Who Is Left For The St. Louis Rams In Free Agency

With Jake Long and Jared Cook on board in St. Louis, the Rams’ free agent class is unlikely to add anymore esteemed members before we hit April and the NFL draft. While a majority of the “big name” players have already signed, or are expected to sign, there are still a handful of “Tier A” players and a boatload of rotational/back-up caliber players still available. So, who might the St. Louis Rams consider…

Brandon Lloyd

While most of the perennial players left in free agency play on either the offensive line or in the secondary, there is a small grouping of talented wide receivers left out there. Brandon Lloyd would be a solid addition to the St. Louis Rams, and help fill a hole opened by the departure of Brandon Gibson. Naturally, Brian Quick will fill in the depth chart on the outside temporarily, but we have still yet to see him progress into a starter in the NFL. The Rams are likely to take a receiver at some point in the first round of the draft, and most believe that man will be Tavon Austin or Cordarrelle Patterson. If it is Patterson, then signing Lloyd would be pretty meaningless, considering they play “the same position.” However, if Austin is the man, St. Louis will need another receiver on the outside to allow the explosive slot man to be moved around in the formation.

Quintin Mikell

Yes, the Rams just let Mikell walk, but that doesn’t mean he could not be re-signed with the team. Quintin Mikell was one of the better all-around safeties in the NFL last season, and should be relatively inexpensive with his age and the shrivelled safety market.  With two vacancies in the deep secondary, it might not be a bad idea to bring someone in that knows  the system, the players, and the coaching staff to help out whoever the Rams bring in during the draft. Mikell is extrememly versatile, an attribute that Coach Fisher requires in his secondary, and could easily be tagged as the FS or SS.

Any pick of several outside linebackers

If you are looking for a veteran outside linebacker, you can pretty much roam the lot and see which one you would like to take home. Takeo Spikes, Bernard Scott, Nick Barnett, and Daryl Smith are the names that stick out, but there are plenty more possibilities if the St. Louis Rams want to address the strongside in free agency. In all liklihood, the team will draft a new starter in the mid-rounds of the draft, but it never hurts to have depth and added leadership, especially on an roster that seemingly continues to get younger.