Rams Sign RT Rob Havenstein To Extension
The Rams have extended their right tackle. The team announced (on Twitter) that they’ve signed Rob Havenstein to a contract extension. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler first reported (on Twitter) that the two sides were close to a deal.
Havenstein was set to play out the final season of his contract in 2022. Despite inking his four-year, $32.5MM deal back in 2018, the veteran lineman still ranked among the 10 highest-paid right tackles in the NFL last year. According to Fowler, his new extension should “bolster his spot” in the top-10, with CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones tweeting that Havenstein received a three-year deal.
The 2015 second-round pick has spent his entire career with the Rams, starting all 99 of his regular-season appearances. After bouncing around the offensive line early in his career, Havenstein has settled in as the team’s full-time RT since 2017.
Other than a 2019 campaign where he was limited to only nine games thanks to a knee injury, the offensive lineman has appeared in at least 13 games in each of his NFL seasons. The 30-year-old has also been along for all of the team’s recent playoff runs, starting each of his 10 postseason appearances, including all four during last year’s Super Bowl run.
Havenstein was named a first-time captain this year following another standout campaign in 2021. Last year, he ranked as the league’s ninth-best tackle among 83 qualifying players, making it the third time in four seasons that he’s ranked within the site’s top-15.
NFL COVID List Updates: 12/22/21
We’ve compiled a list of players who were placed or activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list today. In some instances (including Christian McCaffrey and Travis Etienne), players activated from the list remain on IR:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on list: P Andy Lee
Baltimore Ravens
- Placed on list: LB Chris Board, DT Justin Madubuike, S Geno Stone, LB Kristian Welch
Carolina Panthers
- Placed on list: S Sam Franklin Jr., DE Azur Kamara
- Activated from list: RB Christian McCaffrey
Chicago Bears
- Placed on list: TE Jesper Horsted
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on list: CB Greg Newsome
- Activated from list: TE Austin Hooper, LB Jacob Phillips
Dallas Cowboys
- Activated from list: DT Osa Odighizuwa
Denver Broncos
- Activated from list: LB Malik Reed
Detroit Lions
- Activated from list: S Jalen Elliott
Houston Texans
- Placed on list: WR Brandin Cooks (st0ry), LB Tae Davis
- Activated from list: DE DeMarcus Walker
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on list: DE Kemoko Turay, CB Rock Ya-Sin
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on list: RB Travis Etienne
- Activated from list: LB Dylan Moses
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on list: OT Mike Remmers
- Activated from list: LB Willie Gay Jr., WR Josh Gordon
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on list: CB Brandon Facyson
Los Angeles Chargers
- Placed on list: WR Jalen Guyton
Los Angeles Rams
- Activated from list: DB Terrell Burgess, G Jamil Demby, T Rob Havenstein, NT Sebastian Joseph, LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
Miami Dolphins
- Placed on list: G Robert Jones
Minnesota Vikings
- Activated from list: RB Alexander Mattison
New England Patriots
- Activated from list: RB J.J. Taylor
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on list: TE Adam Trautman
New York Jets
- Placed on list: S Ashtyn Davis, DT Jonathan Marshall, TE Kenny Yeboah
Philadelphia Eagles
- Placed on list: T Le’Raven Clark
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Placed on list: LB Marcus Allen, OT Zach Banner, LB Devin Bush
Seattle Seahawks
- Placed on list: TE Will Dissly
- Activated from list: RB Alex Collins
Tennessee Titans
- Placed on list: OL Rodger Saffold
Washington Football Team
- Placed on list: LB Cole Holcomb
- Activated from list: DE William Bradley-King, T Cornelius Lucas
Rams Rework OL Rob Havenstein’s Contract
The Rams have opened some much-needed cap space. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that offensive lineman Rob Havenstein has agreed to restructure his contract.
Specifically, the Rams converted $3.84MM of Havenstein’s salary into a bonus. The team also added three void years to the deal. Overall, the move saved the organization $3.072MM against the cap. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), the team previously had about $150K in cap space, so this will provide the front office with some necessary breathing room.
Rapoport also adds that the Rams have used in-season restructurings to move about $48.222MM to future seasons. Teams generally shuffle around cap space as they look to make promotions and midseason signings, but Los Angeles has taken it to another level as they look to contend for a championship.
Havenstein was a 2015 second-round pick by the Rams, and he’s spent his entire career with the organization. The veteran has started all 90 of his regular season appearances, and he’s appeared in 100 percent of his team’s offensive snaps through the first six weeks of the season. The 29-year-old inked a four-year, $32MM extension with the Rams in 2018.
