The Rams cut three veterans on Friday as they began remaking their roster for the 2016 season, including defensive end Chris Long.
The second overall pick of the 2008 draft has been limited to 18 games over the last two seasons because of injuries and has seen his production drop when he has been able to be on the field, which led him to make a blunt and accurate statement of his lack of success in a “production business.” Picking up just four sacks in the last two years doesn’t appear to be chilling interest in his services around the league, however.
Peter King of TheMMQB.com reports that Long has already started hearing from contending teams and he expects Long will be “pursued aggressively” by those clubs in the near future. King adds that Long may not be picking a team quickly, however, because his wife is due to give birth to the couple’s first child in the next few weeks.
If that’s the case, Long won’t be able to take full advantage on his head start hitting the open market and teams will have less money to spend if the delay stretches too far into the new league year. It could help him find a better fit as he tries to bounce back from two years that, by his own assessment, “have been s---.”