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Rams’ decision for Leonard Floyd was … not well received

Leonard Floyd has had four years to prove he can be that basic pass tip presence that the Chicago Bears haven’t had since Julius Peppers left. His rookie season showed such promise with seven sacks. After that, things never really clicked. Injuries haunted him continuously over the following seasons and he never seemed to find a rhythm.

Hopes were still high in 2019. He finished 2018 strong and was finally in good health. This could finally be his year. Nope. Floyd has only managed three sacks in 16 games. His worst season since being drafted 9th overall. His lagging presence allowed opponents to focus all of their extra blockers on Khalil Mack’s stoppage.

GM Ryan Pace, his biggest supporter for so long, had seen enough. Floyd was released in the spring and the Bears signed veteran Robert Quinn to replace him. Floyd didn’t have to sulk long. The Los Angeles Rams rushed to secure him a one-year contract for $ 10 million. They felt they had secured a suitable replacement for Dante Fowler’s departure.

Experts disagree.

ESPN’s Mike Clay called the Floyd-led pass run the most fragile in the NFL of 2020.

The most fragile: Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles’ top two rushers of 2019, Dante Fowler Jr. and Clay Matthews, are gone, leaving Bears to drop Leonard Floyd, returning veterans Samson Ebukam and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, and third round rookie Terrell Lewis to hold the fort. Fowler and Matthews combined for 19.5 sacks and 90 pass-rush wins on 714 pass-rush attempts last season, compared to 9.0 sacks and 48 wins on 691 tries for Floyd, Ebukam and Okoronkwo.

Leonard Floyd should thank Mitch Trubisky

When it comes to outright draft busts of the 2010s, there’s no doubt that Kevin White holds the standard. However, there is a difference between drafts and disappointments. A disappointment project is someone who has searched for a brief moment as if he could be good but ultimately underperformed. People should talk more about Floyd in this category. Yet they are not.

It’s because they’re too busy talking about Mitch Trubisky.

For that, the linebacker should be grateful. Before too long, it will be a distant memory. A shadow lost in the light and shining ray of the disastrous Trubisky pickaxe. Every cloud has a silver lining, they say.

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