Cuts
Nickell Robey-Coleman
Robey-Coleman has been the Rams’ most reliable and consistent cornerback the last three years, so moving on from him to save $4.5 million was surprising. But after seeing him only get a one-year, $1.3 million deal from the Eagles, perhaps he wasn’t as coveted as some fans thought. Still, It was a somewhat surprising move to see the Rams decline his option, essentially passing the torch to David Long at nickel corner.
Grade: C+
Todd Gurley
Cutting Gurley before he could play a down on his new deal seems crazy, but the Rams clearly didn’t feel like he was a marquee back anymore. Otherwise, they would’ve kept him around instead of taking on $20.15 million in dead money. They didn’t want to go through another season of explaining his lack of touches, so they cut ties.
Their logic wasn’t hard to see, so this isn’t a terrible move if Darrell Henderson can step up. But they get an F for handing out that large of a contract two years before Gurley’s rookie deal was set to end.
Grade: B-
Clay Matthews
Matthews had eight sacks last season and was a solid pickup for the Rams, but many of those sacks were the result of free rushes, stunts with Aaron Donald and one-on-one opportunities. He was also poor against the run, which is not something a strongside outside linebacker can be. The Rams added Leonard Floyd to replace him and are confident in their other young pass rushers to step up, and the move saved $5 million, too.
Grade: A-