When NFL fans look at the Los Angeles Rams team, they see star players.
The team has at least seven big-name stars on offense and defense.
Bobby Wagner, Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, and Leonard Floyd round out the defensive stars.
Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Allen Robinson round out the offensive stars.
Big name players usually come with a big-time price tag.
However, the Rams keep staying under the cap every year.
So how is it that the Rams can afford these top players on their roster?
Back Loading Players Contracts Saves Money For The Present Time
Stafford has the bulk of his contract money back loaded at the end of the contract.
That allows for the Rams to save money for the current season to work with free agents and draft picks.
Back loading a contract is most likely the reason Wagner’s with the Rams.
His deal with the Rams is for five-years and worth at least $50 million.
Bobby Wagner (reportedly $50 million) saves the @RamsNFL about $70 million compared to what Von Miller got from the Buffalo Bills ($120 million). The Rams get an All-Pro defensive stuffer in Wagner for 5 years. Photo: Mark Hammond #RamsHouse #Rams #NFLFreeAgency pic.twitter.com/yO9gEcjqyo
— News4usonline.com (@news4usonline) April 2, 2022
With the Rams being close to going over the cap, it’s safe to say Wagner’s contract is back-loaded.
It helps give the team flexibility to keep adding more pieces to their roster for a repeat of their Super Bowl run.
Donald, Kupp, And Ramsey All Signed Extensions Before 2021.
Two of the biggest players on the Rams’ defense are with the team for the long-term.
Rams Star Players Contracts:
Stafford-2027
Donald-2025*
Kupp-2024*
Ramsey-2027
Wagner-2027
Robinson-2025*About to get a Contract Extension
The Rams have their Stars locked down. They will win at least 2 more Super Bowls in that span
— Cooper Kupp’s Burner (@Kuppsburner) March 31, 2022
Ramsey and Donald both signed extensions with the Rams before the team’s Super Bowl run in 2021.
Donald’s extension came in 2018, while Ramsey did his in 2020.
The move by the Rams gave them top-tier talent at a cheap price.
It also secured them for the team long into the future.
Had they not signed them, they might have lost them or had to cut players to keep them around.
The Rams also got Kupp cheap when they signed him to a three-year contract extension in 2020.
With the moves the Rams did signing players to long-term contracts before 2021, you can see why they can afford all these players.
Why Would These Players Sign Long Contracts For Less Money Than They Are Worth?
Players like Donald, Kupp, and Ramsey can easily leave the Rams and get paid more with a new team.
However, they stuck it out with the Rams with long-term deals.
The Rams now have a team built to reach the Super Bowl every year in Los Angeles.
Without long-term deals, the Rams might not have all of their star players together.
They could have joined another team.
A move might have only gotten them money from new teams, but no championship.
The Rams offer these players a chance at the playoffs every year.
A Super Bowl championship might mean more to them than money.
Los Angeles offers that for the Wagner’s and Ramsey’s of the NFL.
The culture with the Rams also might be what is attracting these big name players.
No matter what it is, all we know is the Rams work their magic every year to compile the best team in the NFL.
Great article! It’s amazing how many fans don’t understand the flexibility owners who want to win and smart GM’s with a good capologist can maneuver. Will it tumble down at some point? Of course! But the Rams owner is worth about 10B and these contract and back end money when the players aren’t worth it isn’t a big deal for them.
You gave no real explanation. Backloading isn’t the only answer… if so at what point do they have $150 million dead cap space? Never… they’ve been doing this for years. There is no way, that the Rams can be doing this legitely … most teams stock up on big contracts with a rookie QB contract … the Rams haven’t had a rookie QB contract or a 1st round pick for that matter since 1992. That’s how you save, by cheap inexpensive roomies balancing a few big name contracts.. they keep trading 1st round picks for big contracts … it HAS to catch up with them. Whole thing is rigged man .
It’s all about backloading. And the Rams had Goff who they drafted in the first round with the first pick in 2016. So your statement about no first round quarterback since 1992 is false. And yes, it will crumble on them if the backloading ends. When players say no to backloading, the cards will fall down.