Jan 1, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) throws a pass against the Arizona Cardinals during an NFL football game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Cardinals defeated the Rams 44-6. Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The city of St. Louis is suing the NFL over the Rams’ relocation to Los Angeles 15 months ago.
The 52-page lawsuit was filed Wednesday in St. Louis Circuit Court by the city, county and the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority. The suit also names the NFL’s 32 teams as defendants and seeks unspecified damages and restitution.
“The Rams, the NFL, through its member teams, and the owners have violated the obligations and standards governing team relocations” because the Rams failed to meet league relocation rules, the suit that was obtained by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch claims.
The league has breached its contractual duties owed the plaintiffs, the suit alleges.
In January 2016, NFL owners approved Rams owner Stan Kroenke’s proposed move from St. Louis to the Los Angeles area, which was their home from 1946-94.
The team played its first season back in Los Angeles in 2016 at Memorial Coliseum, finishing with a 4-12 record. The new Inglewood stadium, slated to cost $2.6 billion, is scheduled to open in 2019.
The lawsuit claims St. Louis has lost an estimated $1.85 million to $3.5 million a year in amusement and ticket tax revenue with the departure of the Rams, as well as about $7.5 million in property taxes and “millions” in earning taxes, according to the Post-Dispatch.
–The Rams exercised the fifth-year option on Pro Bowl defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the team announced.
The option will be worth $6.892 million for the 2018 season, guaranteed for injury only. Donald, 25, is set to make $1.8 million in his fourth season.
Donald, the No. 13 overall pick in 2014, was named to the Pro Bowl in his first three NFL seasons and made 28 career sacks over 48 games. In 2016, the 6-foot-1, 285-pounder recorded 47 tackles, eight sacks and two forced fumbles.
The Rams also waived wide receiver Stedman Bailey, more than a year after he survived being shot multiple times in the head.
–North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky and Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett are still in play for the Cleveland Browns with the No. 1 overall pick.
According to ESPN, the Browns are considering the two underclassmen with the top pick in the draft.
NFLDraftScout.com projects Garrett as the No. 1 player available and expects the Browns to select the freakishly athletic pass rusher. Garrett warned Cleveland this week that passing on him would be a mistake.
Trubisky has only 13 career starts. The last quarterback drafted early in the first round with such limited college experience was Mark Sanchez, the fifth pick in the 2009 draft after one year as Southern Cal’s starter.
Quarterback has been a perpetual weak spot for the Browns. Since 1999, the franchise has used 27 different starting quarterbacks. Two of the three starters in 2016 — Josh McCown and Robert Griffin — are no longer with the Browns.
–The start of the regular season is still five months away but the calendar — or recent history — did not serve as a deterrent for wide receiver Jarvis Landry, who boldly declared that his Miami Dolphins will sweep the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.
Landry made the strong statement over the weekend and followed up his comments in an interview with Peter King of Sports Illustrated’s TheMMQB.com.
“If you’re a competitor, that’s the way you should feel, and I don’t mind saying it,” the 24-year-old Landry said. “It’s time for a change. I have all the respect in the world for the Patriots, and I respect Tom Brady tremendously. But they’re not our big brother anymore.”
Miami showed improvement last season by posting a 10-6 mark and securing the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs. As for New England, well, it won the AFC East for the eighth straight season and went on to overcome a 25-point deficit and stun the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
