Looks like it's on for real this time

ESPN and NFL Network reporting the NFLPA will recommend players vote for the CBA on Monday. The league year is now expected to start on Wednesday. Teams will open facilities for the players to vote on re-certifying the union. If a majority of players vote for that, training camps around the league could open as soon as Friday. Free agency would open next Saturday. (Teams can open negotiations with their own players on Wednesday, if the CBA is ratified. It appears, though, that no one can be signed until Saturday. It also appears that teams can not talk to free agents of other teams until Saturday, although that isn't completely clear right now.)

Opening camps on Friday will give most teams two weeks of practice before the first full week of preseason, so that should be on schedule.

-$-

NFLPA: Not so fast

Well, screw that last post. The NFLPA told players today that it's still reviewing the owners' proposed settlement and that the NFLPA reps will meet again ON MONDAY to "review our options."

Well, by all means, take your time. We're not in a hurry here or anything.

The proposed Saturday start for league activities is now on hold. One assumes that if this standoff makes it to Thursday the 28th, the first week of preseason will have to be thrown out. A prolonged delay would screw the Rams but good revenues-wise, as their first two preseason games are both home games.

A main sticking point appears to be that the players want to re-certify the union with in-person signatures instead of voting electronically. I have no idea why this is important; it sounds like about the stupidest possible reason to hold things up. My legally non-binding guess is that the players want to be careful to the nth degree that the decertification of the union at the beginning of this process cannot be taken as a sham.

The plaintiffs in the Brady, Manning et al. antitrust suit against the league also have to agree to withdraw their suit. Vincent Jackson may or may not make that more difficult.

Worst of all, at this late point in the process, the players' side accuses the owners of adding elements and conditions to the CBA that were not collectively bargained. DeMaurice Smith indicates that such issues remain open, and that the players and owners do not have agreement on workers' compensation, "economic issues" and "end-of-deal terms" (the players want the option to opt out of the CBA after seven years).

I apologize to the Rams for complaining that I didn't have my tickets yet yesterday. At the rate things are going...

Gory details from espn.com

I'm starting to hope this thing ends the usual way a WWE "contract signing" ends, with someone getting slammed through a table.

-$-

Owners approve new CBA; Hall of Fame Game cancelled

NFL owners approved a new, 10-year CBA with the players tonight. The vote was 31-0; Oakland apparently was still against the agreement and abstained. DeMaurice Smith expects the players will conduct their vote tomorrow. If the players ratify tomorrow, training camps around the league will open on Wednesday.

However, the league has cancelled the Rams' scheduled August 7th appearance in the Hall of Fame Game against the Bears since the teams likely wouldn't have been able to get enough practice time in. The Rams' preseason opener is now their August 13 home game against the Colts. (By the way, any time you guys want to mail me MY TICKETS so I can actually go to that game would be great.)

If the players approve the CBA tomorrow, Saturday will become a total free-for-all. Teams will be allowed to:
- negotiate with and sign their draft picks
- negotiate with and sign any of their free agents, UFA, RFA or ERFA
- negotiate with (but cannot sign) rookie free agents
- negotiate with (but cannot sign) free agents from other teams.

Wow. (thinking about sending Kevin Demoff a case of Diet Mountain Dew)

Teams can start signing undrafted free agents on Sunday, and on Wednesday the 27th, can start signing free agents from other teams.

Hold on to your hats.

ESPN story, with all the gory details

-$-

Free agency preview: wrap-up

From ESPN Radio reports this morning, it appears that we'll get an NFL labor agreement this week, teams will have a three-day window to sign their own free agents starting Friday, then on Monday the 25th, the Great Free Agent Rush of 2011 will begin.

Recapping all the other free agent nonsense I've been posting, here's what I think the Rams will do starting Friday, along with the moves I'd try if I were GM:

Mark Clayton
RamView: re-sign, assuming knee checks out by now. Too productive in short burst last year to let go.
Rams prediction: re-sign.

Daniel Fells
RamView: let 'im go. The Rams are re-modeling the position into a receiving threat again. Fells isn't that, and he doesn't seem to be a great blocker. If he does stick, blocking would be why.
Rams prediction: let 'im go. Fells will start for Pat Shurmur in Cleveland.

