Rams Free Agency: Projecting Contract Offers for St. Louis

The St. Louis Rams, and the entire NFL for that matter, will be scrambling to re-sign their in-house free agents before the market opens on March 10—about one month after the Super Bowl. 

Retaining local free agents is a vital part of maintaining the team's core. Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff has mentioned in the past that the most important free agents are not the ones from other teams but rather the ones in his own building. 

That doesn't mean the Rams have to cave in and re-sign every familiar face; it just means that continuity and chemistry are important to a football team. 

Over the next several weeks, Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead will study the list of St. Louis free agents and determine who's worth hanging on to. It's a difficult task, but it's also vital for the future of the team. 

This article will highlight several in-house unrestricted free agents who should be retained and make a prediction on the contract offer based on the current market. 

WR Kenny Britt

Kenny Britt has always possessed the talent of a true No. 1 receiver, but he's been incapable of putting it all together and playing with consistency. 

Britt was drafted by Fisher with the Tennessee Titans' first-round pick in 2009. He immediately contributed with 701 yards and three scores as a rookie. In 2010, he posted career-high numbers with 775 yards and nine touchdowns. 

It appeared Britt was going to break out in 2011. He posted more than 130 yards in each of his first two games, including three touchdown catches. In Week 3, his breakout campaign came to a halt with a season-ending knee injury. 

A suspension for multiple off-field incidents hurt his 2012 season. In 2013, he was benched for uninspiring play and ended the year with just 96 yards. 

Fisher, being the man who drafted Britt, was familiar with Britt's abilities as a player and felt he could contribute to St. Louis' offense. Despite Britt's knee injury and off-the-field troubles, the Rams signed Britt to a one-year contract worth a modest $1.4 million.

Not only did Britt produce on the field with three touchdowns and 748 yards (his highest yards total since 2010), but he served as a veteran leader for St. Louis' young receivers. 

According the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Rams wide receiver coach Ray Sherman is quite pleased with Britt's presence in the locker room. 

“And I tell you what," said Sherman. "(Britt) has been a joy to have. He’s a smart kid. He’s very conscientious. He wants to do the right thing. He studies. He prepares. And he’s like that when he’s in the classroom, and on the field. I mean I love what he brings to the table.”

For a team that has struggled to find a veteran presence at the receiver position since the departure of Torry Holt in 2009, how can the Rams possibly justify letting Britt walk? 

For one, Britt is only 26 years old and is still developing as a player. There's a realistic chance that he can break out and become the 1,000-yard receiver that the team's been searching for. 

Also, there's not a good contingency plan in place. If Britt walks, there's no guarantee the injured Brian Quick will bounce back and play at 100 percent. And while Stedman Bailey certainly has the potential to step up and become the No. 1 guy, it's still risky to make that assumption. 

There's no way around it. Unless the Rams are confident they can snag Alabama's Amari Cooper or Oklahoma's Dorial Green-Beckham in the upcoming draft, they have to re-sign Britt. 

The good news is that Britt is not a 1,000-yard guy, at least not yet, and his price tag will reflect that. He should land somewhere between the Riley Cooper and Wes Welker range—about $5 million per year on average. 

If the Rams can ink him to a similar contract, he'll remain with the team for the next several years. 

Contract Prediction: Three Years, $15 Million 

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

T Joe Barksdale

The Rams fielded one of the worst offensive lines in football this past year, and upgrades are inevitable this offseason. 

One of the biggest question marks is right tackle Joe Barksdale, who apparently took a step backward after a very promising 2013 season. 

There's no question that Barksdale is at least partially responsible for his own decline, but he didn't have much help. Veteran center Scott Wells and right guard Davin Joseph were total liabilities. Barksdale had almost zero help from the two spots to his left, and it showed. 

Wells and Joseph will likely be gone in 2015, and the Rams will undoubtedly pursue guards and centers in free agency and the draft. 

The Rams do not have the resources to replace three starters on the offensive line in a single offseason, so it's both necessary and wise to give Barksdale another shot. 

If Barksdale continues to struggle, he'll be replaced a year from now. However, since he's still only 26 years old, there's a good chance he can rebound and get back to his former self. 

The Rams will re-sign Barksdale this offseason. Thanks to his decline in play, the contract should be modest—somewhere between Tyson Clabo ($1.2 million on average) and Doug Free ($3.5 million).

Barksdale's contract will likely contain lots of non-guaranteed money and incentives. 

Contract Prediction: Three Years, $9.1 Million

Billy Hurst/Associated Press

TE Lance Kendricks

Tight end Lance Kendricks has not been St. Louis' flashiest offensive weapon, but the former second-round draft pick has contributed in valuable and subtle ways. 

In 2012, Kendricks established himself as a decent receiver with four touchdowns and 519 yards, which was surprisingly the highest single-season yards total by a tight end in St. Louis' history (an accomplishment that was outdone by Jared Cook's 671-yard campaign the following year). 

Since the arrival of Cook, Kendricks has taken on the responsibilities of a wild card. He's not a consistent part of St. Louis' aerial game plan, but he's a valuable run-blocker in his new fullback-tight end hybrid role. 

He hasn't been dismissed completely from the passing game. He contributed a career-high five touchdowns this past season and continues to be a valuable red-zone weapon, but his route running has certainly been limited. 

The decision will have a lot to do with three-year veteran Cory Harkey. Harkey has been a solid contributor as the No. 3 tight end and is begging for a larger role. He's a valuable receiver, but Kendricks likely has the edge as a run-blocker. 

Undrafted rookies Alex Bayer and Justice Cunningham both made the final roster for St. Louis. If Harkey moves into the No. 2 role, either player is capable of replacing Harkey as the new No. 3 tight end. 

The Rams certainly have the depth in place to move on from Kendricks if necessary, but it will simply depend on how much confidence Fisher has in Harkey. 

If St. Louis retains Kendricks, his deal will likely be similar to Brandon Myers or Jacob Tamme—about $2.3 million per year. 

Contract Prediction: Two Years, $4.6 Million

Note: All contract information in this article is from Spotrac.com. 

Steven Gerwel is the longest-tenured Rams Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and serves as the Rams' game-day correspondent. You can find more of Gerwel's work by visiting his writer profile or by following him on Twitter.