Rams News Recap: March 9

[RamBill]

Rams Say Farewell to Offensive Linemen Jake Long, Scott Wells –PD
On the eve of free agency, the Rams said farewell to a pair of veteran offensive linemen, informing tackle Jake Long and center Scott Wells on Monday that they were being released.

Rams Release Jake Long, Scott Wells –Video

Officials Predict $300M Revenue Bump With New STL Stadium –AP
Missouri economic development officials on Monday told a House panel that building a new football stadium in St. Louis could bring nearly $300 million in net sales tax revenues to the state over the next 30 years.

Rams Cut Jake Long, Scott Wells –Wagoner
The Rams significantly altered the outlook for their 2015 salary cap and their offensive line Monday afternoon as they informed tackle Jake Long and center Scott Wells of their release.

Rams Release Jake Long, Scott Wells –PD
On the eve of the official beginning of the free agency period, the Rams cut ties with two-fifths of their starting offensive line from last season, releasing offensive tackle Jake Long and center Scott Wells.

Releasing Long, Wells Makes Rams’ OL Needs Clear –Wagoner
The St. Louis Rams made a pair of unsurprising moves Monday when they released offensive tackle Jake Long and center Scott Wells.

Bernie: Can Rams Exploit 49ers’ Turmoil?
Do the Rams have a chance to move up in the NFC West? Apparently so.

Examining Justin Blalock As A Potential Rams Fit –Wagoner
As many of the big-ticket free-agent offensive linemen head to new locales with lucrative contracts in tow, the St. Louis Rams have mostly stood by and watched the market develop.

Rob Rang’s Strengths, Weaknesses of the NFL Draft –Video

Rams May Spend on Offensive Line –Video

In the Sports Lab with Rams TE Jared Cook –Video

Rams Among teams interested in Taylor Mays? –PFT
Five years ago, safety Taylor Mays was upset when his former USC coach didn’t make Mays a first-round pick, taking Earl Thomas instead.

Ex-Rams Defensive Tackle Kendall Langford to Visit Colts
According to Nick Wagoner of ESPN, St. Louis Rams free agent defensive tackle Kendall Langford is set to visit the Indianapolis Colts this week:

Rams Free-Agent Preview: Safety –Wagoner
The free-agent market is scheduled to open March 10 and teams may begin negotiations with those poised to hit the market beginning March 7.

 

[RamBill]

Morning Ram-blings: Changes in San Francisco
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16852/morning-ram-blings-changes-in-san-francisco

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- While fans of the St. Louis Rams have been starved for news on the team's own free agents or interest in possible outside additions, much has changed with one of the team's chief NFC West division rivals.

There's been no shortage of news coming out of San Francisco in the past few days as the 49ers are going through some serious change.

To wit:

Longtime stalwart and star linebacker Patrick Willis is set to announce his retirement.

Defensive lineman Justin Smith could join Willis in retirement though that's not yet official.

It's now unclear where he'll go but running back Frank Gore isn't retiring but he's headed elsewhere.

Guard Mike Iupati looks like he's headed to NFC West rival Arizona.

Finally, in another move that Rams fans are sure to enjoy, the Niners are bringing former Rams safety Craig Dahl back on a re-worked contract.

All of that, of course, comes after parting ways with head coach Jim Harbaugh in the offseason. And while the Niners look poised to add receiver Torrey Smith and already signed defensive lineman Darnell Dockett, there's little doubt that new coach Jim Tomsula has a big challenge ahead of him in 2015.

I.C.Y.M.I.

A roundup of Monday's Rams stories appearing on ESPN.com. ... In the Ram-blings, we opened the day with a look at how the market helped settle over the weekend. ... We also took a look at some looming deadlines for center Scott Wells and offensive tackle Jake Long. ... Of course, that story was soon rendered pointless by the news that the Rams had indeed released Long and Wells. ... We also took a look at guard Justin Blalock's potential fit in St. Louis. ... In this week's buzz video, I continued the offensive line discussion. ... Finally, we took a closer look at the difficult job of filling in the offensive line openings the Rams now have.

Elsewhere:

Former Rams defensive tackle Kendall Langford is making the rounds on free-agent visits and Denver is one of the next on the list.

Cardinals reporter Josh Weinfuss writes that the addition of Iupati raises some questions about Jonathan Cooper's future with the team.

John Clayton's weekly mailbag explores the fallacy of the free-agent splash.

At 101sports.com, Bernie Miklasz wonders whether the Rams have come up short in maximizing their draft opportunities.

At stltoday.com, Miklasz also asks if the Rams can exploit the Niners' turmoil.