early-round DT in the draft to round out the starting defensive line.) 

Outside Linebacker: Jo-Lonn Dunbar 

Dunbar played in 68 percent of the Saints' snaps in 2011.  

Dunbar just turned 27 last month and checks in at 6'1" and 233 pounds.  He had 58 tackles, six deflected passes and two forced fumbles in 2011. 

Adding appeal to the signing of Dunbar is that he can play all three linebacker spots.  That said, his presence and versatility give the Rams added options in adding outside linebackers via the 2012 NFL Draft due to his ability to play either 4-3 OLB role. 

Considering Dunbar's dexterity in lining up adeptly at different locations and that he has a great opportunity at filling a starting spot for St. Louis, this signing makes a lot of sense.  

Grade: B+ (The Rams still need another OLB via the draft or free agency, and Dunbar's signing was not quite of the quality of Wells or Finnegan, for example, but gets a B+ rather than a B due to his exceptional versatility.)

Center: Scott Wells 

Wells, 6'2" and 300 pounds, will fill the void left in the middle of the St. Louis offensive line following the release of center Jason Brown.  

The 31-year-old has been a full-time starter in Green Bay for six straight seasons and will take over the starting center role for the Rams. 

Wells is known as a tough player who excels at making snap adjustments and in pass protection, according to this report from profootballweekly.com.  The Rams, as many of you know, struggled to protect Sam Bradford in 2011.

Wells' aptitude at making critical pre-snap adjustments should not be overlooked in terms of the impact he can make in helping the offensive line, Bradford and the offense this year.

Wells will help to instill leadership while instantly upgrading St. Louis' offensive line.

Wells graded out as the Packers' top offensive lineman the last two seasons, according to this article from Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com. 

Former Rams fullback Mike Karney told me on Wednesday night via STL Rams Central Radio that he feels that the addition of Wells is one of the most underrated free-agent signings in the entire NFL this offseason.

Grade: A- (Like Finnegan, the Rams may have over-payed a bit, perhaps, keeping this signing from attaining an A.) 

Offensive Tackle/Guard: Quinn Ojinnaka 

The 27-year-old Ojinnaka was most likely added for depth purposes to a thin offensive line. Ojinnaka also brings versatility to St. Louis, as he has started at left tackle, right tackle and right guard in the past.

And it is that flexibility and experience at playing multiple positions that was probably of greatest appeal to the Rams.

The 6'5", 295-pound lineman has made 15 starts in 56 career NFL games and started three games last year for Indianapolis.  

Ojinnaka was in the St. Louis camp last summer, and many were surprised that he was cut at the time.  

It is nice to have a guy in place who can backup at either tackle or guard position who can also fill in for a start if needed.  

Although this signing will not turn many heads, it is the necessary depth addition that is vital in building a deep, balanced roster. 

Grade: B- (This was not a starter signing but a depth move.  Considering that Ojinnaka can back up a plethora of spots, this addition deserves a good grade.  On the other hand, the Rams still have a gaping hole at left guard so a B- seems appropriate, all things considered.) 

Defensive End: William Hayes

Free-agent defensive end William Hayes agreed to terms on Friday, according to a tweet from Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean: 

"Jim Wyatt‏ @jwyattsports

Defensive end William Hayes has agreed to terms with the Rams on a one-year deal. #Titans

"

Hayes is the second former Fisher player to be added by the Rams out of the Tennessee Titans organization.  

The 6'3", 272-pound defensive end will provide some solid depth behind Long and Quinn in a rotation role along with the likes of fellow DE Eugene Sims.  

Hayes is 26 and had his best year to date under Fisher in 2009 when he compiled four sacks, 51 combined tackles and two forced fumbles. 

Considering that Hayes understands the Fisher defense well after spending three seasons (2008-2010) in it, he should be instrumental in helping the other Rams' defensive linemen comprehend and process the instillation and implementation of the Fisher D, adding extra value to this acquisition. 

Grade: A- (St. Louis was set at starter at defensive end, so this signing—considering Hayes' ability, the role he will play and experience in this scheme—should be nearly ideal.)

Please vote in the poll at the right and justify your vote in the comments section below.  The dialogue should be very interesting.  

Have a great weekend, STL Rams Nation. 

Follow @ShaneGmoSTLRams

Shane Gray covers the St. Louis Rams year-round as a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. You are encouraged to check out the rest of his work here.  Gray also owns and operates sltramscentral.com.