LA Rams Free Agency summary: 2 stay, 3 go away, many more in play

The LA Rams did what many believe that the team had to do on the first day of NFL Free Agency activity.  The Rams addressed critical roster holes by signing two of the best players available for those positions. Of course, the team had the advantage of re-signing outside linebacker Leonard Floyd and extending a first-round qualifying offer to defensive back Darious Williams.

But that was not the only news for the Rams on the first day of the NFL’s legal tampering period.  Safety John Johnson III agreed to terms with the Cleveland Browns, Samson Ebukam agreed to terms with the San Francisco 49ers, Jake McQuaide agreed to terms with the Dallas Cowboys, and tight end Gerald Everett said his farewells to the LA Rams fans who have supported him, but no news of his signing occurred.

The Rams have acted previously to re-sign two of their four restricted free agents. On Monday, March 15, 2021, the  Rams extending a Qualifying Tender offer to Darious Williams.

CB Darious Williams (RFA) received a first-round Qualifying Tender offer, a one-year contract worth an estimated $4.7 million.
OC Coleman Shelton (ERFA) received a Qualifying offer, worth an estimated $850,000.
ILB Travin Howard (ERFA) received a Qualifying offer, worth an estimated $780,000.

Per Spotrac.com, the LA Rams 13 unrestricted free agents are broken down thusly:

OLB Leonard Floyd will return to the Rams on a four-year $64 million deal
OLB Samson Ebukam will sign on with the San Francisco 49ers on a two-year $12 million deal
Safety John Johnson III will sign on with the Cleveland Browns on a three-year $33.75 million deal.

Long snapper Jake McQuaide will sign on with the Dallas Cowboys on a one-year deal, terms not yet disclosed.

The remaining free agents on the defensive side of the ball are as follows:

CB Troy Hill
DE Morgan Fox
Edge Derek Rivers

The remaining free agents on the offensive side of the ball are as follows:

OC Austin Blythe
QB Blake Bortles
RB Malcolm Brown
TE Johnny Mundt (RFA)
TE Gerald Everett
WR Josh Reynolds

Curiously the wide receiver group did not see much activity on the first day of free-agent activity. Also, despite the mini-flurry of activity from the LA Rams front office, no word or details were released about where the Rams have found the money to add the additional estimated $21 million salary cap expense onto the previously reported $33 million deficit.

Perhaps the biggest surprise for the first day was the fact that the Rams were indeed the most active team among the four NFC West. Despite each of the three other teams projecting a far greater number of players entering free agency, it was the Rams who were the most active, both in the signing of their own players and in losing players to free agency.

Comp talk

For those of you who track that sort of thing, the loss of free agents (when compared to the 2021 compensatory picks awarded) line up as follows:  S John Johnson III’s average per year of $11.75 million could translate into a fourth-round compensatory pick. Samson Ebukam’s average per year of $6 million could translate into a fifth-round compensatory pick.

The Rams are also due to be awarded their second third-round compensatory pick for the hiring of Brad Holms as GM of the Detroit Lions.  NFL teams are capped at no-more-than four compensatory picks in any one year. And of course, these are all estimates, and cannot be accurately projected until the free agency market has run its course, and any and all offsets are used in the calculations.

Troy Hill, Gerald Everett, Morgan Fox, Austin Blythe, and Josh Reynolds are all players who could play a significant impact upon the Rams compensatory pick awards for the 2022 NFL Draft. Comp pick awards are determined upon individual player contracts and are not aggregated.  The Rams were already due to select with six picks in the 2022 NFL Draft: second round, third round, fifth round, sixth round, and two seventh-round picks.  Based on the addition of comp picks, the Rams could enjoy up to ten picks in the 2022 NFL Draft.

An active first step into free agency. But how long can the Rams keep up the pace?