Pro Football Focus: LA Rams salary cap woes will improve dramatically in the next three years.

The LA Rams know full well that their current financial fitness is in need of some serious currency-carb cutting and a lot more exercise of developing draft prospects. And for what it's worth, the Rams appear to have invested in both areas. The team became almost frighteningly frugal with their free agency signings, invested a great deal of energy to get highly respected new coaches on staff, and then bussed 40 or so rookies to the Rams training camp.

It is a painstakingly burdensome effort, but Pro Football Focus writer Brad Spielberger believes that the Rams are on the right track. Well, sort of. To get the full gist of what he is saying, click the link above. In short summary, he looks a the value of players on the roster, what the salary cap space looks like, and then measures the value of free agents due to leave the roster.

It's a rather roundabout way to assess the LA Rams salary cap picture, but he does make a good point in asserting that it's more than just committed dollars and sunk costs. Bad contracts should penalize teams for overpays, while good contracts should favor teams for getting value added performances.

Rams roster and finances turn the corner

The Rams will not have a lot of pressure to extend players next year. Many of the players whose contracts are slated to expire are rotational contributors, with the exception of tight end Tyler Higbee and perhaps running back Cam Akers. The Rams will have both the 2023 and 2024 NFL seasons to turn things around because defensive lineman Aaron Donald leads the 2025 NFL Free agents. Unless the Rams are projected to compete in the NFL Playoffs at that time, it could be a long and difficult negotiation to convince Donald to return.

Per Spotrac.com, the LA Rams are on track to have more than $100 million in available salary cap space in 2025. That is with both Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp on the roster too. In fact, thanks to the influx of so many rookies, the Rams 2025 roster currently projects to have over 45 players under contract. Of course, many of those players could be cut when the Rams pare down to 53 players for the season, but that will also trigger additional funds to become available to spend elsewhere as well.

One nickname for the NFL is 'Not For Long." While that held true for the LA Rams ability to dominate the competition through 2021, it also now holds true for the team's financial quandary. How long will the LA Rams struggle under a lack of funds?

NFL, or Not For Long.