How should LA Rams handle their RFA and ERFA players this offseason?

Tactical versus Strategical

Even if the player signs elsewhere, the First-Round or Second-Round Tenders trigger compensation in the form of the new teams sending the appropriate draft pick to the original team. In the case of the player signing elsewhere, the Tender offer becomes obsolete, and with the exception of the appropriate draft pick compensation, will not factor into the original team’s salary cap.

But there is more to consider.  The LA Rams must weigh short-term actions versus long-term actions. That means that the Rams have the option to retain players. But doing so will cost them a rather hefty one-year contract to ‘protect their rights’.  In similar circumstances in 2020, the LA Rams failed to submit a qualifying tender offer for any RFA players.

Why did they elect not to do so?

Ultimately, the Rams did re-sign RFAs DE Morgan Fox and DB Donte Deayon at a much less expensive cost. And the team essentially released OLB Josh Carroway by not offering a minimum contract.  So while players are either Restricted Free Agents or Exclusive Rights Free Agents, the LA Rams may not act at all, and simply make a team-friendly offer after the dust settles in the NFL Free Agency market.

Wow. That’s a lot of stuff we just covered. Now, what does it all mean? It will make more sense if we apply this information to real-world scenarios.