Rams Lock Up Long

The Rams have made no secret about the fact that they want to work out extensions for their top two defensive stars. After Sunday, they are halfway there. The team has reportedly agreed to a four-year extension with DE Chris Long. Terms of the deal have yet to be disclosed, but it is believed that it should be worth over $10 million per year with somewhere around $20 million guaranteed.

“I’ve been here along with some other guys for some years now, and seen the downs,” Long said. “Well, when it turns around, I want to be a part of it. And I don’t want to be watching it from somewhere else. When Coach ‘Fish’ got here, it gave us some hope, and he does things the right way. I think Les has a vision for it, and Stan (Kroenke)’s obviously a great owner.”

I love that this got done before things really get going. Long is one of the most important pieces on this roster, so knowing he is going to be here is huge. He’s gotten better every year he’s been in the league, and he looks to be on the verge of establishing himself as one of the elite pass-rushers in the league. The guy works as hard or harder than anyone in the league, so there’s no reason to believe his production will drop off now that he got paid. It’s a good move by the team, and Long deserves it.

The team is still working on an extension for their other major defensive weapon who is in the final year of his deal in James Laurinaitis. I expect the two sides to get something done, but for now we’ll just have to wait.