Rams News Recap: March 16

[RamBill]

For Kendricks, More Than Money Involved in Return to Rams –PD
It’s almost always about the money when it comes to NFL free agency. But there is an exception here and there, such as Rams tight end Lance Kendricks.

Rams Offseason Overview –Latsch
The Rams have made some surprising moves so far this offseason and the still have salary cap space available as well as some holes to fill, which means they aren’t done shopping for free agents just yet.

JT: Rams’ Offensive Line Targets Still on Free Agent Market –Audio

Kendricks Gladly Takes Hometown Discount to Stay with Rams –FSMW
A strong sense of belonging and respect for the coaching staff kept one of the best tight ends on the free-agent market in St. Louis.

Bernie: Rams can’t be dumb about protecting Foles
In attempting to gauge how Nick Foles will do as the Rams’ starting quarterback in 2015, it makes sense to start by looking at the coaching.

Fairley Brings Depth to D, But Fisher Needs More Offense –FSMW
With the news of last week’s Nick Foles for Sam Bradford QB swap, a few of the Rams’ other offseason moves received less fanfare.

Lance Kendricks Happy to Stay in St. Louis –Wagoner
As tight end Lance Kendricks’ first foray into free agency drew close to an official beginning, all signs pointed to him being headed for greener pastures with the Atlanta Falcons.

Was it a Smart Move for the Rams to Retain Kenny Britt? –Audio

Time for Rams to Finally Repair Offensive Line –Karraker
At the end of the 2014 NFL season, the Rams had one of the best front sevens in football, and an offensive line that clearly was deficient and needed reinforcement, if not rebuilding.

Performance-Based Bonuses for Rams –Wagoner
The St. Louis Rams had a handful of players who contributed more than many would have thought based on their salaries and draft position. Late last week, those players were rewarded for their efforts.

Breaking Down TE Lance Kendricks’ Contract –Wagoner
Perhaps lost in the mix of the first-day free-agent frenzy that came last week was the lucrative contract the St. Louis Rams and tight end Lance Kendricks agreed upon.

Morning Ram-blings: NFL’s Best Pass Rush? –Wagoner
Soon after it became clear that former Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley was going to sign with the St. Louis Rams, many immediately pointed to the fact they now have a defensive line boasting five former first-round draft picks

Jim Thomas: Rams Players ‘Upset’ With Handling of Bradford Trade –Audio

New Rams LB Akeem Ayers Talks –Video

WR Kevin White Confident In His Game –ESPN Video

Mort and Kiper Talk Rams/NFL –Audio

 

[RamBill]

Morning Ram-blings: Are Rams 'there'?
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/17119/morning-ram-blings-are-rams-there

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- I didn't get a chance to get to this late last week but ESPN NFL Insider Field Yates wrote a piece on Friday that focused on how close (or not close) the St. Louis Rams are to being legit contenders in the NFC West division after making the bold quarterback trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.

In the piece, Yates breaks down a few factors as to why he believes the Rams aren't quite there yet simply by making the move from Sam Bradford to Nick Foles at quarterback. In it, he discusses some of Foles' weaknesses, the continued difficulty of navigating through the division and the developing offensive skill players still not being difference-makers.

All are valid points and that doesn't even include the fact that there are still serious questions about the offensive line at the moment. But the part that was most interesting to me goes back to something I wrote last week after the Foles trade. Earlier this offseason, Yates wrote a piece looking at teams that could be in the market for Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.

I don't think it would be wise to assume the Rams are set at the quarterback spot right now, especially considering that the three signal-callers they could have (assuming Austin Davis signs his restricted free-agent tender) are only under control through 2015.

With the extra picks acquired from the Eagles, the Rams do at least have a little more ammunition to move up if they decide that Mariota would be a fit. We'll keep an eye on that as we move forward.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of Monday's Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. ... In the Ram-blings, we started the week with a look at the Nick Fairley signing. ... We then got a full breakdown of tight end Lance Kendricks' four-year deal with the Rams. ... The Rams received their performance-based bonuses with cornerback E.J. Gaines leading the way. ... We closed the day with a look at how Kendricks ended up staying in St. Louis despite a bigger offer elsewhere.

Elsewhere:

In his weekly mailbag, John Clayton looks at some new trends on the free-agent front.

It's only tangentially related to the Rams but an interesting roundtable from FiveThirtyEight on Chip Kelly's offseason moves in Philly.

Speaking of which, Tim Tebow worked out for the Eagles.

At 101sports.com, Randy Karraker writes that it's time for the Rams to fix the offensive line.

At stltoday.com, Jim Thomas examined some of the moves the Rams still need to make.