Defensive tackle Nick Fairley has signed with the St. Louis Rams, the team announced the move Friday morning to kick off the press conference introducing Nick Foles. Fairley was one of the more highly touted free agents hitting the market this year, along with his former teammate Ndamukong Suh.
Nick Fairley signs with Rams
Fairley has been a quality player inside for Detroit, but is now moving on to St. Louis.
His deal is for one year, according to Ian Rapoport:
#Rams signed DT Nick Fairley on a 1-year deal worth $5M base, source said. He can make up to $7.5M in incentives. A prove-it deal.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2015 Fairley joins an already formidable defensive line that includes Robert Quinn, Chris Long and 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year Aaron Donald. The team also added quarterback Nick Foles this offseason in a megadeal with the Philadelphia Eagles that sent out former No. 1 overall pick Sam Bradford. Both Fairly and Foles were introduced at a press conference Friday.
Fairley has been productive since being drafted with the 13th overall selection of the 2011 NFL Draft out of Auburn University. In four years with the Detroit Lions, Fairley racked up 13.5 sacks and 14 stuffs, clogging up the interior for running backs and pushing the pocket on pass downs. Last year, Fairley had a down season with only one sack and two stuffs in eight games, the lowest marks since his rookie campaign.
The main concern with Fairley has been durability. The 308-pounder has never played a full season, missing 18 games over the course of his career. Last year, Fairley was out half the year with PCL and MCL injuries.
Surprise! Rams sign a pair of Nicks pic.twitter.com/hbU2fXjgpe
— Tiffany White (@TWhitePR) March 13, 2015 See More:
