Reading the Rams' RFA tenders

Before the current labor agreement expires tonight, NFL teams have been franchising unrestricted free agents and tendering restricted free agents as if the same rules as last year's apply. The Rams didn't franchise any player but have tendered a few as RFAs.

Daniel Fells, Gary Gibson and Renardo Foster were tendered at the right of first refusal level. The Rams would have the right to match any outside offer. None of the three were drafted, so there is no draft pick compensation due to the Rams if they do not match. Fells and Gibson would normally be scheduled to be UFAs, but going by last year's rules, they get caught in the same situation Oshiomogho Atogwe got caught in last year. RamView's ambivalent about Fells, but these look like wise moves on the surface.

Chris Chamberlain (7th), John Greco (3rd), Justin King (4th), Laurent Robinson (3rd) and David Vobora (7th) were tendered at the right of original draft position level. The Rams can match any outside offer and are due draft pick compensation if they don't. The first two moves are good, and I kind of guessed they'd make the King move. Chamberlain's really come on. It looks like they believe Greco's earned a shot, though I have no idea why he didn't get said shot down the stretch last season. The Vobora move's fine; they need to have enough bodies at LB.

That leaves Robinson, whose tendering I take as a sign partially that the Rams still like him, and partially that they don't think the draft will provide enough help at wide receiver. Otherwise, why bother with a receiver who has poor hands and can't get open? He did become the best-blocking receiver on the team last year, and there's value in that, but the most sense this move makes to me is if they think he's still going to bounce back from his broken leg in 2009. He looked good until then; I guess we'll see.

C.J. Ah You, Danny Amendola, and Larry Grant were tendered as exclusive rights free agents. Marquis Johnson would have had that status but was previously signed.

Quincy Butler, Kenneth Darby and Chris Johnson were NOT tendered at all. Darby's the name to key on here. They could have tendered him with 7th-round compensation, and they could always turn around and re-sign him, but I'm inclined to think they're not too concerned about losing him to another team. Maybe the Rams are FINALLY serious about pairing Steven Jackson with a decent change-of-pace back.

I'm not sure if Cliff Ryan wasn't eligible for a RFA tag, or the Rams just declined that option. He and Robinson were both drafted in 2007. In any event, it looks like his instinct that he wouldn't be back with the team was right.

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