Rams release Cook, Lauranitis and Long.

Let the offseason begin.

Thought they might try to restructure Chris Long –

I’m gonna miss Chris Long. It’s going to be hard to replace his leadership in the locker room. He was one of those guys who everybody on the team loved and looked up to. Maybe I’m making too much of it but it seems to me there’s now a HUGE void in leadership with the release of Long and Laurinaitis.

Evan Silva
‏@evansilva
Cut by #Rams today:
Cook: 0 TDs last 19 games
Long: 3 sacks last 16 games
Laurinatis: Graded 93rd of 94 ILBs in ’15 by PFF

• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by nittany ram.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000637266/article/on-the-bubble-29-nfc-players-that-could-be-cut

On the bubble: 29 NFC players that could be cut

9

By Gregg Rosenthal
Around The NFL Editor
Published: Feb. 19, 2016 at 02:09 p.m.
Updated: Feb. 19, 2016 at 03:12 p.m.

We’ve already looked at the players that could be cut in the AFC. Let’s break down the NFC before any more actual moves happen.

Strong candidates for release

1. Mike Wallace, Minnesota Vikings: Wallace is on this list for the second straight season, joining Trent Cole and Andre Johnson in a club no one wants to join. He still can get deep, but he is paid like a guy that can do so much more and he didn’t show great chemistry with Teddy Bridgewater. Getting released two straight years is a sign of a career in steep decline, with the market slowly catching up.

2. Charles Johnson, Carolina Panthers: When the Panthers narrowly kept Johnson from leaving for Atlanta in 2011 with a six-year, $76 million contract, I thought the Panthers overpaid in a typical free agent bidding war. He wound up being worth the money, a bedrock pass rusher for John Fox and Ron Rivera. Johnson can still play at a starter level, but not for a $15 million cap figure. Carolina will save $11 million against the cap by releasing him.

3. Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins: There is no drama left about whether Griffin will change teams. The Redskins will spend their quarterback money on a Kirk Cousins franchise tag. There remains plenty of mystery about the level of interest RGIII will inspire in the open market. The case against Griffin is easier to make in most cities than the case for him, but some quarterback thirsty franchise with will give him a chance. The Rams would be a logical and deliciously ironic landing spot.

4. Victor Cruz, New York Giants: The immortal football analyst Chris Wesseling has declared a hunger strike against posts about Cruz, refusing to recognize that Cruz remains in the league after 26 consecutive missed games. He currently has the second highest cap figure ($9.9 million) on a deeply flawed roster. Reports indicate Cruz is ready to take a big pay cut to stay, but negotiating those deals for a big name player is easier said than done.

5-6. Chris Long and Jared Cook, Los Angeles Rams: Long, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2008 Draft, was one year away from completing a five-year, $60.5 million contract signed in 2012. Now 30, he has only four sacks in 11 starts over the last two years. He knows he would have to take a big pay cut to stay with $11.75 million in compensation on tap. Perhaps he could wind up joining his brother in Chicago?

Cook has teased and ultimately disappointed Jeff Fisher in two cities. Can they make it three? The Rams can’t seem to quit Cook, yet Fisher has to realize a $8.3 million cap hit for a borderline starter is wacky.

UPDATE: Chris Long, James Laurinaitis and Jared Cook were cut by the Rams on Friday.

7. DeMeco Ryans, Philadelphia Eagles: Valued for his leadership, it will be tough for Ryans to survive another coaching change when the team is transitioning to a 4-3 defense. Jordan Hicks should take over in the middle.

8. Brandon Browner, New Orleans Saints: He was the NFC’s answer to the Dwayne Bowe signing, except the Saints refused to bench him. Penalties and big plays piled up wherever Browner roamed. (Browner already bid farewell to the team on Twitter, so this isn’t going out on a limb.)

9-11. Matt Kalil, Phil Loadholt, John Sullivan, Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings are in a bizarre situation on their offensive line. They have three high-priced starters that have all underperformed for various reasons and could all be released. But does the team want to start over from scratch?

