Updating the Rams’ salary-cap situation
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16956/updating-the-rams-salary-cap-situation
EARTH CITY, Mo. — For as fluid as all things free agency are with players constantly changing teams and teams constantly changing their minds, the amount of money a team has available under the salary cap is equally mercurial.
The St. Louis Rams made some big moves on Monday and Tuesday, releasing offensive linemen Jake Long and Scott Wells, and then trading quarterback Sam Bradford to the Eagles for Nick Foles and draft compensation. Before that, the Rams had parted ways with defensive lineman Kendall Langford in another cost-cutting move.
Suddenly, a team that was once relatively tight against the cap is now pretty comfortable under it. According to the folks at ESPN Stats & Information, the Rams now have $28,834,811 in cap space.
That number is probably actually a bit different since the Rams are still hammering out the final details on a contract with tight end Lance Kendricks before it can be made official. It also doesn’t include the addition of quarterback Case Keenum. But clearly the Rams are no longer hurting for space if they want to be active in the market.
Subtracting Bradford saved the Rams $12,985,000, but it also added the remainder of his prorated signing bonus of $3,595,000 to their total amount of dead money. Releasing Long ($1.25 million) and Wells ($1 million) also added to the total dead money.
As it stands, here’s how ESPN Stats & Information has the Rams’ current cap situation with the caveat that this is unofficial based on other things in motion:
Adjusted Cap Value: $144,673,387
Cap Value: $107,535,959
Dead Money / Other: $8,302,617
Cap Space: $28,834,811