Dec 21, 2008; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams defensive back Ron Bartell (24) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Bryant Johnson (82) after intercepting a pass during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. The 49ers defeated the Rams 17-16. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Scott Rovak-US PRESSWIRE

With free agency opening Tuesday, the Rams have already begun making roster cuts to clear cap space. Cornerback Ron Bartell was cut, as were defensive tackles Fred Robbins and Justin Bannan, center Jason Brown and defensive end James Hall. With the moves, the team freed up almost $19 million in cap space, which is a pretty nice number.

As far as the players go, I don’t think anyone is surprised by Brown or Bannan being gone. Brown was benched last season, and although Bannan wasn’t terrible, last year was his first with the team and he didn’t blow anyone away.

Hall has been playing good ball since he came to St. Louis, but he is 35 years old. He would have counted $3 million against the cap, so I guess it’s not a huge surprise. Word of Bartell’s possible release hit a few weeks ago after he missed the season with a neck fracture. Bartell has been cleared medically, so it will be interesting to see what happens with him. I really like Bartell, and I hope he can continue to play at a high level when he returns.

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