Laurent Robinson
RamView: let 'im go. Poor receiver other than blocking.
Rams prediction: re-sign. Coaches appear to like him and he'll get every chance to keep his job in training camp.

Adam Goldberg
RamView: re-sign. Don't think he should win the starting RG job but he's a leader on the o-line and can play either guard or tackle position off the bench.
Rams prediction: re-sign. I expect he's the top priority among Rams UFAs. I also believe they still think he's a starter.

Gary Gibson
RamView: re-sign. Nice player to have in the defensive tackle rotation.
Rams prediction: re-sign.

Kevin Dockery
RamView: let 'im go. Just a poor back.
Rams prediction: re-sign. He'll be in the mix for the nickel back job. I assume Jerome Murphy will have first dibs on that entering training camp.

Michael Lewis
RamView: as with Dockery, a poor defensive back who deserves to be cut based on his role in blowing the game in San Francisco.
Rams prediction: I fear he's the fallback if the Rams don't/can't make a significant UFA move at safety. Let's call it a 50/50 chance.

Mark Setterstrom, Darcy Johnson, Derek Schoumann, Cliff Ryan
RamView: gone because I doubt he can pass a physical, gone, gone, gone.
Rams prediction: Same. Setterstrom retires, Johnson and Schoumann find jobs on special teams somewhere. Maybe Ryan gets a tryout with Lovie Smith in Chicago, which could lose a couple of players in the middle of their line.

Restricted free agents:
RamView: re-sign Chris Chamberlain, David Vobora, Justin King, Renardo Foster, John Greco. Let Kenneth Darby, Quincy Butler, Curtis Johnson go.
Rams prediction: They'll also re-sign Darby, to be a special-teamer at a minimum, or as Steven Jackson's fallback should they fail AGAIN to upgrade in free agency. They're at the tipping point with Greco, who really needs to have a healthy training camp.

When the Great FA Rush starts next Monday:
RamView priority #1 - safety, where I'd like to go after Bears SS Danieal Manning.
Rams prediction: it won't be their priority. Quintin Mikell will be locked up by Dallas before the Rams can get to him. They go into the season in awful shape at the position, possibly with Lewis in the starting lineup.
RamView priority #2 - defensive tackle. I'm going after Seahawks DT Brandon Mebane, but I confess I'm probably not taking his market value into account enough.
Rams prediction: They'll sign Barry Cofield from the Giants.
RamView priority #3 - running back. My target is Packers RB Brandon Jackson.
Rams prediction: They'll make a relatively-inexpensive move for a Kevin Faulk-type. I'll go off the beaten path and predict it'll be Brian Westbrook. Seems like he would fare well in an offense where his plays are all designed to get him open in space.
RamView priority #4 - if I have any cap space left, weakside linebacker. I'd like to get a young 'backer like James Anderson or Zac Diles into the Will mix.
Rams prediction: won't be a priority. Ben Leber has surfaced on the local radar, but that would surround James Laurinaitis with 32- and 33-year-old LBs. David Vobora as Opening Day starter won't be a big shock.

That's actually it for RamView's UFA priorities. I don't see the Rams making moves at QB (duh), offensive line, DE or corner. At WR, I predict they'll make an honest run at Sidney Rice but will come up dry. I'm falling off the Daniel Graham bandwagon for blocking TE, but don't rule it out.

-$-

Free agency preview: defensive backs

Top 5 UFA cornerbacks: 1 - Nnamdi Asomugha 2 - Johnathan Joseph 3 - Antonio Cromartie 4 - Josh Wilson 5 - Ike Taylor

Asomugha, one of the top two corners in the league, is the top player available at any position in free agency this year, if you've got about $20 million to spend. Joseph's play slipped a little last year, but he's still a top-10-quality corner, with excellent speed and 9 INTs over the last two seasons to go with it. Cromartie's shutdown-quality size and speed are borne out by his numbers - only 44% of passes at him were completions in 2010, 5th-best in the league. He's going to want a ton of money, though, most of which he'll need for child-support payments. Wilson ranked as Pro Football Focus' 5th-best corner overall last year and was Baltimore's best corner by the end of the season, with 3 picks in 9 starts. He's only 5'9" and is a little injury-prone, but he also has track-star speed, can help a team on returns and has four career pick-sixes. At 31, Taylor's an older version of Ron Bartell. Quality back, good tackler, terrible hands.

