Defensive end Chris Long agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the New England Patriots on Tuesday night. News of the new deal was first reported on by ESPN’s Trey Wingo. Long had spent his first eight years in the NFL with the Rams in St. Louis.
Long gets a one year deal… looks like he's the replacement for Chandler Jones. Busy day in Foxboro
— trey wingo (@wingoz) March 16, 2016
Chris Long Agrees To 1-Year Deal with Patriots
Chris Long was the definition of consistency and reliability for the first six years of his career. Drafted second overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, Long was the leader of that defense from the start and regarded as one of the best defensive ends in the game. He has accumulated 54.5 sacks to go along with 195 total tackles and 8 forced fumbles in eight seasons. Although the Rams haven’t been to the playoffs since 2004, Long hasn’t uttered any type of displeasure.
Long’s first six seasons may have been great, but his last two seasons with the Rams were riddled with injuries, which caused him to miss 10 games in 2014, and 4 games last year. Not only did injuries hit hard, but Long’s play seemed to drop off quite a bit when he was back on the field. After coming back from a fractured bone in his knee in Week 11 last year, the quality of his play diminished, as well as the amount of snaps and playing time he received.
On February 19, Long, along with fellow veterans James Laurinaitis and Jared Cook, were released by the Rams. Injuries and poor play weren’t the only factors in the Rams decision to cut Long. Long would have been a $14.25 million hit on the Rams salary cap if he was not released. Their decision to cut him was in the best interest of the team based on his play, the amount of money he was due, and the many injuries that he had suffered.
Long did show flashes of his old self in the beginning of last year, before getting injured again. If he can stay healthy, Long can help his new team out with their need for a consistent pass rush. Long also provides another veteran leader that is always welcome in any team’s locker room. Hopefully, Long will be able to restart his career, stay free of injuries, and help out his new team in any way he can.
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