Will the LA Rams become victims of bad timing?

Will the Los Angeles Rams become victims of bad timing?

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Brendan AbbanJuly 22, 2017
Los Angeles Rams


The Los Angeles Rams seem to be on a path to possibly turn their franchise around with the recent moves they have made. However, they could be on the clock sooner than they thought.

In the last year the Rams have lost a lot of talent to free agency. In the last year and a half here are some of the names that have left the Rams organization via free agency: Janoris Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, Kenny Britt, T.J. McDonald and Lance Kendricks.

Things do not get much better looking forward either. They kept primary cornerback Trumaine Johnson by using the franchise tag on him for the second consecutive season. Although, that only means that they have put off Johnson hitting free agency one more season.

Once Johnson’s tag expires he will join inside linebacker Alec Ogletree, corners E.J. Gaines and Nickell Robey-Coleman, outside linebacker Connor Barwin, safeties Maurice Alexander, Lamarcus Joyner and Cody Davis, defensive ends Dominique Easley and Ethan Westbrooks in free agency.

Those were only the players on defense. On the offense they will also have running back Lance Dunar and center John Sullivan hitting free agency.

This list of players consists of starters and contributors off the bench. It will be impossible for the Rams to retain all of their players despite projecting to have almost $40 million in cap space in 2018.

As a result they will have to lose key starters or sacrifice a lot of their depth.

This just spells bad timing for the Rams. The timing is bad for the Rams because this is the period when they have players on cheap contracts.

It is easiest to win when having many talented players on cheap contracts. They are all affordable under the salary cap which allows them to all play together.

Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams may have missed their window of opportunity to win big following recent departures. Source: Jeff Gross/Getty Images North America via Zimbio.
Unfortunately, the Rams are in a situation where they did not win during the window when their players were at their cheapest. Now many of those contracts are expiring at the same time and the Rams are being forced to make decisions.

The Seattle Seahawks are currently in a similar struggle after paying their marquee defensive talent and quarterback Russell Wilson.

When the Rams had multiple skill players such as Jenkins and others on their first contracts they could not win. They could not find a quarterback to lead them to winning which now results in them being in their current situation.

The Rams will have to make decisions on who to retain and who to let go. Whoever they keep will most likely eat up a chunk of their salary cap.

Then considering the fact the team still has to take care of defensive tackle Aaron Donald, spending money is slim. The Rams will have to masterfully work around their pending salary cap obligations to put a winning product on the field.

It is possible but it will be difficult. Hopefully this new regime in Los Angeles can maneuver around the foreseen struggles and still give everyone a winning product.

Brendan Abban is a staff writer for the Los Angeles Rams on Endzonescore and hosts the KBR Sports podcast. Follow him on Twitter @BAbban24 or email him via brendanabban24@gmail.com.