What advantage do the Rams have with so many cost-controlled players under contract?
The Los Angeles Rams, having drafted 32 prospects over the past three years, including 2024, lead the league with 70 players signed for the 2025 season. This is four more than the next highest team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have 66 players under contract for 2025.
Why is this significant for the Rams?
The major benefit of having numerous players on rookie contracts is that the Rams still have an estimated $34 million in cap space for the next offseason. Although this figure will fluctuate over the next nine months, the Rams’ strategy of maintaining a large number of players on rookie contracts gives them a substantial advantage in roster building.
The key will be for these players to continue improving or performing well, including Puka Nacua, Kobie Turner, and Stetson Bennett. The more the Rams can rely on their draft picks from 2022, 2023, and 2024, the less money they will need to spend to address team needs next year. This allows GM Les Snead and coach Sean McVay to allocate more funds toward desired acquisitions rather than necessities.
Rams 2025 free agents
Prominent players like Ernest Jones and A.J. Jackson will become free agents, along with those on one-year deals like Jimmy Garoppolo, Demarcus Robinson, and Tre’Davious White. Retaining any of these players will require a portion of the available $34 million cap space.
The Rams have not recently drafted significant off-ball linebackers, so replacing Jones could involve a free agency acquisition, a trade, or another draft pick next year.
Rams 2025 cut candidates
Not all 70 players signed through 2025 will remain on the roster in 12 months. The Rams have nearly $10 million in cap space allocated to Aaron Donald next year, along with $50.5 million for Matthew Stafford and almost $30 million for Cooper Kupp. While there aren’t many obvious cut candidates, evaluations of Kupp, Stafford, Rob Havenstein, and Darious Williams will be necessary. Potential cuts could include lower-profile players on recent draft picks like Ochaun Mathis, Desjuan Johnson, Jason Taylor, or KT Leveston. Many will likely make the practice squad, but there’s a risk they could be claimed by other teams, or the Rams may replace them with waiver claims.
Advantage: Rams
So far, the Rams have successfully drafted replacements to maintain a 90-man roster and 53-man roster under the salary cap, while still paying high salaries to a few star players. The 2023 draft class has met their needs, and it is now up to McVay and his team to continue maximizing the potential of L.A.’s cost-controlled players. This provides the Rams the advantage of having numerous players signed for the future without needing to cut any unless they choose to.
