Nobody's talking about massive benefit Rams secured in Myles Garrett trade

The Los Angeles Rams are defying the NFL's spending limits. Despite rostering 25 pending free agents, many of whom the Rams will need to pay handsomely to keep, they have engineered blockbuster trades to acquire All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. You can even toss free agent cornerback Jaylen Watson into the mix.

Money matters. Cash is king.

Fill in the blank with any currency cliche you can think of.

It goes against all logic that LA's shopping spree could actually help team finances. In case you didn't realize, Garrett impacts the salary cap by a modest $9.1 million. That means that he is only the 10th-most expensive player on the current roster.

That's a huge benefit that nobody is talking about right now. While the numbers have not firmed up, LA has more than $16 million to dish out in extensions in 2026. Even with a $2.1 million buffer, that could translate into several moves. Now that the team is undeniably all-in, locking up core contributors becomes very important.

Myles Garrett is surprisingly easy on the checkbook

The first concern over the Rams' initiative to win now is the resulting financial fracas. Los Angeles realistically has a two-year window to win a second Super Bowl behind quarterback Matthew Stafford. But doing so means retaining at least some of the more than two dozen soon-to-be free agents.

Receiver Puka Nuca, edge rusher Byron Young, and defensive tackle are among the headliners in that group.

Acquiring Garrett hasn't burdened the books like you might expect. Yes, he is set to make$204 million over five years in his renegotiated contract. That's a boatload of dough.

But consider: while outside linebacker Jared Verse remains on his inexpensive rookie deal, he is undoubtedly seeking a massive pay increase at the end of 2027. That's Cleveland's problem now. Garrett is currently under contract through 2030, and he doesn't make a significant impact on the salary cap until he tops $40 million in 2029.

His current contract is a bargain, yet nobody is applauding the Rams' savvy perception of that fact. It's one more reason for fans to celebrate the latest stunning blockbuster under general manager Les Snead.

Somehow, Snead landed the reigning DPOY but, with how the Rams reworked Garrett's contract, inherited the salary cap impact of center Coleman Shelton. That is mind-boggling stuff.

As always, thanks for reading.

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