Rams projected to have 23rd-most offseason resources in 2023

Feb 7, 2023 - 4:01 PM

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The Los Angeles Rams have work to do before getting back to the Super Bowl, but they don’t have a first round pick, they’ve committed a lot of money to players near or over 30, and they’re projected to be $14 million over the 2023 salary cap. According to one estimate, the Rams have the 23rd-most total “resources” to work with in the 2023 offseason.

Admit it, you thought they’d be 32nd.

Calculating 2023 salary cap space, draft capital, and prorateable money, PFF’s Arjun Menon made up a final composite score and felt that among 32 teams, the L.A. Rams were not doing great, but far from doing the worst.

The Rams are somewhat saved by their ability to restructure certain big contracts to save money against the cap now and pay the cost later.

The Rams are ranked in between the Buccaneers and Ravens. They are still better off than NFC West rivals, the 49ers, as San Francisco has no first or second round pick and they also traded their original third round pick, although they’re projected to have three third round compensatory picks. The Niners also have much less wiggle room with their contracts and will have salary cap issues, especially after extending Nick Bosa.

The team in the absolute worst position is the Miami Dolphins, after they were docked their first round pick for inappropriate conversations with Tom Brady and Sean Payton and then trading their extra first round pick for Bradley Chubb. The Saints once again have an immense amount of work to do with the salary cap—projected $60 million over—and they do not have a first round pick.

Teams that have no excuse for not using the offseason to improve would be the Texans and Bears, who are ranked first and second in resources. They pick first and second in the draft (Houston has another top-15 pick) and Chicago has an insane amount of salary cap space, enough to add at least three or four of the top free agents. In the NFC West, the Seattle Seahawks are ranked third, as they have two top-20 draft picks and two second round picks.

The Seahawks have a good amount of cap space but that will dry up immediately if they give Geno Smith a new contract.

The Cardinals are ranked 10th. But Arizona has another issue besides being one of the last teams to hire a new head coach: Kyler Murray is recovering from a torn ACL, so the Cards must decide who probably starts the first five or six games of the season for them at quarterback. Do they spend a lot of resources on the position then? A year after overpaying Kyler?

The Rams have some room to work with, but how will they use it?