As a corrollary to this morning’s article, here is a complete (and updated) list by position of the Rams’ pending free agents to be, with their salary in 2010 noted. If there is no free agency, each of these players would report back to the Rams, who would then decide whether to pay them 120% of their 2010 salary, or cut them loose. Note that Mike Sando updated his own list by noting that Billy Bajema failed to meet contract incentives to void his deal and enter free agency. (Had a damn fine year, though.)
Player – age – salary in 2010
Offense
WR Mark Clayton – 28 – $2,076,760
RB Ken Darby – 28 – $467,280
TE Daniel Fells – 27 – $467,280
OT/OG Adam Goldberg – 30 – $626,760
TE Darcy Johnson – 28 – $391,110
WR Laurent Robinson – 25 – $464,550
TE Derek Schouman – 25 – $465,850
G Mark Setterstrom – 26 – $467,150
A few notes: Adam Goldberg is the Rams’ NFLPA Player Rep, which puts him on the front lines of knowing what his fate might be in 2011. Darby’s emergence as a dependable third-down pass blocker and screen option likely would have earned him a return trip to Training Camp. Setterstrom is a candidate for early retirement, with his history of annual grievous injuries in the summertime.
Defense
CB Kevin Dockery – 27 – $1,551,110
DT Gary Gibson – 28 – $510,000
S Michael Lewis – 30 – $5,000,000 (wow! a lot to pay for 13 tackles)
DT Clifton Ryan – 26 – $467,280
Interestingly, the Rams stand to return both parts of a reasonably productive DT tandem, Cliff Ryan and Gary Gibson, who stepped in as presumptive starter when Ryan went down. However, their spot is one that could definitely stand to be improved via a fresh infusion of talent; if both are brought back, I’m guessing only one makes the roster. The most incindiary name on this list is Kevin Dockery, whose perceived value by Rams fans is wholly different from his perceived value to Rams coaches, Spagnuolo in particular.
Sources: Contract status for 2011 comes from RotoWorld’s new Rams Team Contracts resource; 2010 Salary info comes from the Rams Roster on Fox Sports.
