5 Former LA Rams that could return to team in 2020

DE Quinn

The LA Rams may have another former player returning, as the consensus seems to be forming around the belief that the Dallas Cowboys will not be pursuing defensive end Robert Quinn in free agency.  If he doesn’t return to the Cowboys, the Rams may have an interest in adding him to the defense.

The LA Rams traded Quinn in March 2018 as part of a salary-dump move, in turn obtaining a mid-round pick and upgrading a late-round pick in the process. At the time, the Rams sought salary cap relief to re-sign DT Aaron Donald, and shedding Quinn was part of that plan.  Prior to the trade, Quinns effective was in a decline as well.  The Miami Dolphins were happy to use their cap space on Quinn, in the belief he would solidify their defense.  While he was adequate on defense, he didn’t deliver his best as a Dolphin.

The Dolphins traded Quinn to the Dallas Cowboys the following season for a sixth-round pick. In Dallas, Quinn enjoyed a renaissance of sorts, delivering 11.5 sacks on just 627 defensive snaps. While that is certainly a good success rate, Quinn’s usage of a prohibited substance benched him for two games to serve out his two-game NFL suspension.

Spotrac.com estimates Quinn’s market value at approximately $11.8 million per year.  Without a good pulse on NFL interest, I’m uncertain just how likely that amount is to be paid. If Quinn remains on the NFL Free Agent Market for several weeks, that number could fall substantially.  In a range of $7-8 million, he would become a great value. Each year, some player surprisingly signs for an amount far under what the public expects.  Quinn could be that veteran, and the Rams should be prepared to do so if he drops his asking price.