EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The free-agent market is scheduled to open March 9 and teams may begin negotiations with those poised to hit the market beginning March 7. We'll count down to that with a position-by-position look at what the Los Angeles Rams have in place, who is set to hit the market, what they might need and who might fit the bill.
Position: Quarterback
Under contract: Nick Foles, Sean Mannion
Pending free agents: Case Keenum (restricted)
What's needed: The Rams finished last in the NFL in nearly every major passing category in 2015. They hoped Foles would be the answer when they overhauled this position a year ago, but it didn't work out and he was benched in favor of Keenum. Mannion essentially redshirted and while the Rams are still hopeful he can develop into a starter eventually, it seems unlikely that will happen in 2016. As it stands, Keenum is the leader in the clubhouse to start next season, and the Rams will extend a tender offer to keep him. Rams coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead have made it clear they will continue to explore their options with the goal of putting Keenum in a position to compete for the job rather than anointing him. Really, the Rams need both a short and long-term answer at quarterback but for now would probably settle for a short-term one that can improve their offense enough to get over the hump, post a winning record and reach the postseason for the first time since after the 2004 season.
Possible fits: It's hard to project possible matches since most teams with viable quarterback options aren't often in the mood to let those players walk away. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brock Osweiler, Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel are the best signal-callers that could hit the market with Washington prepared to do what it must to retain Kirk Cousins. Fitzpatrick, Osweiler and Bradford are also expected to stay with their current teams. Robert Griffin III could also be an intriguing possibility when the Redskins officially part ways with him, and San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick could be another name to monitor should he become available. The problem is that to pry away a player like Osweiler, who is still mostly unproven, it would take a pretty lucrative offer and that would be risky given he has yet to prove he can be a consistent performer over the course of a season. The better bet is the Rams will go searching for a younger alternative with some upside, such as Griffin or Kaepernick, or they could try their hand in the draft.