The Rams were already prepared to sign Brown for 2 million for one year. An extra year for 1.25 Mil? That seems like very good news. The Rams could negotiate for 4 days with CJ if they wanted to and know all along they have the match in their pocket. But I would expect the Rams will just match the Lions offer to Brown right away.
Lions sign RB Malcolm Brown to offer sheet but Rams can match it
Updated 11:27 PM; Posted Mar 19, 6:24 PM
By Nate Atkins | natkins@mlive.com
The Lions are going to the well of restricted free agency to try to fill out their backfield.
Detroit has signed Malcolm Brown to an offer sheet, ESPN reported Tuesday. The Rams will now have five days to either match the offer or allow their fifth-year running back to head to Detroit. The Lions’ offer is for two years and $3.25 million with $1 million guaranteed, including $100,000 in the form of a signing bonus, TheMMQB.com reported.
Brown, 25, received the original-round tender from Los Angeles this spring, but since he went undrafted out of Texas, no compensation would change hands between the Lions and Rams if the Rams let him walk.
Detroit worked Brown out late last week at the same time that it hosted wide receiver TommyLee Lewis, whom it signed earlier Tuesday.
Brown earned a little bit of buzz this offseason after he ran so well in limited time for last year’s NFC champions. He averaged 4.9 yards on 43 carries in 2018, though he did not find the end zone. He also turned five catches into 52 yards and a touchdown in Sean McVay’s offense.
He’s spent all four seasons with the Rams, though he only started getting actual work in 2016. He has averaged four yards on 128 career carries so far.
At a listed 5 feet 11 inches and 222 pounds, Brown could offer a little more build than Kerryon Johnson, whom the Lions are looking to support with better depth after his rookie year finished second in the league in yards per carry but was cut short after 10 games. Detroit brought back Zach Zenner, but it needs to replace LeGarrette Blount, who busted on a one-year deal last season.
Brown is their latest attempt at doing that, but it’s up to the Rams whether it will happen. If they don’t, Detroit could look to former Chiefs running back Spencer Ware, whom they worked out this week.[
www.mlive.com]
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/2019 06:42PM by Rams Junkie.