Foles leaves Rams’ fold
Former starting QB is said to have sought his release from team that drafted Goff.
The Nick Foles era with the Rams officially ended Wednesday when the team released the quarterback a day before veterans were due to report to training camp.
Foles, the team’s opening-day starter last season, requested the release, a person with knowledge of the situation said.
“We have been in contact with Nick and his representation throughout the offseason, and we feel that this is the best decision for all parties involved,” Rams Coach Jeff Fisher said in a statement. “We appreciate the contributions that Nick has made to our organization in his time as a Ram and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.”
Foles’ future with the Rams was in doubt two weeks before the NFL draft when the team consummated a trade with the Tennessee Titans for the No. 1 pick, positioning it to choose quarterback Jared Goff.
It was inglorious end to a short chapter of Rams history that started with promise.The Rams traded quar-
terback Sam Bradford to the Philadelphia Eagles for Foles before last season and then signed Foles to a $24.5-million extension. Foles was set to earn $8.75 million in salary and bonuses this season, according to Spotrac.com.
Foles, 27, lost his starting position last season to Case Keenum, who started the final five games. Foles completed 56% of his passes, including seven for touchdowns, with 10 interceptions.
The Rams tried to trade Foles during this year’s draft but found no teams willing to give up a pick. He was absent from organized team activities in June, a situation that Fisher described as mutually agreed upon.
“We’re on the same page and we’re trying to work things out,” Fisher told reporters at the time.
“If Nick comes back, we’ll definitely welcome him with open arms,” receiver Tavon Austin said then. “If not, we definitely understand what’s going on.”
The Rams could have brought Foles to camp with the hope that another team’s injury situation might precipitate a trade.
Instead, they opted to avoid any distractions.
If Goff flourishes, Foles might one day be remembered as the player who made it possible.
The Rams traded up from No. 15 to No. 1 to take Goff, and it was the Bradford-Foles swap that enabled them to make it happen.
As part of the March 2015 deal with the Eagles, the Rams also received a secondround pick this year.
In the trade with the Titans, the Rams gave up their No. 15 pick, as well as two second-round picks, a thirdround pick and first- and third-round picks next year.
The extra second-round pick acquired in the Foles trade enabled them to outbid other teams, including the Eagles, for the top pick.
“That’s really the only reason that we were able to do that, is because we had the multiple twos,” Fisher said after the trade.
The Rams have four quarterbacks on the roster: Goff, Keenum, second-year pro Sean Mannion and Dylan Thompson, who spent most of last season on the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad.