While the Rams are moving from St. Louis to Los Angeles, defensive end Chris Long isn't coming. He was released by the team on Feb. 19.
In addition to Long, the Rams also released middle linebacker James Laurinaitis and tight end Jared Cook. Long was due for a $2 million roster bonus on March 11.
The Rams will save $24.525 million in cash and about $23 million in cap space for this year by releasing Long, Laurinaitis and Cook, according to USA Today. They now have more than $50 million in cap space.
"This is the time of year when all NFL teams are faced with difficult decisions regarding their veteran players,” Rams coach, Jeff Fisher, said in a statement. “Chris and James are the epitome of what it means to be a pro in this league and it’s been an honor to coach them both. They’ve been the pillars of our defense for many years and not enough can be said of their love for the game and for their teammates. Beyond the field, they took pride in mentoring the younger players and doing their part to make a real difference in the St. Louis community. We will always be grateful for James and Chris’ unselfish commitment to the Rams and wish them the best moving forward.”
In a post on Instagram, Long thanked the fans for their support and said that there was no excuse for his performance the last two years.
Long was drafted by the Rams in 2008 and is the son of Hall of Famer and current Fox NFL analyst Howie Long. He started 95 games and had 54.5 sacks in eight seasons with the Rams, according to ESPN. Laurinaitis became the Rams' all-time leading tackler in 2015. Cook had 142 receptions for 1,786 yards and eight touchdowns in three seasons with the Rams. Long and Laurinaitis were the Rams' longest-tenured players before their release.
The Rams could possibly re-sign their free agents Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson, Rodney McLeod and Mark Barron now that Long, Laurinaitis and Cook are gone.