Rams asked Michael Brockers to adjust contract before trade

The Rams and Michael Brockers couldn’t agree on a tweaked contract, so they traded their starting defensive end.

For the second time this season, the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions struck a deal on a trade. After swapping quarterbacks in their first deal, the Rams are now sending their longest-tenured veteran, Michael Brockers, to Detroit.

But before the Rams agreed to trade their starting defensive end to the Lions, they asked him to adjust his contract, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. They couldn’t agree on an adjustment to his deal, which carried a $9.83 million cap hit in 2021, so the Rams traded him.

Brockers just signed a three-year extension worth $24 million last offseason after his contract with the Ravens fell through. The Rams signed him despite already adding A’Shawn Robinson in free agency, which gave them a crowded defensive line.

By trading Brockers, the Rams do save more than they would have if they outright cut him. They’ll clear $6.17 million in cap space, which includes $3.67 million in dead money this year.

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