There will be a lot of difficult decisions made by the Los Angeles Rams this season. Deciding whether to keep Nickell Robey-Coleman on the roster in 2020 will not be one of them.
Robey-Coleman has a team option written in his contract for next season, which the Rams can either choose to pick up or decline. If they decline it, he’ll become a free agent in March. If it’s picked up, he’ll be on the books with a cap hit of $4.5 million in 2020.
It doesn’t take much to realize this decision should be a no-brainer for the Rams front office.
Robey-Coleman was one of the Rams’ steadiest cornerbacks this season and has been since coming to Los Angeles in 2017. Despite being undersized, he’s among the best slot corners in the NFL.
Keeping him around for $4.5 million would be a wise move for the Rams, given how valuable he is to the defense at such a low price. He signed his current contract before the 2018 season, locking him in for three years for a total of $16.75 million.
He finished this season with seven passes defensed, 35 tackles, two forced fumbles and three tackles for loss. Robey-Coleman was only responsible for one touchdown and allowed receptions on 64.1% of the passes thrown his way (41-for-64).
Assuming he does return in 2020, he’ll be part of a cornerback group that should also feature Jalen Ramsey, Troy Hill, Darious Williams and David Long Jr.
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