The St. Louis Rams and left tackle Jake Long have agreed to a four-year deal worth $36 million, according to media reports. Long missed the final four games of last season with a triceps injury that landed him on injured reserve.
Long was taken first overall in the 2008 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins and had been a Pro Bowl starter every year of his career before 2012. According to an ESPN.com report Long's decision came down to signing with the Rams or returning to the Dolphins. The report also said the Pittsburgh Steelers threw their hat into the ring for Long's services, but they got involved too deep into his negotiations with St. Louis.
Dolphins guard Richie Incognito was very vocal on Twitter about not wanting the Dolphins to let Long walk away. He created a hash tag that read #bringjakehome, and also sent tweets such as "Dear Jake, u complete me Richard ;-)." Several tweets following that were photos of Long and Incognito together, including one that was taken in costume at a Halloween party.
Despite his Michigan Wolverines pedigree, high draft position and decorated career, Long has shown signs of decline as well as health concerns. After being ranked tenth, second and second from 2008-2010, his ranking among NFL lineman dropped to 21st in 2011 when he allowed 26 quarterback pressures. He got worse in 2012, when his ranking dipped all the way to 46th. He allowed 21 pressures in 12 games, and posted a 95.7 pass blocking efficiency rating according to Profootballtalk.com. In 2010, that rating stood at 97.7. Due to the massive contract he was playing under last year Long rated as Profootballtalk.com's most overrated lineman in the NFL for 2012.
Long rarely missed games before last season, but he has suffered a variety of injuries since entering the league. He injured his ankle in 2008, dealt with a bum shoulder in 2010, and back and biceps trouble in 2011. His agent Jeff Snead told reporters, "What I'll say is, health is not a problem."
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