The St. Louis Rams have signed defensive end Robert Quinn to a four-year contract extension worth $66.575 million. The deal includes $41.2 million in guaranteed money. Quinn will be under contract through the 2019 season.
The new contract will start in 2016 after his rookie deal is finished. He was drafted in the first round in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Quinn, 24, is one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL. He had 19 sacks last season and was a first-team All Pro. He is one of the cornerstones of the Rams defense along with fellow DE Chris Long. This is a very good signing for the Rams because Quinn is one of the few players on the team that has lived up to the hype in recent years.
He has been consistently good since entering the league in 2011.
St. Louis is going to have money to spend this offseason because of the unfortunate injury to Sam Bradford. The team will not have to deal with that albatross of a contract anymore.
With all of the excess cash, it makes sense to lock up Quinn now so that he doesn’t get to free agency. I doubt that Quinn would stay in St. Louis if he got to the open market, so good move by head coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead.
There is still work to be done in St. Louis. Finding a new quarterback is the top priority. The receiving corps may need an overhaul. However, the defense has some bright spots. Quinn is one of those bright spots. Dominant pass rushers like him are rare.
St. Louis couldn’t afford to let walk, and they got him. Robert Quinn deserved his extension and should be a dominant pass rusher for years to come.