[Flash]

Rams Sign OLB Leonard Floyd

https://www.profootballrumors.com/2020/ ... nard-floyd

March 18th, 2020 at 2:03pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg
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The Rams are making their first big splash of free agency. Los Angeles is signing outside linebacker Leonard Floyd to a one-year deal, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

It’s a $10MM deal that can be worth up to $13MM, Schefter reports. Floyd was cut by the Bears yesterday when Chicago signed fellow outside linebacker Robert Quinn, and it didn’t take him very long to find a new home. We heard word that the Giants were interested in Floyd, so Rams GM Les Snead likely had competition for his services. Floyd would’ve earned $13.2MM in 2020 under his fifth-year option had the Bears kept him, so his release won’t end up hurting him too much financially if at all.

The ninth overall pick back in 2016 Floyd was a bit of a disappointment in Chicago, but he’ll now get the chance to prove himself and re-enter unrestricted free agency at this time next year. The Georgia product became a starter as a rookie and showed plenty of flashes, racking up seven sacks in 12 games in his first year as a pro.

Unfortunately he never really progressed from that point, and his sack totals actually declined in each of the past three years. Still only 27, he has a lot of theoretical talent. He’ll slide in more or less as the replacement for Dante Fowler Jr., who just left the Rams to sign a three-year, $48MM deal with the Falcons less than an hour ago.

When the Rams next take the field looking to put their disappointing 2019 season behind them, their defense is going to look quite a bit different. Not only did they trade away cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib midway through last year, they’ve now seen a string of departures in free agency.

Safety Eric Weddle retired; Cory Littleton, Michael Brockers, and Fowler Jr. have now all departed in free agency, and the team just declined their option on usual slot corner Nickell Robey-Coleman. They’ve also replaced defensive coordinator Wade Phillips

[AltiTude Ram]

[actionjack]

great we get 27 year old LB who has underachieved with declining sack totals.

[AltiTude Ram]

I wonder if Staley influenced the decision to take him over Fowler.

[actionjack]

I wonder if Staley influenced the decision to take him over Fowler.

he must have, I dont feel great about this move, I hope the Rams braintrust is right. The Bears rather had a 30year old quinn

[Elvis]

[AvengerRam]

I want to feel good about this one, but...

18.5 sacks in 54 games on the same defense as Khalil Mack?

I guess Fowler had similar numbers before last year, so...

Hope it works out.

[CanuckRightWinger]

.....and NO LOSS of a 2021 Comp Pick, as Floyd was released by da Bears yesterday!!!

Smart guy that Les Snead!!!

[AltiTude Ram]

Comp pick formula!

Floyd was cut so he doesn't factor into the comp pick equation. He's cheaper than Fowler and still just as talented.

That Snead guy figured out how to replace a player at a lower cost and get a comp pick next year at the same time.

[actionjack]

Comp pick formula!

Floyd was cut so he doesn't factor into the comp pick equation. He's cheaper than Fowler and still just as talented.

That Snead guy figured out how to replace a player at a lower cost and get a comp pick next year at the same time.

Accept for a portion of his first season, Floyd has never shown the same production that Fowler has done with the Rams. I would have rather kept Fowler