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Rams bring back Fells

Tight end Daniel Fells enters the offseason as the St. Louis Rams starting TE, after the free agent accepted the Rams contract offer. The talking paper was reported to be a $1.5 million, one-year deal. 

The Rams needed a tight end after the Randy McMichael became the last of the heaviest Scott Linehan Era free agents to be unburdened by the team. Fells has been a useful presence in the lineup since joining the Rams during the 2008 season. 

While I think there's some logic, informed gambling really, behind the decision to quote/unquote lowball Oshiomogho Atogwe (preview for a post tomorrow), I did not understand the decision to let Fells walk. The second round tender for a RFA was $1.6 million. Maybe they just wanted to see what the market value was before giving Fells a deal on the higher-end of the range they were prepared to go to with a contract offer. It sounds kind of like a dick move, but it makes sense from a business standpoint. I think Fells is a good player with some potential, but I don't think he's so good that the Rams failed to consider that they could probably find someone similar in free agency or a practice squad, where Fells himself came from. Cautiousness about his injury may have added motivation.