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Ramsfan1971
Do you think they will continue to kick the can down the road by doing similar tactics until the window closes on this talented squad or are they forced to meet some of those obligations now because of salary cap rules?
"... you seem to have this thing all figured out." I wish. We have a number of posters who really 'get' the cap and as a math guy I soak it all up and spit it out when it seems useful. If there is an original thought in there it is surely an extension of what I learned from someone else.
As to your question, I'll address the second part first: everything that a team pays a player will eventually count against the cap. They can play games with signing bonuses and void years, etc. But if a guy signs a 4 year, $40M contract and plays for 4 years that guy will count $40M against the cap somewhere, somehow. Could simply be $10M a year. Could be $1M in year one, $8M a year in years 2, 3, and 4, and $15M in year 5 (after the guy is already gone!) ... but it all comes due at some point.
As far as kicking the can down the road, I don't think it's a strategy that the Rams particularly like so I think they'll figure a way out of it.
Before covid the cap for 2021 was supposed to be $200.2M. And the Rams were about $15M over that. Then it got cut to $182.5M. That put them squarely behind the 8 ball. $33M over the cap!!! (as opposed to Jacksonville: they were $40M under the 2021 cap so the reduction didn't do anything to them except make then $$22M under the cap instead).
The Rams restructured a bunch of contracts (e.g., Ramsey, Woods, Havs. I think Donald and Kupp, too.), structured Floyd's deal so his 2021 cap hit was low, rolled some left over cap space from '20 into '21, and probably did some other stuff that I can't remember, but they did get under the cap. The consequence, though, is the $73M in additional salary in 2022 I mentioned.
The restructures basically converted 2021 salary to a signing bonus, allowing the team to pay a player this year but spread the cap hit over the life of the contract (5 years max).
For example, if a guy's salary is $22M they could convert $20M to a signing bonus and spread the hit for that bonus over 5 years at $4M a year. That reduces his hit to $6M this year (the remaining $2M salary plus $4M pro rated signing bonus), creates $16M in cap space, but adds $4M to his cap hit in each of the next 4 years.
The Rams will probably have to restructure some contracts again this year, but it won't be as dramatic since they're a few million under the cap instead of $33M over. The Rams are almost $89M under the cap in 2023 so they can afford to move some money there and perhaps they will be back on track starting next year.
AlbaNY_Ram
Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/01/2022 06:11AM by AlbaNY_Ram.
