2022 NFL Free Agency: 3 teams most likely to overspend this offseason
NFL Free Agency overspend candidate No. 1: LA Rams
The Los Angeles Rams, fresh off an impressive win in Super Bowl LVI in their home stadium, are another prime candidate for teams that may be overpaying for talent this offseason.
The Rams have some key pieces that helped them win a championship that expects to be paid and paid well.
Reports state that starting QB Matthew Stafford is looking to receive an extension near the $45 million per year mark. That’s quite a bit more than the $41.4 million per year market value he has, according to Spotrac.
Will the Rams overpay to keep one of the game’s top gunslingers happy and in La-La land for the next three or four seasons? It’s tough to project, but they absolutely should.
The same report has already stated the Rams are hoping to extend Stafford for somewhere closer to $35 million per year, which is still a significant bump from the $27 million per year on his current deal.
Under his current deal, Stafford is the 13-highest paid quarterback in the NFL. A deal of $35 million per year or more would make him one of the top-five highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL, according to Spotrac.
The Rams also have to make decisions about whether or not to re-sign Aaron Donald, who will be entering his age 31 season. Reports from ESPN state Donald wants to be compensated like he’s the best player in the league.
The problem is, there are several players who have surpassed him as contending for the title of Best Defender in the NFL. Aaron Donald was tied for the seventh-most sacks last season (12.5), tied for the seventh-most forced fumbles (4). It’s tough to remain at the top of the mountain and Donald is slowly losing his grip. The Rams would be wise not to make him the highest-paid defender in the NFL.
Then, there’s the conundrum of re-signing Von Miller. There are plenty of interest and landing spots for the two-time Super Bowl champion and he still has a few years left in the tank. But his next contract is going to pale in comparison to his last contract, which was valued at $114 million over six years. Spotrac estimates his market value to be somewhere in the vicinity of $10.5 million per year.
There’s a decent chance the Rams will have to pay a “run-it-back” tax to make sure these cornerstone pieces are happy, paid, and ready to return to defend their championship.