Former Lions guard signed by the Rams, who now have a new starting center.
Although general manager Les Snead did not make a big splash when the NFL free agent market opened, the Rams slowly started to address a number of problems.
According to persons with knowledge of the matter, offensive tackle Jonah Jackson and tight end Colby Parkinson reached a contract agreement with the Rams on Monday. Since the deals can’t officially be announced until the NFL’s new league year starts on Wednesday, the individuals asked to remain anonymous.
A week after the Rams re-signed guard Kevin Dotson, whom they acquired in a trade on the eve of the previous season, they have acquired Jackson, a four-season player for the Detroit Lions. According to overthecap.com, Dotson was awarded a three-year contract with $32 million in guarantees.
Steve Avila, the Rams’ second-round selection from the previous season, will most likely switch to center after starting every game at left guard as a result of the Jackson deal.
At center, Avila, 24, has prior experience. Before being named an All-America guard in his last college season, he started six games as a sophomore and eleven as a junior at Texas Christian.
After voiding the last year of his contract, Coleman Shelton, who started at center for the Rams last season, is now an unrestricted free agent.
Overthecap.com estimates that the Rams had roughly $29 million in salary-cap room heading into Monday’s open-market negotiation session. That was 17th out of all NFL teams.
The Lions selected Jackson, 27, in the third round of the 2020 draft, and he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2021. Due to injuries to his wrist and knee, he missed five games during the previous season. He also had a knee injury during the NFC divisional round victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which kept him out of the NFC championship game loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Rob Havenstein, a seasoned player, is a fixture at right tackle. Alaric Jackson, a left tackle, is a prospective restricted free agent. Joe Noteboom, who has started for the Rams at guard and tackle, will almost definitely need to consent to a contract restructuring in order to stay with the team. According to overthecap.com, he is expected to have a $20 million salary cap number.
The Rams needed a tight end to complement second-year players Davis Allen and Hunter Long at the position, as veteran tight end Tyler Higbee was recovering from significant knee surgery.
Parkinson, 25, was chosen in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft and spent four seasons as a member of the Seattle Seahawks. The former Stanford star and standout from Westlake Village Oaks Christian High caught 25 catches for 247 yards and two scores last season.
For the Los Angeles Times, Gary Klein covers the Los Angeles Rams. He covered USC’s sports department and football program prior to that. He started off as a reporter for The Times in the San Fernando Valley edition and has covered collegiate, professional, and high school athletics. After attending Cal State Northridge, he graduated from high school in Southern California.