Top 5 UFA safeties: 1 - Quintin Mikell (SS) 2 - Danieal Manning (SS) 3 - Eric Weddle (FS) 4 - Dashon Goldson (FS) 5 - Abram Elam (SS)

Mikell rates first here even though he's 30. PFF graded him as the top cover safety in the league, he's one of the best run-support safeties in the league, and he played at a high level last season. Manning was PFF's fifth-best overall safety last season, would anybody have guessed that? More on him in a bit. Weddle is good in deep coverage, good against the run and reportedly already has 10 teams interested in him. Also just 26, Goldson called the Whiners' defensive signals last year and was their best DB while playing hurt much of the season. Forced 7 turnovers in 2009. Elam's not terribly fast but is a good playmaker, blitzer, run defender and tackler.

Sleepers: Chris Carr had a career season in Baltimore and was their best cover back until they acquired Josh Wilson. He doesn't intercept a lot of passes, so he'd fit right in here in St. Louis. Drew Coleman would give the Rams a playmaker at nickelback - he forced five fumbles last season - and, faint praise, wouldn't be a downgrade in coverage. He's a strong special teams player, as is Chinedum Ndukwe, who's just 26 and is progressing rapidly. A smart, physical safety with good ball skills.

Out of the running: Oshiomogho Atogwe (signed by Washington); Champ Bailey (re-signed by Denver); Ronde Barber (re-signed by Tampa Bay); Stanford Routt (re-signed by Oakland); Bob Sanders (signed with San Diego); Deshea Townsend (retired); Nathan Vasher (re-signed by Detroit); George Wilson (re-signed by Buffalo); Charlie Peprah (re-signed by Green Bay); Hiram Eugene (re-signed by Oakland)

Voting present:
CB: Carlos Rogers, Richard Marshall, Chris Houston, Brian Williams, Phillip Buchanon, William Gay, Kelly Jennings, Fabian Washington, Brandon McDonald, Michael Adams, Leigh Torrence, Lito Sheppard, Ashton Youboty, Drayton Florence, Dimitri Patterson, Eric Wright, Fred Bennett, Frank Walker, Karl Paymah, Will James, Anthony Madison, Corey Graham, Trumaine McBride, C.J. Wilson, Dante Hughes, Travis Daniels, Joey Thomas, Michael Coe, Marvin White

Safety: Roman Harper, Dawan Landry, Eric Smith, Brodney Pool, Reed Doughty, Gerald Sensabaugh, Bernard Pollard, Melvin Bullitt, Jordan Babineaux, *John Wendling, *Eric Frampton, *Pat Watkins, Darren Sharper, Atari Bigby, Donte Whitner, Jarrad Page, James Ihedigbo, Usama Young, Deon Grant, Jon McGraw, Pierson Prioleau, Brandon McGowan, Paul Oliver, Josh Bullocks, Nick (SUNSHINE) Sorenson, Gerald Alexander, *Chris Reis, Matt Ware, *Sean Considine, Marcus Hudson, Donnie Nickey, Ken Hamlin, Aaron Rouse, Anthony Smith, C.C. Brown

* Asterisked players could be worthwhile signings as special teams specialists.

The doctor will see you now: Al Harris, Maurice Leggett, Josh Bell, Roderick Hood, Ellis Hobbs, Will Blackmon, Gibril Wilson, Daniel Bullocks, Antoine Harris

Gawd no: Michael Huff's going to want a lot of money but I doubt he'll ever be worth it. His effort, heart and coverage skills have all come under serious question. People around the league figure the main reason he had a decent 2010 season was that it was his contract year. Oakland tried harder before the lockout to keep Stanford Routt (who's actually pretty good) and Hiram Eugene. Just say no.

Same for Eugene Wilson. Don't fall for name recognition here. He didn't force a single turnover last season, and Pro Football Focus ranked him the third-worst safety in the league last year. They ranked Alan Ball 2nd-worst, so say no to him, too. (The "winner"? Antrel Rolle.)

