Two Rams Rookies Remain Unsigned; But Why?
The Los Angeles Rams hushed any murmurs surrounding late rookie signings after Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, Zach Evans and Ochaun Mathis all inked their first deals this week.
But that still leaves two newbies unsigned. Defensive tackle Kobie Turner and edge Byron Young have yet to ink deals, and it's almost the Fourth of July. So what's the holdup?
Well, this isn't entirely abnormal. While rookie contracts are typically signed early on now that the NFL has a salary scale for first-year players, negotiations can still drag on.
At this point in the juncture, lengthy contract talks can be chalked up to agents arguing over better signing bonus details or an array of miscellaneous situations that could void a contract, none of which have been rumored for Turner or Young.
So, once the Rams finally put pen to paper with these two, what will the team be getting?
"When the Rams decided to take the “remodel” road, they burnt their bridge when it came to the defensive line. Four of five starters across the front line were cast off. [Kobie] Turner, drafted at No. 89 of Round 3, is in competition with a group of undrafted free agents and later round draft picks," SBNation wrote.
Turner, taken 89th overall out of Wake Forest, enjoyed 38 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and two sacks in his final year for the Demon Deacons. He could be an instant-impact addition.
"Can [Byron] Young make an immediate impact?" SBNation asked. "Athletic freak with a 9.22 RAS, only nicked down by his height and weight. But is he small? All-Pro Von Miller is of a similar size. Has SEC pedigree (Tennessee) and was selected at #77 of Round 3."
Young, another third-round draft pick, was another defensive monster. His last year in Knoxville equated to 37 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks. He's ready to compete.
This all means that performance is likely not what's kept these two from signing. The Rams are just taking their sweet time in 2023.
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