Remember when we learned that the NFC West was the "richest" division in football in terms of cap money to spend in free agency? The news spawned a whole new round of free agent dreaming. "Why not Barry Cofield AND Reggie Bush AND Sidney Rice?" asks the dreamer.

As it turns out, the cap-crunchers have spoken again, and the Rams are now looking like the pauper in this division of riches. After originally reporting a $35.6 million dollar surplus in Billy Devaney's GM checkbook, ESPN's John Clayton now is the bearer of some very bad news.

$12 million? That doesn't leave much room for a bold statement, especially if the team's slated rookie expenses -- a hair over $5 million, says Mike Sando -- have to be cut from this same slim pie.

Meanwhile, Seattle is said to be in the running for Sidney Rice, and has reportedly already brought in a familiar face at quarterback -- fellow Viking (and former understudy of the now-departed Matt Hasselbeck) Tarvaris Jackson. That's a topic for a whole separate post, but worth noting as a sign that Pete Carroll's team plans to be as aggressive in this year's free agency pool as they were in last year's draft.

Arizona also has much coin to spend, though their ongoing flirtation with both the Eagles' Kevin Kolb and the Broncos' Kyle Orton will leave them much lighter in the pocket in terms of draft picks. 

All of which means the Rams will have to be very choosy with their free agent spending. How this might affect the key areas of need:

For the last four months, ever since the players and owners stood up from their respective tables and went the paths of decertification, lawsuits, and locking the doors, it's been awful hard to talk about football. Like a giant family of children caught in the middle of a very loud, very public and very messy divorce, we the millions of fans were being asked to choose sides, when all we ever wanted was for them to shut up and get back together.

Now, finally, they have, and the player reps have a simple message of thanks for us.

But should either party apologize to the fans for holding the game hostage and threatening to blow it all up? A series of tweets between myself and Sports Illustrated's Peter King led to a pretty interesting discussion on that note.

Is UK running back Derrick Locke poised to join the Rams?

The lockout is over and the first beneficiaries are the young men whose careers were most threatened by "irreparable damage" -- the huge crop of free agents left over after the draft ended and were caught in labor limbo. The window for a UDFA to make an impact in the NFL is vanishingly slim, but the huge success stories out there (long time Colts center Jeff Saturday and Patriots recever Wes Welker to name two) prove that it can be done. 

Now, less than twelve hours since the lockout was officially lifted, a deluge of UDFA activity has hit the Twitter wires, and four undrafted players have been semi-officially inked by the Rams: CB James Dockery (no relation to Kevin), Oregon State; DT Arthur Thomas, Arkansas-Pine Bluff; QB Taylor Potts, Texas Tech; and CB Dionte Dinkins.

A fifth name, though not yet confirmed, could potentially have the biggest impact.

ShanePHallam
PERFECT. Do it Rams RT @RamsHerd: @ShanePHallam What do you think about RB Derrick Locke as a fit for the Rams?

That tweet was from 5 pm... a few short hours later Locke's name started hitting the wires as an rumored acquisition by the Rams. Hopefully we'll know more at 10 am tomorrow, the first time any of these signings can be officially announced.

Last year, I would have gladly settled for mediocrity from the Rams.

My expectations were at a relatively low level after starting over from a one win season and hinging the outcome of 2010 on a rookie quarterback with injury questions.

Then the team exploded with a 7-9 season and an almost playoff berth built on a stingy defense and the clear emergence of a franchise leader in Sam Bradford.

Despite these strides, the 2011 offseason atmosphere around St. Louis seems to be reverting back to the same mediocre mentality.

St. Louis should be looking for slam dunk, not a lay up as we have seen far too often in the last few years.

The time to make a splash is now in the biggest free agent pool any of us has ever seen.

The poster boy for a big splash: Sidney Rice and the Rams should do everything in their power to get him.

There are rumblings the team will stick with post-injury Mark Clayton and Donnie Avery while hoping to strike gold with the promise Danny Amendola and Danario Alexander showed or the potential of the rookie receivers.

Clayton started out great last season, but was the victim of an injury and has never showed superstar talent. Avery is nothing more than a third receiver that hasn’t inspired any feelings besides regret for me after we chose him over Desean Jackson.

The Rams must also have a short memory because the last game of the season showed just how toothless the offense was and left the team on the outside looking in on the playoff race.

The time is now to take advantage of a weak NFC West and Rice is the perfect player to get the ball rolling.

He is only 25-years-old and broke out in 2009 with 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns and would instantly become the star to lift the rest of the receiving group to a higher level.

Despite an injury shortened year in 2010, he is young and talented enough to become the deep threat the Rams desperately need to pair with Bradford to speed up his development.

Other options include Mathias Kiwanuka or Charles Johnson at defensive end, Eric Weddle or Quintin Mikell at safety, Darren Sproles or Reggie Bush at running back and especially Barry Cofield at defensive tackle.

Any of these guys would be great additions to the Rams puzzle but the point is to get after them in the first place as a free agency player instead of standing on the sidelines.

I’m not saying to go the Washington Redskins route and throw money at any guy with a jersey on, but the Rams are in a place to spend some cash and finally have an owner with the pocket change to do so.

It’s time to throw out the notion of mediocrity and rise to this once in a lifetime free agent occasion.