Complicating matters: Kalil was the fourth overall pick in the draft, while Loadholt and Sullivan are coming off serious injuries. Kalil has struggled badly in pass protection. The Vikings would save more than $22 million (!) in cap room by cutting all three. Kalil is due half of that and could be the most likely one to get released.

11-12. Roddy White and Devin Hester, Atlanta Falcons: White said after the season he wouldn’t take a pay cut to stay, which seemingly ended his incredible tenure of the team. Yet the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported this month the Falcons are leaning to retaining” White for his leadership.

“It’s not always about the talent,” general manager Thomas Dimitroff said.

No, but it’s really rare to see a team keep a 16-game starter that barely topped 500 yards at a big salary. Perhaps the Falcons see that they’ll only save $4.2 million if they cut White, and want to see how training camp goes. Hester, who is due $3 million in base salary this season, is a much safer bet to be released. He wasn’t a difference maker as a returner or receiver last year.

13. Ahmad Brooks, San Francisco 49ers: The versatile and tough outside linebacker is a great example of the NFL’s sliding scale of justice. A lesser player would have been cut before now. It was a surprise the 49ers kept Brooks going into last season even before he was indicted on misdemeanor sexual battery charges. It does not compute that his cap number ($9.6 million) would be the second highest on the team.

14. Brandon Carr, Dallas Cowboys: Jerry Jones tried to get Carr to take a pay cut entering last season. He said no thanks, and the Cowboys still kept him. It’s hard to imagine them doing so again with a $13.817 million cap number, although the Cowboys think differently than most teams. Carr is a solid starter played like a superstar. They often retain big contracts a year too long.

15. Daryl Washington, Arizona Cardinals: Remember him? Once one of the game’s most dynamic inside linebackers, it has been almost 26 months since Washington played after domestic violence and substance abuse problems. He remains on the suspended list, but would be nearly certain to get cut if he’s reinstated.

Potential Surprises

1. Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions: The Lions want Megatron to keep playing. One reason to believe he won’t: Coming to terms on a new contract will not be simple. Johnson has a $24 million cap hit that includes nearly $16 million in base salary. So he either needs to take a big pay cut or new Lions general manager Bob Quinn has to give an extension to a player that is questioning his football future.

Before the retirement question came up, we knew this would be a complicated negotiation with the potential for a release. (At this stage, retirement or a new contract is more likely than a release. And the whole situation could drag past the start of free agency.)

2. Nick Foles, Los Angeles Rams: Jeff Fisher named Case Keenum the starter over Nick Foles heading into the offseason, which spoke volumes. Foles’ play was even worse than his lackluster numbers indicate. Foles is due $8.75 million this season, with $6 million already guaranteed. (Another $1.75 million is guaranteed by the middle of March.) So the Rams would potentially have to pay Foles to go away, a rough reminder of how poorly general manager Les Snead handled the situation when Foles arrived last year.

3. Marques Colston, New Orleans Saints: The team has an in-house replacement in Brandon Coleman, although it won’t be easy to replace the franchise’s all-time leading receiver. Colston deserves a chance to try to make the team in camp, although his has clearly lost a step.

4-5. Jason Peters and Darren Sproles, Philadelphia Eagles: Peters was not the same dominant force last season, especially down the stretch. He’s a decent bet to be back despite a $9.7 million cap figure, but it’s a situation to watch. New coach Doug Pederson could decide to cut costs with Sproles, who could get squeezed out because the team is already paying DeMarco Murray so much money at running back.

6. Julius Peppers, Green Bay Packers: I don’t actually believe Peppers has much of a chance to be released. I just want to point out how impressive it is that Peppers is earning a salary with a cap hit over $10 million heading into his fifteenth season. He’s a freak and still has plenty of value as a pass rusher and a run stopper.

7. Kenny Britt, St. Louis Rams: Britt is the best pure outside receiver the Rams have, which is damning with faint praise. If the Rams are looking to trim costs, the Rams could shave nearly $5 million off the cap with no dead money by releasing Britt.

8. Logan Mankins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: There is a better chance of Mankins retiring than him being released, but both options are on the table if Mankins didn’t take a pay cut. Mankins has brought leadership and solid play to the Bucs since getting dealt by the Patriots.

