Last year, in the first week of free agency, the Rams signed center Jason Brown and safety James Butler, while also re-signing cornerback Ron Bartell. Butler and Bartell were 27 years old then, and Brown 26.

The combined years on those three deals was 13 with a total value of $74.5 million. More than $35 million was guaranteed.

But that was a different NFL world than the one facing teams this year. The available free agents are decidedly older because of the new rules, making the Rams reluctant to dive into waters riddled with 30-something players commanding huge contracts. The Rams went from the third-oldest team in the league in 2008 to the third-youngest last season, and they don't want to stray too far from that model.

So it was this year that the only ripples out...