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Looking at Rams' potential salary cap cuts
By Nate Latsch
http://stl.scout.com/story/1521348-looking-at-rams-potential-salary-cap-cuts?s=124
Now that the NFL Scouting Combine is finished for another year, NFL teams are turning their focus to their rosters and making difficult decisions about their salary caps.
A.J. Hawk and Reggie Bush were two of the notable players released on Wednesday. They followed veterans like DeAngelo Williams and Mathias Kiwanuka who were cut earlier in the week.
The St. Louis Rams didn’t really tip their hand regarding upcoming roster decisions when general manager Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher met with the media in Indianapolis.
There has been much discussion about the future of oft-injured quarterback Sam Bradford with the Rams.
While the Rams can save $12.985 million in salary cap by releasing Bradford, according to OverTheCap.com, both Fisher and Snead have said they want Bradford to put the team’s quarterback in the 2015 season.
Fisher did comment on the potential future of former starting left tackle Jake Long, who is also coming off back-to-back season-ending ACL injuries.
“If he comes back and is 100 percent then he'll have a chance to be a part and contribute to what we're doing,” Fisher told reporters.
The Rams can save $8 million in cap space by releasing Long, which would seem to make a lot of sense considering his injury history and the fact that they drafted Greg Robinson with the second overall pick last year and see the youngster as the left tackle of the future.
Cutting defensive tackle Kendall Langford, who lost his starting job to rookie of the year Aaron Donald early last season, will save the Rams $6 million in cap space.
Langford started every game for the Rams in 2012 and 2013 and is still a valuable player, but his cap hit is too much for a reserve interior defensive lineman.
Releasing starting center Scott Wells would save $3.75 million.
Wells, 34, started all 16 games this past season after being limited to 19 total in his first two years in St. Louis. Wells’ backup, Tim Barnes, is a restricted free agent, but the Rams still have young centers Barrett Jones and Demetrius Rhaney on the roster.
Veteran defensive end William Hayes has been a solid contributor as a backup with the Rams, or as a starter after Chris Long got hurt, but releasing him this offseason could save the team $3.105 million, according to OverTheCap.com.
Releasing another backup defensive end, Eugene Sims, could save St. Louis $2.9 million.
Hayes and Sims are both valuable players for the Rams, but the team may not be able to afford them with so much salary committed to starting defensive ends Robert Quinn and Chris Long.
The Rams could find additional cap savings by releasing linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar ($1.345 million) and running back Isaiah Pead ($940,650).
Dunbar started 10 games last season but saw his playing time diminished following the trade deadline deal for safety Mark Barron, who was able to play a hybrid safety-linebacker spot in certain situations late in the season. Dunbar’s cap hit is low enough that it wouldn’t be surprising if the Rams brought him back.
Pead, a second-round pick in 2012, failed to make an impact at running back in his first two seasons and then missed the entire 2014 season after suffering a torn ACL in the preseason. With Tre Mason, Zac Stacy, Benny Cunningham and Trey Watts on the roster, the Rams can afford to part with Pead this offseason.
The team will need to free up some money if they choose to re-sign unrestricted free agents like wide receiver Kenny Britt, right tackle Joe Barksdale and tight end Lance Kendricks and then restricted free agents like tight end-fullback Cory Harkey and free safety Rodney McLeod.
By Nate Latsch
http://stl.scout.com/story/1521348-looking-at-rams-potential-salary-cap-cuts?s=124
Now that the NFL Scouting Combine is finished for another year, NFL teams are turning their focus to their rosters and making difficult decisions about their salary caps.
A.J. Hawk and Reggie Bush were two of the notable players released on Wednesday. They followed veterans like DeAngelo Williams and Mathias Kiwanuka who were cut earlier in the week.
The St. Louis Rams didn’t really tip their hand regarding upcoming roster decisions when general manager Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher met with the media in Indianapolis.
There has been much discussion about the future of oft-injured quarterback Sam Bradford with the Rams.
While the Rams can save $12.985 million in salary cap by releasing Bradford, according to OverTheCap.com, both Fisher and Snead have said they want Bradford to put the team’s quarterback in the 2015 season.
Fisher did comment on the potential future of former starting left tackle Jake Long, who is also coming off back-to-back season-ending ACL injuries.
“If he comes back and is 100 percent then he'll have a chance to be a part and contribute to what we're doing,” Fisher told reporters.
The Rams can save $8 million in cap space by releasing Long, which would seem to make a lot of sense considering his injury history and the fact that they drafted Greg Robinson with the second overall pick last year and see the youngster as the left tackle of the future.
Cutting defensive tackle Kendall Langford, who lost his starting job to rookie of the year Aaron Donald early last season, will save the Rams $6 million in cap space.
Langford started every game for the Rams in 2012 and 2013 and is still a valuable player, but his cap hit is too much for a reserve interior defensive lineman.
Releasing starting center Scott Wells would save $3.75 million.
Wells, 34, started all 16 games this past season after being limited to 19 total in his first two years in St. Louis. Wells’ backup, Tim Barnes, is a restricted free agent, but the Rams still have young centers Barrett Jones and Demetrius Rhaney on the roster.
Veteran defensive end William Hayes has been a solid contributor as a backup with the Rams, or as a starter after Chris Long got hurt, but releasing him this offseason could save the team $3.105 million, according to OverTheCap.com.
Releasing another backup defensive end, Eugene Sims, could save St. Louis $2.9 million.
Hayes and Sims are both valuable players for the Rams, but the team may not be able to afford them with so much salary committed to starting defensive ends Robert Quinn and Chris Long.
The Rams could find additional cap savings by releasing linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar ($1.345 million) and running back Isaiah Pead ($940,650).
Dunbar started 10 games last season but saw his playing time diminished following the trade deadline deal for safety Mark Barron, who was able to play a hybrid safety-linebacker spot in certain situations late in the season. Dunbar’s cap hit is low enough that it wouldn’t be surprising if the Rams brought him back.
Pead, a second-round pick in 2012, failed to make an impact at running back in his first two seasons and then missed the entire 2014 season after suffering a torn ACL in the preseason. With Tre Mason, Zac Stacy, Benny Cunningham and Trey Watts on the roster, the Rams can afford to part with Pead this offseason.
The team will need to free up some money if they choose to re-sign unrestricted free agents like wide receiver Kenny Britt, right tackle Joe Barksdale and tight end Lance Kendricks and then restricted free agents like tight end-fullback Cory Harkey and free safety Rodney McLeod.
