EARTH CITY, Mo. -- If the St. Louis Rams intend to make a move or two of note when the free-agent market officially opens on Tuesday, they have some lingering choices that must be made.
More specifically, the Rams actually have some tangible (read: financial) decisions to make when it comes to a couple of their offensive linemen. Namely, offensive tackle Jake Long and center Scott Wells.
As it stands, Long is due to count $10.5 million against the 2015 salary cap. Should the Rams release him, they could realize a savings of $8 million or even up to $9.25 million if they declare him a post-June 1 cut. He has two years left on the original four-year deal he signed in 2013.
Long's deal also comes with a kicker that means a decision on whether the Rams bring him back probably needs to be made in the next few days. On the fifth day of the league year -- March 14 -- $4 million of Long's 2015 salary becomes guaranteed. It wouldn't make much sense for the Rams to wait that long and then release him later.
And with Long coming off consecutive season-ending ACL injuries, it's very unlikely the team will bring him back at his current cap number. The Rams have floated the idea of moving him to right tackle after a pay cut but it remains to be seen if that common ground can be found. The more likely outcome is probably a release and wait period where the Rams can explore other right tackle options (including the draft), see what happens with free agent Joe Barksdale and then if they choose, revisit things with Long after his rehabilitation is further along.
Wells, meanwhile, is scheduled to count $5 million against the cap in this, the final year of his deal. The Rams would save $4 million by releasing him but a decision on whether to keep him or not is more pressing than even Long. Wells is due a $1 million roster bonus on Thursday, which means if the Rams are going to go a different direction then they'll likely make it clear sooner than later.
While it's safe to expect some sort of action on Long, Wells' status remains more up in the air. He's well respected in the Rams' locker room and has some advocates in the building who have pushed to keep him. In addition, the Rams might not want to put themselves in position to need three new starters on the offensive line given the opening at right guard and Barksdale's possible (perhaps likely) departure.
The other factor going into both decisions is what kind of progress the Rams have made with other targets who could be potential replacements. At center, names like Rodney Hudson and Stefen Wisniewski have been considered possible upgrades but the market for Hudson might be too rich for the Rams' blood and, as of Sunday, the Rams had not expressed interest in Wisniewski.
No matter what happens with Long and Wells, the fact remains the Rams' offensive line is in need of upgrades. One way or another, the extent of those needs will soon become clear.