St. Louis Rams: Latest Free-Agency News and Rumors

With NFL free agency approximately two weeks away, the St. Louis Rams undoubtedly have a game plan in place. Until the market opens, we'll have to rely on news reports, rumors and observations to gain an understanding on what direction St. Louis will take. 

It's a difficult year to predict whether the Rams will be big players or harmless bystanders. As mentioned in the past, St. Louis certainly has the means to create cap space by making several easy cuts. However, there's no guarantee those cuts will be made, and there's certainly no way to determine whether the top free agents will even be willing to sign with the team.

Clearly, there are many variables, and the offseason could unfold a number of ways. For now, this article will outline several of the key free-agency expectations based on some of the latest reports and hot topics. 

Here's one last outline of St. Louis' free-agency situation leading into the new league year: 

Kenny Britt Walking Would Be a Major Shock

A valuable wide receiver with excellent potential is certainly capable of pulling in a nice contract on the open market. That puts Kenny Britt's status up in the air, but don't fret. 

Despite Britt's status as a free agent, the tone has never been pessimistic when it comes to talks of re-signing him.

Rams writer Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com recently mentioned that he expects Britt back in horns: "I still think Kenny Britt returns to St. Louis but he might take a look around too because the other top receivers will likely get tagged which could leave him as one of the better options and thus, more money."

Rams beat writer Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch also reported last month that Britt and the Rams have been in touch. Needless to say, communication is always a positive sign. 

"

Discussions underway. Agents for Rams WR Kenny Britt, a pending free agent, meet w/Rams in Mobile.

— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) January 23, 2015"

Also, it'd be foolish for Britt to leave a situation that has so far allowed him to thrive. Between getting benched while with the Tennessee Titans and the numerous off-field incidents, Britt will surely recognize that he needs to preserve his current environment. 

Jeff Fisher has done an excellent job keeping Britt grounded, and that needs to continue. Not to mention, Britt is guaranteed a large role in the St. Louis offense next season—a luxury he might not have in other cities with more competition on offense. 

Ultimately, Britt's contract might not be as team-friendly as we initially hoped. The Rams are starving for offensive talent, and any good agent will exploit that. But this is a situation where both parties are reliant on one another, so it won't be outrageous either. 

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Offensive Line Woes Might Force Rams to Overpay for Joe Barksdale

Most of the free-agent offensive linemen of this class are old or banged up (maybe both). Joe Barksdale is neither of those things, and he'll get paid for it. 

The Barksdale situation will be interesting to follow. He revived his career in St. Louis at right tackle, but his play suffered this past season. The Rams are desperate for offensive line help, but it might be too risky to assume Barksdale will snap out of it. 

The upcoming draft class is loaded with offensive tackles in the top 15—Iowa State's Brandon Scherff, Miami's Ereck Flowers (Florida), LSU's La'el Collins, Stanford's Andrus Peat—but it'd still be helpful to retain Barksdale. After all, is swapping a competent right tackle with a slightly better rookie replacement really going to give the St. Louis line the facelift it desperately needs?

Besides, it's hard to fault Barksdale for his regression. The two players to his left—Davin Joseph and Scott Wells—were major weak spots on the line. In fact, it would have been miraculous if Barksdale had maintained his 2013 form with those two by his side. 

Even if the current regime agrees that Barksdale is an asset, it'll still be tough to retain him. Out of all the mid-level free agents on the line, he is one of the most attractive. 

In the end, the Rams really can't afford to let him walk. Not if Fisher wants Sam Bradford under center and healthy for 16 games. The team will already be searching to fill two starting spots on the line. Putting out classified ads for a third starting-caliber lineman will doom the offense. 

It's not easy to do, but it's best if the Rams just overpay to keep Barksdale. 

Scott Kane/Associated Press

Free Agency Will Add Clarity to Quarterback Dilemma

Obviously, this is the subject in the back of everyone's mind. The Rams will address the quarterback position in some way this offseason; we just don't know if it'll be in free agency. 

One thing to keep in mind moving forward is this: The Rams will not do nothing. 

With careers and reputations on the line, there has to be a contingency plan in place behind Sam Bradford. Doing nothing is not an option. If you accept that fact, the Rams' offseason plan for the quarterback position will become clearer as the weeks progress. 

Even the team's inaction will enlighten us. If the Rams don't sign a passer in free agency, you can rest assured it's because the front office is eyeing a quarterback through the draft or trade. 

However, let's not write off free agency just yet, even if the class is lacking. If the team is confident in Bradford, it doesn't matter if there's an option out there better than him. As Wagoner of ESPN.com pointed out, the real concern is whether the team can find an upgrade over Shaun Hill and Austin Davis. 

Wagoner went on to mention that St. Louis' new quarterback coach, Chris Weinke, spent time mentoring free agents Christian Ponder and Josh Freeman. 

Both players were drafted in the first round and possess raw potential. Freeman in particular is interesting. He was a rising star early in his career. He posted career-high numbers in 2012 with 27 touchdowns and over 4,000 yards before imploding with nine interceptions in his final three games (he threw just eight in the first 13 games of the season). 

Freeman has never been the same since. Then again, he hasn't been given a fair chance to redeem himself. He started the first three games of the 2013 season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before being forced out in favor of Mike Glennon by a regime in turmoil. He went on to start one game for the Minnesota Vikings later that same season (tossed in the fire with zero notice is more like it), and he didn't play a down in 2014.

Brian Hoyer of the Cleveland Browns is another curious option. He showed great potential in 2013 and led his team to three wins in as many starts before going down with an injury. He struggled toward the end of his 2014 run, but he still has an admirable 10-6 record over his last 16 starts (which happens to better than any record St. Louis has mustered since 2003). 

Beyond the three aforementioned signal-callers, the class features a few additional young athletes with great talent—Ryan Mallett and Jake Locker—but no one worth overspending for. 

Free-Agency Quick Hits

• Jared Cook and Cory Harkey can hold down the tight end position. Not to mention, the Rams still have Alex Bayer and Justice Cunningham, who made the squad in 2014 as undrafted rookies. Consider Lance Kendricks good as gone. 

• Earning a job on the St. Louis defensive line is about as competitive as it gets. Alex Carrington had one tackle in 2014 and appeared in just eight games. Injured or not, he'll be walking. Ethan Westbrooks is the next man up. 

• Expect the Rams to let 35-year-old Shaun Hill walk in free agency, but assume they'll hang on to the younger Austin Davis (25). At least for a while. If St. Louis finds an attractive quarterback in the draft, we can say our goodbyes to Davis as well. 

• The Rams will obviously part with salary-cap dead weights like Jake Long and Scott Wells, but losing veterans on the offensive line will not be taken lightly. Regardless of past failures with veteran linemen, expect the Rams the address the line early and often in free agency.