Rams News Recap for March 10

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Rams News Items From March 10

Rams Cut Dahl; He may be back when healthy –PD
Often when a team releases a veteran player, there is lip service from the coach about bringing the player back. But when Jeff Fisher talked about offensive guard Harvey Dahl, who was released Monday by the Rams, his sentiments went beyond coach-talk.

Alterraun Verner Talks Free Agency with Adam Schein –Radio Interview

Micheal Young on the Rams O-Line –Radio Interview

Saffold’s Exit Magnifies a Big Area of Need for Rams –FSMW
The St. Louis Rams are off to a rough start in free agency. And it hasn’t even opened yet.

Harvey Dahl Released By Rams –ESPN Video

Rams Release Guard Harvey Dahl –PD
One day after learning that Rodger Saffold will not be returning to St. Louis, the Rams cut ties with another offensive lineman Tuesday, releasing veteran right guard Harvey Dahl.

Gordon: Rams Must Rebuild Offensive Line
As you heard hundreds of times week after week after week, the Rams fielded unusually young teams under Jeff Fisher. The one exception to their youth movement was the offensive line, which has featured lots of injury-battered veterans.

Nuggets From Rams’ Free-Agent Trail –Wagoner
We are still more than a day away from the official start of free agency set for Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET. We also are still in the “take much of what you hear with a grain of salt” mode. That applies here as well.

With Saffold Out, Rams Could Chase Verner –Wagoner
Although nothing can be official until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the past 24 hours have offered some interesting possible permutations for the St. Louis Rams’ sojourn into the 2014 free-agent market.

Morning Ram-blings: Looking Ahead –Wagoner
The 2011 NFL draft class is, perhaps, one of the most talented to come along in many years. In the first 15 picks alone, emerging superstars dot the landscape with Pro Bowl berths in abundance.

Rams Release Guard Harvey Dahl –Wagoner
Less than a day before the start of free agency, the St. Louis Rams cleared some room under the salary cap Monday by releasing right guard Harvey Dahl.

LaCanfora’s Free Agency Preview –Video

Jairus Byrd Looking For Big Money –Video

 

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Morning Ram-blings: So long Saffold?
Nick Wagoner | ESPN.com

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/6621/morning-ram-blings-so-long-saffold

For the better part of the past six months, we've believed that the St. Louis Rams and offensive lineman Rodger Saffold would part ways in the 2014 offseason.

Now, according to multiple reports, including this one from stltoday.com, that looks like it will happen as soon as this afternoon when free agency is set to begin. In that piece, Saffold's agent Alan Herman says he informed the Rams that Saffold had received better offers elsewhere and would be moving on from the team.

Just like with Monday's release of guard Harvey Dahl, Saffold moving on is not a surprise. The Rams were adamant that they wanted to keep him entering free agency but the team has been diligent about setting a maximum value on a player and not exceeding it. It appears Saffold is going to get more than the Rams were willing to pay, as noted by ESPN's Field Yates in this Insider piece Insider about the offensive line carousel.

Saffold publicly played the part of the good soldier all year, despite multiple position changes that saw him move from left tackle to right tackle to right guard. He never complained once and even embraced the move inside after having some success there.

But it was believed all along that Saffold would explore the market and could garner tackle money even though the Rams coveted him as a guard. We'll see his final destination soon enough but it's a safe bet that St. Louis won't be it.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of Monday's Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. ... In the Ram-blings, we took a look at how teams, including the Rams, might start planning for the future with the salary cap expected to continue rising in the next few years. ... Next, we took a closer look at the Rams' interest in cornerback Alterraun Verner. ... Then we took a look at how you all voted on which free agents you'd like the Rams to pursue. ... We then provided some nuggets from the free-agent trail with notes on the Rams' interest in offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz and further information on Verner's potential cost. ... Then came the news that the Rams officially released guard Harvey Dahl. ... And finally, some thoughts on the Rams parting ways with Dahl and the state of the offensive line before free agency begins.

Elsewhere:

I joined the rest of the NFC West reporters to put together a list of the top 15 free agents available in the division.

Also at stltoday.com, Jeff Gordon discusses the Rams' need to bolster the offensive line this offseason.

Jim Thomas also has a news story on Dahl with a few extra tidbits on some restricted and exclusive rights free agents.

RotoWorld ranks the general managers.

This NFL.com article says the Rams seem to be focused on offensive tackles in this year's draft.