About that $100-110 million “cap space” for next year...

[Rams43]

Sounds wonderful, huh?

But don’t be misled. It’s just another way of saying that we have a helluva lot of players not under contract. And quite a few of those players are top drawer and are gonna require some very big contracts.

Trust me, that cap space will start to disappear faster than a dropped sno-cone on a hot July sidewalk once the signings begin.

My point? It is just as important as ever for the Rams to be careful about their contract decisions in this cap era. Maybe even more, given the caliber of our upcoming UFA’s. One reason why I think Demoff is worth his weight in gold.

Translation: Just say no to the OBJ and Gronk fantasies. Keep our picks to not only build for our long term future while holding the line on cap management.

Besides, our roster under these coaches is already of SB caliber. Sooooo...

 

[Corbin]

But but... OBJ made a 3 fingered touchdown once, hes the greatest WR of all time even though he hasnt retired yet and i want the whole NFL to envy the Rams. It dont matter if we mortgage our future and give away cheap, young talent. Lets pick up Gronk and Marquette King to... Madden irl!

 

[DaveFan'51]

Sounds wonderful, huh?

But don’t be misled. It’s just another way of saying that we have a helluva lot of players not under contract. And quite a few of those players are top drawer and are gonna require some very big contracts.

Trust me, that cap space will start to disappear faster than a dropped sno-cone on a hot July sidewalk once the signings begin.

My point? It is just as important as ever for the Rams to be careful about their contract decisions in this cap era. Maybe even more, given the caliber of our upcoming UFA’s. One reason why I think Demoff is worth his weight in gold.

Translation: Just say no to the OBJ and Gronk fantasies. Keep our picks to not only build for our long term future while holding the line on cap management.

Besides, our roster under these coaches is already of SB caliber. Sooooo...

I follow your theory But we need to wait and see what they do with the 100-110 cap space!

 

[Merlin]

Just make sure you are paying difference makers, not JAGs. Do that, and sustaining a window of winning is possible.

The days of paying dudes like Tavon have to be in the rear-view now. They are a winning organization now and need to raise the bar, i.e. focusing on the guys who provide top-notch impact on the field.

Donald? Yes. Gurley? Yes. Goff? Yes. OBJ? It would pi$$ me off, but yes.

And for the love of F do something with the OL that has the future in mind. That position group is like a damn sword hangin over our heads.

 

[Ram_Rally]

But but... OBJ made a 3 fingered touchdown once, hes the greatest WR of all time even though he hasnt retired yet and i want the whole NFL to envy the Rams. It dont matter if we mortgage our future and give away cheap, young talent. Lets pick up Gronk and Marquette King to... Madden irl!

So it's safe to guess that you'd feel this way about les and Mcvay should they actually pull this trade off? Lol

 

[BonifayRam]

Keep Goff protected & help Gurley run wild until he is 30 plus :
Rodger Saffold UFA
Rob Havenstein UFA
Jamon Brown UFA

 

[yrba1]

Hope we at least sign Donald's contract soon, my guess is that he's waiting on the numbers for Khalil Mack and benchmark from there.

 

[Zodi]

Keep Goff protected & help Gurley run wild until he is 30 plus :
Rodger Saffold UFA
Rob Havenstein UFA
Jamo Brown UFA

That's my biggest fear: investing in the skill positions and relying on vets with 1-2 year deals.

Just look at the GSoT for proof that none of the other positions matter, nor your scheme, if your QB is getting hit after every down because a veteran or two is injured, retired or otherwise couldn't get re-signed.

 

[Corbin]

So it's safe to guess that you'd feel this way about les and Mcvay should they actually pull this trade off? Lol

It's not going to happen so nothing to worry about.

 

[LACHAMP46]

The days of paying dudes like Tavon Joyner have to be in the rear-view now:redcard:.

FIFY Merl

 

[Ram65]

Here is a link to Spotrac with 2019 Rams contracts.
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/los-angeles-rams/cap/2019/

It does not have Sullivan's numbers and shows about 81 Million before increase in cap.


Wow Gurley is up to 9.631 Million Goff is 8.889 Million and Barron is in the middle at 9 Million. Had trouble get screen shot.

 

[Merlin]

FIFY Merl

Yeah I think Joyner may be gone next year. Dude wanted to play safety but doesn't want safety money of course. With all the higher importance signings pending, he might have priced himself out of horns IMO.

 

[OldSchool]

Yeah I think Joyner may be gone next year. Dude wanted to play safety but doesn't want safety money of course. With all the higher importance signings pending, he might have priced himself out of horns IMO.

Joyner doesn’t want safety money? Interesting I hadn’t seen that before.

