[Elvis]

The cap goes up every year. So do salaries.

If a team had a rule that they would never backload contracts, never incur dead cap, they'd be hurting themselves.

If you could sign a player at 2022 prices using 2023 dollars isn't that better than paying 2023 prices and using 2023 dollars? Future cap dollars are worth less. It makes financial and strategic sense to spend some of them on your current roster.

Of course there are risks, just like there are with draft picks. Not every move you make is gonna pan out.

But maximizing your roster using, in part, future cap dollars just makes sense. And pretty much every team does it...

[ramsww]

You're repeating yourself. lol. I've only questioned whether it could have been done another way. The generous contracts only to jettison players 1-2 yrs in and eat the cap? The generosity of placing players like Woods and Ramsey with their preferred teams at our expense. Really? I'm glad they won a title in LA mind you and I enjoyed the '99 SB as well. I've just always had this crazy dream about actually seeing the Rams build something to last. Another poster mentioned several teams with multiple SB rings in cap crunch. How many do the Steelers, 49ers, and Patriots have? I can't say the word dynasty in the same sentence with the Rams because they have never had one. You think the 49er or Pats fans were satisfied after the 2nd Lombardi? They demanded more and were lucky enough to see their teams come through. My personal feeling? The 49ers rigged the salary cap illegally like when they gave Brent Jones 2 mil cash under the table after the Rams had signed him as a free agent and the Patriots cheating is legendary but still, 14 SB titles between them? It got Eddie Debartolo bounced and an asterisk next to some Patriot SBs but once again the Rams are one and done.

[AvengerRam]

You're repeating yourself. lol. I've only questioned whether it could have been done another way.

Again... what contract would you, in hindsight, undo?

[Elvis]

Niners were pre salary cap. But they had what every great team needs: HOF QB and HOF HC. Niners had it, Patriots had it, Chiefs have it.

Going back to the OP:

What I don’t get is why they signed so many to such long term contracts resulting in so much dead money when they left mid contract many in the 2nd year after signing a new long term contract.

The reason is long term contracts allow you to keep the current salary cap hit low. That's how you maximize your current roster. It's a big part of how the Rams won a SB.

If you want to be a legit contender for an extended period, you need to have your QB and HC right. Stafford is probably too old and too beat up for the Rams to be in that situation but maybe he'll surprise us.

In any case, it's not really about dead money...

[Oldschoolramfan]

14 SB titles between them?

I really hate to nitpick here, but if you're going to take that approach then be real. There are actually 11 SB titles between the Whiners and Patriots. The Whiners last Super Bowl victory was 23 years ago. Strategy changes over time and it appears ours worked having won more recently than both of the teams you mentioned. I, for one, trust the process and will be watching the braintrust adapt and overcome!!

[AvengerRam]

The combination of McVay and Snead has taken the Rams to two Super Bowls and won one in a span of 5 years. Over the past 10 years, only 6 out of 32 teams can say they have been to big game twice. And, here's the thing... its not about roster continuity. The Rams had only 3 position players who started in both Super Bowls (Andew Whitworth, Rob Havenstein and Aaron Donald).

So, if Snead and McVay were here, they'd probably say that they have neither the time nor the inclination to explain themselves to a fan who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very success and glory that they provide, and then questions the manner in which they provide it. I think they would rather that you just said "thank you" and went on your way.

Sorry if you can't handle the truth.

[PARAM]

What's that saying?......."if 'ifs' and 'buts' were candy and nuts, every day would be Christmas".

I wonder how many fans were pissed that they paid Kupp? Or Donald. Or Stafford. Ramsey. Floyd. Wagner. Higbee. Havenstein. I didn't hear many complaints and that was BEFORE they won a SB.

We could dissect it to positional spending or dollars per TD pass, Int, Sack, Reception or receiving yards but the bottom line is EVERY team spends money on their stars but some don't go 60-38 with 3 division titles, 2 SBs and a Lombardi over a 6 year period.

Look around the NFL. Name a team other than KC who has been more successful than the Rams over their mis-spending spree.

But IF we don't win another division or playoff game or Superbowl over the next 6 years, there may be some validity to the.......complaints.

[Elvis]

There have been 57 super bowls. The Rams have won 2. Before '99 i thought there was a good chance they'd never win any.

Now "dynasty" is the standard? That seems a bit high to me...

[actionjack]

There have been 57 super bowls. The Rams have won 2. Before '99 i thought there was a good chance they'd never win any.

Now "dynasty" is the standard? That seems a bit high to me...

It is interesting that this has come up, talk of dynasties, it has been a topic on ESPN morning radio the last couple days. The question was, are the Chiefs a dynasty now? I say hell yeah, two SP wins, 6 straight AFC championship games.

I think the Rams are close if they could do some damage in 2024. So far the difference between the Rams and Chiefs is the Chiefs have been able to maintain the excellence mostly throughout where the Rams have had to rebuild on the fly more. The Chiefs have the best offensive player in the game and a great HC. Rams have a good QB and a great HC. If the Rams can muddle through this season around .500 and challenge next year that would be quite the feat, lets see how it plays out.

[Hacksaw]

I think we all need to let things shake out. So far the amount of praise respect and results the Rams have garnered is better than most teams.
I'm with them!!!