A name that comes up quite a bit, naturally, because he used to play for Steve Spagnuolo in New York, is Michael Johnson. No. He missed most of last season due to a herniated disc, and sources here in St. Louis say he has "personal issues" and "isn't very bright". He'd be a box safety at best anyway, because his coverage skills are questionable.

More just-say-nos: the awful Sabby Piscitelli, the aged Lawyer Milloy and the jilted Roy Williams. And on the hopefully-ex-Ram-but-I-wish-I-could-be-sure side, Kevin Dockery and Michael Lewis. Their major screwups at the beginning and end of the game helped cost the Rams a playoff berth when the Rams lost in overtime in San Francisco. Those should be cuttable offenses.

RamView's move: The dumbest thing I did with this year's FA previews was to do the DB position last, because the Rams' biggest need at any position is at safety with Atogwe gone. The Rams CANNOT, I repeat, CANNOT, go into the 2011 season with Craig Dahl and James Butler as their starting safeties. Dahl has terrible trouble with speed, and Butler can't cover me, and I'm 45 and run a 15-second 40. They can get by with Dahl at one of the safeties (though his injury history suggests Darian Stewart better keep warm on the bench) because he can hit and make some plays, but putting Butler back in the starting lineup would be a) a recipe for disaster and b) inexplicable. Fifth-round draft pick Jermale Hines at first take would be an in-the-box safety at best. Seventh-rounder Jonathan Nelson is a potential answer here, but a) he's been hurt a lot and b) there's a reason he was a seventh-rounder, right? The Rams HAVE to make a move and pick up a safety who can cover anybody.

At corner, the Rams have got an up-and-comer in Bradley Fletcher, and, at his best, a solid-but-unspectacular Ron Bartell. It looks like Jerome Murphy's set up to be the nickel, a daunting prospect since he may have struggled worse than any Rams defensive player last year besides Butler. He was a rookie, though, and the Rams' staff turned Fletcher into a NFL-quality starter pretty quickly; maybe he'll make a big leap. Behind him, the oft-injured Justin King will take one last run at a starting spot. Seventh-round pick Mikail Baker is listed as a corner, but with a year of college experience there, I can't imagine him as more than a sixth or seventh option. RamView wishes Kevin Dockery the best in his future endeavors. The Rams are going to have to improve at nickel back from within - once you get past the top 4-5 free agents who are going to command $8 million or more a year, quality drops pretty rapidly.

Danieal Manning may be one of the most underrated defensive backs in the league, and he's who I'd target for the Rams as free agent option #1. His passer-rating-against last year was under 60. He was only one of 5 safeties in the league not to give up a TD completion. Pro Football Focus scored him as having missed three tackles ALL SEASON LONG. (Some past Rams safeties have done that in one play.) He has 4.4 or better speed and excellent range and could help the Rams as a return man. And the Bears don't even want to keep him! They're going to start Major Wright. Manning's got a ton of skills the Ram secondary badly needs, and I don't think a team will have to come even close to breaking the bank to sign him. If I'm the Rams GM, he's the first call I make when the Great Free Agent Rush of 2011 opens.

Shoot the moon: Think outside the box: sign a top corner such as Wilson and move Bartell to safety. Well, you'd have three pretty good cover backs on the field every down, anyway.

Prediction: Letting Atogwe go doesn't mean the Rams aren't willing to spend money at the safety position. It just meant they didn't want to pay Atogwe's $8 million roster bonus. His quick move to Washington might have surprised Rams Park as much as it surprised Rams Nation. I do expect the Rams to be aggressive and go after Mikell, who we know was previously coached by Steve Spagnuolo. You don't have to sign him to a long contract, and he can be the bridge while Nelson or possibly Murphy develops into a starting quality safety on his own. At nickel, I expect any move would be low-cost and for depth, with the expectation that Murphy and King will fight it out for the position in training camp. For all his flaws, Dockery could get to hang around in that scenario.

Up next: a review of the reviews!

