From ProFootballTalk.com.Jake Long agrees to terms with Rams



Posted by Mike Florio on March 18, 2013, 12:20 AM EDT
jake-long-1 Getty Images

The first overall pick in the 2008 draft has decided where he’ll be playing for the next four years. And it won’t be in the city where he has spent the last five.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, tackle Jake Long has agreed to terms with the Rams.

Long picked the Rams over the Dolphins, who made a late push to keep Long after his multi-day visit to St. Louis ended.

It’s a four-year deal, with a base value of $34 million, for an average of $8.5 million annually. With incentives, the deal can reach $36 million.

The deal has $16 million fully guaranteed, with another $4 million that will become fully guaranteed in 2014.

It’s unclear whether the Dolphins were offering the same, less, or more. In the end, it doesn’t matter. Long, who has made plenty from being a No. 1 overall pick in the days before the rookie wage scale, doesn’t have to take the best offer on the table.

Other reports are now saying 5/45.

Either way, 9 million a year. Can't say I'm upset Miami didn't match that.

I sincerely hope they make a strong run at Vollmer. I think he'd be an improvement, and could be had for a lot cheaper.

just saw this. They must have worked all day on trying to reach a deal with him.
Oh well, let's start negotiating with Eric Winston now.

Vollmer would be a sweet add, I'm liking this "hurt your rivals in your conference approach while improving your team". A double-edged sword.

I'm glad. My concern isn't for today, or September 1st. It is for December when Jake is back on IR. Or for 2014 or 2015 when you have a guy with seriously declining skills who is taking up a roster spot and big $$$ under the cap. Jake's body is a lot older than his actual age.

I like Jake. He was a great player. But the Rams are going to regret committing big money to him.

To think Miami drafted him because he was the safer pick. Shows how one decision can change the course of a franchise.

If the Dolphins do go after Vollmer, I would hope it would be to move him to OLT. Also, you have to make sure Vollmer back checks out.

Otherwise, bring Winston in to play ORT and move Martin over and hope he get's better with the move back to his natural position.

I hate to see Long go but 9 million + per year for a multi year deal is too much. Miami can fill several holes for that amount of $.

Im not sure if Jake Long can be counted on to play 16 games anymore. I was going to post that while all these negotiations were going on but I wanted to avoid the backlash had we resigned him.

I agree that 9 million is way to much.

I also agree with D4me about the safer pick quote.

More cap space!

I bet the deciding factor wasn't the money per year (if it is indeed $8.5 million per), but rather the number of years. I bet the Dolphins didn't want to go over 3 years.

Jake Long wasn't affecting the cap... so no this doesn't open up more cap space.

It would have affected the cap if he had signed a contract with the Dolphins. Now that money can go somewhere else.

I'm going to miss him, but the signs of decline have been showing on him due to his body breaking down. I was hopeful to get him back, but sometimes you just have to replace players through the draft. You can't resign all of your free agents.

We still need to use cap room on a tackle one way or another.

See the Dolphins can't land free agents.

We better stick to mediocre talent free agents.

Side note here but if you look at all of the 1st overall picks since 2000 the track record of them staying with their original team is awful.

Eli Manning is the only one not in his rookie contract to still be with his team. Bradford, Stafford and Luck are the others.

I think the Dolphins needed help with OL depth even if Long would have returned. Hopefully they can spread that money out a little more instead of just one guy making $9 million.

Yeah I think people over evaluate the reports of his "declined play"
Last year he was supposedly still not 100% and struggling with the new scheme, yet was still marginally better than the anything that filled in.. If you simply google "NFL Offensive Tackle 2012" you will find a few lists of top OT's, Jake is on those lists including the one from PFF...

Jake is a beast of a OT. Not easy to replace, however I do understand why they were not willing to commit too much to him at this point, he could very well be heading south physically.. But then again our team Dr's have been wrong before

True, we definitely need to address one of the tackle positions as well as one of the guard positions, and find players that fit the zone blocking scheme (Long and Jerry don't). There is no value in acquiring all of these targets for Tannehill if he doesn't get time to throw.

We'll probably need to address tackle in free agency and guard could be addressed via the draft.

The good thing is Jake Long set the market for tackles, so we can find a healthier, probably more athletic alternative for cheaper.

I am going to miss having Jake Long and enjoyed him while he was with the fins & I wish him the best with the Rams.

I agree with Rich that this will now allow the brain trust to go get a strong replacement that "fits" our zone blocking scheme. Winston or Vollmer would certainly help right away and Miami DOES need better protection for Tannehill.

Does Vollmer fit the scheme?

I know people are nervous about Martin, but signing Winston to play RT and finding a very good pulling guard in the draft gets this team in the right direction. Martin is the wild card.

I've seen a few folks suggest Miami actually trade up in the first round to Joeckel or Fisher.

This is a blessing in disguise.

Will Lane Johnson be there at #12, as I have a hard time seeing Ireland trading up? Is he a fit for a zone blocking scheme?

PFF had him ranked 46th in 2012.

There's a phrase for that. It's called "Tony Boselli Disease." It killed the Texans, and it's going to kill the Rams.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100000 ... louis-rams

Put a heavy DT on the outside and tell him to bull rush Jake...his knee or shoulder should be good for a quarter

Lane Johnson is a great fit for our zone system. Very athletic. However i think we would have to trade up 2 or 3 slots to secure him.

This "ESPN" guy must have read some of my posts.
Smart guy!