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Monday, March 9, 2015
Examining Justin Blalock as a potential Rams fit
By Nick WagonerEARTH CITY, Mo. — As many of the big-ticket free-agent offensive linemen head to new locales with lucrative contracts in tow, the St. Louis Rams have mostly stood by and watched the market develop.
The Rams clearly have a need on the offensive line — multiple needs, in fact. But they were never likely to jump into the deep end of free agency and offer the piles of cash required to land guys like Orlando Franklin or Rodney Hudson. Franklin and Hudson appear headed for San Diego and Oakland, respectively, with contracts exceeding even the most optimistic of projections.
Meanwhile, the Rams have taken an approach similar to last year wherein they seem to be feeling out the market and looking to add players who might come in the wave after the initial burst. One such player who won’t move the needle much but might make sense for them is guard Justin Blalock.
Justin Blalock
Justin Blalock could offer a short-term fix while the Rams build their depth with youth.
The Atlanta Falcons released Blalock on Feb. 27 after he spent his first eight seasons there. Almost immediately, Blalock appeared to be a potential fit in St. Louis. At 31, Blalock doesn’t exactly fit the mold of the type of younger free agent that Rams general manager Les Snead and coach Jeff Fisher recently said they’d prefer but he would offer a possible short-term fix while the Rams bolster the group behind him with youth.By now, you might be thinking that Blalock isn’t so much a replacement for the likely departing Davin Joseph, the player who started at right guard for most of the year last year for the Rams. In some sense, that’s a fair comparison given their respective ages. But in most areas, the two are completely different.
Blalock has been one of the most durable players in the league since the Falcons made him a second-round pick in 2007. In the time since, he’s started 125 games and only missed three along the way. Considering that he’s older and doesn’t profile to make the kind of money that a guy like Mike Iupati figures to command on the open market, Blalock could also probably be had for a relatively bargain rate.
In terms of scheme, Blalock would also make plenty of sense. He’s 6-foot-4, 326 pounds and is best suited for a power running scheme similar to what the Rams prefer. Part of the reason Atlanta allowed Blalock to leave other than saving money on the salary cap was that Blalock isn’t an ideal fit for the preferred zone schemes favored by new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
Last but certainly not least, Blalock also has plenty of ties in St. Louis. He played for current Rams offensive line coach Paul Boudreau when he was in Atlanta from 2008 to 2011. Current Rams general manager Les Snead and some of his top lieutenants also spent time in Atlanta with Blalock.
One NFL personnel evaluator summed up Blalock at this stage of his career like this: “Blalock is steady, reliable player. This season was the first time in his career that he’s missed time. Good strength and is a better athlete than you think. Really smart player as well. Still has some years left in him.”
Since the Falcons released Blalock, he could sign with a team at any time. But since he’s not considered one of the top tier players available, there might not be much of a rush to do so. In theory, the Rams could explore other options while maintaining contact with Blalock in the meantime.
Whether anything comes of Rams’ potential interest remains to be seen but if it does, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise.
Agamemnonhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16858/what-to-watch-for-rams-in-free-agency
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Rams: What to watch for in free agency
By Nick WagonerEARTH CITY, Mo. — The official opening of the NFL free-agent period is finally upon us. At 4 p.m. ET today, all of those “unofficial” deals can be signed and the piles of cash will be handed out accordingly.
For the St. Louis Rams, it’s probably best to temper expectations. They don’t have the money or inclination to go out and spend big on some of the top-name free agents, especially with other teams in position where they have to spend their massive amounts of cap space just to reach the salary floor.
That doesn’t mean that nothing will happen, just that it might not be in the first wave of free agency.
Kendricks
Here’s a rundown of how things could shape up and what to keep an eye on as we approach the new league year.In house
TE Lance Kendricks — Things have been mostly quiet on the Kendricks front, but there have been some rumors out there of potential interest around the league. The Rams like Kendricks but it seems likely he’ll land elsewhere. The Atlanta Falcons represent one potential match and something could happen fast there.
OT Joe Barksdale — Like with Kendricks, whatever interest Barksdale has received has mostly been kept under wraps. But there have been some mighty big contracts handed out to offensive linemen during the negotiating window, so it stands to reason Barksdale will have plenty of interest and offers. He could land something in the $6 million range with the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers, among those mentioned as possible landing spots. If, for some reason, that market fails to materialize and Barksdale’s price tag drops, the Rams could get back in the mix.
WR Kenny Britt — This is the free agent most likely to return to the Rams. They have been working diligently to try to get things done and Britt’s name hasn’t come up much in the initial wave. The Rams remain confident they’ll get him back. As with all free agents, it’s a fluid situation but this is too good of a fit and match to not work out unless some team swoops in with a bigger offer than expected.
QB Shaun Hill — It speaks to the lack of good quarterback options out there that Hill’s market has been more active than the others. Or, at least, it’s been better publicized. Vikings reporter Ben Goessling reported Minnesota has offered a framework of a deal to Hill, and that’s one possibility. Dallas and Oakland have also reached out to Hill’s representative and Chicago has been rumored to have interest. The Rams would like to keep him but might not want to get into a bidding war.
Outside options
OG Justin Blalock — We laid out all the reasons Blalock might make sense as a short-term option for the Rams. With three vacancies on the line, it seems like the Rams might have to add one veteran who is a little older. Adding a player like Blalock doesn’t prevent adding another guard in the draft, either.
OC Stefen Wisniewski — Oakland is apparently going to land Rodney Hudson when free agency begins, which means Wisniewski is likely to land elsewhere. But the price of Hudson (around $9 million a year) could drive Wisniewski’s rate beyond where the Rams might be willing to go. It’s not out of the question that something could work out but the Rams won’t overextend to make it happen.
A linebacker — Don’t be surprised if the Rams look to bolster their linebacking corps. After starters James Laurinaitis, Alec Ogletree and Jo-Lonn Dunbar, the Rams have no experienced depth and if they find the right fit, they could potentially upgrade at the Sam position and use Dunbar as a jack-of-all-trades backup.
Agamemnon
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