Soooo…the premise of today’s post was supposed to be what approach the Rams are going to or should take when Free Agency opens tomorrow. Yeah, that’s not going to happen.  As our town’s Mike Shannon so famously once said, “you have to get up pretty early to try and sneak sunshine by a rooster.”  I can think of no better way to describe the move NFL owners tried to pull yesterday in CBA negotiations.  In a move very similar to the way Congress loves to attach bogus pay increases or personal agendas to a Bill, NFL owners figured why not give it a try. Whoops.

What should have been a joint moment in celebration for both sides, we now continue to wait. But I can guarantee that will not stop Spagnuolo and Devaney from sorting through the, what must appear endless, potential list of Rams Free Agents, Restricted & Un-restricted FA’s and UDFA’s.  In doing their due diligence the collective brain trust at Rams Park will need to prepare for the complete chaos that will be 2011 Free Agency. And to be completely honest with you my faithful readers, I am so excited for the chaos.  Fans and media alike are going to see 6 months worth of action take place in a span of about 3-4 weeks. To quote another all time great, Flounder from Animal House, “This is gonna be great!”

So the logical question remains how are the Rams going to do this?  And with so little time and amidst the chaos what should they take care of first? Believe it or not there are some differing opinions on the topic.  Here is a sampling of those I have deemed worthy. Congratulations if you see your link below.

Let the link-fest begin!

Make it rain! A lot of money to be spent in the NFC West

The Blitz is on, question is can the Rams pick it up.

So it would only make sense to get help up front, right?

Always good to stick with what you know…and Spags knows the Giants

One thing’s for sure there are a lot of roster options to explore

With still so many needs and now even less time…what to address first

Sando’s Take, on someone else’s take, on…

And don’t forget about the UDFA’s. Oh my goodness the UDFA’s!

Rams on the clock…again

Evan Silva’s got a checklist yes he do, Evan Silva’s got a checklist how ‘bout you!

The Bengals' Evan Mathis could be a free agent steal after an injury-shortened 2010.

Following up from this morning's article, here is a quick look at some free agent options at the Guard position, courtesy of this list that Pro Football Focus put together back in March. I'm culling that list down to a players who (a) played on the right side, and (b) don't rate negatively in pass protection.

Harvey Dahl, Atlanta (Age: 30)

From PFF: When you think of Harvey Dahl, there are a few phrases that have been programmed into us. “Nasty player” and “plays after the whistle” come to mind, but he’s more than that.

Appeal: Atlanta has built a high-quality offensive line that has done an excellent job of keeping Matt Ryan upright and propelling his progress into the upper echelon of young quarterbacks. At the same time, this same line has been a dominating force in the run game for years, and allowed the team to plug a veteran RB in Michael Turner and get career best performances from him. An ideal team to poach from, and one that Devaney has experience with from a personnel standpoint.

Cons: Arguably the big-ticket guard on the list, may come at a premium.

Evan Mathis, Cincinnati (Age: 29) 

From PFF: Mathis returned from a brief injury and found himself in a rotation with Nate Livings. It was a strange decision, but not as strange as Mathis being dropped to the bench for nearly 90% of the 2010 season.

Appeal: Cincinnati's version of John Greco, except with a very good year (at left guard) in 2009. Played a big role in the resurgence of Cedric Benson in the Bengals' surprise playoff bid, as Benson rushed for 4.8 yards per carry on both lanes adjoining Mathis' blocking. Scores highly in pass protection as well, allowing zero sacks in 648 snaps. Could be a relative bargain.

Cons: Hasn't logged a full season in the last three years. Has played limited snaps at RG.

Mike Brisiel, Houston (Age: 28)

From PFF: Arian Foster had himself a great year, but how about some credit for that Texans offensive line? When Brisiel played, he was every bit a part of that.

Appeal: Tremendous run-blocker earned full-time starter status midway through the season, and excelled with the playing time. Has allowed only two sacks in the last two years.

Cons: Each of the past two seasons ended prematurely, thanks to injury. Has played sixteen games combined in two years.  

Richie Incognito, Miami (No, Really)

From PFF: For once, Richie lived up his name and stayed incognito for most of the year, eliminating the disciplinary issues that had plagued his career.

Appeal: If he really has been reformed, the Rams' coaching staff know what kind of potential they'd be getting.

Cons: May never be welcomed back by fans. And can a zebra truly change his stripes? 

Is John Greco the Answer or not?

Ignoring the stories of how Vincent Jackson and Logan Mankins are holding the NFL season ransom unless they are paid $10 million dollars, a deal between players and owners seems actually possible this week. Employees at Rams Park are preparing for training camp to begin this weekend, with preseason games just a couple of weeks away.

A madcap offseason is about to begin, and fans everywhere are breaking out their free agent wish lists. For a team on the rise like the Rams, the right addition could make a huge difference in a wide-open division.

There are two basic camps of Rams fans, and each has a big target in mind. Those that want to continue building a dominant defensive front are eyeing Giants DT Barry Cofield, hoping he can replicate the surprising impact Fred Robbins had last year. Those that want an elite target on offense are glomming onto Minnesota's Sidney Rice. But arguably a bigger priority lurks at the least-heralded position on the field. 

The guy who protects the Franchise's right flank. Because we don't need to see more plays like this: