Rams To Sign Connor Barwin

The Rams have announced an agreement with free agent pass rusher Connor Barwin. It’s a one-year deal with a maximum value of $6.5MM, tweets ESPN’s Adam Caplan.

Connor Barwin (vertical)

After serving as a defensive end in the Eagles’ 4-3 scheme last year, Barwin will function as an outside linebacker in Rams coordinator Wade Phillips’ 3-4. Barwin previously played under Phillips in Houston from 2011-12, when he started all 32 of the Texans’ games and picked up 14.5 sacks. He then moved on to Philadelphia and added 64 more starts in a row over the past four seasons, during which he registered another 31.5 sacks. Five of those sacks came last year for Barwin, but his overall performance ranked just 100th among Pro Football Focus’ 109 qualified edge defenders amid concerns he wasn’t a fit for Jim Schwartz‘s scheme.

Unsurprisingly, after they were unable to move him in a trade, the Eagles cut Barwin last Thursday and saved $7.5MM in cap room. Barwin didn’t take long to find work, though, and he also drew interest from the Bengals. In Los Angeles, he’ll join Aaron Donald and Robert Quinn as the top pass rushers on a team that tied for 24th in the NFL with 31 sacks last season and has since dealt William Hayes to the Dolphins.

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