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Los Angeles Rams News & Rumors

Rams To Sign Allen Robinson

March 17th, 2022 at 2:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

The league’s top free agent receiver has reportedly found a new home. The Rams are signing Allen Robinson to a three-year, $46.5MM deal, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). He adds that the contract includes $30.7MM in guaranteed money. 

Robinson, 28, has spent four seasons with each of the Jaguars and Bears. Despite playing with underwhelming quarterbacks throughout most – if not all – of that span, he has established himself as one of the league’s most productive possession receivers. He has three 1,000 yard seasons to his name.

However, his time with the Bears was thought to be coming to an end before the 2021 season had finished. With the exception of 2017, where he only appeared in one game, the former second rounder produced career-lows statistically. He totalled 38 receptions for 410 yards and a single touchdown.

That lack of production created the possibility of a depressed market for his services. However, many saw the disappointing campaign more as an indictment of Matt Nagy and the Bears’ overall struggles on offense than a sign of Robinson slowing down. That, coupled with the fact that other top options such as Davante Adams and Chris Godwin were franchise tagged (and subsequently extended, in the latter’s case) left the Penn State product at the top of the list in terms of available options.

In Los Angeles, Robinson will join a receiving corps which already includes Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. With newfound money due to Von Miller leaving in free agency, the team could afford a splashy signing such as this one. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds that the Rams “still have money left over for Odell Beckham Jr. and hope to re-sign him” (Twitter link).

While it remains to be seen if Beckham remains in L.A. now, the Rams have, in any event, upgraded what was already one of the league’s best passing attacks. With Matt Stafford in place, along with an even more talented skill-position core around him, they should remain firmly in contention to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

Restructured Contracts: Saints, Floyd, Hyde, Barrett

March 16th, 2022 at 10:42pm CST by Ben Levine

While teams are currently focused on adding free agents, some front offices are looking to carve out some extra cap space. We’ve collected some of today’s restructured deals below:

  • The Saints opened up some extra cap space earlier today. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the team restructured the contracts of defensive tackle David Onyemata and offensive tackle James Hurst. The moves saved the team an extra $7.015MM. Onyemata inked a three-year, $27MM deal with the Saints in 2020, and he already reworked his contract last offseason. A year ago yesterday, Hurst inked a three-year, $9MM extension with New Orleans.
  • The Rams opened up $12MM in cap space by reworking Leonard Floyd‘s contract, according to Yates (on Twitter). Floyd signed a four-year, $64MM extension with the organization last year. In two years with the Rams, the edge rusher has collected 20 sacks, and he’s added another four in six playoff games.
  • The Bills converted $5.68MM of safety Micah Hyde’s contract into a signing bonus, opening $4.54MM in cap space, per Yates (on Twitter). The veteran signed a two-year, $19.25MM extension with Buffalo last offseason. Hyde has spent the past five seasons in Buffalo, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods while only missing a pair of regular season games.
  • The Buccaneers restructured Shaq Barrett’s contract, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The move should open up just under $10MM in cap space, according to Greg Auman of The Athletic (on Twitter). After playing the 2020 season under the franchise tag, Barrett inked a four-year, $72MM deal ($36MM guaranteed) with the Buccaneers last offseason.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/16/22

March 16th, 2022 at 2:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the latest tender decisions from around the NFL:

RFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Rams In Driver’s Seat For Von Miller?

March 16th, 2022 at 2:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Von Miller has not committed to a team during his first free agency bid, but the Rams look to have moved into pole position for the future Hall of Fame pass rusher.

The expectation is Miller will stay with the Rams, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com noting teams are under the impression this is how the Miller process will conclude (Twitter link). Other teams are still pursuing the 11-year veteran, but the Rams appear to have the inside track.

Dallas and Cleveland have also attempted to land Miller this week. Both teams’ 2021 sidekick rushers — Randy Gregory and Jadeveon Clowney, respectively — are either unsigned (Clowney) or with another team now (Gregory). Gregory was on the verge of returning to the Cowboys, but an 11th-hour snafu sent him to the Broncos. The Cowboys are not especially confident they will beat out the Rams for Miller, Jane Slater of NFL.com adds (on Twitter). The Cowboys have not made Miller an offer, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News tweets.

Miller, 33 next week, was connected to going back to Denver as well. The team’s successful pursuit of Gregory nixed that path. Prior to any Broncos-reunion talk or a hope of returning to his native Dallas, Miller had said he wanted to stay in Los Angeles. The All-Decade edge rusher notched nine sacks in the Rams’ final eight games last season.

The Rams have Leonard Floyd signed to a long-term deal and may well need to give Aaron Donald a raise soon. Miller is expected to command close to $20MM annually. While that is a sizable chunk of cash to commit to pass rushers, the Rams have not shied away from making splashy moves work since relocating to L.A.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/15/22

March 15th, 2022 at 6:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the latest tender decisions from around the NFL:

RFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

NFL Announces Compensatory Picks For 2022 Draft

March 15th, 2022 at 5:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2022 draft. These picks are awarded to the teams that suffered the most significant free agent losses during the 2021 offseason.

This year, the NFL awarded 39 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks to franchises who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks.

This year’s formula also includes the changes made last year, when teams began receiving third-round comp picks due to the hiring of minority head coaches and general managers. Seven such picks were awarded this year. The 49ers landed two additional third-rounders this year, obtaining the extra selections for the Jets’ 2021 Robert Saleh hire and the Dolphins hiring Mike McDaniel this year. Miami’s McDaniel hire will give San Francisco another third-rounder in 2023.

