Rams roster makes its 1st cut. Who's next? What clues does this offer fans for 2024?

Rams release their first salary cap casualty

The team re-signed OT Joseph Noteboom, C Brian Allen, and backup C Coleman Shelton to new contracts before the arrival of the 2022 NFL season, with the anticipation that all three would be starters. That did play out to start 2022, but injury-prone Noteboom and Allen suffered serious injuries once more, and that started a chain of events that derailed the entire season.

Allen was demoted to a backup role in 2023, while Noteboom attempted to start at right guard last season. Ultimately, he too was demoted to the role of primary swing tackle, a role that found him starting eight games for the team last year.

The first cut has been made by the team's front office and one that we and practically everyone else not only expected but had boldly projected three weeks ago. The team is rumored to have informed backup offensive center Brian Allen that he is being released:

While that is certainly news, we believe that more salary cap savings will be forthcoming. But the bold part is that the team will likely renegotiate the contract of swing tackle Joe Noteboom and will work hard to pay him at a rate that is more appropriate for a swing tackle rather than the $20 million per year that he is currently slated to make.

So what could this all mean as the team pivots from 2023 to 2024? While the release of any player is certainly anything but good news for the player, the team has shrewdly begun to set the stage for making wise moves for the 2024 NFL season. What can we decipher from Allen's release? Well, we have several reasons to view this as a positive move.