The Los Angeles Rams has agreed to re-sign Mark Barron, which means he will be retained in the roster as the team's linebacker. However, the football franchise still continues to thin out its roster by releasing two members of its secondary.
As reported by NFL.com, Barron, who was the 7th overall draft pick in 2012, has just signed a $45 million contract with the Rams. As part of the deal, the athlete is expected to remain with the team for five more years.
The move by the Rams does not come as a surprise given Barron's performance last season. Starting in 12 out of 16 games, he managed to collect a total of 76 tackles and defended five passes.
Another athlete that the team is looking to retain is quarterback Case Keenum. As a restricted free agent, Keenum is free to join any team that presents an offer. But, it seems the Rams will make it harder for competitors to snatch away the 28-year-old athlete by offering a first-round tender set at around $3.6 million. This means if the player decides to sign with another team, the Rams will be compensated in the form of a first-round draft pick, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Although the team has managed to secure some of its key players, it also lost a few good ones. As noted by the site, safety Rodney McLeod and Janoris Jenkins, who are both free agents, have moved on and greed to side with other teams.
Starting next season, McLeod will be playing for the Philadelphia Eagles while Janoris Jenkins will be with the New York Giants. The former signed a $37-million contract with his new team while the latter was offered with a $62.5-million deal.
Aside from these two, other athletes who left the Rams include Chris Long, Jared Cook and James Laurinaitis. Their departure was confirmed in a statement issued by coach Jeff Fisher.
"This is the time of the year when all NFL teams are faced with difficult decisions regarding their veteran players," he said. "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," he added.
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