Photo: The Daily Press (Hampton Roads, VA)

Free agency preview: linebackers

Top 5 UFA OLBs: 1 - Rocky McIntosh (WLB) 2 - Quincy Black (SLB) 3 - James Anderson 4 - Steven Nicholas (SLB) 5 - Clint Session (WLB)

Linebacker will be the deepest position in free agency this year. I only list a top 5 here, but it'd be pretty easy to list a top 15, any of whom would help a team. Not much not to like about McIntosh - career-high 110 tackles last year, excellent in pass coverage, durable (missed only 2 games in career), makes plays from sideline to sideline. Black is Tampa Bay's best run defender and one of the best all-around LBs going - covers TEs like glue and rarely misses tackles or commits penalties. Anderson sounds like the total package - a good run-stopper, pass defender and pass rusher who can play any of the 4-3 LB positions. 130 tackles for Carolina last season. Nicholas is Atlanta's Sam 'backer but can also play all 3 LB roles. He has great quickness and is rated as one of the NFL's best pass coverage LBs. Session is undersized and missed most of 2010, but was a tackling machine the previous two seasons in Indy.

Top 5 UFA ILBs: 1 - Paul Posluszny 2 - Barrett Ruud 3 - Stephen Tulloch 4 - Takeo Spikes 5 - Dhani Jones

One of my favorite non-Rams, Posluszny would get perennial Pro Bowl consideration if he could stay healthy. 150 tackles last year. Ruud has has 4 straight exceptionally productive years of 100+ tackles. Plays with great instinct and always knows where he should be. Tulloch is just 26, had 121 tackles two years ago, and was 2nd in the league last year with 160. Good hitter well-suited for the middle. Spikes is 34 but is coming off his most productive season since 2003. He'd be limited to his current 3-4 ILB role where he doesn't have to cover a lot of ground. Jones is coming off the most productive season of his ten-year career. If he came to St. Louis, maybe he and Steven Jackson could do a travel show together.

Sleepers: Zac Diles came off the bench last year to become one of Houston's leading tacklers. He excelled at Will during Brian Cushing's suspension and filled in at Mike after Demeco Ryans was injured. Smart, good speed and range, takes good angles, reads the passing game well. Texans fans will tell you he should have been a Pro Bowler. Not sure where he fits in with Houston switching to a 3-4; maybe inside alongside Ryans. He'd be a much better fit here.

Brandon Johnson was a Bengals team captain who appears to have mostly been used as a Will in nickel defenses, but Bengal fans will tell you he's their best LB, even though the team keeps reducing his snaps. He makes key plays, is a major factor on special teams and almost never misses a tackle.

3-4 OLB Matt Roth ranks as one of the NFL's best pass rush disruptors. Pro Football Focus ranks him as one of the league's top ten pass rushers over the last three seasons. He doesn't ring up a ton of sacks, averaging 5-6 a year, but is a consistent factor in pass pressure.

Manny Lawson also grades well as a pass rusher, though not necessarily as a sack artist, and though he had 6.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles in 2009, and graded as a top-10 pass rusher by PFF last season, the 49ers have increasingly taken him off the field on passing downs. When a guy seems to always be around the ball, you wonder why a team that knows what it's doing wouldn't hang on to him.

Out of the running: Tamba Hali (franchised by Kansas City); David Harris (franchised by N.Y. Jets); Chad Greenway (franchised by Minnesota); LaMarr Woodley (franchised by Pittsburgh); Kamerion Wimbley (franchised by Oakland); Desmond Bishop (re-signed by Green Bay); Coy Wire (re-signed by Atlanta); Mike Vrabel (retired); David Thornton (retirement likely)

Voting present: Keith Bulluck, Kevin Burnett, Kirk Morrison, Stephen Cooper, Akin Ayodele, Keyaron Fox*, Prescott Burgess*, Justin Durant, Ernie Sims, Ben Leber, Stewart Bradley, Will Herring, *Tim Shaw, Travis LaBoy, Mike Peterson, Jamie Winborn, Julian Peterson, Brandon Siler, Landon Johnson, Tyjuan Hagler, Omar Gaither, Thomas Howard, Corey Mays, *Lance Laury, *Chase Blackburn, *Marvin Mitchell, *Adam Hayward, Nick Roach, Jason Trusnik, Freddie Keiaho, Scott Shanle, Jarvis Moss, Danny Clark, Brian Iwuh, Abdul Hodge, *Blake Costanzo, *Chris Wilson, Leon Williams, H.B. Blades, Niko Koutovides, Rod Wilson, Tracy White, Charlie Anderson, Sam Williams, Kevin Bentley, Jon (remember me?) Alston, Ricky Brown, Gerris Wilkinson, Matt McCoy, and, whew, Quentin Moses

