Keep or Cut Decisions for St. Louis Rams' 2015 Free Agents
The St. Louis Rams finished the 2014 regular season with a disappointing 6-10 record. Unfortunately, that meant that there would be no postseason plans for the team for the 10th season in a row.
Despite the losing record, the Rams showed signs of being a team on the verge of getting back to the playoffs. Victories over the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers were evidence of that.
That makes this a very important offseason for the Rams, and that all starts with free agency.
Which players should the Rams target? What positions do they need help at? Before those questions are answered, the organization will need to decide how many of their own free agents they want to keep in St. Louis.
According to OverTheCap.com, the Rams currently have just over $5.3 million in available cap space. Only 10 teams have less room to work with. That could mean some tough decisions for the team in order to create more cap space to work with in terms of signing players.
Here, we will take a look at the key players who are set to become free agents for the Rams and decide which players they should keep and which players they should cut loose.
Davin Joseph, Guard: Cut
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The Rams signed Davin Joseph to a one-year contract in the offseason. One year should be all they need in order to realize he's not a good fit for the team.
Joseph, a former first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has slowly regressed since injuring his knee in the 2012 season.
Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranks Joseph at No. 75 out of 78 players at the guard position.
Joseph isn't a great run-blocker, and he's even worse against the pass. On the season, he gave up five sacks, eight hits on the quarterback and 19 quarterback hurries.
If the Rams are able to build an offensive line that's as strong as their defensive line, they'll be a great team. Joseph shouldn't fit into that plan.
The team also has reserve guard Mike Person, who will become a free agent himself in the offseason. Person could stick with the team in a backup role, but the Rams are already his fourth team since being a seventh-round pick in 2011.
Joe Barksdale, Tackle: Cut
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Unless the team decides it no longer needs Jake Long, they should allow Joe Barksdale to find a new home.
Barksdale is decent in the running game, but he's far from a superior pass-blocker. According to PFF, Barksdale gave up seven sacks on the season.
While Long's 2014 season was cut short due to injury, he and Greg Robinson should be considered the tackles of the future for the team.
Some fans may not agree with this move, and the fate of Barksdale should be a key storyline this offseason.
"OL w/ most pressures allowed this season: Matt Kalil 26 G. Cherilus 25 Joe Barksdale 21 Seantrel Henderson 20 Byron Bell 20 D. Ferguson 20
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) November 9, 2014"
On the bench, the Rams also have the untested Brandon Washington, a former sixth-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Washington has yet to make his mark in the NFL, and maybe he never will. However, he is a mobile, athletic player who can be very quick off the snap.
The Rams should continue to develop him in their system as a tackle or at one of the interior positions along the offensive line.
As a result, there's really no place for Barksdale, who PFF ranked in the bottom half of all offensive tackles this season.
If the team chooses to re-sign him, it may be due to protect against Long's injury history.
Lance Kendricks, Tight End: Keep
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Lance Kendricks is not the type of tight end that is going to keep defensive coordinators up at night the way Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham do.
But Kendricks can be a player that catches a defense by surprise.
Though he only caught 27 passes in 2014, he set a career high with five touchdown receptions. Kendricks doesn't get many targets in the passing game because he does most of his work elsewhere.
Kendricks is also an excellent blocker. The job he does helping to facilitate the run game is reason enough for the Rams to keep him.
But he's also a wild card in the passing game. If the Rams could ever get consistent play at the quarterback position and have that player develop chemistry with Kendricks, he could become one of the league's best under-the-radar weapons.
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Alex Carrington, Defensive Lineman: Keep
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During his first year in St. Louis, Alex Carrington did little to get noticed on the field. But that doesn't mean the team should give up on him so soon.
A former third-round pick of the Buffalo Bills, Carrington has never lived up to his potential. He hasn't even come close.
But the Rams still have a 27-year old player who is both strong and very versatile along the defensive line. Plus, he can learn from guys like Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald and Chris Long.
At the very least, he can be a useful player on the special teams unit.
The Rams should see what they have in this guy and give him another short-term deal.
Cory Harkey, Tight End and Chase Reynolds, Running Back: Keep
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Cory Harkey and Chase Reynolds are two young players on the Rams offense who still have plenty of potential to grow into NFL stars.
Harkey caught just eight passes this season and has just 22 receptions in his three-year career. Reynolds is buried on the depth chart at the running back position behind guys like Tre Mason, Zac Stacy and Benny Cunningham.
But both players can contribute in other areas. Reynolds is a very good special teams player and Harkey is a strong blocking tight end, much like Lance Kendricks.
Most importantly, both of these players are exclusive-rights free agents. That means that they're not free to negotiate with other teams. The Rams can offer them the three-year veteran minimum.
Both players are good enough to make the team again next season. There's no reason to cut them loose unless they find better depth in the draft.
Kenny Britt, Wide Receiver: Keep
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Kenny Britt was likely very close to losing his spot in the league when he caught just 11 passes for the Tennessee Titans in 2013.
The Rams decided to give him a shot as a free agent, and they may have found something.
Britt put together a solid season for St. Louis, catching 48 passes for 748 yards and three touchdowns. Despite the Rams not having great quarterback play for much of the year, Britt still managed to make big plays in the passing game.
In Week 11 against the Denver Broncos, Britt caught four passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. The way he played in that game gave Rams fans a glimpse of how dominant he can be.
"Kenny Britt - first Rams receiver to crack 700 yards (748) in a season since 2008.
— Scott Kacsmar (@FO_ScottKacsmar) December 29, 2014"
The Rams have a good young corps of wide receivers, but Britt has experience and provides a big target in the passing game.
Signing him to a new deal should be a top priority for the front office.
Rodney McLeod, Safety: Keep
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With T.J. McDonald at safety and Mark Barron coming over to add more physicality to the secondary, the Rams are building one of the NFL's toughest defenses.
Rodney McLeod, another safety, is due to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. Undrafted out of Virginia in 2012, McLeod will likely shop his services and look for the best offer.
The Rams need to be conscientious of the salary cap, but keeping McLeod in St. Louis would be a good idea.
McLeod was fourth on the team in tackles in 2014. He also had two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
He is beginning to carve out a niche on the St. Louis defense, and if the team can keep McLeod, Barron and McDonald on the same team, they could form one of the league's best combinations at the safety position.
Austin Davis, Quarterback: Cut
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The Rams need to make some changes at the quarterback position, even if it's just letting go of the third-stringer.
They needed to find out what they had in Austin Davis in the 2014 season, and they did.
Davis played in 10 games throughout the season. While he wasn't terrible, he didn't do anything that should inspire the Rams to keep him around the organization.
Davis threw 12 touchdown passes, but he also turned the ball over 13 times (nine interceptions, four fumbles). Most importantly, the team went just 3-5 in the games in which he started.
The team has seen what Davis can do in an extended role. Better options will be available.
Shaun Hill, Quarterback: Keep
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Shaun Hill didn't play any better than Austin Davis did. In fact, the team went 3-5 in games he started as well.
Whether the Rams choose to move on from Sam Bradford or not, the team is going to need a dependable backup quarterback. Hill may not be the ideal choice, but he is an experienced veteran with knowledge of the system.
For that reason alone, he should get the nod over Davis. But Hill also showed better command of the offense and his decision-making was slightly better.
However, Hill wasn't great at protecting the ball either, turning it over 12 times between interceptions and fumbles.
Hill should be retained in order to help bring along the team's quarterback of the future or to fill the role of Bradford's backup. But if he is forced into action again, the Rams can't expect him to be much more than he was in 2014.
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