The Rams have made progress toward a contract extension that would lock up defensive end Robert Quinn for several years, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports, who reports that talks have intensified as the two sides close in on an agreement. Per Getlin, there is optimism in Quinn’s camp that a new deal could be in place before Week 3.
Quinn, 24, is coming off the best season of his three-year career, having racked up 19 sacks, 57 tackles, and seven forced fumbles in 2013, en route to earning spots in the Pro Bowl and on the All-Pro first team. As Getlin notes, the defensive end’s camp is looking for a contract that would make him one of the league’s highest-paid defensive players, something in the range of $15MM per season on a four- to six-year extension. It’s not clear whether Quinn will match or exceed that $15MM-per-year figure, but that’s the target for his reps, a source tells Getlin (Twitter link).
Like J.J. Watt, who signed a long-term extension of his own before the season got underway, Quinn was a first-round pick in 2011, meaning he’s under contract through 2015 after his fifth-year option was exercised. As such, an extension in the neighborhood of $15MM annually wouldn’t begin until 2016, so there’s no urgency for the team to get something done immediately.
Still, while Quinn likely won’t quite match Watt’s impact on the defensive side of the ball, he’s one of the league’s top pass rushers, and Watt’s extension provides a guideline for what Quinn’s next contract could look like. Quinn may not receive as many years (six) or dollars per year ($16.67MM) as Watt, but he shouldn’t be far behind the Texans star.