The asterisked players are players whose first role would be as quality special teams players. At Rams Park, Tom McMahon would be much more likely to lobby for them than Ken Flajole.

The doctor will see you now: Thomas Davis, Keith Ellison, Jamar Williams, D'Qwell Jackson, Leroy Hill, Clint Ingram, Angelo Crowell, and, of course, Pisa Tinoisamoa

Gawd no: Akeem Jordan (arrested in June after a bar fight); Antwan Barnes (traded by San Diego because he "lacked commitment to special teams"); Bobby Carpenter (self-explanatory).

RamView's move: Needless to say, the Rams are set in the middle with James Laurinaitis, who's developing into one of the best in the league. Na'il Diggs was steady on the strong side, which leaves most of the spotlight for the weak side, which was a revolving door, with neither David Vobora, Larry Grant, Bryan Kehl nor Chris Chamberlain able to lock down the role full-time. Grant appeared to peak in training camp last season, while Kehl nearly lost the Rams their home finale against San Francisco by allowing a partial punt block, the same breakdown that got him cut by the Giants. Chamberlain's one of the Rams' top special teamers, which makes his roster spot pretty safe, plus he's been game when he's been pressed into defensive duty. Vobora seems most effective as the "4th linebacker"; he's got the skill to play all three positions but hasn't stood out as a starter. He's the likeliest starting WLB on Opening Day if the Rams don't make a move.

Me, I'd prefer to make a move, and am falling more and more in line with going after Anderson, who's already got a link to the Rams since Flajole coached him in Carolina. My main concern is that he doesn't appear to have played that much Will - most recently, 6 games in 2008. But he says it's his preferred position. He's been a stud against the run, is always around the ball and would help the Rams pass defense out both in coverage and as a blitzer. And he shouldn't cost a ton - it's not even clear that Carolina's looking at him as a starter for next season, a little puzzling given his play in 2010. I'd endorse a move here, with Diles as my fallback option. Vobora and Chamberlain provide adequate-to-good depth.

Shoot the moon: For his name recognition and likeliness to get a big contract, McIntosh would be the "shoot the moon" option, though there's plenty of evidence he'd be worth a big deal. Very good playmaker, very good tackler who would help a defense out in a lot of ways. Plug him in on the weakside and stop that revolving door.

Prediction: This year is a great market for linebackers, and by hardly emphasizing the position at all in the draft, the Rams seem likely to pursue a free agent option to fill the weak side. I expect Anderson's the target, and it shouldn't be too hard to entice him here with a starting job, versus a backup or platoon role in Carolina. Don't look for the Rams to push at all costs, though. They won't break the bank for a Will, and they won't make a move for anyone who's not almost exactly who they want. After all, they improved greatly in pass rush and in defending the tight end last year with the players on hand. If Anderson's not in the cards, maybe they go after a young LB like Justin Durant or Ernie Sims with a low-risk incentive-laden deal. Either you catch lightning and that player pans out, or he sharpens Vobora up enough through the competition to make David a more viable starter. With so many options available, WLB will be a position to watch with the Rams this summer.

Up last, but certainly not least: defensive backs.

Photo: Carolina Panthers

Free agency preview: defensive line

Top 5 UFA defensive ends: 1 - Charles Johnson 2 - Ray Edwards 3 - Cullen Jenkins 4 - Jason Babin 5 - Raheem Brock

At just 24, Johnson, Julius Peppers' replacement in Carolina, already has an 11.5-sack season under his belt, but should be a top re-signing priority for the Panthers. Like Johnson, Edwards was one of the most productive pass rushers in the NFL last year, with 8.5 sacks. Despite that, Minnesota's not expected to try hard to re-sign him. Jenkins' 7 sacks were very impressive for a 3-4 end. Babin came from out of nowhere with 12.5 sacks last year, but he's 31, and that nearly doubled his career sack total. Where's that been? Brock had 9 sacks for Seattle in the regular season and two more in the playoffs, and he abused Jason Smith in the division title game in week 16. But he's also 33, and has been in off-the-field trouble twice since November.

