Jake Long has made his decision. And the St. Louis Rams have a new left tackle.
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NFL.com's Albert Breer reported late Sunday night that Long and the Rams have agreed to a new deal, according to a club source. The contract is for four years and $34 million, with incentives that might push it to $36 million, according to the source. Breer also reports that $16 million is guaranteed at signing, with another $4 million guaranteed if he is on the roster at the start of the 2014 league year.
Two club sources told Breer that coach Jeff Fisher's pitch on the direction of the Rams franchise was instrumental in landing Long. According to ESPN's Ed Werder, Long turned down a higher offer from a team other than the Miami Dolphins to join the Rams.
The news was somewhat surprising given weekend reports that Long and the Dolphins were heading toward a deal that would keep Long with the team that selected him first overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. Long joins tight end Jared Cook as the second player in the past week to choose the Rams over the Dolphins.
Long said the Rams "really made me feel welcome, my wife and I. It was such a great family atmosphere. It was something I wanted to be a part of."
Long becomes Sam Bradford's new blindside protector, a move that no doubt has Bradford doing cartwheels in his foyer. To make room for the four-time Pro Bowl lineman, Rodger Saffold likely will move to the right side -- though his agent told the Post-Dispatch recently that Saffold doesn't want to do so.
Long sustained a season ending triceps injury last season. In an exclusive interview with NFL Network on Sunday, Fisher said Long checked out medically and the team had no short- or long-term medical concerns about him.
As for the Dolphins, they have to come to grips with the reality that they've lost a player they once considered a franchise cornerstone. Long wasn't as dominant in his final two seasons in Miami, but Jonathan Martin will have big shoes to fill nonetheless.
Given the Hall of Fame-type trajectory of the first three seasons of his career, it's stunning that Long never made it to a second contract with the Dolphins.
UPDATE: The Ramsannounced Friday that Long has signed the contract.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
