Los Angeles Rams: Grading the three recent signings by the Rams

The Los Angeles Rams made a trio of moves on Wednesday, bringing in two new faces and retaining one familiar face for another three seasons.

The Los Angeles Rams were relatively quiet this offseason up until Wednesday when the team extended Andrew Whitworth for three more seasons and signed defensive linemen Leonard Floyd and A’Shawn Robinson.

The Rams already had limited cap space and barring a Todd Gurley or Brandin Cooks trade, chances are that the team is done making any significant moves until the 2020 NFL Draft.

With that in mind, we may be looking at the team’s only three moves of the offseason. With them coming so close in time with each other, we decided to grade all three in one comprehensive article.

1. Andrew Whitworth extension: B-

I do not completely love the Andrew Whitworth extension, but the team was operating with a sense of need so I understand why they did it.

The biggest thing about this extension is not the player, as Whitworth has proven throughout his career that he is an elite left tackle. It is the length of the contract considering the player’s age. Whitworth turns 39 in December, meaning that he will play until he is 42.

Granted, there is a precedent for old left tackles in the league but this could turn out bad for the Rams. According to Spotrac, the team does have an out after the 2021 season with only $1.6 million in dead cap, so that is a ncie safety blanket to have.

Spotrac states that the contract is for three years and is just over $30 million with $12.5 million guaranteed. Whitworth only has a $6.66 million cap hit this year before jumping to a $11.16 million cap hit next year.

That is not terrible considering the team is looking to shop Gurley and Cooks and Cooks has an out in his contract after this season, but that cap jump could be restricting.

The biggest concern is age and how that is going to impact his production and his ability to stay on the field. With another solid, younger offensive lineman, such as Bryan Bulaga, agreeing to an identical contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, it does feel like the Rams slightly overspent for a 38-year-old Whitworth.