Just when you think the Los Angeles Rams can’t do anything more. They find a way. Myles Garrett is officially on the roster after the Rams acquired the edge rusher on Monday afternoon in a blockbuster deal that sent Jared Verse, a 2027 first round pick, a 2028 second round pick, and a 2029 third round pick to the Cleveland Browns.
But… now all eyes are on Aaron Donald. The 10x all pro defensive tackle is now weighing his decision to come out of retirement and join the Los Angeles Rams for an 11th season after taking the last two years off.
Sean McVay has already shared that if Aaron Donald is interested, the Rams are interested.
But, there is a small thing called the salary cap. The Rams will have to get creative to add the superstar defensive tackle into their salary cap as they are left with just $1.3 million in cap space currently. Is that a problem for LA? No. They will surely find a way even if it means adding void years to an Aaron Donald contract.
Ideally, they will try and make the signing as clean as possible so that they don’t hurt themselves financially with the other young players they hope to resign like Kobie Turner, Puka Nacua, and possibly Byron Young or Steve Avila. Even Kevin Dotson remains a huge extension candidate.
So what moves could the Rams make to free up some cap space? Let’s take a look at some cost cutting measures…
Extend Kevin Dotson (Save $11.8 million)
Speaking of the talented veteran offensive lineman, the Rams could extend Kevin Dotson which is something they probably already want to do regardless of whether Aaron Donald returns. Dotson is the best offensive lineman on the roster and has changed the team’s ability to run the ball since his arrival in Los Angeles.
He is a difference maker being able to absorb heavier interior defenders that are notoriously capable of collapsing the pocket.
For me, it’s a no brainer to extend Dotson.
Extend Puka Nacua (Save $3.6 million)
Another player the Rams have to feel strong about extending is Puka Nacua. Extending Puka would only provide $3.6 million in cap savings but its helpful when trying to come up with the money to lure back AD99. The only hiccup here might be that the Rams would prefer to use the franchise tag on Puka after this year.
Extend Colby Parkinson (Save $4.6 million)
Some might think that extending Parkinson would be an odd move considering they have so many on the roster already. But… Tyler Higbee is likely to retire after this year. Davis Allen is a 2027 free agent. That leaves the TE room with just Terrance Ferguson and Max Klare. For a team looking to use 13 personnel often, keeping Parkinson in the fold makes sense. Look no further than the Rams giving Tyler Higbee three contract extensions since he was drafted in 2016. They are likely to keep Parkinson beyond 2026.
Extend Kobie Turner (Save $2.2 million)
Kobie Turner was drafted to be the heir of Aaron Donald. He got to play with AD for one year in 2023 and the two seemed to hit it off. Since AD would likely only be joining for 1 year, the Rams would still need to keep their interior defense intact. Turner has been a mainstay for the Rams defense over the last three seasons.
Restructure Alaric Jackson (Save $8.8 million)
Restructures are probably not the most preferred option for the Rams. Especially a player that has a history with blood clots. Restructuring AJ would also require adding void years to his contract. The benefit is immediate cash savings but comes with the price of future money owed without the player being under contract (Jackson hits free agency in 2028).
There are a few other moves the Rams could make but those ones seem like the most straightforward. Which ones are you making if you are Les Snead and Aaron Donald agrees to suit up again?
