Through their moves to and from St. Louis and Los Angeles, the Rams have typically avoided complete disaster in free agency, as long as the extension they gave to Todd Gurley in 2018 doesn't count. Considering only free agents coming from other teams, here are the five worst since L.A. originally entered the NFL as the Rams in 1937.
5. Jamie Duncan, 2002
London Fletcher was one of the NFL's elite linebackers for the better part of 15 years, and was especially effective in coverage during his prime. Ironically, the Rams let Fletcher walk in 2002 because they thought he wasn't good enough in coverage, according to then-defensive coordinator Lovie Smith. Fletcher was replaced with former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Jamie Duncan, who signed for around $11 million over five years, while Fletcher left for Buffalo to the tune of $16 million for five years.
Duncan started 12 of 16 games in 2002, collecting 46 solo tackles. He started just six of 16 games in 2003, and after playing in only four games in 2004, he was out of the league. Meanwhile, Fletcher ended his career with over 2,000 total tackles, and could very well end up in the Hall of Fame. Duncan wasn't an extremely pricey investment, but it's safe to say the Rams made a huge mistake.
4. Jared Cook, 2013
Over his first four seasons in the NFL, with the Tennessee Titans, Jared Cook showed flashes of elite ability, catching 131 passes for 1,717 yards and eight touchdowns. St. Louis thought they could squeeze significantly more production out of Cook's talent, and gave him $35 million over five years, with $16 million guaranteed.
In terms of average salary proportionate to the salary cap, Cook's contract was richer than any tight end deal today, include the one Austin Hooper recently signed with Cleveland. It was a huge risk that offered an equally large reward.
Unfortunately, Cook did not live up to expectations, catching 142 passes for 1,786 yards and eight scores over his three seasons in St. Louis. Those were better numbers than what he put up in Tennessee, but not worth his contract, and the Rams cut him prior to the 2016 campaign. Cook's physical ability has allowed him to remain in the league, and he's caught 15 touchdowns over the past two seasons with Oakland and New Orleans.
3. Jason Brown, 2009
From 2006-2008, Jason Brown was one of the NFL's elite pass protectors for the Baltimore Ravens, both at guard and center. The Rams were thought to be making a great investment when they offered him $37.5 million over five years, with $20 million guaranteed. And for one year, that was the case. However, his play fell off considerably in 2010, and then off a cliff in 2011, after which he was out of the league.
Brown was made the NFL's highest-paid center, and even to this day was better-paid relative to any current center. Nowadays, he owns a large farm in North Carolina where he donates food to local food banks.
2. Drew Bennett, 2007
Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce was nearing the end of his playing career, and 2007 would be his final in a St. Louis uniform. The Rams sought to preemptively replace him, and signed former Titan Drew Bennett to a five-year $30 million contract, including $10 million guaranteed. This equates to around $11 million yearly with the 2020 salary cap.
Bennett had accumulated over 700 yards receiving in each of the past three seasons, including an 80 catch, 1,247 yard, 11 touchdown performance in 2004. It seemed like a pretty good bet, with just the first two years guaranteed.
Fortunately for the Rams, they didn't guarantee anything past those two years. Playing behind Bruce and Torry Holt in 2007, he was targeted just 73 times, catching only 43 of those for 375 yards and three touchdowns. A broken leg ended his 2008 campaign after only one game, and after suffering a knee injury during the 2009 preseason with the Baltimore Ravens, Bennett retired.
1. Cortland Finnegan, 2012
Early in his career, Cortland Finnegan was one of the NFL's premier defensive backs with the Tennessee Titans, but by the time he hit the free agent market for the second time at the age of 28, his play wasn't quite what it used to be. The Rams ignored this, and gave him $50 million over five years, with $24 million guaranteed. His performance then fell off a cliff, and was released after just two seasons.
Finnegan's relative deal would rank second in the NFL today, behind only Darius Slay and Byron Jones. At the time, Finnegan's guarantees were the highest ever for a corner. He didn't come close to living up to that price, and was out of football after a season each with Miami and Carolina.
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