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Peter King, emeritus emeritus of Sports Illustrated's NFL coverage, was on the NFL Network and...well...I'll let Tim from Rams Herd sum it up:
Peter King says #rams could be team to go in early part of FA for a LT or WR... Mentions Jake Long name.
— T. Shields, Esq.(@Shields3L) February 24, 2013
Let the rampant speculation begin.
Look, King likely wouldn't put something like that on record without having some kind of info to actually back it up. That being said, it's hard to buy into the Long scenario foremost. The Rams would have to clear space, backload Long's contract, and prepare for some kind of future austerity to offset the totality of their big contracts to be able to sign their 2013 NFL Draft class (which includes two first-round picks as is) and their 2013 NFL Draft class (which includes two first-round picks as is).
Nevertheless...I get a bit sweaty at the idea. Jake Long is a phenomenal talent at tackle, evidenced by four Pro Bowl selections in his five seasons. Sure, he hasn't been 100% healthy, but find me a player going into his sixth season who has.
Put it like this:
.@t_bron @shields3l @justrvb Jake Long has missed 6 games in five years. Saffold's missed 13 in three...
— Joe McAtee (@3k_) February 24, 2013
Truth is, he's a franchise left tackle. The opportunity alone is certainly worth investigating. I'm not surprised that news of such an investigation would filter down to King's level.
But let's keep our feet on the ground as we go into the heightened stretch of free agency after the combine. We're about to drown in rumors, so try and stay afloat in the early going.
UPDATE
Here's the video for those who want to hear it straight from King. The money quote comes at about 1:36.