Free agency is only a few hours old and the Rams have made their first major move. Per Adam Schefter the Rams are expected to sign Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth. This is a huge deal for the Rams who came into the off-season desperate for a veteran presence on the offensive line so Jared Goff can have some semblance of a prayer.
The deal is expected to be in the neighborhood of three years $36 million dollars with $15 million in guarantees $13 million in year one and $2.5 million of which would come in year two.
In the grand scheme of things this isn’t that bad of a contract for a three time pro bowl offensive lineman, the most recent of which came in 2015. He also made first and second All-Pro teams in his career and despite being 35 years old has only missed four games.
The Rams need all the help they can get on the line with Greg Robinson near the end of his deal and unless he can make an impact at guard it isn’t likely that the former 2nd overall pick will be around much longer and the rest of their line are incredibly young so Whitworth provides some stability until they can build their line through the draft.
Unfortunately this deal likely keeps them from nabbing a marquee free agent but with their cap situation already dire it wasn’t likely a DeSean Jackson or a Tony Romo were coming anyway. Head coach Sean McVay at least has a guy who can help the offense improve from being last in yards per play and give Todd Gurley a chance to rebound from his lackluster season.
Whithwoth’s signing also means they don’t necessarily have to burn their 2nd round pick on another lineman and focus on getting someone to catch passes.
Offense is the focal point this year and what better way to do it than getting an adult on the line and someone who in concert with new offensive line coach Aaron Kromer can mentor an offensive line corps that is all youth and potential.
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