Entering the offseason, the Los Angeles Rams are slated to be one of the more cash-strapped teams in the NFL as Over The Cap projects the Rams to have only $25.4m in cap space, with a boatload of impending free agents to re-sign. As you can see, there are multiple starters from both sides of the ball that are likely to test the market on the list of never-ending upcoming free agents:

2020 LA Rams Free Agents Player POS Type Outcome Player POS Type Outcome Malcolm Brown RB UFA Re-signed, 2-yr $3.25m Blake Countess DB UFA Waived Jared Goff QB UFA Optioned Tyler Higbee TE UFA Re-signed, 4 yr $31m Troy Hill CB UFA Re-signed, 2-yr $8.25m Marcus Peters CB UFA Traded Aqib Talib CB UFA Traded Austin Blythe OL UFA Blake Bortles QB UFA Michael Brockers DL UFA Marqui Christian DB UFA Dante Fowler, Jr. EDGE UFA Bryce Hager ILB UFA Cory Littleton LB UFA Mike Thomas WR UFA Andrew Whitworth LT UFA Greg Zuerlein K UFA Morgan Fox DE RFA Jojo Natson KR/PR RFA Adonis Alexander CB ERFA Josh Carraway OLB ERFA Kendall Blanton TE ERFA Chandler Brewer OL ERFA Josh Carraway LB ERFA Marquise Copeland DL ERFA Donte Deayon CB ERFA Greg Dortch WR ERFA Landis Durham LB ERFA Dominique Hatfield CB ERFA Jeff Holland OLB ERFA Jeremiah Kolone OL ERFA Johnny Mundt TE ERFA Jachai Polite EDGE ERFA Coleman Shelton OL ERFA Nate Trewyn OL ERFA Nsimba Webster WR ERFA Ethan Wolf TE ERFA John Wolford QB ERFA

Looking at the roster, the Rams have some flexibility as it pertains to creating cap space, though none can create as much space as restructuring QB Jared Goff’s deal after signing him to a mega-extension in September. Restructuring Goff would free up just under $17m in cap space, by essentially taking his massive roster bonus ($21m) and spreading it among the remaining years of the contract:

The #Rams will almost certainly restructure Jared Goff’s 2020 $21M roster bonus, a move that will clear $16.8M of space, almost enough to cover the $17.8M of dead cap they’ll take on should they find a trade partner for WR Brandin Cooks.https://t.co/l6eglTYea3 — Spotrac (@spotrac) December 30, 2019

It’s a weird topic to be discussing because Goff just signed his extension prior to the season, but the Rams are so cash-strapped that they may not have many options. It doesn’t help that Goff had a down year, but a move like this isn’t made unless the team plans to keep the player as there will be bigger dead money hits in later years in the event of a restructure.

Still, with a lack of options to help clear cap space, restructuring Goff may be the golden ticket to helping the Rams surround him with more talent, ensuring his play can trend upwards once again.

Outside of this potential move, there may be only one certainty as it pertains to creating cap space, and that’s cutting veteran S Eric Weddle. Moving on from Weddle would save the Rams $4.25m, and while that may not seem like much, it could be the difference between losing another starter elsewhere at a less expendable position.

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