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San Francisco 49ers free agent cornerback Carlos Rogers is one target for the St. Louis Rams, according to Howard Balzer of ESPN 101. As with so many free agents, Rogers has a connection to the current coaching staff at Rams Park, even if that connection could sitting out for a little while this season.
Let's assess the Rogers news, after the jump.
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Rogers played for Greg Williams in Washington, DC. Williams was the defensive coordinator when Washington drafted Rogers with the ninth pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, and they spent three years together with the Redskins.
The Rams released Ron Bartell on Monday, clearing up $6.2 million in cap space. Replacing him with another savvy veteran to play alongside Bradley Fletcher and Jerome Murphy would be a good move for the team.
Of course, the real news here is what this potentially means for the Rams and Cortland Finnegan. Bidding for Finnegan is expected to be fierce as teams like Dallas try desperately to fix their secondary. Brandon Carr is expected to get piles of cash, and Finnegan's deal will be based on Carr's. Finnegan has also been linked to Tampa Bay recently.
Rogers was said to be looking for a four- to five-year deal somewhere in the $5 million per season neighborhood. That's not cheap for a 31-year old. He did have a strong season last year, intercepting six passes, a career-high.
The 49ers got some great play out of Rogers, and his 2011 will inflate his overall worth. He can play in the slot as well as on the outside, which is a plus for the Rams. He was willing to take a discount to stay in San Fran, so long as he got the longer deal. Would he do the same to play with Williams and Chuck Cecil?