Rams Do Not Expect To Keep Rodger Saffold
Rodger Saffold said multiple times he would like to return to the Rams, but that is now looking increasingly unlikely.
The veteran guard may be on his way to another team, with Rams GM Les Snead expecting him to receive an offer they will not be able to match, per Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
A 2010 St. Louis Rams second-round pick, Saffold has played his entire career with this franchise. But this is not a particularly strong guard market, and even as he enters his age-31 season, Saffold figures to command plenty of attention this week.
The Jets looked into Saffold before trading for Kelechi Osemele, so news about the longtime Rams blocker’s suitors should emerge soon. Saffold has started 111 games for the Rams since his rookie season. He signed his second contract to stay with then-St. Louis and continued to be an anchor for Sean McVay‘s offenses.
Los Angeles retained Dante Fowler but allowed Lamarcus Joyner to defect to the Raiders. The Rams’ slew of high-end contracts will force tough choices, and it appears Saffold will be a player the team will let walk — barring his market unexpectedly cratering.
Rams Re-Sign Dante Fowler Jr.
The Rams are re-signing outside linebacker Dante Fowler Jr., the team announced on Twitter. Fowler had been set to become a free agent.
Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but it’s safe to assume Fowler landed a significant sum. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network soon tweeted that it’s a one-year deal for Fowler. He had been set to be one of the top pass-rushers available in free agency, and the Rams locking him up will have a major ripple effect across the league. The Rams traded third and fifth round picks to the Jaguars for him at the trade deadline, and didn’t want to let him walk.
Free agency is set to open tomorrow, and one of the bigger names is now off the market. We heard last week that the Jets had been interested in Fowler. The third overall pick in 2015, he had his fifth-year option declined by Jacksonville last year, which made him a free agent now. It’s interesting that he accepted a one-year deal, as he had been rumored to be seeking a lengthier pact. He’ll now have the chance to prove himself in Los Angeles, and re-enter the market next year.
Fowler never quite lived up to his draft status, but is capable of being a productive pass-rusher. For his career, he has 16 sacks in 47 games. He was relatively quiet in the regular season with the Rams, but really turned it on in the playoffs. Fowler landed the hit on Drew Brees in the NFC Championship Game which forced an interception and sent the Rams to the Super Bowl. The Rams have been really aggressive the past couple of seasons, and they’ve been continuing that this offseason. Recently, they made a splash by signing safety Eric Weddle, as they look to make another Super Bowl run.
Rams Were Interested In Earl Thomas
The Rams’ decision to sign Eric Weddle last week could have a ripple effect on the rest of the league. The Rams had been interested in signing fellow safety Earl Thomas, but will no longer be pursuing him after signing Weddle, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). Bob Condotta posted in a follow-up tweet that echoed what he had heard about Thomas and the Rams. Condotta also said the Cowboys, Chiefs, 49ers are “all thought now to be potential bidders for Thomas.” The 49ers have both been heavily linked to Thomas, and the Chiefs nearly traded for him last fall.
Rams Sign Eric Weddle
A fast-moving Friday will include Eric Weddle landing with a third NFL team. The veteran safety will sign with the Rams, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Zreibec (on Twitter).
With a “Fear the beard” tweet, the Rams appeared to confirm this transaction.
Weddle will join the defending NFC champions, who may now be set to let Lamarcus Joyner walk as a free agent. This is a two-year pact worth $10.5MM and one that could be worth up to $12.5MM, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He will receive $5.25MM fully guaranteed, per RapSheet (on Twitter).
Weddle had a visit scheduled with the Rams and received 11 offers since the Ravens released him earlier this week, and Albert Breer of SI.com tweets Weddle was at the Rams’ facility on Friday. The 34-year-old safety will be the latest addition to a star-studded roster, albeit one that could take some hits in free agency. Joiner is a free agent after playing 2018 on the franchise tag.
