Britt, Barksdale, Kendricks head list of Rams' free agents
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_741e8721-6870-5d2d-8dcf-122dc97c011d.html
During the just completed season, the Rams addressed the contract status of their two Pro Bowlers from 2013, defensive end Robert Quinn and punter Johnny Hekker.
Both signed long-term extensions. Quinn, who repeated as a Pro Bowler this season, is now under contract through 2019; Hekker is under contract through 2020.
Those are two important pieces of the puzzle to have in place, but work remains to be done in terms of deciding what to do about pending free agents. The Rams have 14 players scheduled for various forms of free agency this offseason, including eight players scheduled for unrestricted free agency.
The unrestricted group includes three starters in wide receiver Kenny Britt, tight end Lance Kendricks and right tackle Joe Barksdale. The unrestricted list also includes backup quarterback Shaun Hill, who started eight games as a result of Sam Bradford’s season-ending knee injury.
The free agency period begins March 10, and at that time unrestricted players can sign elsewhere with no strings attached. Until then, only the Rams can legally negotiate with their unrestricted free agents, although it’s safe to assume the agents for those players will get a feel for the outside market between now and March.
Currently there is nothing resembling serious negotiations taking place with any of those players, but that’s not unusual. If a pending free agent isn’t re-signed by the end of the season, the process normally plays out until late February or early March.
Obviously, if Britt, Kendricks or Barksdale leaves, that creates more holes for the Rams to fill besides the obvious needs at quarterback and the interior of the offensive line. The same holds true for Hill in terms of piecing together the quarterback picture.
Britt, Kendricks and Barksdale would all seem to be priorities for the Rams, particularly if the price is right. Britt revived his career by grabbing a career-high 48 passes this season for a team-high 748 yards and a team-high 15.6 yards per catch.
“I definitely want to come back here,” Britt said. “This is a young team. It’s a great young team. They’ve just scratched the surface on what their abilities could be. They’re growing each day, and they’re growing each year.
“I’ve only been here one year, so to see how they’ve grown from OTAs to now is just amazing. So I want to see ’em grow even more. I hope I can be a part of that.”
Of all the Rams’ free agents, Britt may be the least likely to bolt to the highest bidder because of his relationship with coach Jeff Fisher.
As a Ram, Britt has avoided the off-field issues that plagued his career at Tennessee. And in the three seasons he played for the Titans without Fisher, his career nose-dived, in part because of injury.
With the uncertainty of when Brian Quick will return following shoulder surgery — and it may not be until training camp — wide receiver becomes a much more prominent need if Britt signs elsewhere.
At tight end, Kendricks is 1A at the position because of the presence of Jared Cook. But Kendricks has a different style of game than Cook as an all-around player who can catch passes, block on the line and line up in the backfield. Cook is more of a pass-catching specialist. And with Cook around, that means fewer passes in general thrown at Kendricks.
“I like the team,” Kendricks said. “I like the coaches. I like the players. So for me, there’s no hurry to leave. There’s no, you know, ‘I have to get out of here.’ I don’t dread being here. I love being here.
“Obviously, I would want more of a passing role, but that comes with time and just kinda getting everybody in sync. We’ve gotta figure out where everybody fits (on offense). I think once we figure that out, we’ll be a really, really hard team to beat.”
But if another team comes along and promises Kendricks more of a passing role, he could be tempted to leave.
As for Barksdale, after being released by Oakland in 2012, he has flourished in St. Louis as a starting right tackle in 2013 and ’14. He wasn’t as consistent this season, but if the money’s right it’s hard to see the Rams just letting him walk after investing three seasons in his development.
Among the team’s restricted free agents, the two names that stand out are starting free safety Rodney McLeod and fullback and tight end Cory Harkey. Both entered the league as undrafted rookies, meaning the Rams get no draft-pick compensation if they make a minimum qualifying offer and McLeod or Harkey gets an outside offer that the Rams decide not to match.
