The Los Angeles Rams cut ILB Mark Barron to alleviate some cap space. Barron would have received a $3 million bonus on March 15, according to NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
This move may come as a surprise to some, but Barron’s contract is too high for his production. Last season, Barron earned 60 tackles and one safety in 12 games. He began producing a little more toward the end of the season, but never performed to his contract. After playing on a 5-year, $45 million contract back in 2016, it is clear that he isn’t the answer the Rams need at ILB.
Cutting Barron at this time does save the Rams approximately $7 million in cap space. It isn’t a ton of cash, but it does add a little more spending money. The Rams must focus during the 2019 NFL Draft and free agency to fill the void at multiple linebacker positions.
Barron initially began his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a safety before being traded to the Rams in 2014. The Rams eventually converted him to a linebacker and earned 302 tackles, 7 sacks and 5 interceptions in five seasons.
Sources: Spotrac.com, Twitter.com
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