Rams save $23M by axing Chris Long, James Laurinaitis and Jared Cook
The Rams are gearing up for a big free agent spending spree.
By
Jared Dubin
•
1 min read
The Los Angeles Rams sure look like they are gearing up for a big free agent spending spree. The team announced in what amounts to a Friday afternoon news dump that it released defensive end Chris Long, linebacker James Laurinaitis and tight end Jared Cook.
Long was drafted by the Rams with the second pick of the 2008 draft and has been with the team ever since. He was playing out a four-year, $50 million extension signed before the 2012 season. Laurinaitis was a second-round pick in 2009 working on a five-year, $41.5 million deal that had two seasons remaining. Cook was signed away from the Tennessee Titans as a free agent back in 2013 and had two years left on his five-year, $35.1 million deal.
The trio of moves shaves approximately $23 million off the Rams' salary cap sheet for the 2016 season, taking them above $50 million in cap space. At just over $58.3 million in room, they have the fourth-most money to spend in the NFL this offseason, per Spotrac. Only the Jaguars, Raiders and Bears have more, while the Giants and 49ers join those teams in having at least $50 million to work with.
The Rams are still in need of a quarterback, several offensive linemen, help at wide receiver and tight end, some defensive backs, and now, a new middle linebacker and a pass rusher to play opposite Robert Quinn.
The free agent QBs leave much to be desired. There are some attractive offensive line targets out there -- if any team was going to throw a big offer at a mauling run-blocker like Kelechi Osemele, the Rams would have to be among the best bets, given how they want to base their offense around Todd Gurley -- but the wide receiver crop is fairly thin beyond a few names. Playing along the same defensive line as Quinn and Aaron Donald will presumably be attractive to some defensive line targets, and the same should hold true for linebackers and defensive backs that get to play behind them.
Whatever the case, it's clear the Rams are looking to make some noise before playing their first game back in southern California. Free agents on the market are surely happy there's another big player out there.
