How much cap space do Rams have after signing Bobby Wagner?

[theramswire.usatoday.com] How much cap space do Rams have after signing Bobby Wagner?

Cameron DaSilva
April 6, 2022 5:33 am PT


Bobby Wagner officially signed his five-year contract with the Los Angeles Rams this week, arriving in Thousand Oaks and getting suited up with his new gear. After he signed on the dotted line, we learned the details of his deal, which has a base value of $50 million and can be worth up to $65 million.

Unsurprisingly, the Rams kept Wagner’s cap hit low in Year 1, coming in at just $2.5 million. Los Angeles didn’t have a ton of cap space to begin with, so keeping Wagner’s number low was essential.

With Wagner’s deal accounted for, how much cap space do the Rams have left this offseason? According to Over the Cap, the Rams are left with $7.148 million in cap room. That doesn’t include Riley Dixon’s one-year deal, which was signed on Tuesday, but considering he’s a punter, he shouldn’t take up more than about $1.5 million.

The Rams can still gain additional cap space by extending Aaron Donald and possibly Cooper Kupp. Donald has a cap hit of $26.75 million and Kupp’s is $18.68 million this year, so an extension for either player could create room by spreading money out like the Rams did with Matthew Stafford.

Cap space is important right now because the Rams still have glaring needs at outside linebacker and cornerback after Von Miller and Darious Williams left in free agency. Stephon Gilmore is still out there, as are Trey Flowers, Melvin Ingram and Jadeveon Clowney, all of whom the Rams still have the cap space to sign.

It’s just a matter of whether they want to commit to any of those players with back-loaded deals in order to keep the Year 1 cap hit down.