Tackle Jake Long, the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NFL draft, made a quick trip to St. Louis once the free-agency period opened. Since then, there has been nothing quick about Long’s search for a new job.
After an extended visit with the Rams, Long left without a contract. Multiple reports indicate that he’s now weighing roughly equivalent offers from the Rams and the Dolphins.
The Eagles also were believed to be interested in Long; given the manner in which Philly came out of nowhere to snag cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha in 2011, it’s impossible to rule them out.
Regardless of where Long lands, he has created a bottleneck for tackles like Andre Smith and Sebastian Vollmer. All three are represented by CAA, and it’s clear that the plan is to let Long set the ceiling for the others.
On the first day of free agency, former Saints left tackle Jermon Bushrod did a five-year, $35.965 million deal with the Bears. That’s an average of $7.193 million per year, surely less than what Long is looking for.