Rams Offseason Outlook: Cap Space, Draft Picks at a Premium
The Los Angeles Rams have grown accustomed to pushing the start of the offseason back into the late part of January if not early February ... but now find themselves looking ahead to next year all too soon.
Less than a year after winning the second Super Bowl in franchise history, the Rams capped off a 5-12 season with an overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday - which may have been the final game of coach Sean McVay's tenure as he mulls a potential retirement.
While there are still several stars on the roster, including quarterback Matthew Stafford, receiver Cooper Kupp, defensive tackle Aaron Donald and cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles may be in need of a short-term retool, adding to the significance of this offseason.
Unfortunately for the Rams, general manager, Les Snead won't have much to work with. As things stand, Los Angeles has only $1.7 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap. It puts the Rams with the 10th-least money league-wide.
There are different avenues Snead can - and will - take to raise this number, but the fact remains that Los Angeles is in an undesirable cap position.
The Rams' draft position isn't much better, as they're without a first-round pick for the seventh consecutive year. Still, Snead has a top-40 pick at his disposal and another selection early in the third round, but a 99-pick gap after that.
Here are Los Angeles' draft picks ...
Round 2, Pick No. 36 Overall
Round 3, Pick No. 69 Overall
Round 6, Pick No. 168 Overall
Round 6, Pick No. 175 Overall
Round 6, Pick No. 177 Overall
Round 7, Pick No. 213 Overall
Under the Snead-McVay regime, the Rams have earned a reputation for hitting on mid-to-late-round draft picks and will need to do so once more, even if McVay opts for retirement.
Nonetheless, it's shaping up to be an entertaining - and important - offseason for Los Angeles, and the pieces aren't necessarily there to make a splash.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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