Tag: rams contract

Look: Jalen Ramsey’s contract has incentives named after his daughters

Jalen Ramsey officially signed his $105 million contract on Thursday.

Jalen Ramsey won’t have to worry about free agency looming over his head during the 2020 season after signing a five-year, $105 million contract this week. He officially put pen to paper on Thursday, securing his financial future for not only himself, but his family – which includes his two daughters.

The Rams made sure his two little ones were included in the contract, naming incentives after Ramsey’s daughters, Breelyn and Brooklyn.

Ramsey shared a photo on Twitter showing his daughters’ names in the pact: The Breelyn Bump Up, The Breelyn Bump Up 2.0 and The Brooklyn Bump Up. It doesn’t say what the incentives are for, but just having their names in the contract is a nice touch.

Ramsey still couldn’t fully grasp what he accomplished by signing the $105 million deal, saying on Twitter that it was “surreal.” He also shared a hype video after inking his contract, saying all he wants to do is win on and off the field.

[vertical-gallery id=637761]

Jalen Ramsey shares hilarious tweet after earning $105M extension

Jalen Ramsey showed his sense of humor after agreeing to a 5-year deal.

Jalen Ramsey was wealthy before he and the Rams agreed to a five-year, $105 million extension on Wednesday, but his bank account just grew exponentially. And after earning this massive new contract, he wants to make sure everyone knows he’s not handing out checks.

Ramsey shared this video on Twitter after news broke of his $105 million deal, with the message, “To whom this may concern” and a few laughing emoji.

In addition to the above tweet, Ramsey posted this on Twitter before the contract was even announced, indicating his deal was coming. The original tweet that Ramsey quoted was after Deshaun Watson signed his Texans deal, also negotiated by Ramsey’s agent David Mulugheta.

Ramsey said last month that he was house hunting, but he didn’t have “Calabasas money yet.” Needless to say, he does now, and he can afford just about any house he wants in Southern California.

[vertical-gallery id=637636]

Does Jalen Ramsey’s cryptic post imply his asking price is going up?

Les Snead and Sean McVay both said the Rams are still talking to Ramsey and Kupp about contract extensions.

The Los Angeles Rams have been trying to work out a contract extension with Jalen Ramsey since they acquired him from the Jaguars for two first-round picks last season. The two sides still haven’t come to an agreement, and the longer Los Angeles waits, the more Ramsey will cost.

That’s just the nature of playing stars, with each big-name player one-upping the guy who signs before him. But it also seems like Ramsey is raising his asking price despite nothing changing on the cornerback market since Darius Slay’s deal earlier this offseason.

He shared a cryptic post on Instagram with the words “uh oh..” followed by lyrics from Migos’ “What the Price” song. Those lyrics read:

“What’s the price? (What’s the price? Prices goin’up, prices)”

“Hold on (Price, goin’ up, yeah)”

Ramsey has been steadfast on the idea that he’s not worried about his contract situation, but this Instagram post seems to suggest otherwise. Of course, he can brush it off as unrelated to contract talks, but the timing of it with the season approaching is certainly interesting.

Les Snead spoke to reporters on Monday and said the Rams are still talking to Ramsey and Cooper Kupp about contracts, which they hope to get done before the season. If not, the Rams will still be open to negotiating during the season.

Sean McVay also laid out a tentative timeline Monday, saying this is around the time the Rams typically get extensions done. He’s not saying they’ll sign Ramsey or Kupp before Sunday’s game, but they’d like to.

“I think you know from covering us the last couple of years, those things, if we’re able to get something done, it’s usually right in these next couple of days is that window of time that’s kind of been consistent for some of our guys,” he said. “So, there’s a couple of key players that of ours that we are still working and whether or not we’re able to get that done, we remain optimistic. That that’s where we’re at with that. No further updates on any of those contract statuses with some of our players.”

