The Rams spent much of Monday having their roster depleted as several players signed new deals elsewhere. However, they were able to retain one of their breakout stars from the 2020-2021 season. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Leonard Floyd and the Rams have agreed to terms on a four-year, $64 million deal.
From Free Agency Frenzy: The #Rams bring back LB Leonard Floyd for 4 years and $64M. pic.twitter.com/OW3M8Lam8Q
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2021
At first glance, handing out a $16 million per year contract to a 28-year old player may not be the best move, especially since his career hasn’t been what many had hoped it would be. In four seasons with the Chicago Bears, Floyd only managed to record 18.5 sacks, 154 total tackles (average 38.5 per season), 1 forced fumble, and 3 fumble recoveries. Not really the kind of production that warrants a big contract.
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Add in the fact that the Rams were already over the cap by a projected $36 million before the signing and it can be easy to see why the contract can be seen as overpay. However, GM Les Snead is a master of manipulation when it comes to restructuring contracts in order to get back under.
Leonard Floyd gets the sack against his former team 💪
📺: #CHIvsLAR on ESPN
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/3oWB2RFTjr pic.twitter.com/xyfOn1Et4o— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2020
Floyd was also on a whole new level this past season as he set new season highs in total tackles (55), tackles for a loss (11), and QB hits (19). Yes, playing on the same line as Aaron Donald will help boost those numbers, but if he’s going to continue to play on the same line, then there’s the possibility that he can continue to replicate those numbers in the future. The duo of Floyd and Donald absolutely terrorized opposing teams all throughout the year.
Los Angeles’ already lost Samson Ebukam to the San Francisco 49ers, and although his impact on the team may not have been the best at times, losing Floyd as well would left the team without a go-to edge rusher. While it may or may not come back to haunt them in the future, re-signing Floyd was the right move for a team in a win-now mode.
