2021 Salary cap issues for the Rams...

Los Angeles Rams

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Projected cap space: Minus-$27.6 million

Key free agents: Edge Leonard Floyd, CB Troy Hill, TE Gerald Everett, S John Johnson, WR Josh Reynolds

1. Restructure DT Aaron Donald and CB Jalen Ramsey. The Rams haven't typically gone the major restructure route with their big contracts. One exception came last year, when they converted $9 million of quarterback Jared Goff's salary into a signing bonus. The organization wouldn't have made that choice if it knew it was going to trade Goff less than a year later, but it's too late to worry about that now.

As far as franchise building blocks go, it's difficult to imagine the Rams moving on from their two defensive cornerstones. Donald has the largest cap hit of any non-quarterback in football at $27.9 million, which the team will likely address with a restructure. The future Hall of Famer has a $19,892,000 base salary this season and four years left to go on his contract. Converting $18 million of that figure into a signing bonus would free up $13.5 million in 2021 cap space.

Ramsey, meanwhile, has a $17.5 million base salary as he begins his five-year, $100 million extension. Converting $16 million of that base into a signing bonus frees up $12.8 million for the team in 2021. These two moves free up $26.3 million in cap space, which gets the Rams within a rounding error of complying with the salary cap. Given their holes on defense, though, Los Angeles will have to do more to free up space.

2. Restructure WRs Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. The Rams will have to get some help from their two starting wide receivers, who have the fourth- and fifth-largest cap hits on the roster. Converting $9 million of Kupp's $10.5 million base salary and $11 million of Woods' $12.5 million base into signing bonuses frees up an additional $14.8 million in cap space. Now they can start considering free agents at moderate prices.

3. Extend QB Matthew Stafford. There have been reports that Stafford will play out the final two years of his deal with the Rams, but L.A. didn't trade its starting quarterback and two first-round picks with the intention of having Stafford around for a couple of years. Stafford has team-friendly cap hits of $20 million and $23 million over the next two seasons, but the Rams will need to extend their new starter at some point. Using these two upcoming seasons as runway gives them the most financial flexibility as they get an extension done.

Again, let's take a look at how that might eventually go down. Let's say Stafford gets a four-year, $164 million extension. Adding that to his current deal means the Rams have to account for six years and $207 million. Can general manager Les Snead do that while simultaneously reducing Stafford's 2020 cap hit?

YEAR BASE SALARY SIGNING BONUS CAP HIT
2021 $5,000,000 $12,000,000 $17,000,000
2022 $16,000,000 $12,000,000 $28,000,000
2023 $23,000,000 $12,000,000 $35,000,000
2024 $29,000,000 $12,000,000 $41,000,000
2025 $33,000,000 $12,000,000 $45,000,000
2026 $41,000,000 $0 $41,000,000

He can! Giving Stafford a $60 million signing bonus and a $5 million base salary means Stafford would get a significant raise while simultaneously dropping the veteran's cap hit by $3 million. (The $60 million bonus only prorates over the first five years of the contract by NFL rule.) This deal would keep the quarterback's cap hits over the first two years of the deal in line with what he is set to make over the final two years of his current deal while saving the more significant cap hits for 2023 and beyond, when the Rams (and the league) should be in better cap shape.