Thursday, February 26, 2009

RamView's free agency strategy

My best-laid plans for the Rams in free agency were cruelly laid to waste when the Dolphins re-signed Channing Crowder last night. Another cruel blow was the Michael Crabtree combine meltdown. With the market opening tonight and NFL general managers ready to storm it like a Long Island Wal-Mart, here's what I'd attempt to do for the Rams:

Priority 1: cornerback, where I'm going after Andre Goodman of Miami, who won't command similar dollars to Ron Bartell but should provide similar play.
Priority 2: Sam LB. My play is for Jamie Winborn, who I think would come pretty cheap, but I can easily see Billy Devaney going after Michael Boley, who's miscast in Atlanta's new defensive scheme.
Priority 3: offensive line. The free agent market is terrible, but the Rams need Adam Goldberg. He's capable of starting and Barron's the only starting tackle they have for sure right now. And if they want to keep RFA Richie Incognito, he'll require at least a first-round tender.
Priority 4: big, sloppy run-stuffer, though the free agent market is pretty much limited to Grady Jackson and Colin Cole.
Priority 5: Leonard Weaver, if there's any cap room left.
Priority 6: strong safety, guess I'll settle for James Butler, who'd better be cheap.
Priority 7: veteran WR. Considering the Crabtree flameout and the pretty soft FA market, the Rams would be best off keeping Holt, even at full price.
Priority 8: QB2. No hurry, I doubt there'll be any kind of rush on QBs.

Also: resign Jason Craft for nickel back; Dane Looker for WR depth; second-round tender RFA Victor Adeyanju. I'm relying on the draft to come away with a minimum of a starting LT, a starting center and a QB3.

Do the Rams, even without Pace and Holt, have enough cap space to pull most of these moves off? Hell if I know. Do I look like the Throat-Slasher? But this is at least how I'd prioritize the Rams' efforts at signing free agents if I were calling the shots.

I won't claim to know what the Rams' free agency priorities are. I can guess they're going after Boley and Butler. Rumor has it they'll go after Jeff Garcia and Buffalo center Duke Preston. Weaver's been on their radar. But we have yet to guess how they'll fill coming gaping holes at cornerback, offensive tackle and wide receiver.

Answers should start arriving in Rams Nation very, very soon.

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