Rams sign longtime Packers LB Clay Matthews to 2-year deal
LOS ANGELES » Longtime Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews has agreed to a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams announced the deal Tuesday for Matthews, the former USC star who spent the past decade with the Packers.
Matthews had 83½ sacks in his 10 seasons with the Packers, earning six Pro Bowl selections and winning a Super Bowl ring. He has been a standout passrusher throughout his career, although his 3½ sacks last season were the lowest total of his decade in the NFL.
Matthews is a native of Agoura Hills, California, who lives in nearby Calabasas. Both towns are near the Rams’ training complex in Thousand Oaks.
Matthews also played four seasons for the Trojans at the Coliseum.
COWBOYS AGREE TO TERMS ON 1-YEAR CONTRACT WITH WR COBB » The Dallas Cowboys have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free-agent receiver Randall Cobb.
Cobb spent the first eight years of his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers, though he was limited to nine games last season because of a hamstring injury and a concussion.
Along with the addition of Cobb, the Cowboys on Tuesday re-signed unrestricted free-agent long snapper L.P. Ladouceur They also signed Kerry Hyder, a defensive end from Texas Tech who was with Detroit last season.
Dallas has brought in Cobb and re-signed receiver Tavon Austin to a one-year deal since slot receiver Cole Beasley left in free agency last week for a four-year deal with Buffalo.
Cobb has 470 catches for 5,524 yards and 41 touchdowns for the Packers from 2011 through last season. The 28-year-old receiver was a Pro Bowl pick in 2014, when he had 91 catches for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns. STEELERS SIGN FORMER RAMS LB MARK BARRON TO A 2-YEAR DEAL » Now it’s Mark Barron’s turn to try and replace Ryan Shazier.
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Barron to a two-year deal on Tuesday and tasked him with filling the void left by Shazier. The Pro Bowl linebacker’s career is on hiatus while he recovers from a spinal injury suffered in a win over Cincinnati in December 2017.
The 29-year-old Barron comes to Pittsburgh from the Los Angeles Rams. Barron spent four-plus seasons with the Rams, starting 66 games while developing a reputation as a sure tackler despite being a bit undersized for the position at 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds.
The Rams released Barron earlier this month before Barron began the fourth season of a fiveyear, $45 million deal. Barron admitted getting cut came as a bit of a surprise but added “I do know the business of football.”
PANTHERS SIGN FREE AGENT BRUCE IRVIN TO 1-YEAR DEAL » The Panthers have signed unrestricted free agent linebacker/defensive end Bruce Irvin to a one-year contract.
A former first-round draft pick in 2012 by Seattle, Irvin split last season with the Raiders and Falcons playing eight games for each team and recording 6½ sacks and 19 tackles.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Irvin has 43½ sacks, 266 tackles and 15 forced fumbles in six NFL seasons. He has never had more than eight sacks in a season.
LONG-SNAPPER DEOSSIE RETURNING TO GIANTS » Longsnapper Zak DeOssie is returning for a 13th season with the New York Giants.
The team announced the re-signing of its second-longest tenured player Tuesday, a day after giving Eli Manning a $5 million roster bonus that almost guarantees the 38-year-old quarterback will be back for a 16th season.
They are the only two active Giants’ players from their Super Bowl wins over the Patriots after the 2007 and ‘11 seasons.