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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2350389-st-louis-rams-bargain-guide-to-2015-offseason
St. Louis Rams' Bargain Guide to 2015 Offseason
By Steven Gerwel, Featured Columnist
Some of the best offseason pickups are not the high-end acquisitions but rather the under-the-radar bargains. That's something the St. Louis Rams must search for this offseason.
The Rams have tried spending big money on flashy names, such as Jake Long, Jared Cook and Cortland Finnegan, but the low-end pickups, like Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Williams Hayes and Kendall Langford, have been just as beneficial, if not more so.
Rather than crippling the team's salary-cap situation, the Rams might be better off searching for cheap veterans who are capable of having a major impact.
This article will highlight five veteran players who might be available for St. Louis this offseason. It's not the most impressive list of names, but all of these players can help the team produce wins.
QB Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles
Bob Levey/Getty Images
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has been pegged as an injury risk, a "system" quarterback and everything in between. He's also a Pro Bowler and an experienced starter.
No matter how you view Foles, it's easy to get on board if the price is right. And that's the key.
Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently suggested that the Rams could offer up the No. 10 pick in the draft in exchange for Foles. That's probably too steep for a quarterback who took a step back in 2014, but the idea of acquiring Foles should not be ruled out.
If Philadelphia's Chip Kelly is indeed eyeing his former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, as Gordon hinted, the Rams can take advantage of that desire and get Foles at a bargain. If the bidding is slim, the Rams could possibly grab Foles by offering a mid-round selection or by swapping picks in the first (the Rams could even recoup their fourth- or sixth-round selection with a swap, since Philadelphia's No. 20 pick is a significant slide).
There's no clear-cut answer for a long-term quarterback this offseason. As a result, the Rams must settle with a promising veteran who can compete against Sam Bradford for the starting job, and that's exactly what they'd get with Foles.
G Willie Colon, New York Jets
USA TODAY Sports
After a miserable year with Davin Joseph at guard, Rams fans are a bit skeptical of one-year rentals. The team needs long-term answers on the offensive line, but that doesn't mean adding cheap veteran for depth and competition would be a bad idea.
Willie Colon struggled with run blocking, which will cause concerns for Jeff Fisher, given his run-first mentality. But the Rams also need to keep Bradford upright at all costs, and Colon was quite competent in pass protection this past season.
Pursuing Colon does not necessarily mean the Rams will give up on going after bigger offensive line names in free agency and the draft. They can still pursue those guys, but Colon is capable of being a competent No. 6 man, and he'll likely be a considerable upgrade over Joseph.
DT Tommy Kelly, Arizona Cardinals
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Defensive tackle Kendall Langford is a likely cap casualty this offseason, which means the Rams will be searching for a new No. 3 to step in and take his place.
Tommy Kelly just turned 34 in December, but he was a starter for the rugged Arizona Cardinals defense this past season. He still has plenty to offer and will be entering free agency.
Rams defensive line coach Mike Waufle coached Kelly while with the Oakland Raiders in 2010 and 2011. Under Waufle, Kelly set a career high with seven sacks in 2010, and he went on to set a new career high with 7.5 sacks the following year.
The connection is there; it's just a matter of whether Arizona will re-sign him. If he does hit the market, he'd be an excellent replacement for Langford.
G Orlando Franklin, Denver Broncos
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Orlando Franklin looked quite brutal against the St. Louis pass rush when the Denver Broncos played at the Edward Jones Dome this past season. Then again, the Rams defensive line has made better linemen than Franklin appear useless.
Franklin is not the keystone of the Denver offensive line, and his contributions seldom stand out among the many talented players of the Broncos offense. However, he's a four-year starter, and his unit has consistently performed quite well with him in the lineup.
Franklin is not Mike Iupati or Stefen Wisniewski, but he's a legitimate starter capable of upgrading the St. Louis offensive line. He deserves a look this offseason.
WR Kenny Britt, St. Louis Rams
USA TODAY Sports
There will be no bigger bargain for the Rams this offseason than re-signing Kenny Britt. This is an essential task for the organization this offseason.
Britt's 748 yards in 2014 was an excellent start, but his numbers are still well short of deserving a high-end contract. The Rams should be able to retain him with a multiyear deal that averages $3 to $4 million per year—similar to James Jones, Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks.
If that's the true number, then retaining Britt would be a no-brainer.
It's possible Britt will decide to explore the market, but that would be rather foolish. He's in the process of reviving his career with the Rams, and a change of scenery could hinder that progress. Not to mention, Fisher's presence will motivate Britt to stay out of trouble and keep his priorities in check.
The Rams have been searching for a true No. 1 receiver since the departure of Torry Holt, and the 2015 version of Britt may finally be the guy the team has been waiting for.
Steven Gerwel is the longest-tenured Rams Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and serves as the Rams' game-day correspondent. You can find more of Gerwel's work by visiting his writer profile or by following him on Twitter.
St. Louis Rams' Bargain Guide to 2015 Offseason
By Steven Gerwel, Featured Columnist
Some of the best offseason pickups are not the high-end acquisitions but rather the under-the-radar bargains. That's something the St. Louis Rams must search for this offseason.
The Rams have tried spending big money on flashy names, such as Jake Long, Jared Cook and Cortland Finnegan, but the low-end pickups, like Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Williams Hayes and Kendall Langford, have been just as beneficial, if not more so.
Rather than crippling the team's salary-cap situation, the Rams might be better off searching for cheap veterans who are capable of having a major impact.
This article will highlight five veteran players who might be available for St. Louis this offseason. It's not the most impressive list of names, but all of these players can help the team produce wins.
QB Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles
Bob Levey/Getty Images
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has been pegged as an injury risk, a "system" quarterback and everything in between. He's also a Pro Bowler and an experienced starter.
No matter how you view Foles, it's easy to get on board if the price is right. And that's the key.
Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently suggested that the Rams could offer up the No. 10 pick in the draft in exchange for Foles. That's probably too steep for a quarterback who took a step back in 2014, but the idea of acquiring Foles should not be ruled out.
If Philadelphia's Chip Kelly is indeed eyeing his former Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, as Gordon hinted, the Rams can take advantage of that desire and get Foles at a bargain. If the bidding is slim, the Rams could possibly grab Foles by offering a mid-round selection or by swapping picks in the first (the Rams could even recoup their fourth- or sixth-round selection with a swap, since Philadelphia's No. 20 pick is a significant slide).
There's no clear-cut answer for a long-term quarterback this offseason. As a result, the Rams must settle with a promising veteran who can compete against Sam Bradford for the starting job, and that's exactly what they'd get with Foles.
G Willie Colon, New York Jets
USA TODAY Sports
After a miserable year with Davin Joseph at guard, Rams fans are a bit skeptical of one-year rentals. The team needs long-term answers on the offensive line, but that doesn't mean adding cheap veteran for depth and competition would be a bad idea.
Willie Colon struggled with run blocking, which will cause concerns for Jeff Fisher, given his run-first mentality. But the Rams also need to keep Bradford upright at all costs, and Colon was quite competent in pass protection this past season.
Pursuing Colon does not necessarily mean the Rams will give up on going after bigger offensive line names in free agency and the draft. They can still pursue those guys, but Colon is capable of being a competent No. 6 man, and he'll likely be a considerable upgrade over Joseph.
DT Tommy Kelly, Arizona Cardinals
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Defensive tackle Kendall Langford is a likely cap casualty this offseason, which means the Rams will be searching for a new No. 3 to step in and take his place.
Tommy Kelly just turned 34 in December, but he was a starter for the rugged Arizona Cardinals defense this past season. He still has plenty to offer and will be entering free agency.
Rams defensive line coach Mike Waufle coached Kelly while with the Oakland Raiders in 2010 and 2011. Under Waufle, Kelly set a career high with seven sacks in 2010, and he went on to set a new career high with 7.5 sacks the following year.
The connection is there; it's just a matter of whether Arizona will re-sign him. If he does hit the market, he'd be an excellent replacement for Langford.
G Orlando Franklin, Denver Broncos
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Orlando Franklin looked quite brutal against the St. Louis pass rush when the Denver Broncos played at the Edward Jones Dome this past season. Then again, the Rams defensive line has made better linemen than Franklin appear useless.
Franklin is not the keystone of the Denver offensive line, and his contributions seldom stand out among the many talented players of the Broncos offense. However, he's a four-year starter, and his unit has consistently performed quite well with him in the lineup.
Franklin is not Mike Iupati or Stefen Wisniewski, but he's a legitimate starter capable of upgrading the St. Louis offensive line. He deserves a look this offseason.
WR Kenny Britt, St. Louis Rams
USA TODAY Sports
There will be no bigger bargain for the Rams this offseason than re-signing Kenny Britt. This is an essential task for the organization this offseason.
Britt's 748 yards in 2014 was an excellent start, but his numbers are still well short of deserving a high-end contract. The Rams should be able to retain him with a multiyear deal that averages $3 to $4 million per year—similar to James Jones, Steve Smith and Hakeem Nicks.
If that's the true number, then retaining Britt would be a no-brainer.
It's possible Britt will decide to explore the market, but that would be rather foolish. He's in the process of reviving his career with the Rams, and a change of scenery could hinder that progress. Not to mention, Fisher's presence will motivate Britt to stay out of trouble and keep his priorities in check.
The Rams have been searching for a true No. 1 receiver since the departure of Torry Holt, and the 2015 version of Britt may finally be the guy the team has been waiting for.
Steven Gerwel is the longest-tenured Rams Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and serves as the Rams' game-day correspondent. You can find more of Gerwel's work by visiting his writer profile or by following him on Twitter.
