The Rams have officially exercised their fifth-year option on Robert Quinn, reports Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had indicated earlier in the month that it was just a matter of time until the Rams picked up the 2015 option on the defensive end.
Quinn, 23, has emerged as one of the NFL’s top pass rushers over the course of his first three years with the Rams. In 2013, the North Carolina product finished a close second to Robert Mathis in total sacks, with 19 to Mathis’ 19.5. Quinn also placed second behind the standout Colts edge defender in forced fumbles, with seven to Mathis’ eight. According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), Quinn was the league’s best 4-3 defensive end in 2013 by a wide margin, with an incredible grade of +77.2. Greg Hardy was the runner-up with a +28.0 grade.
Because Quinn was drafted outside of the top 10 in 2011, he’ll be in line for a $6.969MM salary in 2015. That’s the figure that applies to defensive ends selected between 11th and 32nd — fellow ends like Muhammad Wilkerson, Corey Liuget, and Cameron Jordan have also seen their options picked up in advance of the May 3 deadline.
To keep tabs on all of this year’s fifth-year option decisions, be sure to check out our tracker.