Other Potential Cuts

1. Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit Lions: When a new regime arrives in town, Pettigrew is the type of player that usually gets swept out the door.

2-3. David Hawthorne and Zach Strief, New Orleans Saints: Strief has said he’d retire if the Saints don’t want him back. Hawthorne was not effective last season.

4. Rodger Saffold, St. Louis Rams: Remember when Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie botched signing Saffold in free agency? It wound up working out just fine because of Saffold’s injuries. The Rams have youth on the offensive line ready to replace Saffold.

5. Andre Williams, New York Giants: Tom Coughlin always seemed to have a blind spot for the Boston College grad. He’s not versatile enough to stay in the pros for long.

6-7. Gosder Cherilus and Bruce Carter, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Carter’s production has never matched up with his skill set. Cherilus has bounced around after once being a free agent prize.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/updated-rams-release-laurinaitis-long-cook/article_71283598-349d-50c0-99d8-9b5828820849.html
(Updated) Rams release Laurinaitis, Long, Cook
2 hours ago • By Ben Frederickson

Two of the longest-tenured St. Louis Rams were released by the now-Los Angeles Rams in a move that went beyond mere salary cap measures on Friday.

Linebacker James Laurinaitis and defensive end Chris Long have been let go, along with tight end Jared Cook, the team announced.

The moves save the Rams $22.975 million in salary cap space, broken down as follows: Long ($11.75 million), Cook ($5.7 million), Laurinaitis ($5.525 million).

Even before Friday’s moves the Rams already were swimming in salary cap space, with only $118 million committed towards the 2016 cap in what is expected to be a cap of $155 million. So that’s $37 million of salary cap space alone, far more than the Rams had in any of their 21 offseasons in St. Louis.

Throw in about $6 million in leftover 2015 cap room that can be carried over to 2016 at the start of the league year next month. plus the $22.975 million saved by releasing Long, Laurinaitis, and Cook _ and that gives the Rams roughly $66 million in cap space.

So yes,, it looks like the team plans to make a big free-agent splash as it enters its first year back in southern California.

“This is the time of year when all NFL teams are faced with difficult decisions regarding their veteran players,” coach Jeff Fisher said in a statement released by the team. “Chris and James are the epitome of what it means to be a pro in this league and it’s been an honor to coach them both. They’ve been the pillars of our defense for many years and not enough can be said of their love for the game and for their teammates.

“Beyond the field, they took pride in mentoring the younger players and doing their part to make a real difference in the St. Louis community. We will always be grateful for James and Chris’ unselfish commitment to the Rams and wish them the best moving forward.”

Long posted the following message to his Instagram page:

“Just heard that I’m about to be unemployed. I just want to personally and humbly thank the city of St. Louis again for all your support over 8 years. I love y’all so much for sticking with me through the ups and downs.

“I also want to thank our LA fans, and although I may never join you in SoCal, just know that I’ll always appreciate you.

“Bottom line is, this is a production business. No excuses, the last two years have been (bleep). It’s been painful to experience because I care deeply about my performance and my responsibility to my teammates. Before the last two years I’m very proud of what I was able to accomplish in St. Louis. I’m not surprised, but it doesn’t make it any easier to leave your family.

“I look forward to the next chapter. Hungry and a lot to prove all over again. First I’m gonna have a beer. ”

Long, drafted second overall by the Rams in 2008, started 95 of 114 games during his career. He recorded more than 300 tackles and 54.5 sacks. He led the team in sacks in 2011 and 2012.

Laurinaitis, a Ram since the second round of the 2009 draft, led the team in tackles through his first four seasons. Last season, he became the franchise’s all-time leading tackler.

Cook joined the Rams as a free agent during the 2013 offseason, but never became the playmaker Rams fans hoped. He did set franchise records for most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season (672 in 2013) and in a single game (141 vs. Arizona on Sept. 8, 2013). He totaled 142 receptions for 1,786 yards and eight touchdowns as a Ram.

