Uh oh. I don't where the negotiations stand with the Rams and CB Ron Bartell; we do know that Devaney and Spagnuolo would like to keep him in a Rams uniform next year. If they do work out a deal with Bartell it's liable to be an expenisve one. How expensive, you ask?
In a Denver Post article noting that the Broncos would probably not chase Bartell if he became a free agent, this number was thrown out as the likely cost for Bartell's services:
Should Bartell hit the free market tonight, it may take a five-year, $40 million contract with an $18 million guarantee to get him.
Wow. Good thing the NFL gave everyone another $4 million on the cap. Conventional wisdom says that Bartell would be one of the top two targets, along with the Steelers Brian McFadden, among the free agent cornerbacks. For the Rams to retain his services, it's no leap to think they'd have to make him a similar offer.
Whether you like the idea of the Rams keeping Bartell or not, they'll almost certainly have to lay down some serious cash to get at least one solid CB on the roster. Right now they have nobody at that position who is a worthy 16-game starter. And to round it out, they'll almost certainly have to sign a more, ahem, veteran (read: over 30) presence to round out their starting depth.