Former Ram Robert Quinn happy to be out of Los Angeles and in Miami with Dolphins

The trade that sent him from the Rams to the Miami Dolphins has supplied defensive lineman Robert Quinn with a “breath of fresh air.”

That’s what Quinn, who played for the Rams for seven seasons, told Miami reporters during a teleconference.

“Honestly, you don’t realize you’re suffocating until you can’t breathe no more, so I was just glad I could have a new breath of fresh air down here in Miami,” Quinn said, according to Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post. “It’s allowed me to clear my mind and have a fresh start and a new beginning and new possibilities.

“I’m excited for the new start. I think this was best for me and my family. Sometimes things work out funny, but they always work out for the best.”

Asked to clarify what he meant by “suffocating,” Quinn, who grew up in South Carolina and was drafted by the Rams in 2011 out of North Carolina, alluded to geography.

“Well, how about this: I’m not a West Coast guy,” he said. “I’ll just put it that way.”

Quinn, who carries an $11.4-million salary-cap number this season, was traded to the Dolphins in February, the first major offseason move by a Rams franchise that has since acquired cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and receiver Brandin Cooks.

Linebacker Alec Ogletree, like Quinn a Rams mainstay the last few seasons, also was traded.

Quinn apparently has moved on.

“You commit yourself to someone and then you have a family member turn their back on you,” he said. “Then you realize they appreciate you around here and you commit yourself to them. All it takes is for someone to rub you the wrong way one time and you keep moving. I’ve got a new family down here in Miami, and that’s all I’m concerned about.”