5 Rams cuts, trades and restructures that will/would save over $44.6 M for 2025

(2) - Restructure QB Matthew Stafford contract - Savings $12.872 million

While we know that the Rams have renegotiated Matthew Stafford's current contract, details over what that might entail have not been reported publicly. While the details remain unavailable, we can speculate on what an optimist restructure might do for the team's 2025 salary cap space. Initially, Stafford's contract was due to pay him $27 million in fresh cash in 2025, while hitting the Rams 2025 salary cap for nearly $50 million.

Conceivably, the Rams front office had a wide spectrum of tools that could not only pour more guaranteed compensation into Stafford's pockets, but could spread the impact over more years. That would ensure that the team might actually lower the salary cap hit. How?

Let's say that the Rams opted to pay Stafford a $45 million signing bonus in 2025, but added 3 void years at the end of the contract to reduce the impact in 2025 from $27 million down to $9 million. In this example, the Rams increase cash paid out to Stafford by $22 million, but lower the cap hit in 2025 by $18 million. So how did I end up at a savings of $12.872 million?

Overthecap.com estimates savings of $12.872 million by restructuring Stafford's contract. Since the savings can be anything, their estimate is a good placeholder.

(1) - Release TE Colby Parkinson (Post June 1) - Savings $5.25 million

While the team signed free agent tight end Colby Parkinson to a three-year contract worth $22.5 million in 2024, he is looking at a void year in 2026. So his contract is effectively a one-year deal now with a huge cap hit due in 2026. That puts a lot of variables into proper perspective.

Initially, the contract was reported as a three-year deal. But closer inspection reveals the details act like a two year deal. So what happens if Parkinson is outright released? The team saves his schedule $5.25 million salary, which would be offset by the residual signing bonus of $2.083 million. But if the team releases Parkinson with a Post June 1 designation, the team pushes the impact of the residual signing bonus into 2026, generating the entire savings of $5.25 million for 2025.

With the team almost certainly targeting a tight end on Day 1 or Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, plus the anticipated return of veteran TE Tyler Higbee to pair with young TE Davis Allen, I just cannot envision the Rams not holding active discussions about TE Colby Parkinson's future with the team. While he was not an obvious mistake, the more I examine his 2024 numbers, the more befuddled I become. Parkinson was given every opportunity to step up in the Rams offense, but he simply never did. And the Rams do not have the salary cap space and roster slots to carry a niche tight end at his compensation level this season.

In short? Rookie tight end in, veteran tight end Colby Parkinson out.

Summary

If the Rams front office wants to unfetter funds to go on a wild shopping spree in the 2025 NFL Free Agency market, the pieces are there for the team to double its available salary cap space. While I am not advocating any of the five listed roster moves, I did want to put the savings on display for fans who worry about such matters. Of this list:

• Rams will realize $9.0 million savings from Jonah Jackson trade
• Rams likely to realize $12.52 million saving if trade/release Cooper Kupp before March 17
• Rams could realize an additional $23.1 million savings via Matthew Stafford restructure, Kyren Williams release, Colby Parkinson release
• Total 2025 salary cap savings could top $44.6 million

Of course, opinions are bound to include strong objections to some of the cited five steps. The Rams have done two already (Jonah Jackson trade and Matthew Stafford restructure), and are almost certainly making strong efforts to trade Cooper Kupp. That simply leaves $10.6 million of salary cap savings in the discretionary pile. If the team does nothing more, there is a significant amount of savings already in the pipeline that has yet to be reflected.

Can the Rams afford a wild shopping spree in the 2025 NFL Free Agency market? As it looks right now, they certain can. And as always, thanks for reading.

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