The Los Angeles Rams have been quite active this offseason after making the playoffs for the first time in well over a decade. They traded long-time defensive end Robert Quinn to the Miami Dolphins after acquiring star cornerback Marcus Peters from the Kansas City Chiefs. Then, on Wednesday afternoon they sent defensive captain Alec Ogletree to the New York Giants (the full details of the trade can be found here).

As LA's cap space continues to grow, ESPN's Alden Gonzalez speculates that the Rams will keep playmaking linebacker Mark Barron, who was previously described as a likely “cap casualty.”

The Alec Ogletree trade to the Giants means there's a pretty solid chance that ILB Mark Barron, a potential cap casualty, stays.

Additionally, Gonzalez notes that moving Olgetree will help Los Angeles as they attempt to re-sign wide receiver Sammy Watkins and cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who fit better with their offensive and defensive schemes.

Of course, they also need to give perennial first-team All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald an extension soon, which will likely make him the highest paid defensive player in the NFL.

Barron has shown versatility throughout his career as a strong safety, hybrid weak-side linebacker, and inside linebacker. In Wade Phillips' 3-4 scheme, he has stayed inside for the most part.

In addition to Donald, the Rams will eventually need to extend superstar running back Todd Gurley and quarterback Jared Goff, who improved greatly in 2017 after a disappointing rookie campaign. The Rams' problems are ones most organizations would love to have, and while they've had to give up key pieces of their roster from the past, they're still well-positioned heading into 2018 and beyond with a talented young core.