St. Louis Rams Sign Jake Long
By Josh Sanchez
The offensive tackle market can finally get rolling. After a very long and drawn out process, it appears that the top offensive tackle on the market, Jake Long, appreciated his three day wine and dine in St. Louis and the nearly week long, drama-filled saga, but he has had enough and finally make a decision. It was done to the St. Louis Rams and Miami Dolphins fighting for Long’s services, and the former No. 1 overall pick chose not to return to Miami.
Per Pro Football Talk:
Jake Long agrees to terms with Rams, per league source. Chooses St. Louis over Dolphins.
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) March 18, 2013
Long gets a four-year deal worth up to $36 million.
Now that Long is off of the market, the rest of the tackle needy teams can search the market and find a player that best suits their system and roster. Because of how long it took for Long to sign, there are still plenty of starting caliber offensive tackles that are capable of coming in and starting.
Near the end of the Long sweepstakes, there was some belief that the Dolphins had a fighting chance. However, it looks like Long was using the team that selected him No. 1 overall to drive up his price.
Well played, Jake Long. Well played.