The Los Angeles Rams’ secondary took another hit this offseason with safety Rodney McLeod deciding to leave the team and sign with the Philadelphia Eagles by agreeing to sign a five-year, $37 million deal that includes $17 million guaranteed, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter.
McLeod had become a mainstay for the Rams since signing with the team as an undrafted rookie in 2012. He had started at free safety alongside T.J. McDonald over the last three seasons, helping them develop the reputation as a hard-hitting duo.
The 25-year-old recorded his best season in 2015, ranking fourth in tackles among safeties and becoming the ninth-rated in coverage at his position by Pro Football Focus. He also posted career highs with four interceptions and three forced fumbles. He’s now set to join the Eagles secondary playing alongside Pro Bowl safety Malcolm Jenkins, who signed a five-year, $40.5 million contract extension with the team last month.
This latest move has only further accentuated the loss of cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who chose to bolt the team in free agency by signing with the New York Giants inking a five-year, $62.5 million contract, with $29 million guaranteed and $40 million over the first three years.
Source: NFL.com, Pro-football-reference.com
Bob Garcia IV is a sports journalist from Southern California. He is also the Los Angeles Lakers beat writer for Sportsoutwest.com, and About.com. He was a reporter for the award-winning newspaper, The Daily Sundial, at California State University, Northridge. You can follow him on Twitter, @Bgarcia90.
