Rams’ Cory Littleton Signs RFA Tender
As the Rams’ OTAs kicked off Monday, they will have their top off-ball linebacker back at work. Cory Littleton signed his RFA tender, according to Pro Football Talk.
The Rams placed a second-round tender on Littleton. If an extension is not reached, his 2019 salary will be $3.095MM.
A fourth-year UDFA, Littleton broke out for a 125-tackle, four-sack season in 2018 — his first as a full-time starter. Littleton also made the Pro Bowl and intercepted Tom Brady during Super Bowl LIII. He stands to be an unrestricted free agent in 2020, though the Rams have exclusive negotiating rights until the new league year begins.
The Rams did not address their inside ‘backer position this offseason until the seventh round of the draft. Texas Tech’s Dakota Allen represents the top outside investment the team made at inside linebacker. The Rams also released Mark Barron, placing more importance on Littleton’s return.
Chris Long Announces Retirement
After debating it last season, defensive end Chris Long has finally decided to call it a career. The veteran pass-rusher posted a tweet announcing his retirement from the NFL.
“Cheers. Been a hell of a journey. Eleven years and I can honestly say I put my soul into every minute of it. Highs and lows. I’ve seen them both and I appreciate the perspective. Gratitude and love to those who lifted me up,” he wrote. Long is the second significant retirement today, after offensive lineman Travis Swanson decided to hang up his cleats earlier Saturday.
Soon after Long’s announcement, the Eagles released a statement of their own on Twitter, congratulating Long on his career. The second overall pick back in 2008, Long had a very solid career. His contributions off the field might end up surpassing anything he accomplished on it, as Long won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award this past season, and donated his entire 2017 salary to educational charities.
A two-time Super Bowl winner, Long won back to back championships with the Patriots in 2016 and Eagles in 2017. Long spent the first eight years of his career with the Rams, before signing with New England as a free agent. He never did make a Pro Bowl, but he had several Pro Bowl caliber seasons.
In 2011 he had 13 sacks, and he followed it up with 11.5 the next year. In 13 games for the Eagles this past season, all starts, he had 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. The son of Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long and brother of Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long, he’ll finish his career with 70 sacks and 14 forced fumbles. After losing Long to retirement and trading away Michael Bennett to the Patriots, the Eagles’ pass-rushing group will be a little thin next season.
The Virginia product has been flirting with retirement for a while now, and at the beginning of this month the Eagles agreed to push back a roster bonus date so he could have more time to decide. All of us at PFR wish Long and his family the best as he transitions into a new chapter.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/15/19
oday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Waived: LB Ejuan Price
Carolina Panthers
- Claimed off waivers: TE Temarrick Hemingway
- Signed: TE Ethan Wolf
Detroit Lions
- Waived: WR Brandon Reilly
Green Bay Packers
- Waived: WR Matt Eaton
Kansas City Chiefs
- Claimed off waivers: G Zack Golditch
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DB Jake Gervase, WR Jalen Greene, LB Ketner Kupp, DT Bryant Jones
Miami Dolphins
- Waived/injured: C Connor Hilliard, S Rob Rolle
San Francisco 49ers
- Waived: S Cameron Glenn
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: WR Joe Parker
Washington Redskins
- Waived: TE Elkanah Dillon
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/14/19
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: WR Joe Horn Jr.
Denver Broncos
- Placed on IR: OL Nico Falah
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: DE Dadi Nicolas
- Waived/injured: CB Jamal Peters
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DT Boogie Roberts
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LB Chase Hansen
New York Jets
- Claimed off waivers from Patriots: T Calvin Anderson, WR Xavier Ubosi
- Waived: T Dieugot Joseph, WR DeAngelo Yancey
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/6/19
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed: DE Aaron Adeoye, CB Terrell Bonds, OT Darrell Williams
- Waived: DB Robertson Daniel, S Evan Worthington, OL C.J. Toogood
Chicago Bears
- Signed: OL Tommy Doles, DE Jalen Dalton
- Cut: DB Adarius Pickett, DE Lawrence Marshall
Cleveland Browns
- Signed: CB Jhavonte Dean, RB Travon Gray, LB Willie Harvey
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed: WR Jawill Davis
- Signed: WR Darrius Shepherd, CB Chandon Sullivan
- Released: RB Lavon Coleman
Kansas City Chiefs
- Reserve/non-football injury list: DE Tim Ward
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Bryce Hager
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Terrance Alexander, DE Stacy Keely, DB Isaiah Wharton
New England Patriots
- WR Xavier Ubosi
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DT Kenny Bigelow Jr., RB Devine Ozigbo, CB Jordan Wyatt
New York Giants
- Signed: G Austin Droogsma
New York Jets
- Waived: QB Brandon Silvers
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: P A.J. Cole, DT Ronald Ollie
- Waived: P Drew Kaser, OL Jamar McGloster
San Francisco 49ers
- Claimed: OL Willie Beavers,
- Signed: LB LaRoy Reynolds, RB Austin Walter
- Waived: RB Matthew Dayes, DL Ryan Delaire
Eagles Claim S Blake Countess
The Rams waived Blake Countess on Thursday but left the door open to a possible return. That will not happen, at least for the time being.
