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

What does this release mean for the Rams offseason strategy?

If you are one of the many Rams fans that is of the belief that the front office should make the extension of veteran interior offensive lineman Kevin Dotson a priority this offseason, then the news of the team's release of Brian Allen can be seen as a positive sign of the team's intentions to do exactly that.

While the amount committed to the team's offensive line is still a bit dynamic, the Rams have already committed a healthy budget to the team's offensive line in 2024. If the team intends to ante up to afford the likes of right guard Kevin Dotson, and hopefully center Coleman Shelton and left tackle Alaric Jackson, the team will need to shed salary cap dollars from offensive linemen so as not to overextend to that group, and not have sufficient funds to spend in other positional groups this offseason.

The release of Allen frees up more than $4 million, which is approximately what it will cost to submit a Second-Round Qualifying Tender off for restricted free agent Alaric Jackson. That means that Jackson's extension, if the team wishes to move in that direction, will be a net neutral impact to the team's overall salary cap from where it was just yesterday.

But it does mean more than simply the dollars, cents, and sense. The willingness to part ways with a proven starter in the offensive line proves that the team has enough confidence in their ability to restore depth for the group this offseason. The Rams would hesitate to release Allen in a scenario where they were unlikely to re-sign three of the team's offensive line starters for 2024. Allen's dismissal raises the likelihood that contract extensions are on the way for Jackson, Shelton, and perhaps most of all, Dotson.