LA Rams 5th worst offseason ranking is undeserved

Financial faux pas

The next detractor cited for the Rams had nothing to do with the Rams and was once more based upon misinformation. He dives into two Rams’ former players, running back Todd Gurley and outside linebacker Clay Matthews public dispute over money they believe is due to them.  Since both players’ contracts provide for offset language, any sum of money due from the LA Rams remains yet to be determined. That information is readily available, as shown by Adam Schefter’s tweet:

Finance facts

Of course, why let facts stand in the way of a good bashing? After all, a bit of research into underlying facts can turn a right/wrong narrative quickly into a wrong/right story. He then dives into the team’s ownership requesting an additional $500 million loan from the NFL and more favorable terms of repayment, while completely ignoring the horrendous impact of construction costs and cash flow of the COVID-19 restrictions, which will likely shave the 2020 NFL revenue by as much as $5.5 billion per Forbes estimates.

Somehow, he ties all of these completely unrelated events into the uncertainty of the Rams’ ability to re-sign cornerback Jalen Ramsey in 2021. I’m not even clear how he makes that leap, but it pained me to read it. The reality is that the 2021 NFL Salary Cap may face a steep decline. Signing a contract in 2020 at today’s dollars would be a huge mistake if that occurs. Since the 2021 salary cap is so uncertain, citing no contract with Ramsey this offseason should elevate, not detract, from their 2020 ranking.