Countess will instead head east, with the Eagles submitting a successful waiver claim for the fourth-year safety, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This is interesting, considering the Eagles drafted him in the 2016 sixth round.
Deployed as a reserve safety during his time with the Rams, though he did make two starts over the past two years, the former Day 3 selection will attempt to make a better impression on Doug Pederson‘s staff.
Countess refused to take a pay cut, leading to his Los Angeles exit. It appears he was correct in assessing his value, with the the Eagles set to see if he can stick on their roster in his contract year. The Rams tendered Countess, an RFA, at the original-round level. He will bring a $2.025MM salary onto the Eagles’ payroll.
The Eagles cut Countess after the 2016 preseason, and the Jeff Fisher-led Rams added him to their practice squad. He received more playing time with Sean McVay‘s Rams, suiting up for all of Los Angeles’ 36 games (counting the playoffs) over the past two seasons. The Eagles did not use a draft choice on a safety but did add Andrew Sendejo this offseason. Malcolm Jenkins and Rodney McLeod, the latter coming off a season-ending injury that induced a substantial pay cut, as their first-string safeties.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/2/19
Here are today’s minor moves, which feature several recognizable signal-callers:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: P Ryan Winslow
- Waived: K Cole Murphy
Chicago Bears
- Waived: OL Dejon Allen, Willie Beavers, WR Cyril Grayson
Denver Broncos
- Waived: QB Garrett Grayson, WR Chad Hansen
Detroit Lions
- Signed: NT Darius Kilgo
- Released: RB Kerwynn Williams
- Waived: OL Jarron Jones
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: LB Josh Carraway
New York Giants
- Waived: WR Jawill Davis
New York Jets
- Claimed: QB Luke Falk
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: S Delvon Randall (signed as UDFA with partially-guaranteed contract on May 1)
Rams To Release Blake Countess
The Rams will release defensive back Blake Countess, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Rams asked Countess to take a pay cut from his $2MM tender, but the two sides could not come to terms on a revised deal. Instead, he’ll hit the waiver wire.
The door remains open to a return, Rapoport hears, provided that Countess clears waivers. Still, it’s unlikely that the Rams will give him an offer that he’s enthused about. The Rams drafted two safeties this year in Washington’s Taylor Rapp (second round) and Penn State’s Nick Scott (seventh round), so there’s not necessarily a huge need for the veteran in Los Angeles.
Countess, 26 in August, has spent the last three seasons with the Rams and has appeared in every possible game over the last two years. For his career, he’s got four total starts, two interceptions, and one sack to his credit.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/1/19
Today’s minor moves:
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: G David Bright
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB D.J. Alexander
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: T Darrell Williams
Miami Dolphins
- Waived: CB Dee Delaney, QB Luke Falk, DE Jeremiah Valoaga
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: LB Asantay Brown, G Kaleb Johnson, CB Chandon Sullivan
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: S P.J. Locke (undrafted college free agent)
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: OL Marcus Henry
Rams Sign 19 Undrafted Free Agents
Two days after the draft’s conclusion, the Rams finalized their undrafted free agent list. Here are the 14 rookies that will comprise the defending NFC champions’ priority free agent contingent:
- Alex Bachman, WR (Wake Forest)
- Kendall Blanton, TE (Missouri)
- Chandler Brewer, G (Middle Tennessee)
- Romello Brooker, TE (Houston)
- Keenan Brown, TE (Texas State)
- Matthew Colburn, RB (Wake Forest)
- Marquise Copeland, DT (Cincinnati)
- Landis Durham, LB (Texas A&M)
- Brandon Hitner, G (Villanova)
- Vitas Hrynkiewicz, C (Youngstown State)
- Matt Kaskey, OL (Dartmouth)
- Johnathan Lloyd, WR (Duke)
- Natrez Patrick, LB (Georgia)
- Justice Powers, OL (UAB)
- Troy Reeder, LB (Delaware)
- Owen Roberts, DT (San Jose State)
- Justin Sumpter, WR (Kennesaw State)
- Tyrell Thompson, DT (Tarleton State)
- Nsimba Webster, WR (Eastern Washington)
The Rams did not use a draft choice on a tight end and have the same group they featured last season, one fronted by Tyler Higbee and 2018 second-rounder Gerald Everett. Third-year UDFA Johnny Mundt is also on Los Angeles’ roster at tight end. Neither Blanton nor Brooker exceeded 500 yards in their respective careers. Brown transferred to Texas State from Oklahoma State, and after being a bit part of the Cowboys’ passing attack, his 2018 numbers at the Sun Belt program — 51 receptions, 577 yards, five touchdown catches — were among the best of Division I-FBS tight ends last season.
Lloyd served as one of Daniel Jones’ top Blue Devils targets, going for 604 yards and five touchdown receptions last season. Sumpter led the Division I-FCS team in receiving in each of his final two seasons, posting 610 as a junior in 2017.