The Greatest NFL Starting Job Thefts of All Time
By Erik Lambert
Los Angeles Rams: Leonard Little takes over for Kevin Carter
In the late 90s, Kevin Carter had established himself as one of the elite edge players in the NFL.
He was selected sixth overall by the Rams in the 1995 NFL Draft, and put up solid numbers over his first three years in the league but didn’t break double-digit sacks until the 1998 season.
In 1999, he had a career-high 17 sacks and four forced fumbles on his way to All-Pro honors while helping the Rams to a Super Bowl title.
Entering Carter’s fourth year in the league, the Rams applied a bit of pressure when they used a high third-round draft choice on Tennessee’s Leonard Little. A third-round selection is hardly a major threat to a former top 10 draft pick, but the Rams’ strategy did something and the same year the team selected Little, Carter broke out.
After two seasons with minimal on-field impact, Leonard Little came on as a third-year player in 2000 with five sacks.
The Rams opted to let their star pass rusher Kevin Carter hit the market after a 10.5 sack season, and Little took over as the team’s top pass rusher starting in 2001. For the next nine years, Little would become a staple in St. Louis and had one of the best single seasons for a pass rusher in league history.
In 2002, Little racked up 12 sacks and a whopping nine forced fumbles. The Rams may have wished they could keep both Carter and Little, but they hardly made the wrong choice letting Carter walk.