The Los Angeles Rams are the only team currently over the salary cap, sitting more than $5 million above the $198.2 million limit. They’re in that position despite only having 58 players under contract, which is the second-lowest total in the NFL.
Teams can carry as many as 90 players on their roster during the offseason, and just about every team reaches that limit at some point after the draft. The Rams may have a hard time getting to 90 players in the next few weeks, but this weekend should bring a lot of new faces to the team.
As Adam Schefter of ESPN pointed out, teams with a smaller roster size right now have a lot of flexibility when it comes to adding undrafted free agents. The Rams are among them, and they should be busy signing undrafted rookies after the seventh round ends.
Not to mention, with the structure of the Rams’ roster and cap situation, they need cheap talent. They can’t go out and sign notable free agents to fill their remaining needs, considering they haven’t even officially signed Leonard Floyd.
There’s no cheaper talent than undrafted rookies, who take up very little cap space. Granted, only the top 51 salaries on the team count against the cap, but the Rams still can’t afford to make any significant additions in free agency.
With seven draft picks and another dozen or so rookies likely to be signed after the draft, the Rams will get an infusion of young talent this weekend.
