3 reasons why LA Rams didn’t use team franchise tag in 2020

Quick and Dirty Cap math

The Rams are up against it financially now.  The unwillingness of the team or the highly paid skill players to rework those highly paid highly guaranteed contracts is now taking its toll on the free agency flexibility of the team.  Doing some quick and dirty calculations, the Rams committed to:
Enter FA with $23.2 million
Free up additional $4.5 million by declining option year for slot CB Nickell Robey-Coleman   LINK
Committed ($825K) via qualifying offer to TE Johnny Mundt (3 years)   LINK
Committed ($675K) via qualifying offer to C Coleman Shelton (1 year)  LINK
Committed ($2.0M) deal estimated  to C Austin Blythe                      LINK
Committed ($13.0M) deal to OLB Leonard Floyd                                   LINK
Committed ($13.5M) deal to LT Andrew Whitworth                              LINK

Pluses: $27.7 million   Minuses: $29.5 million  NET: ($1.8 million)

That is why the LA Rams made the “What are they doing?” moves so far. The Rams are running at an estimated $2.0 million shortfall right now.  Paying players at the top of the NFL food chain at multiple positions is a huge pattern for the Rams this year.  And with so much money in the hands of players and guaranteed, there simply is not enough left to go around.

The team needs to make more moves JUST TO GET UNDER THE 2020 NFL Salary Cap. Beyond that, the team needs to free up an additional $5 million to afford any NFL Draft rookies.   And if the team signs any UDFAs with a signing bonus, that could have an additional impact on the team’s cap space.