NFL free agents 2013: Rams likely to keep Danny Amendola one way or another

This is sort of a case of non-news news. Pro Football Talk argued on Wednesday afternoon that the St. Louis Rams should use the franchise tag on wide receiver Danny Amendola, who will be a free agent after the current season. It's not exactly going out on a limb after Sunday's tie with the 49ers reminded fans just how important Amendola is to the Rams' offense.

The franchise tag might not matter. Rams executive VP Kevin Demoff recently said that the team plans to get a long-term deal done with Amendola. His asking price gets higher and higher with every game like the one last week.

Tagging him becomes an option if the team feels as though the two sides are too far apart to reach a deal before free agency starts. Amendola would likely have more than a few suitors on the market, most notably the Patriots who are likely to let Wes Welker walk after this season. From there, Amendola and the Rams have until the middle of July to reach a long-term agreement in that case.

I'd be surprised if it came to that for the Rams. Amendola's value to the team is clear, not to mention the commitment the Rams have to Sam Bradford, whose success hinges on having a viable receiver like Amendola in the lineup with him.

The bigger question is what the team plans to do to add to its receiving corps beyond Amendola. The obvious answer is the continued development of Brian Quick and Chris Givens. Prospects for a bigger season in 2013 look more robust for the latter, as long as he can stay out of trouble. The team is unlikely to pursue any of the marquee, expensive free agents, like Dwayne Bowe, but there could be some options in the draft.

For more analysis on Amendola's value to the team, check this out.

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