* To their credit, the Rams made an all-night effort last night to get CB Ron Bartell re-signed, but he is going to "test" the free-agent market, with scheduled visits to New Orleans and Denver. Upshot: Bartell won't be a Ram in 2009. Once a player starts making free-agent visits, they're usually gone. Bernie Miklasz has blamed Jay Zygmunt for not getting Bartell wrapped up much, much, earlier. My question, though: did Jay-Z have much power to do anything last year? I'm more inclined to believe the loss of Bartell is going to be the one botch of the Rams' transition to new management. I think Billy Devaney etc. did not anticipate the market for CBs to go as nuts as it has (Thanks, Oakland!) and thought Bartell would be much easier to sign.
* The Rams' #1 free agency target appears to be Baltimore center Jason Brown. He's to visit Rams Park later today.
* To address their backfield, the Rams have also been in touch with Philip Buchanon of Tampa Bay, and, of course, James Butler of the Giants. Eh. Neither of those guys excites me very much. Yes, Buchanon's better than anybody they've got, but realistically, at his best he's no better than a #2 CB.
* Reporters dueled back and forth on the Rams' interest in Bart Scott, all moot: the Jets got to him first and have signed him.
* Richie Incognito and Victor Adeyanju received tender offers from the team, but the lowest level. If another team signs Incognito to an offer sheet, the Rams can either match or let the other team have him for a 3rd-round pick. For Adeyanju it's a 4th-round pick. Good moves here; I would have overpaid. I don't see an offer sheet coming for either player.
* Mark Setterstrom was not tendered and becomes an unrestricted free agent.
* Washington signed Albert Haynesworth to a 7-year, $100 million contract. Do the salary cap rules ever actually apply to Daniel Snyder, or does he have a permanent get-out-of-jail-free card from the league? How is it the Redskins NEVER fail to get the big-money players they want?
It's good to see the Rams emerging as a factor in free agency, but they'd better get Brown if they're going to lose Bartell. There are still plenty of defensive holes to fill.
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