6 LA Rams players who could be playing their last season in horns

Playing himself right out of the Rams’ budget

The LA Rams have certainly ridden the roller coaster with DT A’Shawn Robinson, a player who is arguably playing the best football of his career. In the process, I’m not sure that anyone truly appreciates the path that Robinson has taken since signing with the Rams.

When he arrived at the team, he stood 6-foot-4 and weighed a girthy 330-pounds.  While that was all well and good for the Detroit Lions, the Rams wanted more out of the veteran defensive lineman. So he pushed himself, dropped down to 300-pounds, and played the best season of his NFL career. But the best was yet to come.

There was plenty of talk about Aaron Donald and Von Miller, but perhaps the unsung hero on defense was the outstanding play of veteran Robinson.

He had played in three playoff games previously and had amassed just 13 tackles in those three appearances. But this time, in four games, he put up 22 tackles, one quarterback sack, six quarterback pressures, and one tackle for a loss.

The Rams were at risk of struggling in run defense throughout the playoffs, but Robinson’s impressive play was the difference, allowing the Rams’ other defenders to swarm to the ball carrier. Robinson played superbly, and the NFL noticed.

Robinson has done his best to comply and adhere to the expectations of the team. But like so many other veteran defenders, when the contract is up, there is a huge Brink’s truck loaded with incentivized stacks of cash to play for another team. The LA Rams cannot hope to match the type of offers Robinson will face next year.  Not a cap casualty, but simply a player who will play his way out of the Rams’ limited budget.