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Deadpool
Because I think the most they have to offer any one player at this point is around 3-4m tops. They could restructure and they could release someone, but as it stands right now, you have to start looking a discount players.
Guys like Tyler Eifert (coming off yet another injury on a 1 year prove it deal)
Clay Matthews at edge who si 33 and declining
Danny Shelton NT maybe
Jake Ryan or Brandon Marshall at ILB
Zack Brown at ILB maybe, but I seriously doubt it
Ryan Groy at OC probably
Thats it, unless a guy like Justin Houston wants to play for a 1/3rd of what he was making, you aren't getting any high impact.
I'm sorry brother. Thats just the nature of the beast.
I think some creative financing could get some of your maybe’s if the player is willing to take a bit less and the Rams are willing to push some of the money into future years.
For example, take a Justin Houston. Let’s assume they have $4M this year and he’s willing to take an average of $10M per year.
They could sign him to a 3 year deal as follows:
$9M signing bonus over 3 years = $3M on the cap for 2019-2021
2019:approx $1M vet minimum salary = total cap of $4M.
2020: $10M base salary = total cap of $13M.
2021: same as 2020 but could be cut with only a $3M dead money hit.
So you have a 3 year deal which is really only 2 because you can get out of it easily after the 2nd year. The higher 2020 cap hit could be absorbed in theory b/c you have several players - Whit, Brockers - dropping off.
Demoff has done this type of thing before, more towards the beginning of the Fisher/Snead tenure (e.g. Saffold's 2nd contract had a low 1st year cap hit) but it would have to be on a player that they really think could push them over the edge. Not a Clay Matthews type; too little left in the tank.