The Los Angeles Rams have had a busy offseason, although it hasn’t necessarily been a good one as they have had a ton of turnover both on their roster and coaching staff.
A big reason for that has been due to the Rams’ lack of cap space after handing out some lucrative extensions in recent years.
The team did have some money to spend though, and they used a lot of it to retain their veteran offensive linemen in Andrew Whitworth and Austin Blythe. Offensive line was a big issue for the Rams in 2019, so it is not a surprise to see them put some resources into improving it this offseason.
Whitworth’s contract is a three-year deal despite him being 38 years of age. It was revealed when Blythe re-signed that his contract was a one-year deal, but the exact terms have now been released, via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network:
Other side of the line:#Rams G Austin Blythe: 1 year, $3.9M ($3.5M guaranteed)#Giants T Cameron Fleming: 1 year, $3.5M ($2M gtd). Max $4M.#Cardinals C Max Garcia: 1 year, $1.25M ($600K gtd). Max $2.25M.#Cardinals T Marcus Gilbert: 1 year, $1.05M ($150K gtd). Max $3.75M. https://t.co/GT80gqVJ4A
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 30, 2020
Being able to retain Blythe at only $3.9 million is a solid value deal for the Rams, who are strapped for cash this offseason.
Blythe originally was a seventh-round draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 2016 out of Iowa. The Rams claimed him off waivers in 2017, and he has only missed one game in his three seasons with the team. He started the 2019 season as the team’s right guard but moved over to center after Brian Allen suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 10 and became a stabilizing factor upfront for the Rams.
While Allen is expected back from injury in 2020, it will be interesting to see if the Rams decide to leave Blythe at center considering that is where he had the most success last season.
Regardless though, having someone as versatile as Blythe will be big for the Rams’ offensive line if they catch the injury bug again in 2020 as they did in 2019.
