The Rams are a team that is reported to have a surplus of cap space this year, but is that really true? When this was first being reported back in late December this proclamation should have raised some red flags for many loyal Rams fans. For some reason it is a subject that has gone mostly untouched and  poorly described. Last year, while appearing on a 101.1 ESPN (a local ESPN affiliate in St. Louis),  Rams COO, Kevin Demoff made the following statement regarding the current cap space, “we will actually have very little to work with next year, we will have to do a good job developing our draft picks this year, because next year we might not get to be as active in free agency”. Wait a minute, that sounds contradictory to what was reported a mere several months later by almost every major media outlet, so what gives?

First off, cap space is very difficult to discuss this time of year because there are so many moving parts. There is not really a fair number you can put on it because a lot of this depends on personnel decisions that will happen over the next 6-7 months. Even after the Rams cut players, re-sign players, sign free agents, and finish the draft there still will not be a clear picture of the cap until the first pre-season game.

The Rams will start this off-season with close to $10 million in cap space. This doesn’t include many of our own free agents who may be resigned, or our draft picks, which alone will account for close to $7 million.  Before you spit out your coffee- yes, you did the math right. After resigning our own free agents and draft picks the Rams could, in theory, have used up all of their cap space. But hold your horses and put the gun down, there are a lot of decisions the Rams can make that will allow them to free up a lot of space. These decisions may be easy to make, and frankly, have probably already been made.  By restructuring a few contracts and releasing several players the Rams could stand to gain between $8-19 million in extra cap space. That’s why you saw media outlets saying the Rams would have close to $30-40 million total in cap space. They were reporting numbers that had decisions tied to them. Perhaps many of these cap decisions have the writing on the wall. Jason Brown  for example, he was benched last year after being paid top-free-agent money to come to St. Louis several years ago. He could help save the Rams close to $2-3 million if he were to be released.

There are other players that would appear to be easy decisions for this new staff. Fred Robbins could be cut to save the team a clean $4.5 million. He played through a back injury and was  non-factor most of the year. It’s easy to see why many journalists see the cap-room upside with the Rams, they have players that they can easliy afford to release. At 2-14 there are few players who can form a strong argument to stay on-board with a large contract, and those without significant bonuses will be inclined to restructure, or face the street.

That leads me to one of the greatest and most significant myths this year around the Rams cap space which is that of Jason Smith. Smith was the #2 overall selection in 2008 draft, and has aptly earned the “bust” title since then. Jason Smith has graded out very poorly when he has been on the field, and has fought injuries every season since he was drafted. As a guy who is eating up $13-14 million in cap space, it is justified that many would see him as a casualty. Unfortunately, poor reporting and misguided fans have unrealistic expectations for what can be done here. Contracts are still worth something in the NFL, albeit not very much, and Smiths contract says he is guaranteed to close to $11 million  in 2012. So even if the Rams cut him they will be on the hook for a lot of money with Smith. Many fans are pounding on their chests saying that he should restructure, but why would he? Why not collect $11 in St. Louis and get picked up by another team hoping he turns a corner, and then collect two paychecks this year? It pains me to say it Rams fans, but Jason Smith is going to be the winner here. It may be time to cut our huge loss and take comfort in saving $3 million on his departure.

The bottom line is that the Rams will have a lot options as it relates to the salary cap this year. They should be able to release some aging players, and restructure some undesirable contracts to benefit themselves in 2012. I would expect the Rams to be responsibly active in the free agent market, and to be close to the maximum in cap spending in August. The Rams organization appears to have a commitment to winning, and that often means spending big money when it’s needed. In this case, it is.  Let’s hope they can get a good return on thier investment.

Thanks for reading…

Follow me on twitter @tylerbishop

Nothing  divides a fan base quite like talking about prospects in the draft, or players in free agency. That’s because we get attached too easily. We find players that have done well in the past, or have untapped talent, and see them as the missing link. Unfortunately in the NFL it is much more complicated than a gut-feeling. How healthy is the player, can he still play, why hasn’t he reached his potential yet, is he affordable, and most importantly, does he fill a role for our team?

