Money Talks: Rams Big Re-Signings Actually Saved Team Money
Going overbudget on a high-profile, nine-digit production is a common problem in Hollywood, but the Los Angeles Rams have managed to avoid it.
Many pondered how the Rams would be able to afford their franchise-altering, all-or-nothing splurge that helped them earn a Super Bowl. It turns out that some of those signings have, in fact, allowed them to keep their championship unit almost entirely intact.
Analysis on Spotrac.com reveals some of the Rams' biggest new deals...both on the statsheet and payroll...have actually saved the team room in the 2022 cap discussion, with such relief brought about by making a good portion of their coming paydays signing bonuses.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford, for example, carries a $13.5 million cap hit, with $9.5 million saved thanks to a four-year, $160 million extension signed in March. Savings toward Aaron Donald (now working with a restructured deal) and Cooper Kupp (recipient of a three-year, $80 million deal last week) are more modest, totaling "only" $3.5 million, but it puts the Rams on solid ground as they seek to mount a championship defense this fall.
Though the Rams are still toward the bottom of the current cap space rankings (currently 22nd at over $9.6 million), the fact that they've been able to re-up with some of their most prominent and still have a hint of an offseason budget bodes well for their 2022 prospects. Even with the relative windfalls, the Rams might still have to push forward in all-or-nothing mode, as the contracts' cap hits will intensify as the years move forward. For the time being, however, there are still some resources to work with this offseason.
Several free agents still linger on their ledger, with receiver Odell Beckham Jr. topping that list. No visible signs of progress have surfaced, but Rams representatives have made it very clear they want Beckham back in blue and yellow.
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