Top 5 UFA defensive tackles: 1 - Brandon Mebane 2 - Aubrayo Franklin 3 - Anthony Adams 4 - Pat Williams 5 - Barry Cofield

Based on the current rumor mill, two of the Rams' biggest rivals might be a lot easier to run on next season. Mebane's been one of Seattle's best defensive players, a fine run-clogger with some ability to penetrate upfield. The 26-year old would look perfect next to Fred Robbins. Franklin's 30, but is similarly a fine run-clogger, pocket-collapser and playmaker in the box. Neither is expected to be re-signed by their current teams at the moment. Adams is a high-motor player who worked his way into the Bears' starting lineup last year, excels at chasing plays down from the backside. Williams should still be able to get it done as a mountain-sized run-stuffer at age 38. The Giants don't seem to want Cofield back even though he's just 27, has missed just one game in his career due to injury, and is coming off his best season as a pro, with 54 tackles and 4 sacks. Gee, I wonder where an ex-Giant could find a new home for himself in this league?

Sleepers: Andre Carter had double-digit sack seasons in 2009 and 2007, then was shoved into a 3-4 OLB position in Washington. Chalk up another epic fail in the career of Jim Haslett. Carter's potentially an excellent spot pass rusher for a 4-3 team, which would use him properly.

Daniel Muir has 90 tackles the last two seasons for the Colts. He's a wide-body DT with a good motor who can both hold his ground and make plays on the move.

Ron Edwards was very solid for the Chiefs last year on the nose. He's got excellent technique and gets the grunt work done that doesn't show up on the stats page. Also over 30, though.

And for a couple of ex-Rams: Eric Moore jumped from the UFL's Florida Tuskers to the Patriots late last season, and rang up two sacks and two forced fumbles in four weeks.

Then there's, yes, Anthony Hargrove. He's not likely to be back with the Saints, who have drafted Cameron Jordan and signed Shaun Rogers (note to self: pencil in Saints for NFC rep in Super Bowl XLV). He wants to play DE anyway, and has dropped 20-25 pounds to get down to 270. If you take him for any skill as an edge pass rusher, and add that to the experience he's gained in New Orleans as a decent interior lineman, that's a skillset that would work well in Steve Spagnuolo's defense, isn't it? Essentially, Hargrove would be C.J. Ah You, except he could stop the run from an inside position, ever. Ah You and George Selvie ranked as two of the NFL's LEAST productive pass rushers, btw, so neither should be considered a mortal lock in the Rams' rotation, especially C-JAY, though I just made him a lot harder to discard now that I've figured out a cool nickname for him. C-JAY. It's all his initials, see?

Out of the running: Richard Seymour (franchised by Oakland), Shaun Rogers (signed by New Orleans), Marcus Stroud (signed by New England), Haloti Ngata (franchised by Baltimore), Paul Soliai (franchised by Miami), Brian Robison (re-signed by Minnesota), Kevin Vickerson (re-signed by Denver), Shaun Cody (re-signed by Houston), John Henderson (re-signed by Oakland), Trey Lewis (re-signed by Atlanta)

Voting present:
DE: Shaun Ellis, Dave Ball, Mark Anderson, Turk McBride, Jonathan Fanene, Jimmy Wilkerson, Ray McDonald, Marcus Spears, Jacques Cesaire, Justin Bannan, Jacob Ford, Adewale Ogunleye, Keyunta Dawson, Jeff Charleston, Tim Crowder, Jay Richardson, Jayme Mitchell, Jason Hatcher, Kedric Golston, Demetric Evans, Stephen Bowen, Ryan McBean, Dave Tollefson, Derreck Robinson, Ryan Denney, Ryon Bingham