The Chiefs obtained a third-rounder for the Bears’ Ryan Poles GM hire, while the Browns landed a third because of the Vikings’ Kwesi Adofo-Mensah GM hire. The Ravens collected their second third-round for the Texans’ 2021 David Culley hire; Culley has since been fired. The Saints and Rams obtained one apiece after seeing the Falcons and Lions hire minority execs Terry Fontenot and Brad Holmes as GMs in 2021. New Orleans and Detroit also landed thirds because of players given high-value contacts last year (Trey Hendrickson and Kenny Golladay, respectively).

Here is the full list of 2022 compensatory selections:

By round:

Round 3: Lions (No. 97 overall), Saints (98), Browns (99)*, Ravens (100)*, Saints (101)*, 49ers (102)*, Chiefs (103)*, Rams (104)*, 49ers (105)*

Round 4: Steelers (No. 138), Ravens (139), Packers (140), Ravens (141), Rams (142), Titans (143)

Round 5: Cowboys (No. 176), Lions (177), Cowboys (178), Colts (179)

Round 6: Rams (No. 211), Rams (212), Falcons (213), Chargers (214), Cardinals (215), Colts (216), Lions (217), Rams (218), Titans (219), 49ers (220), 49ers (221)

Round 7: Chargers (No. 254), Chargers (255), Cardinals (256), Cardinals (257), Packers (258), Chiefs (259), Chargers (260), Buccaneers (261), 49ers (262)

By team:

San Francisco 49ers (5)
Los Angeles Rams (5)
Los Angeles Chargers (4)
Arizona Cardinals (3)
Baltimore Ravens (3)
Detroit Lions (3)
Dallas Cowboys (2)
Green Bay Packers (2)
Indianapolis Colts (2)
Kansas City Chiefs (2)
New Orleans Saints (2)
Tennessee Titans (2)
Atlanta Falcons (1)
Cleveland Browns (1)
Pittsburgh Steelers (1)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1)

* = special compensatory selection

Browns Join Cowboys, Rams In Mix For Von Miller

March 15th, 2022 at 5:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Count the Browns as a third team in the hunt for Von Miller, joining the Cowboys and Rams. Cleveland, which has seen Jadeveon Clowney reach free agency, is interested in signing the future Hall of Fame edge rusher, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com reports.

This market has heated to the point a $16MM-per-year deal will be considered the low end, with Wilson adding it could reach the point of a $20MM-AAV contract. Miller played out his six-year, $114.1MM Broncos-constructed deal in Los Angeles but indicated he would explore free agency for the first time.

The Rams have made their interest known for weeks, but the Cowboys have dived into this market after losing Randy Gregory to the Broncos at the final hour. Miller previously said he wanted to return to L.A., and a report earlier Tuesday indicated the Dallas-area native is interested in playing for his hometown team. The Browns represent a wild card here.

Cleveland already rosters one of the highest-paid defensive players, having given Myles Garrett a $25MM-per-year pact in 2020. Miller would mark a considerable pass-rushing upgrade on Clowney, who is more of an all-around defender than an elite sack artist. Miller, 33 next week, is perhaps this generation’s best pass rusher. He again showed those chops to close out his contract year, registering nine sacks in the Rams’ final eight games to help the franchise to its second Super Bowl title.

Cap space-wise, the Cowboys have created enough in recent days to lead the way with $28MM-plus. The Browns hold nearly $20MM, while the Rams possess … less money. A day away from the 2022 league year, Los Angeles still sits more than $20MM over the cap.

Andrew Whitworth Retires

March 15th, 2022 at 11:12am CST by Adam La Rose

In an expected move, Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth has announced his retirement. The 40-year-old will end his carer on a high note, having won the Super Bowl with Los Angeles. 

The veteran confirmed the decision via an Instagram video. In it, he expresses his gratitude for the career he’s put together, which is filled with a number of accomplishments he lists. Included among those is two accolades collected this past season – a Super Bowl title and the 2021 Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

A second round pick in 2015, the former LSU Tiger quickly established himself as one of the best left tackles in the league during his time with the Bengals. He earned three Pro Bowls and one first-team All Pro nod during that span, though the team’s lack of playoff success throughout that 11-year stretch apparently weighed on him.

He joined the Rams in 2017, where he carried on at the high standard he had already established. He was named an All Pro and Pro Bowler once again, and continued to play at a high level for another four campaigns. At the age of 40 this season, he became the oldest player to suit up as an offensive tackle, something which is notable in its own regard, let alone the caliber of play he set that record at.

Whitworth earned a PFF grade of 86.1 in 2021 en route to the Super Bowl title. He was therefore able to maintain a remarkably high level of play right to the end of a storied career. With a championship to his name, and the respect of everyone throughout the NFL, Whitworth will certainly leave a lasting legacy.

Rams To Cut Johnny Hekker

March 15th, 2022 at 8:44am CST by Zachary Links

The Rams will release longtime punter Johnny Hekker, according to talk show host Pat McAfee (on Twitter). The move will save the Rams $2.05MM in cap room while leaving a dead money hit of $1.142MM. 

Hekker, a four-time first-team All-Pro, spent his entire career with the Rams, starting in St. Louis before moving on to Los Angeles. He’s had perfect attendance throughout his career, appearing in all 161 regular season games plus ten playoff contests. Now, the league’s All-Decade punter of the 2010s will be moving on.

The Rams considered moving on from Hekker last year, but the punter agreed to a pay cut. As a part of the restructuring, the Rams agreed to remove the 2023 season from Hekker’s contract, enabling him to reach free agency one year earlier. Now, he’s on the open market two years ahead of schedule.

Still only 32, Hekker should have little trouble finding work elsewhere. While his per-punt average dipped to 44.2 yards last year, he’s long been regarded as one of the best at his position.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/14/22

March 14th, 2022 at 9:14pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s been a busy day around the NFL. We’ve compiled today’s minor moves below:

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

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