Yesterday, Eric put up a review of the Rams free agents on the defensive side of the ball. Today it has been put upon me to look into the offensive free agents.
A lot of decisions will have to be made with this group by Jeff Fisher and Les Snead. There are 4 exclusive rights free agents, one restricted free agent and 12 unrestricted free agents. After the jump I'll give my thought on what the Rams should do with each of them.
Exclusive Rights Free Agents
Tom Brandstater- Instead of using him when AJ Feeley was hurt, the Rams decided to sign a guy off of the street in Kellen Clemens. Needless to say he shouldn't be around next season.
Dominique Curry- The Man has been a great special teams ace for the Rams, but he has provided nothing as a WR. It would be hard to see him back in a Rams uniform, but he is still a guy who should be brought into training camp.
Bryan Mattison- He wouldn't cost much to keep. Give him the minimum contract and let him compete for a spot in training camp.
Brit Miller- he is a really good thumper, but he provides nothing else as a FB. Bring him into training camp to compete for the job.
Restricted Free Agent
Danny Amendola- he is a player whose impact is overrated in general. He is a good slot WR, but his production wouldn't be hard to replace. Amendola's replacement appears to already be on the roster in Greg Salas, but he is still young and inconsistent. The Rams should tender Danny and bring him back for at least one more year. His reliability will be very useful to Sam Bradford as he enters yet another offensive system.
Unrestricted Free Agents
Brandon Lloyd- The lone WR who could get open late in the season. Lloyd was the main bright spot on one of the worst offenses in NFL history. The Rams would like to bring Lloyd back, but there are other options out there who are younger in Vincent Jackson and Stevie Johnson. I say make an offer of 3 years at about 4.5 million a year for 3 years and if another team like the Patriots offer more, go in another direction.
AJ Feeley- it's time for him to go. He is no longer an effective backup and with Bradford's injuries last season, the Rams can't afford to have a backup QB whose really just a coach for Sam.
Jerious Norwood- he is a RB who depends on speed who isn't fast anymore. Let him walk.
Cadillac Williams- he was very effective at times last season, but he has been very injury prone. It seems likely the Rams will draft a RB so it seems like it would be best to let him walk.
Kellen Clemens- He played very well last season when you consider how little time he actually spent with the offense. He also has experience in Brian Schottenheimer's offense. He should be resigned as the backup QB.
Mark Clayton- He is a solid player, but the injuries make him not worth resigning.
Billy Bajema- he is a blocking specialist TE who can't block. Good bye.
Stephen Spach- He is a journeymen TE who was brought in because of injuries last season. It's time for him to make a trip to another team.
Adam Goldberg- He gets a lot of criticism, but he can play basically any position on the line at an okay level of play. Bring him back on a cheep one or two year deal.
Mark LeVoir- give him a minimum contract and let him compete in camp for a spot.
Tony Wragge- he was decent as a starting center last season. He is a tough nasty player and would be good to keep around as a backup interior linemen.
Jacob Bell- This is by far the hardest free agent to judge. We all know what he gives the Rams: solid pass protection but sub-par run blocking. He received a huge contract from the Rams after playing ver well with Jeff Fisher's Titans so maybe Fisher could resurrect his career, but there are many guards out there that are better, but the Rams may not have the cap space to sign them and be able to fill other needs. Overall, I would say let him walk and either draft a new guard or sign a free agent like Carl Nicks or Ben Grubbs. Bell is a good pass blocker, but with an offense that will be dependent on the run, the Rams need better run blocking from the interior.
Thanks for reading.