The Rams released Trent Green, their backup QB barely capable of playing anymore, and WR Drew Bennett today.
Releasing Green gives the team another $1.3 million in cap space. Bennett saves them a mere $50K, but let's face it, the decision to part ways with these guys was about much more than cap space. This is about moving the franchise forward, cutting the chains of bad decisions past.
Bennett was a bust from day one, right after inking a $30 million contract. Green was brought in the last ditch effort to save Scott Linehan's sinking offense. The idea was that Green worked under new OC Al Saunders, knew the offense, and could step in and run the show if Bulger was hurt from the constant sacking he took behind the Rams paper thin o-line. Turns out Green just didn't have it anymore, and playing behind that same porous o-line didn't do him any favors either. Linehan and Zygmunt combined to make some really, really bad personnel decisions. Releasing Green and Bennett goes a long way toward erasing the damage from that short, but costly era.
Now, does this mean the Rams are more likely to keep WR Torry Holt? I doubt it. All reports indicate that Holt is unwilling to restructure his contract, a must if the Rams are going to hang onto him. On top of that, Holt hasn't been real excited about the prospects of remaining in St. Louis, and, understandably, doesn't want his career to wind down with a team in the rebuilding process. Yes, that will leave the Rams with a need at WR, but there are hints out there that Devaney et al have some potentials in mind on the free agent market. Given the offense the Rams are likely to run - Steven Jackson and McMichael at the heart of it - they don't need one of the pricier options, just an experienced route runner to catch 50 or so passes. Besides, the Rams need the cap space that Holt's release would provide.
As for the backup QB situation, the PD article mentions Jeff Garcia as a possibility, given his ties to Shurmur, the Rams new offensive coordinator. There are other options in Garcia's price/skill range too, plenty of options.