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As noted in my most recent salary cap update, the league will announce the 2016 salary cap figures later this week. Today, the NFLPA announced each teams' salary cap carryover (unused salary cap space) from 2015. The Rams will be carrying over $933,521 in unused salary cap space from 2015 to 2016.
2016 #NFL Clubs' Unused Salary Cap Carryover Amounts Announced: https://t.co/WE037GzWb2 #NFLPA pic.twitter.com/o5uYmB4rSX
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) February 25, 2016
The Rams are one of three teams (along with the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints) that opted to not carry over the full amount of 2015 salary cap space available to them (the Rams had $2,178,544).
Why would the Rams not carry over salary cap space from 2015, monies that would give them more salary cap space in 2016?
Instead of carrying over the additional salary cap space, the Rams elected to use $1.245 million to offset incentives earned in 2015, but not yet accounted for on their their salary cap. The end result is the exact same amount of available salary cap space as if instead the Rams had rolled over all of the remaining room from 2015.
As noted earlier today, the Rams currently have close to $60 million in salary cap space for 2016. After accounting for all of their additional financial obligations in 2016, the team will still have close to $50 million in cap space to re-sign their own Free Agents, sign Free Agents from other teams and possibly finalize a contract extension for DT Michael Brockers (the Rams exercised his 5th year option for 2016 last year).
Exciting times for Rams fans!!