Rams Add Free Agent Fairley
St. Louis has added to a position of strength at defensive line, signing former first-round pick Nick Fairley, the team announced on Friday.
The big defensive tackle -- listed at 6-foot-5, 291 pounds -- spent his first four years in the league with the Lions. The 13th overall pick of the 2011 draft out of Auburn, Fairley played in 46 games for Detroit, making 30 starts. While he had a productive first half of the 2014 season, an MCL sprain suffered against the Falcons in London kept him sidelined for the rest of the year.
In his four years with the Lions, Fairley recorded 13.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and a safety.
He was a member of Auburn’s 2011 BCS National Championship team, and was named the defensive MVP of the contest for registering 3.0 tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble. That season, Fairley won the Vince Lombardi award (given to the best lineman or linebacker in the nation). He recorded 24.0 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, an interception, and two forced fumbles for the Tigers
Rams Sign Linebacker Akeem Ayers
“I have a lot of excitement just to be a part of this team, a part of this defense,” Ayers said Thursday night. “We’ve got a lot of young guys on defense, and a lot of talented guys on defense. I wanted to be a part of a good team and a good defense.”
Tennessee drafted Ayers in the second round of the 2011 draft, and he spent the first three-plus years of his career there, until the Patriots traded for him in October of last season. In nine games for the eventual Super Bowl champions, Ayers recorded 20 tackles, four sacks, and an interception.
For his career, Ayers has played in 59 games registering 252 tackles, 13.0 sacks, three forced fumbles, and three interceptions.
Ayers said that one of his factors for coming to St. Louis was his familiarity with some of the staff. He’s been reunited with linebackers’ coach Frank Bush, who coached the same position with the Titans for Ayers’ first two years in the league. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is also familiar with Ayers, as the coach spent 2013 as a senior defensive assistant with Tennessee.
“I just like the direction this team is going, especially the defense,” Ayers said. “We’ve got something really good going here, and I’m just happy to be a part of it, put my input in, and get ready to win some games.”
On Wednesday afternoon, the Rams made their third move of the free agency period. The franchise re-signed free agent tight end
Kendricks is entering his fifth season with the Rams after the team selected him in the second round of the 2011 draft. Last season, he scored a career-high five touchdowns to lead all St. Louis pass catchers and finished the year with 27 receptions for 259 yards.
Since entering the NFL, Kendricks has appeared in 62 games (51 starts) and registered 129 catches for 1,388 yards and 13 touchdowns. He is fifth in team history among tight ends for most touchdown catches and is five shy of tying franchise leader Damone Johnson (1986-92). Kendricks set career highs in receptions (42) and receiving yards (519) during his sophomore campaign in 2012. At the time, his 519 receiving yards were the most by a Rams tight end since the team moved to St. Louis in 1995.
The Milwaukee, Wisc. native attended the University of Wisconsin where he started 17 of 30 games and caught 62 passes for 914 yards.
The Milwaukee, Wisc. native attended the University of Wisconsin where he started 17 of 30 games and caught 62 passes for 914 yards.
Rams Acquire Nick Foles
The Rams have acquired quarterback Nick Foles
from the Eagles for quarterback Sam Bradford and a fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft, the team announced Tuesday afternoon. In addition, St. Louis received Philadelphia's fourth-round pick in the 2015 draft, and a second-round pick in the 2016 draft.
“Throughout his five years with the Rams, Sam has been a consummate professional,” Rams Owner E. Stanley Kroenke said in a statement. “We thank Sam for his dedication to our team and community and wish him and his family the best moving forward.”
Bradford was the first overall pick in the 2010 draft, and threw for 11,065 yards, 59 touchdowns, and 38 interceptions for the franchise. He played only seven games the last two seasons, having suffered an ACL tear against the Panthers in 2013, and against the Browns in the 2014 preseason.
“Sam was a leader on our team in the locker room and on the field,” Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said in a statement. “He was a great teammate who was dealt some adversity but handled it all with grace and dignity. He represented himself as well as the organization in a first-class manner. I wish him nothing but the best throughout his career.”
He was named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year after throwing for 3,512 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions in 2010. In Philadelphia, Bradford will be reunited with former Rams and current Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, who coached the quarterback in his rookie season.
“I’m extremely excited about adding Nick to our team,” Fisher said. “Nick is a talented young quarterback and will be a great addition to our offense. I look forward to getting him here as we prepare to start our offseason program.”
In 2014, Foles suffered a broken collarbone in Week 8, missing the rest of the season. Prior to that, he threw for 2,163 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. For his career, Foles has completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 6,753 yards, 46 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. That’s good for a 1.9 interception percentage over three seasons.
