Michael

Brockers

The Rams selected Brockers No. 14 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. He spent nine seasons with the team before joining the Lions in 2021. Brockers racked up 57 tackles for loss or no gain over his 11-year career, bullying linemen as a run-stopper and part-time pass rusher. He spent 2023 as a free agent before announcing his retirement on social media this week.

The move saves $10 million against the cap for Detroit while incurring a $4 million dead cap hit. A former first-round pick, Brockers had spent all nine years of his career with the Rams before being traded to the Lions in 2021. He appeared in 16 games during his first season with Detroit but was made a healthy scratch for much of the 2022 season. A strong locker room presence with over a decade of experience, Brockers should be able to land a one-year deal on the open market.

Brockers will get a $2M bonus and the Lions will get a little extra cap space to operate with in the middle of the season. Brockers is under contract through 2023, where his cap figure will be $13.9 million. This figures to make him a little more difficult to cut in 2023, but it’s still not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

The Rams cleared $6.166 million in cap space by moving Brockers to Detroit. The compensation is in line with other recent trades for quality defensive linemen. Brockers had spent his whole career with the Rams, who selected him in the first round of the 2012 draft.

The move clears $6.166 million in cap space for the direly-strapped Rams. Brockers has spent his entire nine-year career with the Rams, arriving as the No. 14 overall pick of the St. Louis Rams in 2012. He was an every-week starter the entire time, logging 789 snaps in 2020. His five sacks last season were his most since 2013. He is still a fine presence on the interior of a defense, though 2021 will be his age-31 campaign.

Brockers’ COVID stint will only keep him sidelined for one game. With five sacks and 51 tackles across 15 appearances this year, Brockers’ health is another checkmark in favor of the Rams’ defense over Seattle.

It’s not clear whether Brockers is considered a close contact or tested positive for COVID-19. Either way, the Rams will be without Brockers this week against the Cardinals. The team is missing a number of starters in a must-win game.

It’s a significant development since Brockers’ deal with the Ravens fell through amid increasing concerns about his physical following a high-ankle sprain suffered last season. With Los Angeles familiar with both the 29-year-old interior threat and his injury, it only makes sense Brockers landed a three-year deal to re-join the team 11 days later. He’ll start alongside free agent pickup NT A’Shawn Robinson and All-Pro Aaron Donald this upcoming season.

Brockers can make up to $31.5 million. The Ravens actually agreed to terms with Brockers on a similar deal 11 days ago, but Wednesday it was revealed that the Ravens were worried after getting the results of Brockers’ physical. He suffered a high-ankle sprain last season, which was the reason for concern. The Rams obviously know Brockers best and have no issues snapping him back up to stack with Aaron Donald and newcomer A’Shawn Robinson along their defensive line, the strength of the defense. Brockers, 29, has spent his entire career with the Rams after being taken 14th overall in the 2012 draft. He’ll be entering his ninth year with the club. The Ravens go back to the drawing board. They already traded DL Chris Wormley to the Steelers after they came to terms with Brockers.

Brockers signed a three-year, $30 million contract last week, but the team hasn’t put it into ink quick yet. Last year’s ankle injury reportedly has Baltimore worried enough to delay the signing, although Zrebiec believes they are still expecting to agree to a deal. It’s unclear if the defensive lineman will have to take less money because of the injury concern.