The Los Angeles Rams (and the other 31 teams) will have some extra spending money next year thanks to the ever-rising salary cap. According to Ian Rapoport, the NFL has informed every team that the salary cap is projected to be between $196.8 million and $201.2 million.
That’s a rise from the current cap of $188.2 million, meaning it will increase by $8-13 million next year. As Rapoport points out, the cap has risen by 40% since 2015 when it was just $143.3 million.
The NFL informed clubs today that projections for the 2020 salary cap are in the range of $196.8 million to $201.2 million. This marks a 40% increase from five years ago in the 2015 season ($143.3 million).
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 10, 2019
Over The Cap projects the Rams to have $26 million in cap space next year, which is the ninth-fewest in the NFL. That’s with the cap projected at $200 million, so based on the new information released by the league, the Rams will have between $22.8 million and $27.2 million in cap space next year.
Obviously, that’s not much in comparison to the Colts, who are projected to have more than $105 million in cap space. The Dolphins are also expected to have over $100 million to spend next year. The Rams have players they need to pay, too, led by Cory Littleton.
He’ll be a free agent in 2020, and after seeing the contract Carolina gave Shaq Thompson – four years, $54 million – it’s reasonable to think Littleton’s deal will surpass that. Then there’s Jalen Ramsey, who’s undoubtedly seeking a contract extension, as well as Dante Fowler Jr., who will hit free agency after this season.
The Rams don’t have much money to work with, but with the cap rising and money rolling over after trading away Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, the team has some added flexibility.
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