The Los Angeles Rams will have numerous decisions to make this offseason, few of which will be bigger than the one looming with Cory Littleton. The former undrafted linebacker is set to hit free agency for the first time in 2020 and after putting together an impressive season, he’s expected to cash in with a lucrative new contract.
The Rams aren’t flush with cap space next year and keeping Littleton around could prove difficult. With Dante Fowler Jr., Andrew Whitworth and Michael Brockers also hitting free agency, the front office has a lot to think about.
Littleton has never been in this position before, as this will be his first chance to test the market; he was a restricted free agent in 2019 and signed a one-year tender for $3.1 million. While he’d like to be back with the Rams, he knows the business side of the NFL.
“I don’t know if I’m going to be a Ram next year; I would more than love to be, because this is the place I’ve been for the past four years,” Littleton told the San Diego Tribune. “Everybody here, I can honestly say, is like family.
“At the same time, there’s a whole business aspect to it, where, if you don’t get what you want, sometimes you have to go to another place and branch out somewhere else. And, that’s perfectly fine. Being able to continue to play football is the most important thing.”
This is a similar approach taken by Fowler, who also said he would love to be back with the Rams but understands they “have their hands full” and may not be able to keep him. When it’s all said and done, the Rams will probably have to choose between Littleton and Fowler, both of whom are having career-best seasons.
Both are valuable to the defense, with Littleton shoring up the middle and Fowler providing consistent pressure off the edge. Pass rushers are typically viewed as more valuable assets, but they also cost more money.
Regardless of which way the Rams lean, one thing’s for sure: Both Fowler and Littleton are going to cash in somewhere, whether it’s in Los Angeles or elsewhere – and they know it, too.
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