The 7 worst contracts in LA Rams franchise history

Sixth Worst contract

6. OG Jason Brown – February 28, 2009 – 5 Years $37.5 million/ $20 million guaranteed

My, how things have changed for the Rams front office practices, eh? The LA Rams simply do not shop the NFL Free Agency market for offensive linemen nowadays. But that was not the case in 2009 when the St. Louis Rams were eager to fill a hole in their interior offensive line and did so by signing former Baltimore Ravens offensive guard turned center, Jason Brown, to a hefty 5-year deal.

The problem was that the Rams cut Brown after three years, clearly a result of not getting the player that they thought they were paying for. Even more alarming, Brown did not suit up for another NFL team after his release. Hey, it happens. But the problem then and now is the fact that the LA Rams guaranteed over 50 percent of that amount to an offensive center whose majority of NFL playing time was playing at offensive guard.  That’s the way it goes sometimes.

Fifth Worst contract

5. WR Drew Bennett – 2007 – 6 Years $30 million/ $10 million guaranteed

When the St. Louis Rams faced losing wide receiver Kevin Curtis to free agency, they simply went shopping for their next offensive weapon from the same marketplace. The team signed former Tennessee Titans WR Drew Bennett to join receiver duo Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.  The fact that the Rams wanted Bennett on a six-year deal was kind of a big deal at the time.

That six-year deal was aimed at paying for up to 96 games from Bennett. What the Rams ended up paying for was 15 games 34 catches 379 yards and 3 touchdowns. That is $3.33 million per touchdown. Much like the Brown contract, Bennett’s deal locked up an unfamiliar player for the longest time, guaranteed money, but never delivered the player sought when making the deal. By year two of this deal, the Rams cut Bennett, who never played another down in the NFL.