4 LA Rams players who could be cut after the 2023 NFL Draft

You may think that a team that enters an NFL Draft with a roster that is not even half-filled is in no position to even consider parting ways with veteran players. Normally, I would be one of the people arguing that point as well. But the LA Rams are not exactly sticking to any script. In fact, much of what the Rams have so far this offseason defies standard NFL practices if not logic.

This is a team that is under pressure from all sides. After falling to a 5-12 record, despite pushing their 2022 salary expense to the limit, the LA Rams have clearly had a change of heart and a change of philosophy. While the team had pushed hard for immediate success at the likely cost of future assets and resources, it was successful until a tsunami of injuries ground the Rams to a hard halt.

That forced the Rams think tank to reformulate their strategy, and it very much feels like the reset button has more to do with the perennial kick-the-financial-can down the road than it has to do with disappointing player performances.

Money matters more in 2023

That is a vital distinction to make, as the LA Rams current decision making process feels more to do with the bottom line than the record. And if the attention remains focused on the financials, the team's salary cap situation will improve. Likewise, if the attention is pulled away from the record, the LA Rams and the fans will find the team playing with a new set of priorities.

The Rams are focused not just on building a better roster, but a more affordable one as well. Up to this point, the moment that the Rams coveted a player, it seemed as thought the Rams found the money to sign him a a contract. That is not the format for the 2023 NFL season. In fact, it's quite the opposite, the LA Rams have already parted ways with veterans, whether by free agency, by trade, or by outright release, who had plenty of potential to perform admirably in 2023 and beyond. But this is no longer a team that will sign players to the Rams roster at any cost.

Now, it's all about building a Rams roster at low cost. So are Rams veteran players who have made it this far untouchable? Well, if I were them, I would not breathe a sigh of relief just yet. If the Rams can add 46 rookies during the 2023 NFL Draft or thereafter, what is preventing the team from making it an even 50 players?

Table of Contents

1. Starting defensive back
2. 2nd defensive back
3. Wide receiver
4. Tight end

Here are the four veterans who, depending on how the LA Rams draft turns out, could be released from the roster before the 2023 NFL season arrives: