St. Louis Rams 2015 opponents: Free Agency updates

The St. Louis Rams have been VERY busy in the first few days of free agency. Former number one overall draft selection Sam Bradford is gone to Philadelphia with Nick Foles in to replace him as the new Rams signal caller.

Tight End Lance Kendricks has been locked in for another four years, and new faces Akeem Ayers and Nick Fairley bring more power to an already top tier defence.

Speculation continues around other potential additions such as center Stefen Wisniewski and guard Justin Blalock, as well as possible comeback stars from 2014, Kenny Britt and Joe Barksdale.

All things considered, Rams fans have good reason to be excited about the days ahead and the rest of the offseason heading into the 2015 NFL season.

While the Rams have been active in making key changes to the roster, they are by no means alone. What of the other teams – particularly those who will face off against St Louis in the autumn? Here is a summary of how the Rams 2015 regular season opponents have fared in the early days of free agency.

San Francisco 49ers: Picked up WR Torrey Smith from Baltimore, coming off a career-high 11 touchdown season in 2014. The 49ers also acquired DT Darnell Dockett from divisional rivals Arizona. Dockett missed the entire 2014 season with an ACL injury. They have lost key players with 1100-yard RB Frank Gore heading to the Indianapolis Colts, PFF +11.2 graded G Mike Iupati to the Cardinals and CB Chris Culliver who contributed 4 interceptions and 45 combined tackles last year. Veteran WRs Michael Crabtree, Steve Johnson and former Ram Brandon Lloyd are all still up for grabs.

Verdict: Despite a couple of signings this team has taken a few steps backwards and will struggle in the division in 2015.

Seattle Seahawks: The 2013 Super Bowl champions have added depth to their secondary, bringing in CBs Will Blackmon (4^th round selection for Green Bay in 2006) and Cary Williams who was on the field for 1198 defensive snaps for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2014, missing just 9 plays all year. In the other direction, CB Byron Maxwell departs for Philadelphia coming off a season graded at -3.0 on Pro Football Focus. G James Carpenter also heads for the East coast, signing a four-year deal with the New York Jets.

Verdict: No major headline activity, but Seattle remain the Rams main rival in the NFC West.

Arizona Cardinals: The Cards have been busy picking up players so far, including (as above) former 49er G Mike Iupati. The defensive front has also had reinforcements, with 305lb DT Corey Peters arriving from Atlanta, veteran edge rusher Cory Redding who arrives from Indianapolis with 35 career sacks, and fellow DE LaMarr Woodley who spent a disappointing 2014 in Oakland following the seven previous seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. CB Antonio Cromartie leaves Arizona, returning to the New York Jets where he made 13 interceptions between 2010 and 2013.

Verdict: Like the Rams, Arizona’s identity will continue to be defined by tough, physical defence but questions remain about whether the offence has enough to challenge.

Cleveland Browns: The seemingly never-ending quest for Cleveland to find stability at the quarterback position has taken another turn with the departure of last year’s starter Brian Hoyer to the Houston Texans and the return of Thad Lewis, who entered the NFL with the Rams after going undrafted in 2010. The Browns have also lost TE Jordan Cameron, whose form last year dropped off substantially from 2013 when he picked up 917 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. Cameron will not be joined in Miami by WR Brian Hartline, who arrived in the other direction in Cleveland of a similarly disappointing 2014.

Verdict: Same old Browns, the roster has a few bright spots but barring a miracle draft they have nowhere near enough to worry the AFC powerhouses.

Green Bay Packers: Crucially retained PFF’s 4^th highest graded RT (+11.9) Brian Bulaga with a five-year deal, and WR Randall Cobb coming off a career-defining 1287-yard 12 touchdown season. A couple of big defensive names have gone – veteran LB AJ Hawk has departed, continuing his career with the Cincinnati Bengals and CB Davon House heading to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Questions remain over a number of other key players such as DE B.J. Raji, CB Tramon Williams and underrated FB John Kuhn.

Verdict: High-powered, high-scoring offence is the Packers trademark. With vital offensive players retained and Aaron Rodgers still at the helm, you can never rule them out.

Chicago Bears: Limited activity so far from the Bears, who have resigned backup QB Jimmy Clausen on a one-year contract. The introduction of S Antrel Rolle brings a veteran presence to a relatively young secondary, and former second round pick WR Eddie Royal adds good value with the potential for special teams contributions after spending his career so far in the AFC West with San Diego and Denver.

