Rams Free Agency 2012: Cortland Finnegan Signs 5-Year Deal With St. Louis

Kendall Langford, St. Louis Rams Agree To 4-Year $24 Million Deal

As the 2012 NFL free agency period begins to slow down and the top talent dwindles, teams are locking up final pieces before it becomes a bargain market. The Rams have been looking for another defensive lineman and have finally found one in former Miami Dolphins defensive end Kendall Langford.

Former Dolphins DE Kendall Langford signs with the Rams. 4yrs, $24M, $12M guaranteed.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2012

As Adam Shefter reports, the deal is for four years and $24 million, with $12 million of that guaranteed. Langford was originally drafted by the Dolphins in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Langford started at defensive end in the Dolphins 3-4 defense for his first four seasons in the NFL. He now joins a young Rams defensive line. Given Langford's size and ability, he could play either defensive end or defensive tackle.

For more on the Rams' free-agent dealings, be sure to check out Rams blog Turf Show Times. And for more on St. Louis sports, check out SB Nation St. Louis.

Cortland Finnegan Gets $50 Million From St. Louis Rams

Cortland Finnegan cashed in on free agency. According to FOXSports.com, Finnegan signed a five-year contract with the St. Louis Rams that will pay him a reported $50 million. That's about the money expected for someone like Finnegan, who was probably the No. 1 cornerback on the market.

It should've been obvious from the start that St. Louis would be Finnegan's choice. His former coach, Jeff Fisher, is now the head coach in St. Louis and the Rams recently cleared out a ton of cap space. They also have a major need at cornerback after going through what felt like two dozen corners last season.

The Rams got a lot better on the first day of free agency. Finnegan instantly gives them some credibility on defense. Free agent Jason Jones is also visiting, which could continue the makeover of the Rams defense.

For more on the Rams' free-agent dealings, be sure to check out Rams blog Turf Show Times. And for more on St. Louis sports, check out SB Nation St. Louis.

Free Agent Jason Jones Visiting Seahawks, Rams

The NFL free agent season has begun. The Tennessee Titans are attempting to put together all of the pieces they will need to be in place by the time the 2012 season kicks off. The first step on that road begins in free agency, as the Titans decide which players they will attempt to lure back and which external options they will pusue.

One of the former Titans players who has just become an unrestricted free agent is defensive tackle Jason Jones. Jones appears to already be in high demand, according to Titan Insider. Jones has visits planned with the St. Louis Rams and the Seattle Seahawks, two teams that could certainly use some assistance on their defensive line next season.

It remains to be seen how stridently the Titans will pursue retaining Jones' services, but he appears to have plenty of suitors thus far.

For more on the Titans, check out Tennessee Titans blog Music City Miracles.

Free Agent Pierre Garcon Drawing Interest From Redskins, Rams

The St. Louis Rams and Washington Redskins are among the teams in the mix for free agent receiver Pierre Garcon, according to reports. One report says he is talking contract with the Redskins so his free agency tour may be a quick one.

Garcon turned down a contract extension from the Indianapolis Colts this offseason so it's no surprise he made it to free agency.

Garcon is coming off the best season of his career catching 70 balls for 947 yards and six touchdowns last season. The Redskins reportedly plan to add a high-profile receiver in free agency but their free agent efforts have been hurt by the ruling that they are out $36 million in cap space over the next two seasons.

In St. Louis, the Rams are looking to replace Brandon Lloyd and Garcon would fit in nicely with Sam Bradford. Adding weapons for the Rams QB should be a priority this season.

For more on the Rams, visit Turf Show Times. And for more on the Redskins, check out Hogs Haven.

Free Agent Cortland Finnegan Visiting Jeff Fisher, Rams

The St. Louis Rams will host free agent cornerback Cortland Finnegan for a visit, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Rams have major issues at cornerback and will be looking for all the help they can get, so this visit shouldn't be a big surprise.

It also shouldn't be a surprise because of who is now running the Rams -- Jeff Fisher. That's Finnegan's former coach with the Tennessee Titans.

