By Nick Wagoner
Senior Writer

The Rams scored big in the opening days of free agency by bringing in center Jason Brown from Baltimore. On Monday, the team scored big again by securing one of its own for the long term.

Ron Bartell agreed to terms on a four-year contract on Monday afternoon, a deal that will keep perhaps the team’s best cornerback in the fold.

Entering the offseason, the Rams had made retaining Bartell and free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe their top two priorities. After placing the franchise tag on Atogwe to ensure he wouldn’t depart, the Rams entered into long and intense negotiations with Jeff Griffin, Bartell’s agent.

Those negotiations were on going for the better part of the past few weeks, including some face to face meetings between Griffin and Rams’ chief contract negotiator Kevin Demoff at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Those conversations didn’t yield a deal but the sides ever so slowly inched closer together. Initial concerns about being able to ink Bartell began to subside in recent days as progress toward a final deal continued to gain momentum.

As recently as Saturday, Rams general manager Billy Devaney and coach Steve Spagnuolo expressed cautious optimism that something could be completed with Bartell.

To get the deal done, though, the Rams had to overcome other suitors, the most serious of which was the New Orleans Saints.

Bartell visited the Saints over the weekend and left without a contract offer. But New Orleans eventually did some up with a proposal that left Bartell with a choice between the Rams and Saints.

At the end of the day, though, Bartell opted to stick with the team that gave him his start. The Rams drafted Bartell in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft.

At the time, Bartell was thought to be a bit of a project but after putting in his time, he had his breakthrough season in 2008 when he finally got the opportunity to be a full time starter on the outside.

Bartell took full advantage of the opportunity; posting an opponent passer rating on balls thrown to the receiver he was covering of just 60.2 in 2008. The next closest among corners in the NFC West Division was San Francisco’s Walt Harris at 79.8.

Bartell also allowed just 1.5 touchdowns last season and finished with three interceptions, a sack, two forced fumbles and 20 passes defended.
Along the way, he proved to be one of the few corners with the size and athletic ability to match up with Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals threw five fade routes to Fitzgerald and completed none because of Bartell’s ability to go up in the air with Fitzgerald.

It’s the presence of receivers like Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin within the NFC West Division that made retaining Bartell all the more important.

With Bartell in the fold, the Rams still have interest in James Butler as a potential solution at strong safety. Much like fellow cornerback Tye Hill, Bartell is friends with Butler and pushing to get Butler to join him in St. Louis.

The Cleveland Plain-Dealer reported that Butler was going to visit Cleveland over the weekend but that trip never happened. The Rams are still working with Butler’s representatives to attempt to strike a deal.