Timber! LA Rams reunion with Bobby Trees axed by Texans

The LA Rams are not loaded with salary cap space. As such, I would not count on this team being heavy hitters in the upcoming 2023 NFL Free Agency market. But even I did not expect the Rams to be out of the running with former WR Robert Woods just hours after declaring that the LA Free Agency strategy might include re-signing both WR Robert Woods and WR Odell Beckham Jr.

In fact, the interval was just one hour after publishing that article that NFL Insider broke the news that the Houston Texans are signing Robert Woods to a two-year deal for $15.25 million, including $10 million guaranteed. So why were the Houston Texans able to sign him before the start of the 2023 NFL season on March 15?

Sources: Former #Titans and #Rams WR Robert Woods is signing with the #Texans, adding a veteran presence to a young team. He gets a 2-year, $15.25M deal with $10M fully guarantee and a max value of $17M.

A new QB’s best friend. pic.twitter.com/f58MZQKzA0
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2023

Wide receiver Robert Woods was released by the Tennessee Titans, making him an immediate free agent. That means that he was under no obligation to wait for the end of the 2022 NFL season before negotiating and ultimately signing with a new team.

That also applies to WR Odell Beckham Jr., whose contract with the LA Rams expired at the end of the 2021 NFL season. He also has the opportunity to sign with any NFL team at any time. In fact, that can be said of the myriad of veteran NFL players who find themselves being released by teams shedding excessive salary expenses in time to be under the 2023 NFL salary cap by the deadline at 1:00 pm PT on March 15, 2023.

The LA Rams are not in a position to have offered Robert Woods a two-year deal with $10 million guaranteed. In fact, without available details regarding how the LA Rams have restructured contracts and shed salary to be under the cap at the start of the new NFL season, the Rams are not in a position to make any offers or signings.

Of course, we don't know what we don't know, and the Rams could be on track to have $20 - $40 million of free salary dollars to commit to new NFL free agents in 2023. But, until the details and the Rams current projected 2023 salary are updated with new information, I'm afraid that the LA Rams are locked in limbo for the time being.

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