There will be no NFL lockout any time soon after players voted to approve the proposed collective bargaining agreement, putting the new deal in place for the next 10 years. In order for the proposal to pass, a majority of NFL players had to vote yes. The NFLPA announced Sunday that the final tally was 1,019 votes in favor of the CBA and 959 votes against it – so it was an extremely close race.
With the new CBA put in place, there will be a lot of changes. In addition to increased minimum salaries and a larger revenue share for players, the schedule and playoffs will be impacted, too. Starting in 2020, the postseason field will expand to 14 teams and beginning as early as 2021, the regular season will be 17 games with only three preseason games.
Here’s a quick list of the biggest changes this new CBA will bring:
- 17-game season, 3-game preseason starting no earlier than 2021
- 14-team playoff field
- 7 in each conference, only No. 1 seed gets first-round bye
- Higher minimum salaries
- Increased revenue share for players
- Only one tag (franchise or transition) can be used
- Reduced penalties for positive drug tests, with no suspensions
So, how does all of this affect the Rams? Let’s lay out what it means for L.A. in 2020 and beyond.
Can’t tag Littleton and Fowler
Les Snead said previously that he didn’t anticipate the Rams using the franchise tag this offseason, though he didn’t completely shut the door on that possibility. Cory Littleton and Dante Fowler Jr. were really the only two candidates for the tag, and before the new CBA was ratified, it would’ve been possible for the Rams to tag both, potentially in order to trade them.
That’s no longer an option. The Rams can only use one tag now, which means if they are going to franchise Littleton or Fowler, it’ll have to be one or the other.
Salary cap could spike in coming years
The Rams have the top-heaviest roster in the NFL. Five players (Jared Goff, Aaron Donald, Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks and Jalen Ramsey) all have cap hits of at least $13.7 million in 2020, and take up $107.8 million combined in cap space next season. The salary cap is projected to be around $200 million this year, but that number could rise significantly in 2021.
With no labor strike or lockout coming, the NFL stands to make more money in the near future with TV deals, which should lead to an inflated salary cap in the next few years. That makes the aforementioned contracts easier to swallow for the Rams.
Jalen Ramsey deal coming?
Just as the Cowboys were waiting on the CBA vote before signing Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper this offseason, the Rams were likely waiting on this news before extending Ramsey. Now that they know there won’t be a lockout, it could open the door for Ramsey’s deal to happen soon.
The salary cap is going to rise, though teams don’t know by how much in the next couple of years. But considering it’s increased by roughly $10 million per year, it stands to reason that the cap will rise by even more than that in 2021. And the more cap space the Rams have next year and beyond, the more room they’ll have to fit all of their top players – Ramsey included – under the umbrella.
Easier path to playoffs
The Rams play in the toughest division in football. The Seahawks and 49ers both look like perennial contenders in the NFC, while the Cardinals are on the rise after an encouraging season from Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury.
It was by far the best division in the NFL last season, and all four teams have reached the Super Bowl at least once in the last 12 years, including eight NFC Championship Game appearances.
With the playoff field expanding, it makes it easier for the Rams (and every other team, of course) to make the postseason. Had this format been installed last season, the Rams would’ve snuck in at 9-7 as the No. 7 seed, setting up a first-round matchup with the second-seeded Packers.
Playing in such a competitive division makes this playoff expansion that much better for the Rams.
Expanded roster size
With the new CBA, rosters will expand. They gro from 53 players to 55, with 48 being active on game day – up from the previous limit of 46. Additionally, practice squads will grow from 10 to 12 in 2020, and to 14 players in 2022.
With the Rams’ roster being as deep and talented as it has been in recent years, this expansion makes it easier for them to decide who to make active on game day. In the past, they’ve had to make talented players such as Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and David Long Jr. inactive because they simply needed more depth at other positions, such as the offensive line.
With the game-day limit increasing, the Rams can now have more options on Sundays. That’s good news for younger players toward the bottom of the roster.