Personnel people, coaches, and general managers are like terrible boyfriends, they don’t want to get attached. They are only looking for one thing… value. They don’t need Reggie White in free agency, they need a guy that can fill a hole for them. All teams will tell you they want to build through the draft, but each year there may be some positions that are hard to solve in that years draft class. Free agency is how teams can fill roles that might otherwise be left bare. It’s not always about finding a pro-bowler, it’s about finding depth, role-players, and specific attributes for your team.

The Rams desperately need to upgrade many positions, both in terms of depth and overall talent. The Rams also have a brand new coaching staff which means they are looking for players to fill new roles and do different things. This can lead to a lot of organizational turnover in the first 2 years, and that can’t always happen purely through the draft. I would look for the Rams to be a major player in free agency this year. I would also look for them to release a lot of players that will catch many fans off guard to make room for there new additions. That kind of thing comes with the territory of changing coaching staffs.

I will start by listing some of the offensive free agents I believe the Rams will look at this year. Some may be too expensive, some may be too old, and some may end up elsewhere, but I believe the following players will be on the Rams short list, and I’ll tell you why…

Offensive Line

Dan Connolly, C, New England: A classic rule of free agency is to sign young talent to their second contract, and Dan Connolly would fit the bill. He is a young talent that comes from this area, which could be a recruiting selling point, and started for a Super Bowl team last year. Honestly, I don’t think he fits the typical Fisher prototype, but I think Connolly could be interested in returning to the area and I don’t think the Patriots will re-sign him. He is savy pass-blocker, and a smart guy. He would be an asset to Bradford. It’s likely he’s on our list, and for the right price he could be our starter in 2012. I feel he would be an upgrade over Wragge. I also think Jason Brown will be gone next year, which means you’ll need another player that can fill in at Center. You definitely check the price tag on Dan Connolly.

Ben Grubbs, G, Baltimore: Another young ascending talent from a playoff team. Grubbs will be very expensive, and there will be a competition for his services. He will likely walk out of Baltimore because they need to sign their QB and tag their RB, so they simply can’t afford to keep a guy that will command the resources Grubbs will. The Rams need a dominant guard; however, it’s not Fishers style to to get a top flite O-lineman in free agency, so I would say this is a long shot. The big factor here is Bradford. Fisher may decide that this move could help solidify the line, and  he could use Stan’s big wallet to pull the trigger. Fisher never had the resources to do that in Tennessee, and was known for developing small school tackles into great guards. He may choose to skip that step and lock up Grubbs for the next few years. Sam Bradford would be thrilled with this, but Rams fans may not be. There wouldn’t be a ton of money left after a big move like this, so those looking for a flashier acquisition may be disappointed.

Jake Scott, G, Tennessee: Scott is not young, but he isn’t old. The trick in this move may be getting him away from the Titans, where his former line coach is now his head coach. But money talks, and the Titans don’t have as much as the Rams do. If Scott was to go anywhere else you’d think St. Louis would be at the top of his list, as he played the majority of his strong career with Fisher as his head coach. He can still play at a very high level and can provide some veteran leadership for the line and offense as a whole. I’d expect heavy pursuit of Scott’s services if he is not re-signed by the Titans.

Chad Rinehart or Kraig Urbik, G’s, Buffalo: Want to know why the Bills had such a great running attack in 2011? They had two great guards that graded out phenomenally in the run last year. The Bills need to spend so much money to make their team better and I see them letting one of these young fella’s walk, as both of their contracts are up. Neither are sexy pick-ups, but both performed fantastic last year, and could continue to grow and improve here with Fisher. The Rams will keep a close eye on these guys should they hit the market.

Running Back

This is a position that may be best filled in the draft, as we have a starter now, and need a great #2, as both coaches prefer a two-back system, but here are some possible options.

Cadillac Williams, RB, St. Louis: He showed glimpses of what he used to be in a limited capacity last year. If he continues to rebound from injuries early in his career “Caddy” may be our best bet as a veteran back behind Steven. He has a different style, and could emulate things that LT did for Schottenheimer in New York. He would provide an affordable patch at the position next year, while maintaining a sizable upside were he to return to full form. I’d say it’s at least a 50/50 chance he returns in 2012.

Mike Tolbert, RB, San Diego: Tolbert is a young talent with low miles. He is the gritty kind of player that Fisher and Schotty both like. There are things about Tolbert worth being concerned about, but he would bring a totally different element to the offense when he is in the game. I could see the Rams having a strong interest in Tolbert this off-season.

