It's about time that Ex-Rams DE Leonard Floyd remembers this about the LA Rams

When the LA Rams signed free agent Leonard Floyd to the team, they were getting a well-rounded outside linebacker who knew and could play all of the responsibilities of the role. But he was playing in a Vic Fangio-like defense alongside Khalil Mack and therefore was repeatedly stuck in the coverage backer role why Mack terrorized opposing quarterbacks. Floyd was targeted twice as often as Mack in pass coverage in both 2018 and 2019.

It's the same effect that happened to OLB Michael Hoecht on the Rams defense in 2022. He was targeted more than two times more often than any of his teammates.

When the Rams signed Floyd, two things happened. He was no longer responsible as often in coverage as an outside linebacker. As a result, the number of quarterback sacks by the guy skyrocketed form 3.0 in 2019 to 10.5 in 2020. And from that point, he would never again look back.

But not even Leonard Floyd's prowess as a pass rusher for the Rams could save him from the purging of highly compensated veterans. To get under the salary cap and reset the team's financial commitments, the team opted to bite the bullet after the troublesome 2022 5-12 season and revert to a rookie-loaded roster for 2023. Leonard Floyd, unfortunately, was unceremoniously and unhappily released by the team.

Floyd finds new teams to play for

In many ways, the Rams did Floyd a favor by allowing him to market his pass rushing wards to any NFL team, and sign with the one that he felt was closest to aligning with his own goals. His first stop was to follow former Rams teammate OLB Von Miller to play for the Buffalo Bills.

By all rights, the story should have ended there. But Floyd was still bitter about his release from the Rams roster. And so, he made his point by publicly declaring that the Bills had the most talented defensive line depth that he had ever played for.

Casting shade at his former team, the Los Angeles Rams, did not end there. Despite putting up respectable numbers (10.5 QB sacks, 32 tackles) for the Bills, tht team also had to come to grips with finite finances. Floyd, it seems, was unable to lure an extension from the Bills. And so, for the second time in two years, Floyd peddled his ware in the NFL Free Agency market.

And once again, he signed with a new team. This time he signed a rather modest two-year contract with the LA Rams NFC West Division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. And once more, he had a snarky comment that seemed to be intended at tossing shade at his former team, the LA Rams:

I won't deny the fact that I liked Leonard Floyd, and felt that he was one of the veterans who played up to the value of his contract with this team. Of course, with the Rams so cash-strapped in 2023, even reasonably-priced contracts were too extravagant of a luxury to afford. But I was certainly one of the well-wishers that hoped Floyd would do well.

But two snarky comments in two years has soured that well-wishing farewell. If the guy wants to slight his former team, the Los Angeles Rams, by comparison with his current team repeatedly, than he ought to do so by setting the record straight. He was certainly boosted in his threshold of production by playing alongside All-Pro DT Aaron Donald, and he sports a Super Bowl ring thanks to the LA Rams 2021 NFL season.

Sure, Floyd will continue to play the face to heel role in terms of his public statements about the LA Rams. But the truth of the matter, and I am certain that he realizes this, is that the Rams placed him back on the radar scopes of many NFL teams.

The Rams will face Floyd twice in 2024, and we will see how they manage to keep him at bay. But no matter how well or poorly Floyd plays against the Rams, we all know that he played for the Rams and helped them to claim the Lombardi Trophy, the first and only time in his NFL career.

Since we can remember that, isn't it time that he did as well?

Thanks for reading