It appears that Jacob Bell is also gone for the rest of the season with a tear in his hamstring. That is bad. That is a really bad injury. Bell didn't have a ton of drive in his legs before this injury. I doubt he he will have more drive afterward. I would be looking for a replacement, if I was the Rams' GM.
The two facts have to condition our moves in free agency. Our offensive line, which is a work in progress, has taken a significant setback. We need guards. We need at least two of them.
Offensive Linemen
Jahri Evans, OG New Orleans Saints, #73, 6-4 318 pounds, 27 years old: Jahri is a bad man. He is one of the best men on a very good offensive line. He is young, he is strong, he is a positive guy, and he would make a great partner for Jason Smith. The Saints love him and are going to try to keep him. If they win the Super Bowl, and I expect them to do so, it will be hard for them to retain Jahri. Everybody will want a pay hike. The Saints may franchise Jahri anyhow. We need to make a hard move to get him. As far as I am concerned, he is the cream of the crop in OL free agents. If we get him, our offensive line will take a massive step forward.
David Baas, OG San Francisco 49ers, #64, 6-4 330 pounds, 28 years old: David Baas is the starting Left Guard for the 49ers. He has been their LG for about a year and half now. He is massive and powerful. He played an instrumental role in Frank Gore's stand up and shout performance against the Cardinals yesterday. He is going to be an unrestricted free agent, and the 49ers probably won't go that far to resign him. A good offer will bring him to the Rams. Getting him means weakening a divisional rival, which is good.
Deuce Lutui OG, Arizona Cardinals, #76, 6-4 338, 26 years old: Deuce is an excellent guard who might be able to play tackle if we give him a try. He became a starter in his rookie year, and he has been a good durable starter ever since, missing only 1 game. Getting him means weakening a divisional rival, which is good.
Wide Receivers
Brandon Marshall, Denver Broncos, #15, 6-4 230 pounds, 26 years old: Marshall's trials and tribulations with the Broncos are well documented. So are his triumphs. Would I take a risk on this guy? Fuck yes! This is a major big time play maker. He is tight-end sized wide receiver with speed moves & athleticism. Only Calvin Johnson and Andre Johnson are like him. I would tell you he is better than Calvin at this point, but not as good as Andre. Still he is one hell of a player. This is the playmaker we need to activate our passing attack. With Laurent Robinson and Donnie Avery, we might have 3 good threats on the field. For documented reasons, owner Pat Bowlen has been very reluctant to tear up his rookie contract and give Brandon a major pay hike. Brandon has wanted to leave town for some time. Given the fact that he will need to use the Franchise tag on Elvis Dumervill, we should be able to acquire Marshall if we want him.
Isaac Bruce, San Francisco 49ers (37): What do I need to tell you about this man that you don't already know? Every Ram fan knows this man, and we need to bring him back home to finish his career.
Malcom Floyd, San Chargers, #80 6’5”, 225 pound, 28 years old. This is another wide receiver in a tightend body. Does a great job getting vertical down the sidelines to make grabs in single coverage. He uses his height and balance to come down with the ball more often than not. Many call him a #2 receiver. I think he is a #1.
Defensive Linemen
Aaron Kampman, Green Bay Packers, #74 6-4 265, 30 years old. Kampman suffered a terrible reversal of fortune this year. He was one of the star pass-rushing DEs in the league and then Dom Capers decided he should be a linebacker. I was intrigued by the prospect, but Kampman wasn't. He firmly believes he was born to have his fist in the dirt. He hated it. Then he suffered a terrible knee injury ending his season. His replacement, rookie Brad Jones #59, is doing one hell of a job. Some even say that the Packer defense came together when Brad Jones hit the scene. I think it is clear that the Pack will not resign Kampman. Kampman is a pass-rusher galore who has expressed admiration for coach Spagnuolo's 3 and 4 DE configurations. I say we get him.
Richard Seymour, Oakland Raiders, #92, 6-6 310 pounds, 30 years old: Very little is known about Seymour's current contract with the Raiders. His name has not yet been removed from any of the major 2010 free agency charts. This would tend to indicate that the Raiders have not yet signed him to an extension. Seymour has been one of the best defensive players of this decade. He is a high character guy, and a motivational leader. If it is at all possible to get him, we should.
