Ex-Rams on Eagles saw Rams' turnaround coming

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Chris Long knows the sense of euphoria that the Rams felt last Sunday when they won their ninth game of the season, guaranteeing their first winning season since 2003.

Long, now with the Eagles as a backup defensive end, had spent eight of those losing seasons with the Rams beginning in 2008 when he was the second overall pick in the draft until he was released after the 2015 season.

In Long's first two seasons, the Rams went 3-29.

But Long and three other former Rams on the Eagles — safety Rodney McLeod (2012-15), backup quarterback Nick Foles (2015) and punter Donnie Jones (2007-11) — harbor no ill will towards their former team as the Eagles face L.A. on Sunday.

That's because the circumstances are entirely different now for both the former Rams and the team they left behind. Long, for example, has since won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots and is with an Eagles team that's tied for the best record in the NFL at 10-2. The Rams are a game behind at 9-3.

"If I never got cut, I would never have gotten a Super Bowl ring," Long said. "I love those dudes that I played with. A lot of people, I still talk to on a regular basis that are there. If I didn’t play like crap, I wouldn’t have gotten cut. If I hadn’t got hurt, I wouldn’t have gotten cut.

"I had eight great years there. I have great respect for that organization. I’m happy for those guys."

In fact, the former Rams said they always felt that their old team was close to becoming an elite team.

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"I’m not surprised," McLeod said. "We had a lot of studs on defense and they brought in a good coach that knows what he’s doing and is very familiar with the offensive side of the ball and can coach quarterbacks. [Quarterback] Jared Goff is a No. 1 pick for a reason and he’s playing well and doing a good job over there. Obviously, they added a lot of other pieces."

Despite the losing seasons, the Rams have had a strong core on defense over the past several years, led by defensive linemen Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers, and linebacker Robert Quinn.

The biggest changes were made on offense. The Rams drafted Goff first overall in 2016, trading up to get that spot. The Eagles traded up to get the No. 2 spot, which they used for Carson Wentz.

After a 4-12 season in Goff's rookie year — he didn't start playing until the ninth game — the Rams used the offseason to sign veteran offensive linemen Andrew Whitworth and Joe Sullivan, and wide receiver Robert Woods in free agency. They also traded for wide receiver Sammy Watkins.

It has made a difference. Goff was sacked 26 times in seven games last season, but has only been sacked 20 times in 12 games this season. And, like Wentz, Goff has blossomed in Year 2 under first-year coach Sean McVay.

"I just think experience, they’re putting him in good positions, and they got great guys around him," McLeod said. "They’re able to run the ball with Todd Gurley and they set up a lot of runs with their play-action game. And they have the receivers to do it, too."

The Eagles did the same thing for Wentz, signing free agent receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, along with running back LeGarrette Blount, then trading for running back Jay Ajayi on Oct. 31.

Did that make some of the former Rams, such as Foles, wistful that those types of players weren't added when they were there?

"No, not really," Foles said. "Like I’ve always said, I’ve learned a lot through that year. I’m really happy I learned that and developed those relationships."

The Rams traded for Foles in March, 2015 while also getting a second-round pick, in return for quarterback Sam Bradford. Former Rams coach Jeff Fisher proclaimed Foles the team's franchise quarterback, just like former Eagles coach Chip Kelly did with Bradford.

Neither Foles nor Bradford had a second season with their new teams, as they were essentially shoved aside for Goff and Wentz.

"You always hoped that it would turn around and that you can make a difference," Foles said. "I think any player that goes into a situation as a competitor feels that way. They had talented guys, and unfortunately, we couldn’t do that when I was there. They’re doing a really good job now."

McLeod said he felt the same way.

"Obviously, I would have loved for that to happen when I was there," he said. "But I’m happy where I am, and I'm happy for them."

Ertz cleared to practice

Eagles tight end Zach Ertz returned to practice Thursday, but on a limited basis, after suffering a concussion last Sunday. The team confirmed that Ertz was cleared to practice, but has not yet made it through the NFL's concussion protocol. Still, that's a sign that Ertz could be close to getting cleared to play Sunday. That will be determined by an independent neurologist. Ertz is the Eagles' leading receiver with 57 receptions. He's second on the team with 663 yards receiving.

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.