Verdict: By no means the weakest team in the league and opponents the Rams should be wary of, but in the final standings will still likely be looking up at Green Bay in the division.

Detroit Lions: Defensive line has plummeted having lost last season’s PFF 3^rd highest graded DT (+27.5) Ndamakong Suh to the Miami Dolphins and, of course, former first round draft selection DT Nick Fairley to the Rams. Detroit has, however, acquired NT Tyrunn Walker from New Orleans on a one-year deal. The future of several free agents including RB Reggie Bush, C Dominic Raiola and QB Dan Orlovsky is yet to be decided.

Verdict: With big defensive departures, the Lions offense will be under more pressure to keep this team competitive.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Fellow suitors with the Rams for C Stefen Wisniewski, the Bucs are also among those lacking in real headline-grabbing deals. The movement so far has all been on the defensive side (understandably with a team that gave up an average of over 25 points per game last year), bringing in two former Dallas Cowboys, LB Bruce Carter and 5-sack DT Henry Melton.

Verdict: The Bucs are well and truly and rebuilding mode. With this year’s number one overall draft selection likely to bring in the next franchise quarterback and multiple late round picks from the Rams following the Mark Barron trade, Tampa Bay were always expected to add pieces through the draft than free agency.

Minnesota Vikings: With Teddy Bridgewater firmly established as the quarterback of the future, Minnesota’s acquisition of Shaun Hill from the Rams means last year’s starter in St Louis will almost certainly revert to his more accustomed role as career backup. So far in free agency there is little else of note so far for the Vikings other than the departure of FB Jerome Felton to the Buffalo Bills and speculation over QB Christian Ponder landing in Oakland with the Raiders.

Verdict: By far the biggest question for the Vikings is the future of Adrian Peterson. With Dallas and Tampa Bay subject of rumours and reports of trading for the star running back, time will tell if Peterson remains in Minnesota.

Cincinnati Bengals: The AFC North side currently has one of the longer lists of free agents with an undecided future. The only activity for Cincinnati so far has been the retention of two starters on the offensive line, 9^th year T Eric Winston and highly-rated G Clint Boling on a five-year deal. QB Jason Campbell, veteran K Mike Nugent, CB Terence Newman and TE Jermain Gresham are among those now out of contract with the Bengals.

Verdict: The ‘nearly’ men of the NFL – the Bengals’ perennial failure to progress beyond the first playoff game each year is well documented. They are a team that is always one or two key players away from being legitimate title contenders, a trend that looks set to continue.

Washington Redskins: The defence in the capital will have a different look in 2015, with star LB Brian Orakpo heading to the Tennessee Titans. There are new faces in town with the signings of PFF’s 11^th & 12^th graded DTs, respectively Stephen Paea (+14.4) from the Chicago Bears and Terrance Knighton (+12.7) from Denver, as well as help in the secondary with CB Chris Culliver arriving from the San Francisco 49ers. On the offense, the future of veteran WRs Santana Moss and Pierre Garcon remains to be seen.

Verdict: The Redskins will be a tougher proposition in 2015, and if the offence clicks they are dark horses in the NFC East.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Very little activity in the steel city so far. The Steelers have lost LB Jason Worilds, who announced his retirement after just five seasons in the league and have seen CB Brian McCain sign a two-year contract with Miami Dolphins. With 13 and 12 seasons behind them respectively, it may be the end of the line for DE Brett Kiesel and CB Ike Taylor both of whom are free agents.

Verdict: With such little activity it is hard at this stage to make any form of meaningful judgement about Pittsburgh. As with Tampa Bay above, it appears so far that any progress to be made this offseason will come with the draft.

Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco has lost a number of reliable offensive weapons, with TE Owen Daniels joining the Denver Broncos and WRs Jacoby Jones and Torrey Smith both headed to California, signing with the San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers respectively. The retention of 7^th-year RB Justin Forsett on a new three-year deal and rumours earlier in the week about a potential move for former New Orleans Saint, Pierre Thomas, the changes so far could signal a shift in focus for the Ravens offence in 2015.

Verdict: With uncertainty over Ray Rice and the departure of several offensive starters, we may well see Baltimore slide back this season.