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St. Louis Rams Free Agents to Be

The STL Post-Dispatch has the list of Rams free agents to be posted on their web site today. The good news is that it's a short list, with mostly replaceable parts on it. The two players on the list that began the season as starters are Travis Fisher, CB, and Paul Smith, FB. The injured Fisher was replaced by Tye Hill. Hill's emergence means Fisher should be free to seek other, greener pastures. As for Smith, the Rams can probably find a replacement for him with a smaller contract, not that Smith was making that much in the first place. As for the free agents worth bringing back, I would say there are three who merit consideration.

Matt Turk, punter
He certainly had his fair share of work this season, and did a yeoman job. Is he worth keeping? Maybe, he can put some height and distance on the ball. On the other hand, he can probably be replaced easily enough.

Kevin Curtis, WR
Of all the free agents, resigning Curtis makes the most sense. He could be expensive though, as he has the potential to be a #1 or 2 receiver on lots of other NFL teams, and the Rams have been paying him with a relative song - less than $1 million. He's 28 and has four years of NFL experience, i.e. he's got a lot of playing time left in him which makes him an attractive option for teams thin at WR. Sensing a good market, Curtis may well test the waters. If Isaac Brice is planning to retire, signing Curtis is a must.

Stephen Davis, RB
The last chance backup proved to be quite useful to the Rams, and his mentorship of Steven Jackson may have been more valuable than his third down carries. Personally, I would have no qualms about resigning him, except that he's aged and fragile which can compromise his ability to replace Steven Jackson should the Rams' new marquee player be felled with an injury.

The silver lining in this class of Rams free agents is that so few if any are essential to resign. The core players on which the future Rams teams will be built remain signed through the next season at least, meaning more $$ is available to chase the free agents we need to fill crucial gaps in on team, i.e. the defensive line.