A three-time Pro Bowler with the Ravens and a player with six Pro Bowls on his 12-season resume, Weddle will join John Johnson on Los Angeles’ back line. The longtime San Diego Charger is back in southern California. The Panthers and Giants were two of the teams interested in Weddle, according to Joe Person of The Athletic and Matt Lombardo of NJ.com (Twitter links).
The two-time first-team All-Pro initially said he would retire if the Ravens released him but later backtracked on that. Weddle worked against the Rams in scrimmages last summer and will now attempt to be an integral figure on another defense.
Eric Weddle To Visit Rams
Eric Weddle‘s free agent tour is underway. The free agent safety has scheduled a visit with the Rams, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
Weddle accrued eleven offers since being released by the Ravens last week, Rapoport hears, but he has trimmed his list down to five potential suitors, including the Rams. At this rate, Weddle may find a home before everyone else’s free agency begins on March 13. An early signing would probably behoove Weddle, too, since this year’s free agent safety market is deep and talented.
Weddle did not miss a game during his Ravens run and combined for ten interceptions between the 2016-17 seasons. Before that, Weddle spent the first nine years of his NFL career with the Chargers where he appeared in 137 out of a possible 144 regular-season games. In that span, Weddle earned three Pro Bowl nods, five All-Pro bids, and 19 interceptions. Since joining the Ravens, he’s added three more Pro Bowl trips, giving him five in total.
Rams To Release LB Mark Barron
A Rams starter since their St. Louis days, Mark Barron will be looking for a new team. The defending NFC champions are releasing the veteran linebacker, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
While this move will create another need on Los Angeles’ defensive second level, it will free up $6.3MM in cap space. Barron becomes the second starter the Rams made the decision to jettison on Tuesday, joining center John Sullivan.
The No. 7 overall pick in 2012, Barron signed a five-year, $45MM deal to stay with the Rams after the 2016 season. Following the team’s trades of Alec Ogletree and Robert Quinn, Barron became the preeminent veteran on Los Angeles’ linebacking corps — a group otherwise stripped of high salaries to cover costs elsewhere. Now, with Dante Fowler also expected to hit the market, the Rams do not have a veteran contract at any linebacker spot.
No guaranteed money remained on Barron’s deal, which called for him to play for a $5MM base salary. This move also comes before Barron, who accepted a $500K pay cut last year, was due a $3MM roster bonus. The 29-year-old defender started 12 regular-season games last season and 56 as a Ram.
A former safety, Barron revived his career as a Rams linebacker, peaking between the 2015-16 seasons. He registered more than 110 tackles in each and made 16 stops for loss in 2015. The Rams have only second-year player Micah Kiser under contract at inside ‘backer, though it should be expected the team will tender and retain 2o18 starter Cory Littleton, who is an RFA.
Rams Decline John Sullivan’s Option
The Rams did not exercise center John Sullivan’s 2019 option, sources tell Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). The news comes as a surprise since Sullivan has not missed a start in the past two seasons and is one of the league’s most respected centers. 
[RELATED: Rams’ Todd Gurley Dealing With Arthritis In Knee]
Sullivan, 34 in August, graded out as the tenth-best center in the NFL in his first season with the Rams, according to Pro Football Focus. In 2018, Sullivan slipped all the way down to No. 31 with a career-low 52.7 mark. The Rams, apparently, agree with the advanced metrics, which indicate that the veteran’s pass blocking and run blocking have both declined.
Without Sullivan and his veteran guidance, the Rams will likely be in the market for a center. By letting Sullivan walk, the Rams will avoid a $6.25MM cap charge for the lineman, according to Over The Cap.
Todd Gurley Dealing With Arthritis In Knee
Although both Todd Gurley and the Rams downplayed his knee injury, it was clearly an issue during the NFC champions’ stretch run. More clarity emerged on that front to help explain the two-time All-Pro’s limited postseason usage.
Gurley has arthritis in his left knee, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe (on Twitter). This is the same knee on which Gurley underwent ACL surgery in 2014, his final season at Georgia.
