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The St. Louis Rams have dipped their toes in free agency this NFL off season. Signing Wells, Finnegan and Langford addressed not only position needs, but added team leadership too. While the fanbase looks toward the coming NFL Draft to answer a variety of questions still present on the Rams roster; the front office has another serious job to do that doesn't get much press coverage - Re-signing their own free agents or finding their replacements.
Currently, the Rams have 17 player that are unrestricted free agents. They can sign with any team, or re-sign with the Rams if head coach Jeff Fisher finds a need for them on his squad. There are lots of decisions to make, some may be easier than others. Have a look at the list after the jump...
Chart courtesy of Mike Sando and ESPN
The name that jumps out at me - one that I hope will be missing from the roster before the 2012 NFL season begins - is Justin King. He never lived up to what former head coach Steve Spagnuolo envisioned. In 2011, King was burn by receivers so many times that there should be scorch marks on his jersey.
Billy Bajema had a terrible 2011 campaign. Known for his blocking in times past, his off season training as a Matador crept into his football life. Ole!
Jacob Bell spent last season under-achieving, but his ties with Jeff Fisher from Tennessee may be enough to earn him another look.
James Butler is a curious player. He never lived up to his last contract, yet he sits on the sidelines gobbling up money that could be used elsewhere.
Adam Goldberg gets a bad rap in my opinion. It's more than true that he doesn't have "starter" chops, but he isn't supposed to. He's a back-up, pure and simple, with the patchwork skill set to fill in anywhere along the line. If he stays, it will be on the cheap. He'll cost far less than an experienced FA brought in to fill that 10 to 15 plays a game void he's meant to fill.
There are a few guys I hope the Rams will re-sign. I liked what I saw from Rod Hood. Gary Gibson won't make highlight reels, but in 2011 he actually played well and has stats to prove it.
Re-signing Cadillac Williams or Jerious Norwood to back up Steven Jackson for another season really depends on who the Rams take in the NFL Draft. If they take Trent Richardson, at least one of them is guaranteed to hit the bricks.
So have a look at the least and tell me who you'd keep. Don't say none of them, because the Rams have to field a 53 man roster, and the idea that they'd clear their FA board is unrealistic.