Ramsey’s asking price is not known, but it’s reasonable to think he could approach $20 million per year – which the Rams probably knew when they traded for him. It’s just a matter of finding a cost they’re comfortable with, especially considering Kupp and a host of others will also be free agents in 2021.

Rams are restructuring Jared Goff’s contract to create cap space

Jared Goff’s contract will be restructured to help fit the Rams’ signings under the cap.

The Los Angeles Rams have been up against the salary cap all offseason, having very limited room to work with in free agency. They still managed to re-sign Andrew Whitworth, Austin Blythe and Michael Brockers, while also adding A’Shawn Robinson and Leonard Floyd as free agents.

Floyd and Robinson’s deals became official on Friday with both players signing their contracts, but that complicates things for the Rams a bit. They’re over the salary cap and need to create some space to fit Floyd and Robinson.

In order to do that, they’ll restructure Goff’s contract – a move that has been discussed for a couple of months. This is according to multiple reports, as first reported by Rich Hammond of The Athletic.

The exact savings by restructuring Goff’s deal isn’t known, but it won’t be as much as the Rams could have saved had they done this before his $21 million roster bonus was paid on March 19. If they restructured his deal before that date, they would have saved $16.8 million

Now, the best the Rams can do is convert most of his $10 million salary in 2020 into a signing bonus, according to ProFootballTalk, and spread it over the remaining years of his contract. It should be enough to fit Floyd and Robinson under the cap, but restructuring Aaron Donald’s deal is also a possibility if needed.

Cooper Kupp not worried about lack of contract talks with Rams

Contract talks with Rams haven’t started yet, but Cooper Kupp isn’t worried.

Cooper Kupp’s value to the Rams increased after the team traded away Brandin Cooks, who was signed through the 2023 season before he was shipped off to Houston. The Rams’ willingness to trade Cooks and eat $21.8 million in dead money would seem to be a sign of their commitment to both Kupp and Robert Woods.

But while Woods is under contract through the 2021 season, Kupp’s deal will expire after the upcoming season. And despite that fact, contract talks haven’t begun between his agent and the team.

Kupp revealed that bit of news on a conference call with reporters Thursday, but he isn’t worried about the lack of negotiations.

Kupp said “it’s really not a priority at this time,” but that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant to him. Rather, he understands the current state of the world and knows there are bigger things going on than contract negotiations.

Although the Rams don’t seem to be in a hurry to extend Kupp, they would appear committed to the 26-year-old wide receiver. Last month, COO Kevin Demoff said the team is trying to leave room for Kupp, Jalen Ramsey and John Johnson, all of whom will be free agents in 2021.

“[We’re] making sure long-term that the Cooper Kupps, the John Johnsons, the Jalen Ramseys are all part of our future and that we leave room available for that as the salary cap emerges,” he said.

In three NFL seasons, Kupp has 196 receptions, 2,596 yards and 21 touchdowns despite missing nine games – including half of the 2018 season with a torn ACL. Last season was his best as a pro, catching a career-high 94 passes for 1,161 yards and 10 touchdowns. If not for a relatively quiet second half of the season, his numbers could’ve been much better; he had 58 catches for 792 yards in the first eight games.

[vertical-gallery id=631141]

Michael Brockers’ contract with Rams is team-friendly in 2020

Michael Brockers’ cap hit in 2020 will be just $3.83 million.

The Los Angeles Rams came into this offseason with limited cap space and five key starters hitting free agency. Somehow, they managed to re-sign three of those players, keeping Andrew Whitworth, Austin Blythe and Michael Brockers in horns.

Brockers was a late addition after his deal with the Ravens fell through, re-signing with the Rams after the team had already brought in A’Shawn Robinson as his potential replacement. It seemed impossible for the Rams to fit Brockers under the cap, but they managed to do so with some creative structuring of his contract.

According to Over the Cap, Brockers’ deal is for three years and worth $24 million. Only $14 million of it is guaranteed, which includes a $4 million signing bonus. His cap hit in 2020 is just $3.83 million, which explains how they were able to fit his contract under the cap despite having very limited room.

