Subscribe
Follow Us
As we enter the 2022 NFL offseason, the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams are in a precarious position. They surely want to bring as many players back from this year's championship squad as they possibly can, but they are near the bottom of the league in available cap space. While there are a few moves the team can make that can get them some room to bring back a couple of their guys, there are still going to be more than a handful that the Rams simply cannot fit into their budget. We pointed out in an article earlier today which players we think the Rams should prioritize re-signing and now it is time to do the opposite. For this article, we broke down the three Rams free agents that the team is most likely to part ways with.
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
3 Rams free agents not likely to return
3. Darious Williams
Since coming into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2019, Darious Williams has been a force to be reckoned with. In his first year, he played so well that the team traded away Marcus Peters AND Aqib Talib in the middle of the season. They saw him as the better fit next to Ramsey because of his combination of ball skills and risk-averse play. After all, when playing across from a shutdown corner like Ramsey, the ball is going to come your way and you have to make quick decisions. Up until this season, he really excelled in his role. In 2021, teams were able to expose the smaller Williams more times than the Rams would have liked, possibly opening the door for his departure. Williams will command more than $10 million annually on the open market and that is going to be too rich for the Rams' blood this offseason. Robert Rochell was drafted last year as Williams' eventual replacement and could step into his new role as early as 2022.
Rams free agents after this game include Odell Beckham Jr, Von Miller, Darious Williams, Sony Michel, Austin Corbett, Donte Deacon, Joseph Noteboom, Matt Gay, Troy Reeder, Will Compton.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 14, 2022
2. Brian Allen
Article Continues Below
Allen came into the league four years ago but missed a year due to injury so he is coming into free agency with just about the same amount of playing time as Williams. Allen might also come at a much cheaper price than Williams, but he too may not be brought back due to needing to spend that money elsewhere along the offensive line. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth is likely retiring, right guard Austin Corbett is an unrestricted free agent, as is Whitworth's backup, Joseph Noteboom, is also a free agent. It is a distinct possibility that the Rams are going to retain Noteboom and Corbett, because of their better overall play than Allen and the fact that their positions are considered more important to an offense. If that is the case, watch for Allen to be looking for a new home when March rolls around.
Rams’ Brian Allen went from ‘a pretty dark place’ to a Super Bowl starter https://t.co/paXiRDXgJ0
— The Athletic L.A. (@TheAthleticLA) February 11, 2022
1. Von Miller
Ok, this one might be hard for Rams fans to hear, but unless a few of the Rams' big-time salary guys agree to restructure their contacts, the team is not likely going to be able to afford Von Miller. A contract in the $16-18 million per year range is what Miller is going to be looking at on the open market. It will be hard for the Rams to tie up that much money to a pass-rusher, considering the huge amounts of cash still owed to Aaron Donald and Leonard Floyd. Miller has said that he is going to test the market and see what appeals to him. Considering his Super Bowl pedigree as a two-time champion, his Super Bowl MVP award, and his reputation as a locker room leader that is still playing at a high level, Miller will be the definition of “breaking the bank” once he signs on the dotted line.
It was bigger than football for Von Miller 🙏 pic.twitter.com/MYBQek6A0u
— ESPN (@espn) February 14, 2022
While the Rams may still surprise us all and decide to bring back Miller, Williams, and/or Allen, the most likely scenario is that all three will be playing for different teams in 2022. That will be perfectly fine with the Rams, who have mastered the art of compensatory pick accruing. Since Les Snead took over the Rams a decade ago, no team has taken advantage of the NFL's compensatory pick formula as well as the Rams. The strategy of letting above-average to marginal players walk in free agency and only locking up big-time stars to extensions has worked out well for them. After a few bumps in the road (Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks) it has all paid off with a championship delivered to LA on the backs of 14 out of 22 Super Bowl starters being drafted by the Rams.
