Rams Free Agency (wishlist/predictions)

[PhillyRam]

Not if they June 1 designate him

I don't think they will do that. I think they want the 26' cap to be as clean as possible so they can then extend Nacua, Turner, Avilla... maybe Young. Lake & Williams could also be under consideration.

The first 4 would be getting them done early, when they would be cheaper. I think that makes a lot of sense instead of waiting.

 

[dieterbrock]

Stafford's deal can actually be reworked so the cap hit is less this year and not more, as it's been explained to me anyway.

Its not really possible since they were adamant that they weren't adding years. He has only 2 years on his deal, prior to the "restructure" the cap hit is 50 mill in '25 and 53 mill in 26.
If they pushed his cash to 40 mill, they add 13 mill to the cap hit, whether all in '25 or split between the 2 years

 

[OldSchool]

Stafford's deal can actually be reworked so the cap hit is less this year and not more, as it's been explained to me anyway.

You're going to rework a deal that they just reworked to give him more money? I'm getting some Inception vibes here.

 

[dieterbrock]

I don't think they will do that. I think they want the 26' cap to be as clean as possible so they can then extend Nacua, Turner, Avilla... maybe Young. Lake & Williams could also be under consideration.

The first 4 would be getting them done early, when they would be cheaper. I think that makes a lot of sense instead of waiting.

I think for the extra 2 mill they'll hang on to him until closer to the draft, probably end up only costing 24 mill to cut him vs 29 mill to keep

 

[Ram_Rally]

It's likely that we lost a good chunk of cap space on both Stafford's and Alaric's contracts.

For Stafford, reports are that they didn't add any years or void years to the contract which means it still runs through 2026 and therefore any additional salary and/or bonus money will add to 2025 for sure, possibly 2026 too. IOW, there's no way 2025's cap number can decrease if they didn't add any years to the contract.

For Alaric, he was paid $4m in 2024 and not on the books for the 2025 year so his is not a restructure. Since nothing was on the 2025 books, whatever is on there now will directly decrease cap space by that amount.

Tutu's deal is $10m in 2025 but maybe they added some void years to that. We have to wait and see on that. If they didn't it will hit the cap as $10m this year.

I thought I read that they could convert salary for Stafford to hit his number. It's going to be a challenging year if the free cap space is already used up just to retain players.

 

[Ram_Rally]

You're going to rework a deal that they just reworked to give him more money? I'm getting some Inception vibes here.

No I was thinking that the deal they just reworked for 2025 would involve pushing a lot of his money from 2026. But seems I'm mistaken.

 

[DzRams]

I thought I read that they could convert salary for Stafford to hit his number. It's going to be a challenging year if the free cap space is already used up just to retain players.

The only way converting salary to bonus money helps is if that bonus money is spread out over a number of years - the more the better. In Stafford's case, the bonus money can only be spread out over 2 years, this year and next. Not very helpful in reducing his cap number.

I don't believe the Rams are going to be very active in free agency.

 

[Ram_Rally]

Its not really possible since they were adamant that they weren't adding years. He has only 2 years on his deal, prior to the "restructure" the cap hit is 50 mill in '25 and 53 mill in 26.
If they pushed his cash to 40 mill, they add 13 mill to the cap hit, whether all in '25 or split between the 2 years

This will be interesting then. I don't think we're a huge threat as currently built.

 

[Ram_Rally]

The only way converting salary to bonus money helps is if that bonus money is spread out over a number of years - the more the better. In Stafford's case, the bonus money can only be spread out over 2 years, this year and next. Not very helpful in reducing his cap number.

I don't believe the Rams are going to be very active in free agency.

Then I'll need to reset my expectations for 2025.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Then I'll need to reset my expectations for 2025.

hey, don't kill yourself before the draft, eh

 

[Merlin]

CB feels like the position to fill in FA. Not sure how the Rams feel they line up with the way they plan to call it, but I'd just chase Reed right out the gate, get him locked up and from there it's gravy.

Here's the FA notes on him from PFF's list:

 

[Ram_Rally]

hey, don't kill yourself before the draft, eh

Lol I'm kinda in on the youth movement so it'll be fun either way. But the percentages say picks 26,90, and 100 won't elevate the roster to a contender in 2025.

 

[Merlin]

Gaines btw might be a potentially cheap addition that could round out our rotation. He didn't play well last season with the Bucs so that plus the strength of this DL class should mean he doesn't get a lot of interest. Which might mean he is affordable, and adding him wouldn't keep us from adding a mid draft pick widebody. Rams know he's a guy who will work. He knows the Rams locker room and system. Just has to be real cheap.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Yeah the structure of the deal is going to be important. Most people get more cap space by restructuring deals so we might not have lost much cap space at all except for tutus contract.

Possible but if you consider the deals signed by Kevin Dotson and Jonah Jackson just last year, the Rams did not push-off much of the cap space in Year-1 of three-year deals. As for the Stafford restructure, assuming no extension of years, I would guess a larger 2025 cap hit.

I am inclined to agree with @OldSchool, that the Rams' cap space has taken a big hit the past week.

 

[Ram_Rally]

Possible but if you consider the deals signed by Kevin Dotson and Jonah Jackson just last year, the Rams did not push-off much of the cap space in Year-1 of three-year deals. As for the Stafford restructure, assuming no extension of years, I would guess a larger 2025 cap hit.

I am inclined to agree with @OldSchool, that the Rams' cap space has taken a big hit the past week.

Do you think the Rams make any splashes in free agency?

 

[DzRams]

Lol I'm kinda in on the youth movement so it'll be fun either way. But the percentages say picks 26,90, and 100 won't elevate the roster to a contender in 2025.

I'm with you. I see the roster as a contender as is but not a strong SB contender without a major addition or two. I'm not seeing them make a major addition so my current expectation is about the same as last year: a playoff team that is unlikely to go all the way.

 

[Allen2McVay]

Do you think the Rams make any splashes in free agency?

No idea.

 

[Ram_Rally]

I'm with you. I see the roster as a contender as is but not a strong SB contender without a major addition or two. I'm not seeing them make a major addition so my current expectation is about the same as last year: a playoff team that is unlikely to go all the way.

Yeah same boat. Which is still a fun season. But it doesn't feel like the start of the 21 or 22 seasons.

 

[Ram_Rally]

No idea.

I haven't felt like I could guess a Rams off-season in 3 years now

 

[PhillyRam]

I'm with you. I see the roster as a contender as is but not a strong SB contender without a major addition or two. I'm not seeing them make a major addition so my current expectation is about the same as last year: a playoff team that is unlikely to go all the way.

Not sure if this FA period will be big for any team as it's not a great class. Teams are doing a better job of keeping their top players, especially guys coming off their first contract.