5 Rams cuts, trades and restructures that will/would save over $44.6 M for 2025

As the 2025 NFL Free Agency market looms on the horizon, the Los Angeles Rams front office is making a list and checking it twice for free agents who could be ideal fits for 2025 and beyond. We have assembled our own list of three free agents that could push the team over the top in terms of competing in Super Bowl LX. But to sign new faces to the Rams roster this offseason, the team needs free salary cap space. So, where does that stand?

The current projections for the LA Rams 2025 salary cap space in 2025 are currently projected by overthecap.com to come in at $51.74 million. But that does not yet reflect the team's offseason activities. (as of Marh 5, 2025 at 9:00 am PT) Those actions include:

And so, if you are part of the enclave that remains concerned over the Rams salary cap space at the onset of a new NFL season. While the Rams have flirted at the edge of the annual NFL salary cap precipice, the team remains in the safe harbor by being proactive at slashing salary expenses as the new NFL year approaches. Whether that involves drastic methods like releasing popular and productive players, to simply engaging tried and true accounting tricks like reworking a contract to spread current payroll expenses into future year.

One year ago, the Rams had to band-aid the contract for veteran QB Matthew Stafford to keep him in the 2024 Rams training camp. But the team assured ILB Ernest Jones that he was a priority to get a second contract. Instead, the team traded him away just before the regular season started. As soon as the 2024 season ended, the team notified WR Cooper Kupp that he would be traded 'immediately.' Lessons learned, be prepared for anything.

So here we are, at a point in time in which the team is about to dive headfirst into the 2025 NFL Free Agency market. While the team's current cache of cash (tongue-twister, isn't it?) appears to be an ample supply for a modest level of activity, the team does not have the amount of available salary cap space needed to sign elite NFL game changers. If the team desires to do that, the team will need to take some aggressive steps to freeing up more cap space. Like what? Like this:

(5) - Trade RB Kyren Williams - Savings $5.345 Million

While I am by no means endorsing the Rams trading running back Kyren Williams, doing so does free up $5.346 million. And with a 2025 NFL Draft bursting with inexpensive and talented running backs, that may be a tempting course of action. While Kyren Williams has seen an ever-increasing workload in the Rams offense, his 2024 production was a significant regression from a very impressive 2023 NFL season.

Again, these are indications that Williams is not progressing in a positive direction across the board. While the numbers are still very positive and not alarming, they do justify consideration of going younger and cheaper at the position for 2025. After all, there is such an abundance of running back rookie prospects in this draft class that the team could land a starting-caliber player on Day 3.

While the team has suggested that Kyren Williams will be prioritized for an extension this year, I'm a bit of a doubting-Thomas on that front. Williams' is getting worse at his ball security. And the Rams are stuck in a rut of running backs who all look like Kyren Williams. Wouldn't it make some sense to get bigger, or faster, or both in the 2025 NFL Draft?

It likely won't happen, but there is significant savings to be realized here. I never thought the Rams would trade ILB Ernest Jones or WR Cooper Kupp, but that is the reality right now.

(4) - Jonah Jackson (Traded to Bears) - Savings $9.0 Million

I had the Rams' imminent trade of Jonah Jackson as a real savings for the team against their 2025 salary cap. And before I could get the article published, the Rams agreed to trade interior offensive lineman Jonah Jackson to the Chicago Bears for a Round 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. While the Rams may not have gotten an optimal return for a starting offensive guard, the trade does:

Put Jonah Jackson back into a starting role as an NFL offensive guard
Lock second-year center Beaux Limmer in as Rams starter for 2025
Free up otherwise occupied roster slot for young player
Free up significant salary cap space

The LA Rams signed Jonah Jackson to a three-year $51 million contract in 2024. The Rams must swallow the residual $5.667 million of his $8.5 million signing bonus. But the team saves $17.5 million (cash) due him in 2025, and $17 million due him in 2026. That works out to a current year cap savings of $9 million.

Of course, this is a bit of over-simplification. The Rams have freed up a roster slot and cap space, but created a rather significant void in terms of the depth chart at offensive line. Currently, the Rams backups for the interior offensive line include: IOL Justin Dedich, C Dylan McMahon, plus either K.T.Leveston or A.J. Arcuri (offensive tackles who may move inside for the 2025 NFL season).

Is that sufficient depth for the Rams 2025 training camp? It feels very light at this stage. But the team is likely to consider free agency, the 2025 NFL Draft, and post-draft free agency to swell the ranks to a more adequate depth.