Here’s a breakdown of his deal and the cap hit in each season. It jumps to $9.83 million in 2021 with a dead cap charge of $5.17 million if he’s cut, so the Rams could get out of the deal after the upcoming season if they want and still save some money.

[protected-iframe id=”c2f7a3ebca7728e50543f26cdc4b0d8e-105974750-55057685″ info=”https://overthecap.com/contract-embed/1835/” width=”600″ height=”290″ frameborder=”0″ scrolling=”no”]

Brockers has been a leader in the locker room and someone younger players look up to, and he’s showing even more evidence of himself being a team player with this deal. With a base salary of just $2 million in 2020, he’s helping the Rams by taking less money in Year 1.

If Brockers sticks around through the 2022 season, though, he’ll make more than $10 million in the final year of his contract, which is a nice reward.

With Brockers’ deal now on the books, the Rams are left with just $325,835 in salary cap space. That doesn’t include Leonard Floyd’s contract, either, which is worth $10 million for one year – though the structure hasn’t been revealed.

[vertical-gallery id=630009]

Austin Blythe’s $3.9M contract with Rams suggests he’s in line to start again

Austin Blythe will most likely be a starter up front again in 2020.

After a brief wait, we finally know just how much money the Los Angeles Rams are committing to Austin Blythe in 2020. He agreed to a one-year deal with the team when free agency first began, but the terms of the contract weren’t released until recently.

As first reported by Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, Blythe’s contract is worth up to $3.9 million with $3.5 million of that guaranteed.

His base salary next season will be $2.95 million, and he’s also getting a $950,000 signing bonus. His 2020 cap hit is $3.9 million, according to Over The Cap, 13th-highest on the team.

The Rams didn’t break the bank to keep Blythe on the roster, but that contract suggests he’s in line to start again in 2020. His cap hit is only $2.76 million less than Andrew Whitworth’s, and is the third-highest of any offensive lineman on the team – largely because the Rams’ other linemen are on rookie deals still.

The Rams’ biggest holes up front are on the interior where it’s a cluster of unproven guards and centers competing for starting jobs. Blythe has the most experience of them all, starting for two seasons in Los Angeles at both guard and center.

Austin Corbett, David Edwards, Joseph Noteboom and Brian Allen are all in the mix, too, but Blythe has outperformed all of them, for the most part. And it’s worth noting that Blythe played through injury last season, undergoing surgery on both of his shoulders after the year ended.

When fully healthy, Blythe is a quality starter at guard. He’s also very capable of playing well at center, as he did in 2019 after Allen went down. That versatility isn’t something to ignore, especially with Aaron Kromer coaching the offensive line; he’s known for cross-training his linemen.

Blythe has been a valuable player for the Rams the last two years, first stepping up as a starter at right guard in 2018 when Jamon Brown was injured. He never relinquished the starting job at and retained that spot at the beginning of the 2019 season, before eventually sliding over to left guard and then center.

Next season, Blythe will have the chance to contribute at both guard and center, depending on how he performs at each spot – and how the Rams’ other linemen do, too. But at $3.9 million, it’s clear Los Angeles didn’t bring him back to ride the bench.

A’Shawn Robinson’s contract with Rams includes $9.5M guaranteed

A’Shawn Robinson’s contract with the Rams is essentially a one-year deal.

The Los Angeles Rams have only signed two outside free agents thus far, mostly focusing on shedding cap and watching from the sidelines during the initial wave of signings. They did bring in A’Shawn Robinson shortly after losing Michael Brockers, signing him to essentially take over as the starting defensive end – though he could also play some nose tackle.

His deal was initially reported as a two-year pact worth $17 million, but the details weren’t revealed. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle has the actual numbers now, and it’s essentially a one-year deal for Robinson.

The deal comes with $9.5 million guaranteed in the form of a $5.5 million salary in 2020, a $3 million signing bonus and $1 million guaranteed on the third day of the 2021 league year.