 

[FrantikRam]

Actually that cap space is exactly why we SHOULD trade for OBJ IMO.

This will be very rough, but:

Donald - $25 million
Joyner - $10 million
Havenstein - $7 million
Peters - $10 million
Saffold - $9 million
Sullivan - $5 million (he wasn't on that list as being signed)
Brown - $6 million

RFAs - $6 million
Draft/filler - $6 million (no first or second round picks)

This would mostly keep our team intact and would take up close to $80 million. But here's the rub:

That $20-$25million in cap space - what can we realistically do with it? That money in the future will be going to Gurley and Goff - so signing free agents to long term deals wouldn't make a ton of sense, and you always have to overpay for free agents anyways. Which means that we have two options here:

1. Draft someone this year and next year and if they turn out to be good, let them walk when they are due to be re-signed. Hope that they are impact players quickly and don't take time to develop.

2. Trade for OBJ and have him for two years (franchise him after this season), giving up just this years first and next years first.

I vote for option 2 because the Rams would be the best team in the NFL and I believe we would win a super bowl in either 2018 or 2019. After those two years, we would have a full complement of draft picks to retool after losing OBJ and a few other players.

 

[Turducken]

Who isn't signed for 2019? It seemed like a good reason to spend a half hour poking around on overthecap.com. The ones that stand out are AD, Gurley, Suh, Peters, Saffold, Joyner, Havenstein, Jamon Brown and Ethan Westbrooks. We can exercise a fifth year option on Gurley and Peters for about $10mil each (but Gurley's price would be double and Peters would quadruple from 2018). AD's 2019 price will be about 2.5x his 2018 price (assume he signs a long term deal @ $20m). If Suh plays well, his price won't go down, so that's another $15mil to tag him for a year (maybe a little less if you sign him for two more years). Saffold might be willing to offer a small hometown discount to finish his career as a Ram, but it would only shave a million or two off his current price ($8mil) - maybe we let him walk to shift $$ to Hav and/or JB. Joyner may sign an extension this year which would make him a little more affordable but he's probably looking at $8-10mil/ year. Havenstein, Brown and Westbrooks will likely draw free agency offers that double or triple their current contracts. (It's doable, but not if you have to pay OBJ $20m+)

2020 will be just as hard because Goff's 5th year option (for a QB top 10 pick) will be >$25mil, so it won't save money versus extending him. Unless extended, Gurley, Higbee, Pharoh, Suh, Talib, Whitworth and Peters will all be UFA's. Tag likely goes to Gurley or Peters. Assuming that Whitworth calls it a career that saves about $13m, but it also leaves a huge talent void that will be hard to fill without a high draft pick or a lot of $$$ for a FA.

The FO has a three year all-in strategy because we are within striking distance and after 2020 there will be a new CBA that may change all the salary cap math (and, regardless, all the PSL's should be sold before 2020). Maybe we have to undergo a hard reset in 2020 and/or 2021 but we'll have the chance to hold onto our big three (AD, Gurley, Goff) for a second run.

 

[OldSchool]

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/schultz_report/status/981749928853618691?s=21

 

[PhillyRam]

I think I saw tgat Whitworth counts 12M next year.... that won't happen. Even if he wants to play that number will cone down... so could be even more cap room.

My biggest concern is the OL. I said it before, I don't want a repeat of the early 90's, talented young QB in Everett, losing his OL overnight it seemed, and got pounded.

 

[drasconis]

I think I saw tgat Whitworth counts 12M next year.... that won't happen. Even if he wants to play that number will cone down... so could be even more cap room.

Why would it come down? If the Rams drop him it is still about 2mil dead money so only save 10mil. He isn't getting paid outrageous money, he is getting market value. You can only replace with a top draft pick or another high cost FA (which means you likely save no $)....and the draft pick is a big risk

Whit is going to be real issue going forward, not in himself or his play, but the fact that you are getting all-pro level play at a very important position...you can save money but it comes with a lot of risk...and sooner or later time will catch him

 

[PhillyRam]

Why would it come down? If the Rams drop him it is still about 2mil dead money so only save 10mil. He isn't getting paid outrageous money, he is getting market value. You can only replace with a top draft pick or another high cost FA (which means you likely save no $)....and the draft pick is a big risk

Whit is going to be real issue going forward, not in himself or his play, but the fact that you are getting all-pro level play at a very important position...you can save money but it comes with a lot of risk...and sooner or later time will catch him

I am just saying he will likely retire after this year and in 2019 his level of play could be a lot lower than it was in 17'... A lot can happen in 2 years.

I also agree that LT is a huge concern. I really thought McVay would push for a Kolton Miller at 23, but that is obviously not happening now.