The St. Louis Rams have signed free agent DT Nick Fairley, the team announced today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Fairley started the first eight games for the Detroit Lions in 2014 before a knee injury cut his season short. He finished the year with 14 tackles (eight solo), 1.0 sack and one forced fumble, and was named an alternate to the Pro Bowl. In five NFL seasons and 46 games played, Fairley has totaled 98 tackles (66 solo), 13.5 sacks, and scored one touchdown on a fumble recovery.
The Lions originally selected Fairley in the first round (13th overall) of the 2011 NFL draft following a two-year career at Auburn. In 2010, the former Tiger was a recipient of the Rotary Lombardi Trophy, awarded annually to the nation’s top collegiate lineman, and was named the Defensive Most Valuable Player of the BCS National Championship game that same year. He appeared in 27 games (16 starts) for Auburn and holds the school’s single-season sack record with 11.5 sacks.
