5 moves to free $80 million – LA Rams path to more salary cap space

The LA Rams projected 2020 salary cap now projects under $15 million for 2020. How can the Rams afford players in the free agent market? Here are 5 moves to free up to $80 million

The LA Rams have yet to enter the 2020 NFL free agent market, and the team has watched their estimated salary cap wane from approximately $25 million down to the current projection of just under $15 million by the OverTheCap.com experts.  How can this happen?  Estimating available salary cap space is meticulous work, and involves interpreting player contracts, NFL salary ceiling estimates, and of course, bonuses from the previous season which were deemed unlikely which then become salary cap hits the following year.

Right now, Spotrac.com estimates the Rams 2020 available salary cap at $19,546,684, but the Spotrac folks have not yet factored in four Rams qualifying for Proven Performance Escalators.  While it’s impossible to set the right number until the NFL declares the exact 2020 ceiling, the point is that the Rams are entering a free agent market with limited dollars and facing losing more than a handful of incredibly productive veterans.

As of today, unrestricted free agents DE Michael Brockers, OLB Dante Fowler Jr. ILB Cory Littleton, LT Andrew Whitworth, ILB Bryce Hager, G Austin Blythe, K Greg Zuerlein, QB Blake Bortles, S Marqui Christian, and WR Mike Thomas will all be testing free agency to sign with the NFL team who offers them the highest bid. That’s how the NFL free agency market works, and the Rams haven’t sufficient salary space to intervene and re-sign any players.

Beyond UFA

That does not include restricted free agents, exclusive restricted free agents, or team option players.  The list grows to 18 players by adding those to the list. Restricted free agents include WR Jojo Natson, DE Morgan Fox, and DB Donte Deayon, while exclusive restricted free agents includes OLB Josh Carraway, TE Johnny Mundt, and C Coleman Shelton.  Adding team option years to the list adds S Eric Weddle and CB Nickell Robey-Coleman to the list of players.

While these players are almost certain to re-sign with the Rams should the team wish to retain them, their names are significant in that they are not figured in with 2020 salary commitments (team options are included in current cap projections.)

Unrestricted free agents numbering10 players were on the 53 player roster, contributed to the team’s success, but are vanishing this year. POOF! Gone. And there is little the LA Rams can do to stop their departure.  Or is there?

Of course, the Rams have options to avoid the rough road ahead.  The team has several “break in case of emergency” steps to consider if the goal is to free up 2020 salary cap space. At some point, many expect the Rams to break that glass. What does that mean? Well, here are 5 steps the Rams can take to make $80 million available for the team to enter free agency.

Step 1 – Restructure high paid player contracts

The first step for the team would be to go after the largest contract.  Right now, that means the $36 million cap hit by quarterback Jared Goff‘s current contract. That contract alone consumes over 17 percent of the team’s 2020 allocation.   To place this into perspective, Goff’s contract is greater than the combined sum of 40 of the team’s lowest paid players.   That’s a tough concept to wrap one’s head around.

Expecting the team to struggle, we had discussed the arduous task of analyzing the team’s highly compensated contracts in a previous article.   From that restructuring exercise, we discovered a treasure trove of 2020 salary cap savings for the team available.  Of course, math rules apply, so savings for this year are simply pushed out into future years.

But the team simply does not have the ability to avoid the inevitable.  Contract restructuring is a must, and needs to happen quickly.  By reclassifying salary and bonuses due the players this year, the team can recoup over $54 million.   Place that on top of the current available space of $14 million and the Rams are up to $68 million. Oh so close, right?  We’re just getting started.

Step 2 – Extend Jalen Ramsey

The Rams traded a boatload of  NFL draft picks to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for the services of cornerback Jalen Ramsey.  While Ramsey is not yet due to enter free agency, he remains a top priority for the team this off-season.  After all, it’s clear that the Rams did not trade for him to watch him walk away a year later.

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So the Rams need to sign him to a new contract.  Right now, Spotrac.com estimates the average per year at approximately $16.8 million. Right now, the team has Ramsey at $13.7 million.  So that seems like a cap hit, right?  Well there is that magic of writing salary cap contracts again.

