How long can the LA Rams continue to 'cut coupons on defense'?

Leave it to ESPN NFL Analyst Bill Barnwell to tackle the 2025 NFL offseason for all 32 teams. He had already accomplished his 16-team thoughts about the AFC teams. So his recent offering about all 16 NFC teams was something of a novel idea to check out. And by checking out, I mean seeing what he has to say about the Los Angeles Rams.

Barnwell cites a theme of superlatives for each NFL team. For the Rams, he goes with this phrase: "Most likely to cut coupons on defense."

What he means by that is the fact that the Rams have committed copious amounts of currency to the offense, while starving the defense of funding. It's a topic we have covered multiple times in the past as well. The Rams have outspent on offense for several years. So why mention it again? Well, at some point, the pendulum has to swing the other way.

In his article, Bill Barnwell lays some interesting facts on the table:

"Ten of Los Angeles (Rams) 12 highest-paid players are on offense, including wideout Tutu Atwell ($10 million) and center Coleman Shelton ($6 million). The Rams imported defensive tackle Poona Ford from the Chargers this offseason; he and cornerback Darious Williams are the only L.A. defenders who project to make more than $5 million this year. The Rams defender with the highest cap hit? Donald, who retired over a year ago; the Rams are on the hook for the remaining $9.7 million in dead money from his deal in 2025."

ESPN Bill Barnwell

And so, the Rams compete in the postseason by pouring cash into the offense. But that has to change at some point in time, right? Well, that will happen soon enough. You see, the Rams underwent a soft reboot of the roster in 2023, and the defensive stars from that draft have two more years on their rookie contracts.

I don't see how the Rams willingly part ways with NT Kobie Turner or OLB Byron Young at this point. And so, as the team faces extensions of key defensive players after the 2026 NFL season, those funds will need to come from somewhere. At that point in time, look for the Rams to be promoting multiple young players to starting roles on the offensive side of the football.

Calling the cost of the Rams' defense a result of 'cutting coupons on defense' is a humorous descriptive way of categorizing the team as penny-pinching. But that will all change soon. At some point, defensive players will step up to fair-market value contracts, and the team will be forced to cut some coupons on the offensive side of the football.

That not only hints at how the Rams may draft in the future, but does not bode well for senior veterans on the offensive side of the football whose current contracts expire in the next two years. The Rams' front office will need to cut big paychecks to keep defensive stars. That likely means that the Rams will need to clip coupons for the offense in the future.

As always, thanks for reading.

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