Former #Rams LB Cory Littleton has an agreement to join the #Raiders, source said, on a 3-year deal worth up to $36M. It has a base value of $11.75M per year.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 17, 2020
The Rams will need to find a new starter at inside linebacker next season because Cory Littleton is on his way out of Los Angeles. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Littleton has agreed to terms on a three-year deal with the Oakland Raiders.
Littleton was an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career this offseason after sticking with the Rams last year as a restricted free agent. With his coverage ability and sure tackling, Littleton was always expected to be a coveted player on the free-agent market.
That turned out to be true and he’s now cashed in with a lucrative long-term contract. It’s a well-deserved deal for the stud linebacker, putting together his best season in the NFL at the perfect time. It’s not as big of a contract as some were expecting, though, with many projecting Littleton to earn more than $14 million per year.
Last year, he had a career-high 134 tackles, two forced fumbles, 3.5 sacks, five QB hits and two interceptions. He also missed just five tackles, half as many as he had in 2018.
Littleton signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and got his start on special teams. He became a full-time starter in 2018, breaking up 13 passes and recording four sacks that year.
The Rams will miss him in the middle of their defense after he played at least 94% of the defensive snaps in each of the last two years.