DT: Gerard Warren, Tommie Harris, Jamal Williams, Derek Landri, Alan Branch, Leger (DOOZER) Douzable, Remi Ayodele, Gabe Watson, Nick Hayden, Nick Eason, Travis Johnson, Chris Hoke, Louis Leonard, Fred Evans, Kenyon Coleman, Thomas Johnson, Atiyyah Ellison

The doctor will see you now: Mathias Kiwanuka, Kenny Iwebema, Robaire Smith, Victor Abiamiri, Reggie Hayward, Antonio Johnson, Junior Siavii, Tim Bulman, Jared DeVries, Cliff Ryan

The financial planner will see you now: Bryan Robinson (expected to retire, ending 14-year career that started in 1997 with... the Rams, remember?); Trevor Pryce (retiring at last word); Chris Hovan (out all 2010 with back injury, already has job on local high school coaching staff for 2011); Kris Jenkins (retired 7/20/2011)

Gawd no: Tony McDaniel (assaulting his girlfriend, repeat offender); Ronald Fields (Plaxico Burress minus the self-inflicted gunshot wound); Johnny Jolly (indefinitely suspended by NFL, codeine possession); Marcus Thomas (ballooned to 340 after shoulder surgery in November, drug history from college, is always going to be trouble); Greg "Stylez" White (off my list just because "Stylez" is his doofy legal name, but he's also run afoul of Bucs HC Raheem Morris for loafing in practices); John McCargo (bust draft pick); Vernon Gholston (all-time bust draft pick); Shaun Smith (accused multiple times of grabbing opposing players' junk during games)

RamView's move: Chris Long appears to be arriving right on schedule now that he's the left end, James Hall showed he could still get it done at 33, and the Rams drafted Robert Quinn in this year's first round; no big free agency move should be necessary at DE. Plan for a good training camp roster battle between Selvie, Ah You and Kenneth Sims.

Defensive tackle's where the Rams' problems are. Robbins had a fine 2010, but like Hall, he'll be 34 this season. Gary Gibson's good enough to re-sign in free agency, but not really good enough to start. He's best used, as is Jermelle Cudjo, as a rotational guy. That's still better then Darell Dorell Scott, who I expect to become the Rams' newest draft washout this training camp. The Rams need an infusion of talent here, not just to improve their lack of depth, but also to give them a run-stuffer.

RamView would go right to the top of the class and go after Mebane, who the record will show I wanted to draft in the 2nd or 3rd round in 2007 (the Rams took Brian Leonard in the 2nd, Jonathan Wade in the 3rd; Mebane went the pick after Wade). Seattle tried to turn him into a pass rusher last season; I'd let him put 15 pounds back on and do what he does best, command double-teams and stuff the run. Remembering the Rams' record last year when they allowed over 120 rushing yards (0-7), and that their last decent run-stuffing tackle was Ryan Pickett, Mebane's exactly the kind of player they need. And he's not just stout against the run; he's quick off the ball and penetrates into the backfield well. He's just not going to chase anybody down.

Seattle fears that Mebane will be too expensive to re-sign, a very legitimate issue, and not worth the cost because he didn't prove to be a great fit in Pete Carroll's system last year. But if I'm the one wielding Stan Kroenke's checkbook, Mebane's probably the player I'm willing to write the biggest check out to this offseason. Just let him do what he does best. He's the rock against the run the Rams need, and should be able to be that guy another 5-6 years.

Shoot the moon: One new DT probably isn't enough when you get right down to it. Why not sign Mebane or Franklin as your run-stopper, and add another quality DT to keep Robbins fresh? But where could the Rams find a player who might be reasonably affordable and would fit well in their system?

Prediction: Barry Cofield has to be an odds-on favorite to be a Ram in 2011. It's not just that the Rams need a DT, and that Steve Spagnuolo's his former defensive coach; he's also pretty darn good at what he does. His sack and tackle totals last year were career highs, he's durable, he can be moved around on the line, he doesn't get run over by run-blockers, he's smart, he's only 27; what's not to like? He's not a run or pass specialist - I'd still try to add a run-stuffer - but assuming the Rams don't break the bank going after him, Cofield should be an effective boost to the Rams' talent and depth in the middle of the line.

Up next: linebacker.

Photo: Newark Star-Ledger