Wide Receiver

This is the hardest position to predict, as the Rams will undoubtedly continue to upgrade here in the draft (the question is in what round), and many of the top FA’s in this class may get tagged or re-signed. I will list a few the Rams will watch, and provide a little analysis on others.

Brandon Lloyd, WR, St. Louis: For the right price St. Louis would do itself a big favor by keeping a scrappy veteran reciever like Lloyd. He makes others around him better, and can make every catch. He may have the best hands in football, and that kind of assurance is exactly what Bradford needs. The hard part could be luring him back after last year. He wants to play for a winner, and if we can convince him that things are on the upswing it will work in our favor. He would love to follow McDaniels, but his agent, Tom Condon, hates the Patriots. Condon went as far as to say, “we treat the (the NFL) like there are only 31 teams”, yikes! So Lloyld’s best bet at a successful role may be here in St. Louis with a QB that believes in him. I think this is another 50/50 shot for St. Louis.

Marques Colston, WR, New Orleans: I’m skeptical of Colston, mainly because he has put up good numbers in a great offense. The offense he’s in now has given him the ultimate chance at being successful, and he has responded by putting up consistent and respectable numbers. He cannot be a runaway dominant, number-one receiver in St. Louis, but he can be a steady receiver that knows how to get open and someone that gives Bradford a person to throw the ball to. I think the Rams will give him a great offer, but won’t give him Brandon Marshall money, because simply, he’s not even close to being as good. The Rams would do themselves a big favor by being competitive for his services, and Sam would be the biggest benefactor.

Reggie Wayne, WR, Indianapolis: If Peyton doesn’t come back I would doubt that Wayne would either. He would be another casualty on the Irsay youth movement. Wayne would make a great tool for Sam, he is reliable, consistent, and could provide veteran leadership for the team. Wayne is getting older though, and might not be capable of being “the guy” anymore. If you could pair him with someone like Lloyd, Coltston, Blackmon, or another talented guy I think he could be a big time-value. But to have a great value you’d have to have a great price. Could the Rams get Wayne for “#2 wide receiver money”? He is also the kind of player Fisher and Schottenheimer like, and for that reason I think he will get a call from the “3-1-4″.

Others who are likely to be watched, but may be tagged or resigned…

- Dwayne Bowe – Lots of questions, none of which are talent.

- DeSean Jackson- Can he go untagged, I’m hearing he will get tagged and traded cheap. Is a player who “went to lunch” in 2011 worth anything to the Rams?

- Dominik Hixon- We know he can make awesome one-handed catches, the question is can he do it without tearing an ACL?

Backup Quaterbacks

Kellen Clemens, QB, St. Louis: It makes sense, right? He has been with Schotty for years, and was here last year as a backup to Sam. I think this is a strong possibility.

Jason Campbell, QB, Oakland: He will be out of Oakland in 2012 because of their salary cap debacle, and will likely not get a starting offer coming off an injury. This could be a nice home for him (guys want to play for Fisher). If Sam were to go down, or God forbid struggle, next year he would be a great backup. He has starting experience and is a former first round pick. Fisher likes experience with his #2 Qb’s, and Campbell would be a welcome addition.

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Tell me how right I am and leave a comment…

Follow me on twitter: @tylerbishop

View Bradley Fletcher Video

From Draftcountdown:

Outstanding athlete…Prototypical height and bulk…Long arms…Good speed…Excellent leaper…Great strength…Physical and aggressive…A reliable tackler…Agile with good change of direction…Decent hands and ball skills..Good special teamer…Versatile…Still has lots of upside.

From NFL.com

Always the good soldier since arriving on campus in 2004, he toiled on special teams as a redshirt freshman. He started four games while sharing left cornerback duties with Adam Shada as a sophomore and then shifted to the right side in 2007. He spent his junior campaign alternating with Charles Godfrey, picking up four more starting assignments.

From CBSSports:

Key and Diagnostic Skills: Fletcher plays more like a safety than a cornerback. He has good physicality behind his hits and does much better vs. plays in front of him than when turned on the backfield. He shows good awareness and can see the route develop quickly. He anticipates the path of the ball in flight well, doing a nice job of extending and reaching around to break up the pass. He is a bit late seeing the receiver on the out routes when he uses the shuffle technique, but does a good job of reacting to the runs along the perimeter. GRADE: 6.5