“Jared made an immediate impact when he joined the team in 2013,” Fisher said. “It’s been a pleasure watching him grow from the time I drafted him in Tennessee to seeing him set franchise records in St. Louis. Like Chris and James, he’s been a mainstay in the community and his contributions are commendable. We hope for the best for Jared and his family as he embarks on the next steps of his career.”

Fisher said in one of his interviews in LA, that the Rams might again be the youngest team in the NFL.

Yeah I am shocked they cut Laurinaitis, surprised they cut Long and glad they cut Cook.

surprised by laurinaitis. man. feel like i’m watching the godfather or something.

Ian Rapaport hints they may be using some of that money for a QB.

interesting.

zn wrote:

sdram wrote:

Let the offseason begin.

Thought they might try to restructure Chris Long –

They could still do that. Bring him back for less.

That’s what I expected, but that statement sounded pretty final.

“We will always be grateful for James and Chris’ unselfish commitment to the Rams and wish them the best moving forward.”

Good. And good riddance. The Rams FO should be focused only finding a good QB. Without one, we’re .500 or below, again.

I’m fine with all three cuts. Never wanted them to draft C. Long. He wasn’t a disruptive force with the Rams. He has a great motor and doesn’t take plays off which is a great example to his teammates but until Brockers and Quinn became starters Long was easily neutralized. Year after year watching QBs easily roll out away from his pressure was frustrating. Adding Donald was huge but Long was injured too much to benefit. He needs to go somewhere he can have a strong supporting cast. If he takes a pay cut that could still be the Rams.

JL seems like a quality guy. Very durable. Perhaps he calls a good defense? I don’t know. I do know for years I’ve been sick of watching him dragged downfield while trying to make a tackle.

Cook seems like someone that can be replaced for less money. Also wonder how much of a team player he is after barking at the QB the past couple seasons. Rams really need a blocking TE that can reliably contribute to the offense.

If these cuts bring in a quality QB or much needed help at WR then in Fisher I trust.

joemad wrote:

they cut Long and Laurinitas and kept Foles???? WTF?

Foles could be on the trade block. Remember, there is rumor that the Eagles would like him back, and could be working on a deal, that could involve picks this year, maybe a 3rd rounder and a 2nd rounder nextyear

nittany ram wrote:

JackPMiller wrote:

joemad wrote:

they cut Long and Laurinitas and kept Foles???? WTF?

Foles could be on the trade block. Remember, there is rumor that the Eagles would like him back, and could be working on a deal, that could involve picks this year, maybe a 3rd rounder and a 2nd rounder nextyear

So the Rams would have to give the Eagles draft picks this year plus a 2nd and 3rd rounder next year to take Foles back?

Sounds fair…

LOL. We would get an extra 3rd this year, and a 2nd nextyear from the Eagles, to send Foles back. The new Head Coach really likes Foles.

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet
The interest in FA LB James Laurinaitis is strong, and #Saints want to get a jump on things. NO hoping to bring him in for a visit next week

===

Saints hope to visit with LB James Laurinaitis

By Kevin Patra
Around the NFL writer

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000639415/article/saints-hope-to-visit-with-lb-james-laurinaitis

James Laurinaitis might not be out of work long.

NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports that the New Orleans Saints are hoping to bring the linebacker in for a visit next week.

The interest in Laurinaitis is strong, Rapoport adds, noting that the Saints want to get a jump on possibly locking down the linebacker’s services.

The Los Angeles Rams cut their all-time leading tackler last week in a purge of veteran contracts. Laurinaitis earned 109 total tackles last year — his seventh straight season with more than 100 — but his play has fallen off sharply in recent years. He was one of the worst inside linebackers in the NFL last season, especially struggling against the run.

The Saints are once again heading into the offseason trying to revamp a disappointing defense. Sean Payton has some good young talent in Stephone Anthony, Hau’oli Kikaha, Delvin Breaux and Kenny Vaccaro to go along with the likes of Cameron Jordan.

Last offseason the Saints brought in Brandon Browner to add veteran leadership and experience to the defense. If New Orleans dips into the veteran pool again, hopefully the results are much different.