Bartell opts for the Rams

by Ryan Van Bibber on Mar 2, 2009 4:12 PM CST in 2009 Off-Season

They may have gone 2-14 in the regular season, but the Rams are racking up the wins this off-season. After getting a major building block for the offensive line in Jason Brown, the Rams re-signed CB Ron Bartell today.

Bartell signed a four-year, $28 million deal with $13.6 million guaranteed. That's damn good deal, in a market that was handing out $20 million plus guarantees to cornerbacks with question marks over their head. The Saints offer was reportedly in the same ball park, so Bartell must have liked what he saw in terms of the Rams immediate future.

We'll see how the deal breaks down in terms of the cap space, but it's reasonable enough to make it seem like the Rams will have the money to sign SS James Butler. And, the Rams will still probably need to add another cornerback, but they've at least got their main man.

Good news, good news.

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Comments

this has definitely made my day

i was starting to get a little nervous about STL re-signing him, but i’m glad this deal got done. now we can focus our efforts on Butler.

by betsplen on Mar 2, 2009 4:14 PM CST reply actions

Good news

I like the fact that there’s only 13.6 million garanteed. It still a lot but it’s less than Foxworth.

by MathB on Mar 2, 2009 4:28 PM CST reply actions

TJ Housyourmama

Just sigend with the Seahags……..we’ll be covering him twice a year, yay………..so it seems more likely they will be going OT in the draft huh?

by JordansDad on Mar 2, 2009 5:03 PM CST reply actions

so, so, so weak

"I always think one step ahead, like a carpenter....the builds stairs"

by sergey606 on Mar 2, 2009 11:03 PM CST up reply actions

The WR's in NFC West

are pretty weak (except Arizona), if we could also sign Butler, we’ll have a pretty solid defensive backfield. I would like to see the Rams go after Shaun Rogers or is it Shaun Cody? and put a big body in the middle…..

by JordansDad on Mar 2, 2009 5:07 PM CST reply actions

Cody. Shaun Rogers is still a Cleveland Brown, but might not be for long

Jay Zygmunt, now that you have fired yourself, please have yourself hired by Seattle. Thanks.

by 3k on Mar 2, 2009 5:53 PM CST up reply actions

Good thing they signed him because TJ Housh is going to the Seahawks.

by Eric Nagel on Mar 2, 2009 6:31 PM CST reply actions

trade holt

trade holt for a mlb and go WR in draft

by gswarriors925 on Mar 2, 2009 7:25 PM CST reply actions

Wouldn’t get much of an MLB for that contract at that age

Jay Zygmunt, now that you have fired yourself, please have yourself hired by Seattle. Thanks.

by 3k on Mar 2, 2009 8:54 PM CST up reply actions

Great news!

Very glad to have Bartell back. The new regime is off to a great start.

by ksmooth on Mar 2, 2009 7:31 PM CST reply actions

agreemence

Jay Zygmunt, now that you have fired yourself, please have yourself hired by Seattle. Thanks.

by 3k on Mar 2, 2009 8:55 PM CST up reply actions

Bartell is working on getting Butler too.

Since Butler is friends with OJ Atogwe and Bartell, I like our odds. Bartell says Butler wants to be a Ram.
I really hope this get done and I can’t wait to see what else might happen.

by JoeyBombs on Mar 2, 2009 7:42 PM CST reply actions

Its Ty Hill

Butler and Ty Hill are business partners……..Butler has no other relationships with Atogwe or Bartell…………

by JordansDad on Mar 2, 2009 8:16 PM CST reply actions

Not according to the PD

Not only did cornerback Ron Bartell agree to terms Monday on a four-year deal with the Rams, he’s busy recruiting free-agent safety James Butler of the New York Giants to sign with St. Louis as well.

Turns out Bartell and free safety teammate Oshiomogho Atogwe know Butler pretty well. The trio worked out together for a couple of weeks last offseason at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

"James is a great guy," Bartell said. "The business side is always important, but he definitely wants to be a Ram, I can tell you that much."

by JoeyBombs on Mar 2, 2009 8:31 PM CST up reply actions

Trade Pace, not Holt

It pains me to advocate trading either cornerstone, but if you’re going to trade one, it makes more sense to trade Pace, who can’t stay healthy, and then draft an OT.
With a young WR corps right now, we need Holt’s veteran presence. It is very hard for a young WR to step up and fill those shoes, because of the years needed for them to develop. It seems to me that OT’s can more easily step right in and produce.

by PolancoMcEwing on Mar 2, 2009 8:17 PM CST reply actions

But what do you get in a trade?

Jay Zygmunt, now that you have fired yourself, please have yourself hired by Seattle. Thanks.

by 3k on Mar 2, 2009 8:55 PM CST up reply actions

Maybe a third round pick, I would take that if that means Holt's salary goes into signing someone good.

I’m more into trading Holt than Pace, because we don’t have anyone that can play for Pace, where as Holt we have some guys that could at least fill in for a year. I bet we could trade Holt and our third round pick for a high second round pick.

S-St. Louis, R-Rams, D-Dallas, M-Mavericks, A-Arizona, D-Diamondbacks.

by srdmad on Mar 2, 2009 11:37 PM CST up reply actions

i just kinda want crabtree

"I always think one step ahead, like a carpenter....the builds stairs"

by sergey606 on Mar 2, 2009 11:58 PM CST up reply actions

I Stand Corrected

I could have sworn I read somewhere that Butler/Hill had mutual business interests……….I will look into that

by JordansDad on Mar 2, 2009 8:37 PM CST reply actions

i think I recall what you're talking about

but for some reason I’m thinking it’s Atogwe and Butler

by Ryan Van Bibber on Mar 3, 2009 8:25 AM CST up reply actions

Wait a Minute

that says that they “worked out together”, as in, working out in the gym…………..what Bartell meant by “business side”, he meant the business side of the NFL and contracts…….So I stand by my earlier comment that Hill/Butler have businesses together

by JordansDad on Mar 2, 2009 8:40 PM CST reply actions

I was just saying that Bartell was working to help get Butler in a Rams uniform

I’m not sure if what you originally said was supposed to contradict what I said since you are not using the reply button on these comments.

by JoeyBombs on Mar 2, 2009 8:44 PM CST up reply actions

Glad to see a new crew of TSTers in here make things a bit more interesting

I’m gonna have to work to keep track of all you new peoples.

Jay Zygmunt, now that you have fired yourself, please have yourself hired by Seattle. Thanks.

by 3k on Mar 2, 2009 8:57 PM CST reply actions

Re-Signing Party

I am having a Ron Bartell re-signing party at my house tonight- it is going to be sick. It’s a good thing for the Rams that they did re-sign him; if he signed somewhere else, I would have called my Dad and told him to cancel our season tickets.

October 26; the countdown has begun.

by Marmie is the best on Mar 2, 2009 9:33 PM CST reply actions