Rams Rework Rob Havenstein’s Contact
Jared Goff isn’t the only Ram whose contract is getting restructured today. Los Angeles has also restructured offensive tackle Rob Havenstein‘s deal, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
The Rams converted $2.34MM of Havenstein’s 2020 base salary into a signing bonus, per Yates. That move will create $1.56MM in cap space for Los Angeles, giving the club even more room to fit in the newly-announced signings of Leonard Floyd and A’Shawn Robinson.
Havenstein signed a four-year $32.5MM extension with the the Rams in 2018. He’s regressed a bit since then, but he’s still locked in as LA’s starting right tackle. He’s under contract through the 2022 campaign.
Rams C Brian Allen Out For Season
Rams head coach Sean McVay told reporters earlier today that starting center Brian Allen had suffered a season-ending MCL injury, according to Lindsey Thiry of ESPN. It remains unclear whether Allen’s injury could impact him next season or in the offseason, but he is definitely done in 2019.
Allen supplanted John Sullivan as the starter at center this season. While the entire Rams offensive line has struggled, Allen has played a major role in those issues. Trade deadline acquisition Austin Corbett had experience at both guard and center and seemed like a possible replacement for Allen, but instead slotted next to Allen at left guard.
When Allen left Los Angeles’ game on Sunday, starting right guard Austin Blythe slid over to center and backup Coleman Shelton replaced Blythe at right guard. Shelton was an undrafted free agent out of Washington last season who bounced between the 49ers and Cardinals practice squads before joining the Rams active roster this season.
The Rams were surely disappointed with Allen’s performance on the interior line, but are no better off with even less depth. If Los Angeles chooses to look at free agent options, Sullivan remains available on the open market.
In addition to Allen, Los Angeles could be without starting right tackle Rob Havenstein for two weeks, as veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer tweets. Havenstein is dealing with a knee injury.
Rams Notes: Donald, McVay, Havenstein
The Rams and Aaron Donald would like to get an extension done before the start of the season, but that’s there’s no deadline in negotiations, according to head coach Sean McVay.
“I don’t think so,” McVay said when asked whether there’s a deadline (via Mike Florio of PFT), “but I think for us ideally you’d like to be able to see a guy get in here a couple weeks before the season starts but in terms of a stern deadline we don’t have that. We’ve been in this situation before. Everybody knows how important Aaron is to us and how much we want to be able to get this thing done. In the meantime we’re appreciative of the guys that are here that are working but to say that there’s a stern deadline I wouldn’t say that but I think there is an ideal time where you’d like to get him in here to get him in football shape and feel confident that he’ll be ready to go and be healthy enough to participate just based on the things we’ve gotten exposed to before that first game.”
There has been talk of a deal coming together soon, but McVay has cautioned that nothing is imminent.
Here’s more out of L.A.:
- The new four-year, $32.5MM extension for right tackle Rob Havenstein includes roughly $16MM guaranteed, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. In addition to becoming the second-highest paid right tackle in the NFL, Havenstein also has a great deal of financial security thanks to the nearly 50% guarantee.
- On Monday, the Rams activated defensive tackle Dominique Easley off of the PUP list.
- Pass rusher Junior Galette visited the Rams on Monday, but he left without signing a deal and auditioned for the Seahawks on Tuesday morning.
Rams, RT Rob Havenstein Agree To Extension
The Rams and right tackle Rob Havenstein have agreed to a contract extension, a source tells Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com (on Twitter). It’s a four-year deal worth $32.5MM. 
With an average annual value of just over $8MM per year, Havenstein now becomes one of the highest paid right tackles in the league in terms of new money. Currently, Redskins right tackle Morgan Moses ranks third in the NFL with his $8MM/year deal.
Havenstein, a second-round pick in the 2015 draft, has been the Rams’ starter at right tackle for the last three years. Although he is not a world-beater, he has been a consistent force on the offensive line. Last year, he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 33 ranked tackle in the NFL.
In Week 1, the Rams project to start Havenstein on the right side, opposite of standout Andrew Whitworth. In between, they’ll start Rodger Saffold, John Sullivan, and Austin Blythe at the interior spots. Third-round pick Joseph Noteboom and Cornelius Lucas figure to serve as the main backups for Whitworth and Havenstein.
With Havenstein’s situation squared away, the Rams may look to address the expiring contracts of Jamon Brown and Saffold. They are also working feverishly to take care of Aaron Donald, whose expiring contract is at the forefront of everyone’s mind.
