Rams’ Dominique Easley, Patriots’ Chris Long look forward to playing against former teammates
Rams defensive tackle Dominique Easley pressures Panthers quarterback Cam Newton during a Nov. 6 game.
There is no special motivation for Dominique Easley on Sunday against the New England Patriots.
That, at least, is what the Rams’ defensive tackle said.
“Just like any other game,” he said.
Easley, who has played well in a rotation with starters Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers, played in college at Florida and was a first-round draft pick by the Patriots in 2014. His release after two injury-plagued seasons came amid media reports that he did not fit in with the Patriots.
Easley has 24 tackles, including 2½ sacks. He said he was looking forward to seeing some of his old teammates at Gillette Stadium, but otherwise had no feelings about the matchup.
“I’ve been having a great time,” he said. “It’s fun and it’s great coming to work every day. You don’t get that in all places.”
Rams Coach Jeff Fisher said Easley has done “a great job” in the rotation.
“He’s having a blast, he’s not making any mistakes and he’s playing hard,” he said. “I don’t know what happened [with the Patriots]. All I know is that we had a very high draftable grade on him and it made sense for us to give him an opportunity.
“It’s not the first time, these things happen in the league, sometimes guys fit, sometimes they don’t, sometimes they go to another club and there’s a better fit.”
Former Rams defensive end Chris Long has fit in well with the Patriots.
Long — “one of my all-time favorites,” Fisher said — spent his first eight NFL seasons with the Rams and then was cut loose in a salary purge before this season.
He is not complaining.
Long is thriving in a rotation for a defense that has helped the perennial playoff team to a 9-2 record.
“I’m extremely lucky to be a part of a group like we have,” said Long, who has 25 tackles, including two sacks. “We’ve got selfless guys, we have great leaders and really great players. I’ve played with a lot of guys like that through my career. So, I’ve been lucky all through my career, and certainly it’s no different here.”
Long played at Virginia and was drafted by the Rams second overall in the 2008 draft. He was earning about $13 million a year when he, longtime middle linebacker James Laurinaitis and tight end Jared Cook were released.
“I just think it was probably an appropriate time for both parties to move on,” he said. “Like I’ve said before, I own up to not being myself those two years; injury is part of it and it’s part of the game.
“I was getting paid too much to be gimping around and not playing like myself. It was just time and I totally understood when I got the call. I love them all the same, I respect those guys all the same; I’ve got no bitterness. For me, it’s very easy to move forward and have no ill will. It’s just about football to me this week, there’s none of that.”
Long has never participated in a playoff game. But he appears on track to make his postseason debut.
“It’s a new thing, playing games in December that have a different vibe to them,” he said. “So I welcome that, for sure.”
Follow Gary Klein on Twitter @LATimesklein
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