NFL Free Agency: St. Louis Rams Rumors and League Updates

Free agency is currently in its second day, and things are getting wild. Teams are making surprise signings, and many players remain on the open market. 

This article will keep you updated on all of the free agency news not only with the Rams, but it will also update you on moves that are relevant to the Rams 2011 season, such as major signings or losses by division rivals. 

So here is the scoop...

10:34 PM (7/28/11) UPDATE: Adam Schefter Reports the Rams have signed wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker of the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

June 26, 2011   

-7/26/11 Rams cut outside linebacker Larry Grant.

-7/26/11 Rams sign safety Quintin Mikell away from the Philadelphia Eagles, reportedly offering him a four-year contract worth $28 million.

-7/26/11 Seattle Seahawks lose free agent quarterback Matt Hasselbeck to the Tennessee Titans, and they respond by signing quarterback Tarvaris Jackson of the Minnesota Vikings. They supposedly reached an agreement with Matt Leinart, but recent reports indicate that Leinart will return to the Houston Texans instead.

-7/26/11 San Francisco 49ers re-sign quarterback Alex Smith to a $5 million deal.

-7/26/11 Quarterback Carson Palmer of the Cincinnati Bengals announced that he would retire, though nothing is official. This would eliminate an experienced and capable quarterback from the market, and it would prevent and NFC West rivals from upgrading their quarterback situations.

-7/26/11 Defensive tackle Barry Cofield of the New York Giants reached and agreement with the Washington Redksins. Cofield was thought to be a target for the Rams in free agency.

-7/26/11 Jim Thomas, who is the beat writer for the Rams with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, hinted that the Rams are talking with a wide receiver, but no name was revealed.

June 27,2011

-7/27/11 Jim Thomas reports that the Rams are interested in multiple outside linebackers—Scott Shanle (New Orleans Saints), Ben Leber (Minnesota Vikings) and Zach Diles (Houston Texans).

-7/27/11 Kent Somers of Azcentral.com is reporting that the Arizona Cardinals will likely lose wide receiver Steve Breaston, with the Kansas City Chiefs being the likely suitor. 

-7/27/11 John Clayton of ESPN is reporting that the Rams are in the mix for wide receiver Sidney Rice (Minnesota Vikings), who is arguably the top receiver available in free agency.

-7/27/11 ESPN is reporting that the Philadelphia Eagles are expected to trade quarterback Kevin Kolb to the Arizona Cardinals by the end of the week.

-7/27/11 The Rams missed out on defensive tackle Barry Cofield, but Brandon Mebane of the Seattle Seahawks is an equally appealing option. NFL reporter Michael Lombardi tweeted that the Rams are showing interest, but they are also competing with the Seahawks and the Denver Broncos.

-7/27/11 Jim Thomas tweeted that the Rams have agreed to terms with restricted free agents John Greco (offensive fuard) and David Vobora (outside linebacker).

-7/27/11 Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports that the Seattle Seahawks have reached a five-year deal with wide receiver Sidney Rice that's worth $41 million, officially taking the Rams out of the sweepstakes.

-7/27/11 Jim Thomas announced, citing unknown league sources, that the Rams are focusing on running backs Jason Snelling (Atlanta Falcons) and Jerome Harrison. Snelling is from Atlanta, where General Manager Bill Devaney has ties, while Harrison played in Philadelphia, where head coach Steve Spagnuolo has ties.

June 28, 2011

-7/28/11 Jim Thomas alerted readers via Twitter that that Rams are pursuing 32-year-old DT Justin Bannan of the Denver Broncos.

-7/28/11 Running back Reggie Bush was traded to the Miami Dolphins early on Thursday, officially ruling him out as an option for the Rams.

-7/28/11 Daniel Fells was the Rams top receiving tight end in 2010 with 41 catches for 391 yards, but the free-agent is visiting with the Denver Broncos, as reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

-7/28/11 The Rams were aggressively pursuing outside linebacker Scott Shanle of the New Orleans Saints. Reports said that the two parties even arranged a visit, but Shanle was re-signed by the Saints today.

-7/28/11 Both the Rams and the Arizona Cardinals are pursuing linebacker Stewart Bradley of the Philadelphia Eagles.

-7/28/11 The Arizona Cardinals traded Pro Bowl cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2012 second-round pick for quarterback Kevin Kolb of the Philadelphia Eagles. It was a hefty asking price for a quarterback with only seven career starts in four seasons, with a record of 3-4 and a career QB rating of 73.2.

-7/28/11 Peter King broke the news via twitter, which was confirmed by multiple sources such as ESPN. Running back Darren Sproles was signed by the New Orleans Saints. The move was an attempt to replace Reggie Bush, who they traded to Miami earlier today. This confirms that the Rams will likely pursue a cheap option at backup running back, such as Jason Snelling or Steve Slaton.

June 29, 2010

-7/29/11 Rams reach agreement with offensive guard Harvey Dahl of the Atlanta Falcons.

-7/29/11 Rams signs outside linebacker Zach Diles of the Houston Texans.

-7/29/11 Rams signs draft picks Austin Pettis and Lance Kendricks, and they cut offensive guard Jacob Bell.

-7/29/11 ESPN and Adam Schefter confirm that the Rams have reached a deal with wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker of the Jacksonville Jaguars.  

Players to Keep an Eye On

-Jason Snelling (Running Back, Atlanta Falcons)

-Stewart Bradley (Linebacker, Philadelphia Eagles)

-Jerome Harrison (Running Back, Philadelphia Eagles)

-Brandon Mebane (Defensive Tackle, Seattle Seahawks)

-Ben Leber (Outside Linebacker, Minnesota Vikings)

-Zach Diles (Outside Linebacker, Houston Texans)

-Plaxico Burress (Wide Receiver, New York Giants)

Last Updated On 7/28/11 at 10:35 PM