Wagoner: Rams' salary cap situation

Updating Rams’ salary cap situation

By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16717/updating-rams-salary-cap-situation

EARTH CITY, Mo. — Earlier this week, the NFL set the official 2015 salary cap number at $143.28 million.

Of course, that number is flexible by team based on cap adjustments, so the number the St. Louis Rams will be working with this year actually comes in at $144,673,387.

According to the folks at ESPN Stats & Information, that means the Rams are heading toward free agency with $10,385,337 in salary-cap space. That number includes a $3 million cap credit from the release and subsequent signing in Miami of cornerback Cortland Finnegan (whom the Dolphins released Monday). It also includes last week’s move in which the Rams released defensive tackle Kendall Langford, a transaction that saved the Rams $6 million against the cap.

With a week before the free agent period officially begins, that number is going to change multiple times. First and foremost, the Rams have to deal with their own free agents. Even aside from unrestricted free agents such as tackle Joe Barksdale, receiver Kenny Britt and tight end Lance Kendricks, the Rams have players under their control who will be brought back that will move into their top 51 salaries or move higher than they already are.

That means when the Rams tender restricted free agents such as quarterback Austin Davis, safety Rodney McLeod and tight end Cory Harkey, the amount of cap space they have will incrementally decrease. There are others who could be brought back as well.

Conversely, the Rams also have some moves they can make to create salary cap space before free agency begins. Quarterback Sam Bradford’s contract has drawn plenty of attention, but even if the sides can’t get something worked out right away, there are other moves that could be made. Namely, releasing tackle Jake Long and center Scott Wells. Parting ways with Long would save at least $8 million, and Wells would give the Rams another $4 million.

For what it’s worth, signs still point to the Rams parting ways with Long, with a decision on Wells still to be made. The Rams will have to make that decision sooner than later, though, as Wells is due a $1 million roster bonus on the third day of the league year (March 12).

If needed, the Rams also could theoretically shift some things around on higher-dollar contracts such as defensive end Robert Quinn. Quinn has money that could be converted to signing bonus to stretch out the payments, though that would go against the team’s preferred “pay as you go” method.

Here’s the complete breakdown of the Rams’ salary cap situation courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information (updated through March 2):

Adjusted cap: $144,673,387

Team cap: $133,080,433

Dead money: $1,207,617

Cap space: $10,385,337

Team cash: $107,714,764