The St. Louis Rams have announced that they have released defensive tackle Kendall Langford.
Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, the 6’6″ 313-pound Langford was signed by the Rams via free agency in 2012. In his first year with the Rams, he played in all 16 games, making 18 solo tackles (nine assisted tackles), and two sacks.
The following season was without a doubt Kendall Langford’s best season of his career. He made a combined 49 tackles (36 solo, 13 assisted), five sacks, and four pass deflections.
Last year, in week five, Langford’s starting job was taken by rookie defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who proceeded to have an outstanding first-year campaign. He would still play the rest of the season, but his playing time significantly dropped, especially with the young duo of Michael Brockers and Donald taking over.
It was three years ago that Langford and the Rams agreed on a $22 million contract, with the extension being one of the first decisions GM Les Snead and coach Jeff Fisher made as part of the Rams’ organization.
This year, Langford was scheduled to make a salary of $6 million and he was close to $7 million against the Rams’ cap for 2015.
Releasing him now (before March 10th, when free agency opens up) gives Langford a better chance to find another team to sign with before the market of released players is a lot larger.
(Photo credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
