Are the Rams looking to make a splash in 2024 free agency?

The Los Angeles Rams have taken a non-traditional approach to this year’s NFL free agency period, clearing off their books. Instead of trying to reconfigure and reload the roster for a second Lombardi in three years, the Rams have appeared to pivot and seem content remodeling their roster for a 2024 run. In just one week, Los Angeles released Leonard Floyd ($19 million dead cap), Bobby Wagner ($7.5 million dead cap), and traded Jalen Ramsey ($19.6 million dead cap) to the Miami Dolphins.

Altogether, the Rams have $52.7 million in dead cap charges entering the 2023 season. Other players counting against the Rams’ financials are Andrew Whitworth (retirement), Troy Hill (void year), A’Shawn Robinson (void year), Coleman Shelton (void year), Jacob Harris (release), Terrell Lewis (release), and Terrell Burgess (release).

Where is the silver lining in all of this? The Rams will enter the 2024 season with $55.5 million in cap space for 2024 and $0 in dead cap. Initially, the Rams only had a little over $10 million in cap space for the 2024 year. And there may be more savings coming in the future, pending the status of Allen Robinson.

The Rams will have the opportunity to spend money next March on elite players rather than trading for them, and next year’s free agent class appears to be loaded…

*Players like Joe Burrow, Justin Hurts, Justin Herbert, Justin Jefferson, Chris Jones, and Nick Bosa are most likely to be retained and are not considered*

2024 FA Options…

Tier 1:

CeeDee Lamb, WR

Tee Higgins, WR

Brian Burns, EDGE

Montez Sweat, EDGE

Chase Young, EDGE

Dexter Lawrence, iDL

Jeffery Simmons, iDL

Tier 2:

Tony Pollard, RB

Michael Pittman Jr, WR

Jerry Jeudy, WR

Tyler Biadasz, C

Alex Highsmith, EDGE

Yetur Gross-Matos, EDGE

Josh Allen, EDGE