21. Los Angeles Rams
Current cap space: $14,716,619
Primary free agents: EDGE Dante Fowler Jr., OT Andrew Whitworth, DL Michael Brockers, LB Cory Littleton, K Greg Zuerlein
The Rams’ all-in, short-term, win-now philosophy almost bore the best fruit at the end of the 2018 season, if only Sean McVay’s team could have beaten the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII. After that didn’t happen, a whole lot of other things didn’t happen in 2019. First of all, the Rams didn’t make the playoffs, finishing with a 9-7 record after a 13-3 mark the year before. Jared Goff didn’t develop as a quarterback — in fact, he regressed in several areas as opposing defenses seemed to figure him out. A cautious approach to Goff’s future didn’t happen; last September, the Rams gave Goff a four-year, $134 million contract that included an NFL-record $110 million in guarantees. That’s a major commitment to a quarterback who has proven very little regarding his ability to succeed outside of McVay’s structure.
Speaking of that structure, as much as teams figured Goff out, they also seemed to find McVay’s offense, with its tight formations and motion concepts, less intimidating than before. The running game was less effective, as was the defense. That led to the firing of defensive coordinator Wade Philips and rumors that the Rams are interested in trading franchise back Todd Gurley. This is now a team that will struggle to improve outside of the draft because it has massive cap commitments to Goff, Gurley, defensive lineman Aaron Donald and receiver Brandin Cooks. They also have to pay cornerback Jalen Ramsey, whom they acquired from the Jaguars in exchange for 2020 and 2021 first-round picks, and he will require a mammoth deal in the near future.
That is the problem with a win-now philosophy. Eventually, all the bills come due at the same time — especially when several of your financial commitments are questionable at best.