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Tag implications for the Rams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16674/tag-implications-for-the-rams
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- It was no surprise that the deadline came and went Monday and the St. Louis Rams did not use their franchise or transition tag on any of their pending free agents.
That much was expected and the Rams will spend the next week or so attempting to get something done with their primary free agents like tackle Joe Barksdale, tight end Lance Kendricks and receiver Kenny Britt. If that doesn't happen, they'll keep an eye on the open market to look for possible replacements or help at other positions.
With that in mind, let's take a quick spin around some of the news that happened Monday and how it might affect the Rams. (Also, keep in mind there's still a week for teams to work out deals with their own free agents.)
Detroit didn't tag DT Ndamukong Suh -- Suh is going to get paid, perhaps more than any defender in NFL history. No, the Rams won't be in the mix but it's worth watching the ripple effect of his eventual deal. First, the Lions are hosting recently-released Rams defensive tackle Kendall Langford, who could easily play in tandem with a re-signed Suh or help replace him. Second, Suh is widely regarded as the best defensive tackle in the league but the Rams have a couple of youngsters with talent. Michael Brockers could be a free agent in 2017 (assuming the Rams exercise the fifth year option, which they almost certainly will) and though he's not going to even sniff what Suh gets on a deal, it's still setting a ceiling for all other defensive tackles to use. Aaron Donald is only entering Year 2, so the Rams have him under control for at least the next four years. But by the time he does head toward free agency, it's entirely possible that Suh's deal could be a baseline. Donald is that good.
Kansas City used the franchise tag on Justin Houston -- The Chiefs keeping Houston means they will dedicate a big chunk of their cap to him, so they might struggle to keep other important free agents, namely center Rodney Hudson. It's unclear the Rams' level of interest in Hudson but he'd be a major upgrade at center and offer plenty of upside. Hudson figures to have plenty of pursuers, though, so it seems likely any attempt Kansas City makes to keep him will come with stiff competition.
Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas were tagged -- As everyone expected, the two best receivers on the market never really hit the market. But there are plenty of receivers that did. Green Bay's Randall Cobb, Baltimore's Torrey Smith, San Francisco's Michael Crabtree and Philadelphia Jeremy Maclin all could become available now though there's still time for deals to get done. Regardless, this is a market that should be full of receivers and plenty of teams that need them. The Rams and Britt should be able to find a common ground at a reasonable price but with two less options scheduled to hit the market, that only pushes Britt up the list for other teams in need at receiver.
No offensive linemen received the tag -- This is good news for the Rams in the sense that they need help on the offensive line and all the names that were on the original list are still there. Assuming none of those players sign new deals before March 10, that means guys like San Francisco guard Mike Iupati, Hudson, Oakland center Stefen Wisniewski and Green Bay tackle Bryan Bulaga will be among the names to explore the market. On the downside, it also means that there could be plenty of moving parts which could lead to Barksdale's departure. He figures to be among the two or three best tackle options available and with the constant need for line help around the league, his price probably won't be cheap.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16674/tag-implications-for-the-rams
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- It was no surprise that the deadline came and went Monday and the St. Louis Rams did not use their franchise or transition tag on any of their pending free agents.
That much was expected and the Rams will spend the next week or so attempting to get something done with their primary free agents like tackle Joe Barksdale, tight end Lance Kendricks and receiver Kenny Britt. If that doesn't happen, they'll keep an eye on the open market to look for possible replacements or help at other positions.
With that in mind, let's take a quick spin around some of the news that happened Monday and how it might affect the Rams. (Also, keep in mind there's still a week for teams to work out deals with their own free agents.)
Detroit didn't tag DT Ndamukong Suh -- Suh is going to get paid, perhaps more than any defender in NFL history. No, the Rams won't be in the mix but it's worth watching the ripple effect of his eventual deal. First, the Lions are hosting recently-released Rams defensive tackle Kendall Langford, who could easily play in tandem with a re-signed Suh or help replace him. Second, Suh is widely regarded as the best defensive tackle in the league but the Rams have a couple of youngsters with talent. Michael Brockers could be a free agent in 2017 (assuming the Rams exercise the fifth year option, which they almost certainly will) and though he's not going to even sniff what Suh gets on a deal, it's still setting a ceiling for all other defensive tackles to use. Aaron Donald is only entering Year 2, so the Rams have him under control for at least the next four years. But by the time he does head toward free agency, it's entirely possible that Suh's deal could be a baseline. Donald is that good.
Kansas City used the franchise tag on Justin Houston -- The Chiefs keeping Houston means they will dedicate a big chunk of their cap to him, so they might struggle to keep other important free agents, namely center Rodney Hudson. It's unclear the Rams' level of interest in Hudson but he'd be a major upgrade at center and offer plenty of upside. Hudson figures to have plenty of pursuers, though, so it seems likely any attempt Kansas City makes to keep him will come with stiff competition.
Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas were tagged -- As everyone expected, the two best receivers on the market never really hit the market. But there are plenty of receivers that did. Green Bay's Randall Cobb, Baltimore's Torrey Smith, San Francisco's Michael Crabtree and Philadelphia Jeremy Maclin all could become available now though there's still time for deals to get done. Regardless, this is a market that should be full of receivers and plenty of teams that need them. The Rams and Britt should be able to find a common ground at a reasonable price but with two less options scheduled to hit the market, that only pushes Britt up the list for other teams in need at receiver.
No offensive linemen received the tag -- This is good news for the Rams in the sense that they need help on the offensive line and all the names that were on the original list are still there. Assuming none of those players sign new deals before March 10, that means guys like San Francisco guard Mike Iupati, Hudson, Oakland center Stefen Wisniewski and Green Bay tackle Bryan Bulaga will be among the names to explore the market. On the downside, it also means that there could be plenty of moving parts which could lead to Barksdale's departure. He figures to be among the two or three best tackle options available and with the constant need for line help around the league, his price probably won't be cheap.