Extra Points: Ja. Peppers, Rams, Texans
Jabrill Peppers played both linebacker and cornerback at Michigan, but nearly all NFL teams view the draft-bound prospect as a safety, he told the Associated Press. Peppers is on board, saying, “I didn’t play safety, but I’m going to be a safety.” While one club informed Peppers it would use him at linebacker, another had an outside-the-box idea. “One team told me they thought I should play offense,” revealed Peppers, who did see time on that side of the ball at Michigan last season. Peppers rushed 27 times for 167 yards, caught two passes and scored three touchdowns. He also fared well in space as a punt returner, posting a Big Ten-leading 14.8-yard average on runbacks.
More from around the game:
- Ravens college scouting director Joe Hortiz is the Rams’ top choice to take over the same position in Los Angeles, reports CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (all Twitter links). The Rams have shown interest in Hortiz in the past, notes La Canfora, who adds that Baltimore wouldn’t be able to prevent him from leaving. Los Angeles started reshuffling its scouting department when it dismissed four evaluators on April 9.
- The Rams are also making changes on the field, with several familiar names apparently set to switch positions as the Sean McVay era begins, according to Myles Simmons of the team’s website. Contrary to a prior report, the signing of left tackle Andrew Whitworth will not force Greg Robinson to shift to guard; rather, Robinson will head to right tackle, leaving Rob Havenstein to move inside. Elsewhere, cornerback Lamarcus Joyner will play free safety and Maurice Alexander will take over at strong safety in the wake of the team’s addition of Nickell Robey-Coleman, who’s primed to handle Joyner’s old job as a slot corner. Finally, Robert Quinn is transitioning from defensive end to outside linebacker, though his role as a pass rusher will remain the same.
- Utah offensive tackle Garett Bolles visited the Texans on Monday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. With potential first-rounders in Bolles, Alabama’s Cam Robinson and Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk on their radar, it’s clear the Texans are strongly considering taking a tackle with the 25th pick in the draft.
- The surgery Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster underwent on his right rotator cuff in February won’t keep him out for any portion of training camp, his agent, Malki Kawa, announced Monday (on Twitter). The soon-to-be first-rounder is “ahead of schedule,” per Kawa.
Rams Sign Todd Gurley, Entire Draft Class
As expected, the Rams have signed their entire 2015 draft class in one fell swoop, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who tweets that first-round running back Todd Gurley and seven other draftees have inked their rookie contracts with the club.
The only Rams draft pick who had previously signed his deal was sixth-round wideout Bud Sasser, who wasn’t physically cleared to play for the team due to a heart condition. St. Louis signed him to his rookie contract, ensuring he’d get his signing bonus, then waived him. Here’s the full list of the remaining Rams draftees who are now under contract with the club:
- 1-10: Todd Gurley, RB (Georgia)
- 2-57: Rob Havenstein, T (Wisconsin)
- 3-72: Jamon Brown, T (Louisville)
- 3-89: Sean Mannion, QB (Oregon State)
- 4-119: Andrew Donnal, T (Iowa)
- 6-215: Cody Wichmann, G (Fresno State)
- 7-224: Bryce Hager, LB (Baylor)
- 7-227: Martin Ifedi, DE (Memphis)
Gurley’s four-year deal will, of course, be the most lucrative of the bunch, with a signing bonus worth about $8.313MM and an overall value of $13.823MM, per Over The Cap. The contract for the 10th overall pick will also be the only one that features a fifth-year option, allowing the Rams to lock up the running back for the 2019 season.
While most teams announce their signings in bunches in the weeks following the draft, the Rams make a habit of waiting until mid-June to confirm their rookie deals. Head coach Jeff Fisher has said in previous years that he likes to make sure his newcomers are educated on financial planning before they sign their first NFL contracts.
Wilson’s Latest: Dorsett, Holmes, Waynes
With two weeks until the NFL draft gets underway, Aaron Wilson continues to be busy, passing along the latest news on pre-draft visits, workouts, and meetings for the National Football Post and the Baltimore Sun. Wilson has several new updates for us today, so let’s round up his Thursday morning items on a handful of prospects:
- Phillip Dorsett, WR (Miami): Visiting the Titans today (link).
- Rob Havenstein, OT (Wisconsin): Has had private workouts for the Bengals, Jaguars, Rams, and Buccaneers (link).
- Gabe Holmes, TE (Purdue): Visiting the Cardinals today after having previously worked out privately for the team (link).
- Bobby McCain, CB (Memphis): Visited Colts after having previously worked out privately for the team (link).
- Joe Okafor, DT (Lamar): Meeting with Eagles today (link)
- Trae Waynes, CB (Michigan State): Visited the Bears in addition to previously-reported visits with the Jaguars and Vikings (link).