Los Angeles Rams: Recently released Jamie Collins a great fit

In a move that was not that shocking, Jamie Collins has been released by the Cleveland Browns and would be a nice fit on the Los Angeles Rams.

The Cleveland Browns finally released Jamie Collins on Wednesday after weeks of speculation of whether or not the team was going to trade him or release him. There are several potential suitors, which should include the Los Angeles Rams.

Ironically, the Rams just released a former first-round pick and inside linebacker Mark Barron, freeing up $6.33 million this year.

The Cleveland Browns released Collins for the exact same reason. Collins, who had two more years under contract, was set to make $10 million this season and was responsible for an $11.75 million cap hit.

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By making this move, the Browns free up $9.25 million in cap space.

Right off the bat, the New England Patriots are the top suitors for Collins, at least that is what the reports and the opinions of writers around the NFL scene think. Collins is a former Patriot, after all, would help the team at outside linebacker and even won two rings in New England.

However, instead of signing with the Patriots, Collins should look into the team that the Patriots defeated in the Super Bowl, the Los Angeles Rams. Although it might seem counter-intuitive that the Rams sign a linebacker right after releasing one, Collins would be a nice fit on this team.

First of all, he is not going to cost $10 million this season and probably won’t even cost $6.33 million. I could see the Rams signing Collins to a two-year, $10 million contract or even a three-year, $12 million contract to give him more longevity.

Collins is not the traditional outside linebacker that the Rams would look for in their 3-4 defensive scheme. He is not the big-bodied outside linebacker that plays more like a defensive end. Instead, he is a someone that can drop into coverage, plug running lanes as well as shut things down on the outside.

The Rams need someone as athletic on the outside as Collins with Dante Fowler hitting free agency. Collins can still get to the quarterback, evident from his four sacks last season and will only be better knowing that Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers will be terrorizing the interior of the offensive line.

It might not seem like the perfect fit on paper because of the Rams’ defensive scheme but Collins is exactly the kind of player the team should be after in the exact position that the team needs to add most.

Instead of hoping that a first-round pick can make a huge difference, why not bring in Collins and use that first-round pick on an interior linebacker or safety? That route seems much smarter.