5 steps to free up $80 Million in LA Rams 2021 NFL salary cap

Step five – Cut Johnny Hekker

The LA Rams need savings in 2021 for their salary cap. And once more, the Rams can do so by pondering the unthinkable moves. In this final stroke to find money, the Rams should cut long time star punter Johnny Hekker. Why? Well, Hekker will cost the Rams nearly $5 million this year, and his production is on the decline.

Per Spotrac.com, Hekker is the 2nd highest paid NFL punter in 2021. That really does not align well with the fact that he was the 17th-ranked punter in 2020 based upon footballdb.com. If the LA Rams are going to hold RB Todd Gurley, WR Branding Cooks, and QB Jared Goff accountable for their production after getting a very lucrative contract, then they need to be just as rigid in addressing this matter.

The fact is that the Rams cannot afford to overpay at any position right now. That means that there may be additional savings to consider with TE Tyler Higbee’s contract or perhaps LB Kenny Young’s contract as well. But when the goal is to save $80 million against the  2021 Salary cap, cutting Hekker makes complete sense.

Cutting Hekker saves the LA Rams approximately $3.8 million. That is just enough to nudge the Rams in saving just over $80 million in their 2021 salary cap.  That would push the Rams into approximately $50 million in salary cap money with which to re-sign veterans, sign new players, and pay for drafted rookies.  Will it be enough? Well, it’s certainly enough to get started. Who knows? With that much cap room, Les Snead may sign a couple of marquees free agents as well?

Aggregate 2021 Salary Cap Savings: ($82.1  million)