If the Rams are savvy, the team can get Jalen Ramsey signed to a new contract, and end up reducing his 2020 salary cap hit.  How?  Let’s examine contract clauses for the NFL salary cap.
To get Ramsey his money now, but lower his 2020 salary cap, the Rams can structure the contract to spread more money to the future.  How?  Well we know that his average annual amount is $16.8, so over five years, the contract is $94 million.  That’s our number.  Let’s start with a base salary of $7 million per year, netting him $35 million over five years.

Now we want to get him money up front, so create a $20 million signing bonus paid in 2020. Total contract now is $55 million.  The remaining $39 million becomes roster bonuses paid in each of next four seasons: $9 million 2021, $10 million 2022, $10 million 2023, $10 million 2024.

His 2020 cap hit is $7 million, plus $20 million / 5 years or $4 million. Ramsey pockets $27 million this year, and the cost to the Rams is just $11 million for 2020.  $2.7 million savings to the salary cap.  That’s now $70.7 million free space, and we’re not done just yet.

Step 3 – Cut safety Eric Weddle

Veteran safety Eric Weddle is a fine player, and he certainly helped the LA Rams defense throughout the 2019 season. In fact, Weddle enjoyed a renaissance of sorts in his play, as he certainly helped the Rams defense

Weddle wasted no time in showing up for the team in a big way. He landed second on the team in tackles with 108, defended 4 passes, and had 1.5 tackles for a loss. That’s the type of debut which oftentimes leads to a contract extension. But that will likely not be the case with the Rams.

Right now the team boasts two young and very good safeties in John Johnson and Taylor Rapp, both projected to start for the team in 2020. That only leaves a backup role for the returning veteran. However, he was signed as the presumed starter for two seasons. Cutting Weddle saves the team an estimated 4,250,524.    That’s now $75 million freed salary cap space, and we’re still not done yet.

Step 4 – Trade Rob Havenstein

The LA Rams offensive line took a tumble in 2019.  The team projected the loss of veterans Rodger Saffold and John Sullivan, and planned to fill the vacancies with first time starters Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen. While both Noteboom and Allen fell to season ending injuries, neither played well in their debuts.  Making matters worse, right tackle Rob Havenstein played poorly as well before his season ended with an injury.

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Now Havenstein is returning to an offensive line to join teammates he no longer recognizes. The team will likely line up Bobby Evans, Austin Corbett, Coleman Shelton, David Edwards, and Rob Havenstein as the roster stands today.  Yet Havenstein struggled to play well with new teammates, and is coming off an injury this year.  The team found promising rookie starters for the offensive line in both Bobby Evans and David Edwards in 2019.  The Rams also traded for Austin Corbett, who also proved he can compete as a starter. With Coleman Shelton ripe to pick up a starting role at center, the Rams have a nearly a brand new starting offensive line for 2020.

Only Rob Havenstein is the odd man out.  If the Rams successfully trade him, the team saves a substantial $5,400,000 to add back to the 2020 salary cap. And the team may pick up an additional day two 2020 NFL Draft pick as well. While Havenstein could prove to be a steal for his next NFL team, he simply did not play well surrounded by younger players last season.  With that history, and coming off an injury, there is little reason to expect him to play significantly better this year.

That pushes the Rams available cap space over $80 million. We’re coming down to the home stretch now.

Step 5 – Trade Malcolm Brown

The Rams have enjoyed the play of running back Malcolm Brown for four seasons.  To date, he has played a relief role for the team, carrying the ball four times per game on average.  While that has been enough to spell teammate running back Todd Gurley, it is a consistent floor and ceiling for  the team.  A narrow band of what to expect each year.

This season, the Rams must improve the running game drastically.  One option is to play a fullback on some offensive plays.  Another option is to expand second year running back Darrell Henderson‘s touches per game. The team could sign a productive veteran free agent like Washington Redskin Chris Thompson. Or the team could even draft a sleeper running back like University of Washington Huskies Salvon Ahmed.

Whatever the course chosen by the Rams, the effect will be to diminish the already very limited role held by Brown in this offense.  Trading Brown could net the Rams a day three pick for the 2020 NFL Draft, as well as free up an additional $1,100,000.

The total effect to the Rams salary cap space is to boost it to $81,100,000.  That is after extending Jalen Ramsey as well.  With that war chest, the Rams would be in perfect position to re-sign key Rams free agents, as well as look at adding some additional talent and depth to the team

Five steps for $81.1 million salary cap space.  It’s doable, and it doesn’t cripple the team. In fact, in many ways, it places the team back on track for the Super Bowl.