Robinson also has incentives in his contract, including $500,000 in per-game active roster bonuses and $1 million pertaining to the team making the playoffs.

Robinson isn’t going to bring much as a pass rusher for the Rams, but he is a stout run defender thanks to his size and length. He and Sebastian Joseph-Day have the versatility to play either nose tackle or defensive end, so we’ll likely see both players lining up at each spot next season.

As promising as Robinson is as a player, considering he’s only 25, he’s been inconsistent and really fell out of favor on the defensive line after Matt Patricia arrived. The Rams have to hope a change of scenery will bring out the best in him moving forward.

[vertical-gallery id=630009]

Andrew Whitworth’s contract includes tiny $77 bonus, $12.5M guaranteed

Andrew Whitworth’s contract includes a small bonus of $77, a tribute to his jersey number.

[jwplayer uYlg2InW-ThvAeFxT]

The Los Angeles Rams were busy on Wednesday, making a handful of moves to retain their own free agents and bring in a pair of players from other teams. One of the most important was the re-signing of Andrew Whitworth, who got a three-year deal from the Rams.

With Whitworth being 38 years old, it seems odd to give him a three-year contract. However, the structure of it adds some clarity to the signing and reveals that it doesn’t necessarily tie the Rams to their left tackle for the next three years.

Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle has the details, revealing that it’s essentially a one-year deal with $12.5 million guaranteed, allowing the Rams to get out of it after the 2020 season. It also allows Whitworth to bring in some money in 2021, even if he decides to retire.

With base salaries of $5 million, $7 million and $7.5 million, it’s a good deal for the Rams – even if it seems like they overpaid by giving him a contract worth up to $37.5 million. It’s unlikely he earns that much unless he plays out all three years and triggers all of his annual incentives of $1.5 million.

The Rams, being the creatives that they are, put an unusual option bonus in his contract, too, according to Ian Rapoport. He was on NFL Network Thursday and explained Whitworth’s contract, saying that he has a $77 bonus added in, as a tribute to his jersey number.

“He gets $12.5 million, fully guaranteed, which means $2.5 million fully guaranteed comes not this year, but next year,” Rapoport said. “So whether he plays or not, he still gets more than $2 million. Plus, because the Rams are weird and quirky, he gets a $77 option bonus. Not $77,000, not $7,700. $77, because that’s his jersey number.”

Rapoport also reported that for Whitworth, “his options were retirement or play only for the Rams.” The veteran left tackle made it clear that he wanted to return to the Rams early in the offseason, and Sean McVay wanted him back, too, which made this an obvious signing for Los Angeles.

[vertical-gallery id=630009]

Report: Todd Gurley’s name being brought up in trade talks

The Rams may be ready to move on from Todd Gurley.

Trading an expensive running back with knee problems seems like a difficult proposition, but the Los Angeles Rams may try to make that happen this offseason. According to Mike Silver of NFL Network, Todd Gurley’s name is being brought up in trade talks on Monday.

This report comes after David Johnson was just traded to the Texans for DeAndre Hopkins, a deal that included a swap of draft picks.

Silver later added to his report, saying the Rams are seeking a draft pick in return, something in the range of the second to fourth round. That’s dependent on the other team taking on Gurley’s contract, though.

Gurley is a hard player to move for the Rams, considering he’s set to make $14.4 million per year on his new contract, which begins next season. Not to mention, he’s coming off the second-worst season of his career, rushing for just 857 yards (career-low) and 12 touchdowns on 223 attempts (3.8 yards per carry).

If they do trade him, Gurley will count $12.6 million against the cap in dead money, but save the Rams $4.65 million in cap space. His cap hit in 2020 is $17.25 million, the highest of any running back in the NFL and third-highest on the team.

Gurley was a first-team All-Pro in 2017 and 2018, rushing for 2,556 yards and 30 touchdowns in those two seasons.