2017 NFL Free Agency Rumor & News Tracker: LA Rams Free Agents, Cuts, Signings, Needs

The 2017 NFL Free Agency period is officially underway with the opening of the legal tampering window underway. As such, teams are allowed to begin (and 100% are currently engaged in) contacting free agents and their representatives to gauge their interest in various contractual negotations. Ultimately, many of the top free agents will come to verbal agreements on contractual details that will be presented when the market opens on Thursday at 4pm ET.

Here’s all the major info for free agency this year and any rumors related to the Los Angeles Rams below:

Current Players

Unrestricted free agents

WR Stedman Bailey

WR Kenny Britt: Rams General Manager Les Snead confirmed at the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine that Britt will be allowed to test the free agent market. He is all but certain to sign elsewhere. Reports suggest he will land $6m-$8m on the market. Twitter then blew up that Britt was in Atlantic City bragging about signing with the Philadelphia Eagles...except his agent said that wasn’t true. And in fact it wasn’t. Britt is expected to sign a four-year deal with the Cleveland Browns when free agency starts.

RB Benny Cunningham: Benny made a visit to the New York Jets, but nothing on the signing front.

CB Trumaine Johnson: Tru was offered a franchise tag for the second season in a row. It was signed on March 6. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport is reporting the Rams are “in discussions” now to trade him!

QB Case Keenum

S T.J. McDonald: McDonald is reportedly “likely” to leave the Rams in free agency.

WR Brian Quick

RB Chase Reynolds

DL Cam Thomas

K Greg Zuerlein: Zuerlein has re-signed with the Rams on a three-year deal.

Restricted free agents

DL Dominique Easley: Easley was tapped with an original-round tender.

DL Ethan Westbrooks: Westbrooks was arrested on domestic violence charges. Those charges have now been dropped.

Exclusive rights free agents

DE Matt Longacre

DT Louis Trinca-Pasat

Contracted players

C Tim Barnes: Released

DE William Hayes: Traded to Miami Dolphins

TE Lance Kendricks: Released

RB Tre Mason: Waived

DE Eugene Sims: Released

RB Trey Watts: Waived

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Rumors & News

March 16

• The Rams have signed OLB Connor Barwin to a one-year deal reuniting him with Defensive Coordinator Wade Philips. The two were paired together with the Houston Texans in 2011 and 2012.
• The Rams made an offer to Buffalo Bills RFA C Ryan Groy. The Bills have decided to match it, and thus Groy will be a Bill for the next two years.
• UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS STAND THE HELL UP. The Mean Green’s all-time leading rusher is headed to LA as RB Lance Dunbar has signed with the Rams.

March 15

• LB Connor Barwin visiting. The Rams absolutely need linebacking depth.
• RB Lance Dunbar also visiting. With RB Benny Cunningham making his FA visits elsewhere, there’s going to be space on the RB depth chart behind Just Todd Gurley.
• The case has been dropped from the domestic violence charges that caused the arrest of RFA DE Ethan Westbrooks. No word on if the incident has affected or will affect the Rams’ decision on whether or not to bring him back.

March 14

• The Rams have offered a two-year deal to Buffalo Bills RFA C Ryan Groy. The Bills get right of first refusal and have five days to match the offer...
• We’ve re-signed K Greg Zuerlein to a three-year deal. He was great last year but had some serious issues in 2015. Which GZ are we getting over the next three seasons?
• BACKUP LONG SNAPPER NEWS.

March 13

• Former Rams QB Nick Foles is headed back to Philly on a two-year deal.
• The Rams are adding one of DC Wade Phillips’ former components from his Denver Broncos defense in DB Kayvon Webster.

March 11

• The Rams are reportedly “interested” in Denver Broncos CB Kayvon Webster. The fit under new Rams Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips is obvious.
• TE Lance Kendricks has become the second former Rams tight end to sign with the Green Bay Packers in consecutive years following former Rams TE Jared Cook doing so a year ago.

March 10

• Late news last night that DE William Hayes was traded along with a seventh-round pick to the Dolphins for their sixth-round selection. Will be interesting to see who the Rams use that one on.
• The Rams also released TE Lance Kendricks and DE Eugene Sims, two players we identified as potential cap casualties.
• Two Fisherball RBs were waived in Tre Mason and Trey Watts. Given Benny Cunningham’s likely signing elsewhere in the coming weeks, the Rams could be looking for a backup running back behind Todd Gurley this offseason.

March 9

• Well the Rams went ahead and addressed their offensive line need by agreeing in principle to sign Cincinnati Bengals OT Andrew Whitworth. That move will push Greg Robinson...somewhere else as he enter his contract year.
• The Whitworth signing also shouldn’t be interpreted to impact Rodger Saffold’s contractual status for 2017 per ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez. Role-wise, we’ll have to get through the rest of free agency and the 2017 NFL Draft to see if the Rams put some more talent in the OL hopper especially at guard. With GRob perhaps being pushed over to RG, you could have a logjam with Saffold, GRob, Jamon Brown and Cody Wichmann. Are any of them long-term solutions? If not, could a Day 3 draft pick start building the OG depth chart of tomorrow for the Rams?
• The Rams knocked out their other major need in free agency by agreeing to terms with WR Robert Woods. Woods has legitimate upside under new Head Coach Sean McVay and new Offensive Coordinator Matt LaFleur. It’s a fine signing, assuming the $15m he’s guaranteed is front-loaded in his five-year contract.
• Aaron Murray? Sure. The Rams are reportedly bringing in Todd Gurley’s old teammate at the University of Georgia.
• The Rams made their first cut of the year by releasing Tim Barnes. It saved the team 3 million in cap space.
• Benny Cunningham is heading out to visit the New York Jets.

Pre-March 9

• Kenny Britt has already begun attracting attention from the Philadelphia Eagles as of yesterday. PFT is reporting the Dallas Cowboys are interested as well.
• Britt was in Atlantic City bragging about signing with the Eagles! No he wasn’t!
• Rams “always more likely” to sign Washington Football Company WR Pierre Garcon than DeSean Jackson? And can Tavon Austin replicate DeSean’s output under former Washington Offensive Coordinator and now Head Coach Sean McVay?
• Sounds like some people are recognizing the view in this Instagram post from Jackson as Tampa. Does that mean Jackson is going to be on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017?
• And Pierre Garcon is likely headed to the San Francisco 49ers. Sounds like the Rams are either missing out or not making a bid for McVay’s former pass-catching duo.
• The Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jags are targeting guard Kevin Zeitler. If the Rams are looking for offensive line help, they might need to look elsewhere.
• Speaking of offensive line help, Ricky Wagner has reportedly agreed to contract details with the Detroit Lions.