The 2017 NFL season for the Los Angeles Rams took many by surprise. Upon his hiring, head coach Sean McVay made a commitment to change the culture during the offseason.
He did that by signing a number of veterans to help balance out the youth on the Rams. Now it seems they are looking to stick around and see this through. According to Kristen Lago of the team’s official site, outside linebacker Connor Barwin is hoping to stay in Los Angeles for the near future:
“I’d love to be back,” he said. “This is my third time [that] I’ll be a free agent. I’ve been down this road before. I’ll just let it take care of itself, enjoy these next couple of months, and then hope to be back and get to work.”
Barwin was admittedly surprised by how well this team meshed throughout the year while showing high praise for defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.
“This team has the strongest foundation of any of the teams that I have gone to the playoffs with,” Barwin said, adding that Phillips’ system is “the best for me to play in.”
“I know the people around here know that and people around the league know that, so it makes sense from a football standpoint to be back in this system.”
Barwin had been a fixture in Phillips’ defense during their tenure together with the Houston Texans. This made him a prime candidate to play in the Rams’ new defensive scheme upon Phillips’ arrival.
Barwin largely served as a rotation player on the edge this year, recording 34 tackles and 5.0 sacks in 14 games. Los Angeles will have some big decisions to make this offseason, especially at the linebacker position. That said, there is a very good chance the Rams keep Barwin at the right price.
