National Football League

St. Louis Rams free agency preview: Time to decide on Bradford

Published Mar. 3, 2015 12:33 p.m. ET

Ross Jones

The defense is certainly the strength of the St. Louis Rams and it's no surprise where they need to get better.

With the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft, it's unlikely that one of the two premier quarterbacks in this year's class will be there. Depending on which direction general manager Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher want to head with Sam Bradford, it will ultimately determine how aggressive they are in pursuing a quarterback in the first round.

The Rams are reportedly angling for Bradford to take a pay cut as he's currently slated to earn $13 million in 2015.

How they finished?

2014: 6-10 -- No postseason

2013: 7-9 -- No postseason

Projected salary cap space: $5.5 million

Potential free-agency targets: Addressing the quarterback position will be of the utmost importance. While Bradford rehabs his second torn ACL, the Rams, at the very least, must have a viable backup plan. Whether that stems from the draft or free agency, expect Les Snead to bolster the position under center. By hiring a new offensive coordinator in Frank Cignetti and a player-friendly quarterbacks coach in Chris Weinke, the Rams are putting an emphasis on getting productive play from the most important position on the field.

Potential cap casualties: When offensive tackle Jake Long was signed to a four-year deal in 2013, he was supposed to be the centerpiece to the offensive line. Instead, Long has suffered lingering injury issues. Long counts for $10.5 million against the cap and is on track to make a base salary of $9.25 million.

Offseason needs: QB, WR OL

Notable free agents:

OT Joe Barksdale

DT Alex Carrington

OG Davin Joseph

QB Shaun Hill

WR Kenny Britt

TE Lance Kendricks

QB Austin Davis (restricted)

FS Rodney McLeod (restricted)