(3) - Cooper Kupp (pending trade) - Savings $12.52 million

Veteran WR Cooper Kupp is currently projected to hit the Rams salary cap in 2025 at a clip of $29.78 million. That includes a $7.5 million roster bonus that will come due on March 17, 2025. Since the Rams have reportedly offered to any potential trade partner to swallow the roster bonus to facilitate a trade, the Rams are only putting the other NFL team on the hook for this 2025 salary, which is currently slated to be $12.5 million.

If another NFl accepts the Rams offer to swallow the roster bonus, you can expect to reduce the projected savings by that number, bringing the realized saving in 2025 down to $5.02 million for 2025. But the team would also shed $19.85 million from the 2025 salary cap.

Is a trade or release inevitable? While Rams HC Sean McVay seemed to balk at slamming the door shut on a chance that Cooper Kupp returning for 2025, nothing in his phrasing suggested that the team was having second thoughts. Kupp remains a solid contributor to an offense. The thing is, the Rams want to re-engineer how their offense works. To build a better offense for 2025, the team has to upgrade the pieces that make it go. Unfortunately, the numbers game this year does not favor Kupp's return.

It's heartbreaking to say goodbye to such a great player. But that is how the business side of the NFL works.

(2) - Restructure QB Matthew Stafford contract - Savings $12.872 million

While we know that the Rams have renegotiated Matthew Stafford's current contract, details over what that might entail have not been reported publicly. While the details remain unavailable, we can speculate on what an optimist restructure might do for the team's 2025 salary cap space. Initially, Stafford's contract was due to pay him $27 million in fresh cash in 2025, while hitting the Rams 2025 salary cap for nearly $50 million.

Conceivably, the Rams front office had a wide spectrum of tools that could not only pour more guaranteed compensation into Stafford's pockets, but could spread the impact over more years. That would ensure that the team might actually lower the salary cap hit. How?

Let's say that the Rams opted to pay Stafford a $45 million signing bonus in 2025, but added 3 void years at the end of the contract to reduce the impact in 2025 from $27 million down to $9 million. In this example, the Rams increase cash paid out to Stafford by $22 million, but lower the cap hit in 2025 by $18 million. So how did I end up at a savings of $12.872 million?

Overthecap.com estimates savings of $12.872 million by restructuring Stafford's contract. Since the savings can be anything, their estimate is a good placeholder.

(1) - Release TE Colby Parkinson (Post June 1) - Savings $5.25 million

While the team signed free agent tight end Colby Parkinson to a three-year contract worth $22.5 million in 2024, he is looking at a void year in 2026. So his contract is effectively a one-year deal now with a huge cap hit due in 2026. That puts a lot of variables into proper perspective.

Initially, the contract was reported as a three-year deal. But closer inspection reveals the details act like a two year deal. So what happens if Parkinson is outright released? The team saves his schedule $5.25 million salary, which would be offset by the residual signing bonus of $2.083 million. But if the team releases Parkinson with a Post June 1 designation, the team pushes the impact of the residual signing bonus into 2026, generating the entire savings of $5.25 million for 2025.

With the team almost certainly targeting a tight end on Day 1 or Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, plus the anticipated return of veteran TE Tyler Higbee to pair with young TE Davis Allen, I just cannot envision the Rams not holding active discussions about TE Colby Parkinson's future with the team. While he was not an obvious mistake, the more I examine his 2024 numbers, the more befuddled I become. Parkinson was given every opportunity to step up in the Rams offense, but he simply never did. And the Rams do not have the salary cap space and roster slots to carry a niche tight end at his compensation level this season.

In short? Rookie tight end in, veteran tight end Colby Parkinson out.

Summary

If the Rams front office wants to unfetter funds to go on a wild shopping spree in the 2025 NFL Free Agency market, the pieces are there for the team to double its available salary cap space. While I am not advocating any of the five listed roster moves, I did want to put the savings on display for fans who worry about such matters. Of this list:

Rams will realize $9.0 million savings from Jonah Jackson trade
Rams likely to realize $12.52 million saving if trade/release Cooper Kupp before March 17
Rams could realize an additional $23.1 million savings via Matthew Stafford restructure, Kyren Williams release, Colby Parkinson release
Total 2025 salary cap savings could top $44.6 million

Of course, opinions are bound to include strong objections to some of the cited five steps. The Rams have done two already (Jonah Jackson trade and Matthew Stafford restructure), and are almost certainly making strong efforts to trade Cooper Kupp. That simply leaves $10.6 million of salary cap savings in the discretionary pile. If the team does nothing more, there is a significant amount of savings already in the pipeline that has yet to be reflected.

Can the Rams afford a wild shopping spree in the 2025 NFL Free Agency market? As it looks right now, they certain can. And as always, thanks for reading.