The Los Angeles Rams are one of the hot, up-and-coming NFL teams, so a disaster draft doesn’t exactly come at the best time for them. Luckily for the Rams, Jeff Fisher induced some insane mistakes on the roster to create expensive sacrificial lambs to entice the Conquistadors and Arches. How much will Tavon Austin love being back in Missouri, huh?
Lost to Free Agency: Trumaine Johnson, Sammy Watkins, Connor Barwin, Dominique Easley, LaMarcus Joyner, Nickell Robey-Coleman, The Lingering Stench of Jeff Fisher, Going 7-9 in Perpetuity, Any Doubts Which Los Angeles Team Will Reign Supreme
The No Doubters: (these guys aren’t going anywhere)
| Players | POS. | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Andrew Whitworth | LT | $12,166,666 | $12,416,668 | UFA | – | – |
| Jared Goff | QB | $7,619,365 | $8,889,260 | – | UFA | – |
| Rodger Saffold | G | $7,500,000 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Aaron Donald | DT | $6,892,000 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Todd Gurley | RB | $4,398,285 | – | UFA | – | – |
| Rob Havenstein | G | $1,263,189 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Cooper Kupp | WR | $878,690 | $1,049,690 | $1,199,690 | UFA | – |
| John Johnson | SS | $773,438 | $866,438 | $964,438 | UFA | – |
| Pharoh Cooper | WR | $768,666 | $858,668 | UFA | – | – |
McVay… when someone asks you if you want to keep as much of the league’s top 2017 offense together… you say yes! Whitworth transformed an abject trash 2016 line into something respectable, alongside Roger Saffold. Goff/Gurley/Kupp are going to be something special in a few years. Havenstein and Safford are strong interior linemen, and Pharoh Cooper is an incredible return man.
Oh, and Aaron Donald might literally be the best player in the entire league and is due to make triple his salary in 2019.
The More-Than-Likely Staying:
| Players | POS. | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Robert Quinn | OLB | $12,399,766 | $12,932,332 | UFA | – | – |
| Alec Ogletree | ILB | $11,600,000 | $11,600,000 | $11,600,000 | $10,600,000 | UFA |
| Michael Brockers | DT | $10,750,000 | $10,750,000 | UFA | – | – |
| Mark Barron | ILB | $10,000,000 | $9,000,000 | $9,000,000 | UFA | – |
| Robert Woods | WR | $8,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $6,000,000 | $8,000,000 | UFA |
| Johnny Hekker | P | $3,646,551 | $3,745,000 | $3,995,000 | $4,245,000 | $4,064,715 |
| Greg Zuerlein | K | $3,550,000 | $2,575,000 | UFA | – | – |
The second tier of players kept on the Rams tells you a few things about them: they have a ton of talent, but in strange places. They’re keeping both a punter (the best in the dang league) and a kicker (might be the best in the dang league). Quinn, Ogletree and Brockers didn’t play up to expectations in 2017 so they get a slight bump down. Robert Woods is in the More-Than-Likely camp solely because he came out of nowhere. The Rams aren’t ditching him, don’t worry your pretty little head. Mark Barron plays Moneybacker, which is my favorite position in the NFL.
The Roster Trash … 7-9 All-Stars … Leftovers:
The guys on this list are crossing their fingers they don’t have to go back to St. Louis… Pray the Conquistadors want you, fellas.
| Players | POS. | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Tavon Austin | WR | $8,000,000 | $9,350,000 | $9,561,773 | $9,222,004 | UFA |
| Kayvon Webster | CB | $3,671,875 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Ethan Westbrooks | DE | $2,000,000 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Gerald Everett | TE | $1,373,743 | $1,648,491 | $1,923,242 | UFA | – |
| Sean Mannion | QB | $1,034,228 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Jamon Brown | RT | $987,601 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Tyler Higbee | TE | $775,215 | $865,215 | UFA | – | – |
| Bryce Hager | ILB | $723,036 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Josh Reynolds | WR | $717,005 | $807,005 | $897,006 | UFA | – |
| Samson Ebukam | OLB | $708,270 | $798,270 | $888,272 | UFA | – |
| Isaiah Johnson | FS | $705,000 | UFA | – | – | – |
| Temarrick Hemingway | TE | $669,896 | $759,897 | UFA | – | – |
| Mike Thomas | WR | $659,017 | $749,019 | UFA | – | – |
| Cory Littleton | ILB | $635,000 | RFA | – | – | – |
| Brandon Allen | QB | $630,000 | $720,000 | UFA | – | – |
| Austin Blythe | C | $630,000 | $720,000 | UFA | – | – |
| Morgan Fox | OLB | $630,000 | RFA | – | – | – |
| Carlos Thompson | OLB | $630,000 | RFA | – | – | – |
| Marqui Christian | S | $630,000 | $720,000 | UFA | – | – |
| Blake Countess | S | $630,000 | RFA | – | – | – |
| Tanzel Smart | DT | $596,195 | $686,195 | $776,198 | UFA | – |
| Justin Davis | RB | $560,000 | $650,000 | RFA | – | – |
| Lenard Tillery | RB | $555,833 | $645,834 | RFA | – | – |
| Aaron Neary | T | $555,000 | – | – | – | – |
| Taurean Nixon | CB | $555,000 | $645,000 | RFA | – | – |
| Kevin Peterson | CB | $555,000 | ERFA | – | – | – |
| Fred Brown | WR | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
| Henry Krieger-Coble | TE | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
| Johnny Mundt | TE | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
| Jake Eldrenkamp | G | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
| Omarius Bryant | DT | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
| Ejuan Price | OLB | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
| Dominique Hatfield | CB | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
| Marcus Sayles | CB | $480,000 | $570,000 | ERFA | – | – |
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