Sean McVay said this week surgery is “definitely” not in the cards but added during an interview with CBS Sports the Rams were examining “new methods” to help their ailing superstar. But it appears some form of rehab will be forthcoming, and the major investment the Rams made in Gurley does not look quite as good as it did last summer.
Still just 24, Gurley has posted three 1,000-yard rushing seasons and was on pace to push for a 25-plus-touchdown campaign in 2018. He missed the final two games of the regular season, scuttling that prospect and causing concern for his playoffs availability. Gurley was a key presence in the Rams’ ground-centered gashing of the Cowboys in the divisional round, but C.J. Anderson remain a big factor throughout the playoffs. Gurley averaged 5.3 yards per carry in the playoffs but totaled just 160 in Los Angeles’ three games, ceding time to Anderson and not frequently resembling his explosive pre-injury version.
Anderson, who made a seamless transition to McVay’s offense that is somewhat similar to the Gary Kubiak-based attack in which the Broncos’ former starter operated, is a free agent but would make sense as a longer-term Gurley insurance option.
Gurley’s gargantuan contract calls for $34.5MM in fully guaranteed money going forward. Another $9.5MM is guaranteed for injury. His status will obviously be something to monitor throughout the offseason.
Rams Likely To Let Suh, Fowler Hit FA
The Rams have a number of high-profile players scheduled for free agency this offseason and it sounds like they’ll allow most of them to test the waters. “There’s a good possibility” the Rams will permit defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, safety Lamarcus Joyner, and edge rusher Dante Fowler to reach the open market before discussing new deals with them, GM Les Snead says (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). Snead also said the team is unlikely to use the franchise tag (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Lindsay Thiry).
Suh joined the Rams on a one-year, $14MM deal last year after he was cut loose by the Dolphins. The durable lineman turned in another 16-game season for L.A. and racked up 59 tackles with 4.5 sacks. He was also a disruptive force in the first two games of the postseason, tallying four QB hits in the first two games. He wasn’t quite as effective in the Super Bowl, but then again, most of the Rams’ stars underwhelmed in the championship game.
The Jaguars more or less gave up on Fowler when they shipped him to the Rams in October. Since then, he’s shown flashes of promise and the 24-year-old (25 in August) should draw interest from clubs looking for help around the edge. Fowler had four sacks for L.A. and Jacksonville combined, just half of his 2017 total.
Here’s the full rundown of the Rams’ impending free agents (excluding exclusive rights free agents):
- RB C.J. Anderson
- DE Dante Fowler Jr.
- LB Bryce Hager
- CB Troy Hill
- S Lamarcus Joyner
- LB Cory Littleton (RFA)
- LB Matt Longacre
- QB Sean Mannion
- OG Rodger Saffold
- CB Sam Shields
- DT Ndamukong Suh
- DE Ethan Westbrooks
- LB Ramik Wilson
Rams’ Andrew Whitworth To Return In 2019
Great news for the Rams. Tackle Andrew Whitworth, who was wrestling with retirement, announced that he’ll return to the team in 2019. 
[RELATED: Rams Awarded Two Third-Round Comp. Picks]
“Can’t wait for the opportunity to ride with the boys again!,” Whitworth tweeted.
Whitworth, 37, is set to earn $10.7MM in the final year of his three-year deal. However, he’s worth every penny to the Rams thanks to his veteran leadership and continued level of outstanding play.
Last year, Whitworth ranked as the third-best tackle in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, with an 86.1 overall score. That was his highest posting since 2015 and good for third in the NFL among tackles. Only David Bakhtiari and Terron Armstead finished ahead of Whitworth, and a few places above Rams right tackle Rob Havenstein.
With Whitworth back in the fold. the Rams should continue to have one of the best bookend duos in the NFL. That’s huge for L.A., particularly since guard Rodger Saffold is set for free agency. Whitworth will also be on hand to guide the team’s younger lineman, which is also extremely valuable.