Finnegan has known for some time now that he'd be hitting the free agent market, as the Titans seemed resigned to the fact that he would be leaving. That likely gave his agent plenty of time to scope out the market and get a sense of what kind of money Finnegan might receive.

For more on the Rams' free-agent dealings, be sure to check out Rams blog Turf Show Times. And for more on St. Louis sports, check out SB Nation St. Louis.

Rams Free Agency 2012: Surrounding Sam Bradford With Weapons

The St. Louis Rams made the move they were expected to when they dealt their No. 2 overall pick to the Washington Redskins in exchange the Redskins' first and second-round picks this year and first-round picks in 2013 and 2014. This gives the Rams the opportunity they need to surround young quarterback Sam Bradford with more weapons than just running back Steven Jackson.

When it comes to free agency the Rams have some holes to fill. Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd is expected to test the market and the team's two backup quarterbacks are likely going to find new homes as well, as are the two capable backup running backs. The Rams allowed 55 sacks in 2011, the worst in the league, which means they may want to address the offensive line in free agency.

With so many picks from the Redskins trade, the Rams will probably focus on building the team in the draft, but there are a handful of players that could help the team out. Signing a veteran quarterback to back up Bradford will be important as will signing a running back to keep Jackson, who is 29, fresh. Help on the offensive line is necessary but the offensive tackle class in free agency isn't very deep and guards like Carl Nicks and Ben Grubbs could be too expensive. The Rams may want to look into free agency linebackers like Manny Lawson or Phillip Wheeler as both Brady Poppinga and Chris Chamberlain are both heading into free agency leaving James Laurinaitis alone.

For more free agency updates, follow SB Nation's Rams blog, Turf Show Times.

Jason Brown To Be Cut By Rams, According To Report

The St. Louis Rams will release center Jason Brown on Monday, according to a report at Scout.com. Brown was the starting center for most of his three seasons with the Rams, but was benched temporarily in favor of Tony Wragge. After sitting on the bench for Week 10 and Week 11, he returned to the staring lineup for the season's final six games.

Brown had been one of the Rams' top offensive linemen, but he is due a $5 million base salary and will count $7.2 millon against the salary cap if he were to be brought back. He first signed with the Rams prior to the 2009 season after spending his first four years with the Baltimore Ravens, who made him a fourth round pick in 2005.

The 28-year-old is still considered a quality offensive lineman and could draw some good offers on the free agent market.

For more on Brown's situation, be sure to check out Rams blog Turf Show Times.

Free Agent Brandon Lloyd, Rams To Continue Talking

The St. Louis Rams annual search for a receiver will continue this offseason but the Rams hope they won't have to go very far to find one. In fact, they want to keep one of their own -- Brandon Lloyd. The Rams receiver is set to hit free agency on March 13 but SB Nation's Turf Show Times has confirmed the two sides are still talking.

"We had initial discussions in Indianapolis," Rams COO Kevin Demoff told TST. "We plan to continue talking."

It'l be interesting to see how far those talks get. You gotta think Lloyd tests free agency by this point. He has previously said he'd like to play for Josh McDaniels, who was the Rams offensive coordinator last season and now running the Patriots offense in New England. The Patriots have a need for a receiver so that makes a lot of sense.

The Rams will have competition for Lloyd. Thanks to several other top receivers likely getting hit with the franchise tag, Lloyd will be one of the top receivers available. He'll have options.

For more on Lloyd's situation, be sure to check out Rams blog Turf Show Times. And for more on St. Louis sports, check out SB Nation St. Louis.

Free Agent Brandon Lloyd Will Talk With Rams; Patriots A Possibility

Free agent wide receiver Brandon Lloyd expressed an open mind about returning to the St. Louis Rams during an interview with Pro Football Talk Live on Monday, and even welcomed the chance to be slapped with the franchise tag (via ESPN). In the same interview, Lloyd also invited the idea of possibly playing for the New England Patriots. In 11 games with the Rams in 2011, Lloyd caught 51 passes for 683 yards and five touchdowns and was the team's leading receiver. The Rams gave up a sixth-round pick in order to acquire Lloyd from the Denver Broncos.

