The Seattle Seahawks agreed to a five-year deal with former-Vikings WR Sidney Rice. Rice was considered the prime catch among free agent wide receivers this year, and the St. Louis Rams were reportedly one of three teams most interested in adding him. Obviously, they did not.
John Clayton reports that Rice's deal is worth $41 million with $18.5 guaranteed over five years.
However, Billy Devaney might have a backup plan in Chargers WR Malcom Floyd. Kevin Acee from the San Diego Union-Tribune says that the same teams who pursued Rice are pursuing Floyd. Those teams were the Rams, Seahawks and Vikings. If this report is accurate, it's now a derby between the Rams and the Vikings. I like Floyd, a fellow University of Wyoming man, but I don't know that he's No. 1 receiver material, certainly not in the mold that Rice was. Floyd did, however, shine when Vincent Jackson was holding out last year.
Hopefully, the Rams drove up the price of Rice far enough to prevent them from signing DT Brandon Mebane, another free agent the Rams are said to courting. Mebane would make the Rams front four an intimidating unit for opposing offenses, in a division where two of their rivals, the 49ers and Seahawks, have young, powerful offensive lines.