LA Rams NFL Trade Deadline magic show: Making salary disappear

LA Rams General Manager Les Snead is a bit of a magician. In a disappearing act that is every bit worth the center stage in the biggest auditoriums in Las Vegas, he just made millions disappear before our very eyes. His prestidigitation rivals that of David Copperfield. Or even that of Houdini.

Poof! Gone!

Well. not in the way most people do, by spending it. Oh no. It was right there yesterday. Today? It’s gone.

The LA Rams may be many things, but one thing that this team is not is timid. This is a team that has been one of the most active NFL teams in terms of talent acquisition in many years and has led to those laughable memes that portray Snead as having no concerns for NFL Draft picks.

Come to think of it, that could be about right.

But we had not listed the legendary outside linebacker of the Denver Broncos, Von Miller, as a possible trade target because, well, he is very expensive. Well, was very expensive. The Broncos exercised an $18 million option to extend Miller through 2021.  So how will the LA Rams ever pay for this guy?

LOL. How indeed.

Per Spotrac.com, the cost of adding Von Miller to the LA Rams roster is just under $725,000 for 2021.

Seriously. Under $1 million.

Now, you may think that the LA Rams have been a bit loosely-pursed in the way that the team has handled the financial aspects of signing contracts and adding talent to this roster. And on many of those occasions, I myself have been apt to issue stern admonishments over the way the team has allowed so much dead cap to pile up for players who are no longer on this roster.

But after today? I may need to rethink this one.

If the NFL salary analysts have this correct, and per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, they may very well be spot on, the Rams just grabbed a legend edge rusher for less than $1 million in salary cost.

We saw Von Miller as a player who could truly unlock the full potential of All-Pro Aaron Donald. As we stated in our 2020 article:

"“Von Miller could be the keystone defender to unlock the full potential of DT Aaron Donald. In just nine seasons in the NFL, he has sacked the quarterback 106 times.”"

Now, we’ll have the opportunity to see just how close to the truth we came. I think that we will be pleased with the results.

I have so much more to cover today, but seriously? Under a million against the 2021 NFL Salary cap for Von Miller? That’s unbelievable. Welcome to the LA Rams, Von Miller.