When it came to making roster changes for their offensive line during the offseason, the LA Rams were
quite busy. The team acquired free agent veteran left guard Jonah Jackson to start, shifted rookie left
guard Steve Avila to center, and extended contracts with starting left tackle Alaric Jackson and starting
right guard Kevin Dotson. Only right tackle Rob Havenstein, a seasoned player, is a dependable offensive
lineman.
However, there’s much more to be happy about this team’s financial pursuits. You see, the team
upgraded this roster without going over budget, all while making wise and defendable decisions. Instead,
this was about improving the football team’s play just as much as it was about achieving a financial win.
Let’s use a few facts to demonstrate that. We’ll get statistical data from Pro Football Focus.com and use
salary cap data from Spotrac.com. How well did the team replenish the offensive line in 2024, in
summary? To help with this debate, below is a data table with important data points.
Alright. What now? A data table that only lists the Rams’ anticipated starting five offensive linemen isn’t
that helpful, to be honest. To get a more accurate picture of that team’s performance, neither a trend nor
a comparison are required. So let’s give this another go.
The LA Rams signed three new contracts throughout the offseason, as far as we know. They were:
- LT Alaric Jackson – 1 year, $4.89 million
- LG Jonah Jackson – 3 years, $51 million
- RG Kevin Dotson – 3 years, $48 million
Alright, additional data has been obtained. But what does that indicate to us? Not much of a comparative
advantage anymore. Don’t give up on me just yet, though. When the Rams signed offensive linemen,
they did so with shrewdness. You see, the price of good offensive lineman suddenly blew off the lid.
Take a look at the details that Rams reporter J.B. Long provided below:
Quinn Meinerz, a guard with the Denver Broncos, recently inked a four-year, $80 million contract.
However, he is not the only offensive lineman that signed a big deal this summer. Let’s examine a few of
the offensive linemen’s contracts that were given out this year:
- LT Tyron Smith – 1-year, $6.5 million
- RG Robert Hunt – 5 years, $100 million
- LG Damien Lewis – 4 years, $53 million
Ultimately, the Rams paid less than market value to sign excellent offensive lineman.
I’m not aware of the team’s strategy for low-balling its players. Instead, the team is really good at
figuring out how much a player is worth, making an offer, and then allowing the player and agency
decide whether to take the deal or sell the player’s services to someone else for a higher salary. Jonah
Jackson and Kevin Dotson both admired the team’s tough-minded strategy.
By the end of 2024, the team will undoubtedly be preoccupied with money. Alaric Jackson’s contract is
set to expire once more, and in the current free agent market, a starting left tackle may command a high
price. However, a dollar saved is a dollar earned, and the group’s Shrewd financial decisions made in
2024 will pave the way for comparable decisions made in 2025.
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