The Los Angeles Rams cut DE Chris Long, LB James Laurinaitis and TE Jared Cook on Friday, clearing up about $24 million in cap space, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
The Seattle Seahawks get a close-up look at the Rams twice a year, so the question is: Will they have interest in any of the three players?
Let's work backwards here. It would be surprising if they took a hard look at Laurinaitis or Cook. The Seahawks are in good shape with Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright as their middle and WILL linebackers. And they have some depth there too with guys like Kevin Pierre-Louis. Laurinaitis doesn't seem like a fit.
At tight end, the team has made it clear that it plans on bringing Jimmy Graham back. Graham is recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon injury and carries a cap hit of $9 million next season. But general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll have said that the Graham experiment is not going to end after one season. They're hoping he can rehab and be a big part of the passing game next season.
Luke Willson provides an insurance policy, and sinking dollars into Cook at this point wouldn't seem to make much sense.
Long is the most interesting potential option of the three. He turns 31 next month and has missed 14 games in the past two years. But Carroll made it clear at the end of the season that the Seahawks are always looking for pass-rush help. And the Seahawks have seen firsthand what Long is capable of. He has 8.5 sacks in 15 career games against Seattle. That's more than he has against any other NFL team.
Schneider has said that the team ends up bowing out of 70 or 80 percent of the deals it discusses. Given Long's age and injury history, the price would obviously have to be right. But he could be a player the Seahawks at least take a look at.