The Los Angeles Rams’ defense has taken a big hit in free agency so far this offseason with the reported departures of Cory Littleton, Michael Brockers, Nickell Robey-Coleman and Dante Fowler Jr.
Fowler became the latest to sign elsewhere on Wednesday morning when he inked a three-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons. The hope was that the Rams would be able to retain Fowler, who is coming off a career season, but in the end, his price tag ended up being too high.
Pass rush became a clear priority for the Rams after the departure of Fowler, and it appears they did not wait long to find his replacement. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Rams are signing Leonard Floyd, formerly of the Chicago Bears, to a one-year contract:
Former Bears' pass rusher Leonard Floyd is signing a one-year, $10 million worth up to $13 with the Rams, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 18, 2020
Chicago drafted Floyd ninth overall in 2016 out of Georgia, where he was teammates with Todd Gurley. New Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley previously served as the linebackers coach with the Bears, so he is very familiar with what Floyd brings to the table.
Floyd is coming off a bit of a down year in which he only had 40 total tackles, 3.0 sacks and three tackles for loss in 16 games. The hope is that he will have a bit of a resurgence playing next to Aaron Donald, which was the case for Fowler when the Rams acquired him from the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Because the Bears released Floyd, the Rams do not have to give up a compensation pick to sign him. While this is a solid rebound to losing Fowler, L.A. still has a lot of work to do to improve their roster for the 2020 season.