Lloyd has seen varying amounts of success during his nine seasons in which he's played for five different teams. His best year was in 2010 with the Broncos when he caught 77 passes for 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns. Not coincidentally, he was coached by Josh McDaniels that year, who also happens to be back with the Patriots as the team's offensive coordinator. That's the main reason he's interested in the Patriots.

"Yes, I find that very interesting," Lloyd said. "I would like to entertain that and see where that goes. There is no bones about that. I've been very successful in Josh McDaniels' offense. I really admire Tom Brady. I admire that organization and how they run things over there. I'd definitely be interested in hearing how I could possibly fit into that equation."

For more on Lloyd's situation, be sure to check out Rams blog Turf Show Times.

Rams Free Agents: Future Of Jason Brown, Jason Smith In Question

The St. Louis Rams are coming off a lackluster season and preparing for free agency season on March 13. They'll be hoping for a fresh start from the top down, with a new general manager in place and some tough decisions ahead.

According to Howard Balzer of 101Sports.com, the Rams face a multitude of salary issues they must address if they hope to improve upon their 2011 team and still stay under the salary cap for 2012. If the Rams choose to tender all of their restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents, they'll be looking at about $7 million or so to work with after factoring in their rookie pool following the pick. Balzer notes that there are a couple of Rams players that the team may have to part with in order to have more maneuverability:

Center/guard Jason Brown: He has two years remaining on his contract with base salaries of $5 million and $6.2 million. This year, his cap figure is $7.2 million. If Brown were released prior to June 1, the Rams would save $5 million, but $4.4 million in signing bonus proration would accelerate against the cap for a net savings of $600,000.

Tackle Jason Smith: There have been numerous reports that the Rams are trying to negotiate a pay cut for Smith, who has started just 26 of a possible 48 games since being the second overall pick in the draft in 2009. He missed the final 10 games of last season with the second serious concussion of his career. Smith's base salary for 2011 is $10 million, $1 million of which is guaranteed. Including a signing bonus proration of $3.268 million. He counts $13.268 million against the cap.

With Brown, it appears as though the question will be how badly the Rams feel they need the extra $600,000, in addition to whether they feel they could acquire a suitable replacement, or find one in-house. Smith will certainly be a tougher decision.

For all news and information regarding the St. Louis Rams, please visit Turf Show Times.

Rams Free Agents 2012: Over 20 Free Agents Await New General Manager

The St. Louis Rams' search for a general manager continues, with whoever head coach Jeff Fisher and CEO Kevin Demoff hire inheriting a list of over 20 unrestricted and restricted free agents to make quick decisions on.

The most intriguing name on the list is likely Brandon Lloyd, a 2010 Pro Bowler who was acquired from the Denver Broncos for what turned out to be a 2012 fifth-round draft choice. Lloyd caught 51 passes for 683 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games with the Rams, even though the team shuffled through three quarterbacks at the end of the season.

Here's the full list of Rams free agents, courtesy of Mac's Football Blog.

Exclusive Rights Free Agents (6)

QB Tom Brandstater
WR Dominique Curry
DT Jermelle Cudjo
OL Bryan Mattison
FB Brit Miller
S Darian Stewart

Restricted Free Agents (2)

DE C.J. Ah You
WR Danny Amendola

Unrestricted Free Agents (21)

QB Kellen Clemens
QB A.J. Feeley
RB Jerious Norwood
RB Cadillac Williams
WR Mark Clayton
WR Brandon Lloyd
TE Billy Bajema
TE Stephen Spach
OL Jacob Bell
OL Adam Goldberg
OL Mark LeVoir
OL Tony Wragge
DT Gary Gibson
LB Chris Chamberlain
LB Bryan Kehl
LB Brady Poppinga
CB Al Harris
CB Rod Hood
CB Justin King
S James Butler
P Donnie Jones

For more on the Rams, visit Turf Show Times.