The Los Angeles Rams were surprisingly active on the first day of the free agency tampering period Monday, wasting no time getting their own offensive linemen under contract. The first deal they made was with Joseph Noteboom, agreeing to a three-year deal worth up to $47.5 million.
It’s a big extension for a player who’s never been a full-time starter at left tackle, but it was a smart move by the Rams to secure the versatile lineman for several more years.
And looking at the breakdown of the contract, it’s not as costly as it seems on the surface – especially in the first year. According to Spotrac, Noteboom’s cap hit is only $3.5 million in 2022.
The Rams also tacked on two void years in 2025 and 2026 to spread out money, which leads to a dead cap charge of $4 million in 2025. The second void year is for cap flexibility in the event that the Rams want to restructure his contract in the next two years.
Noteboom got $16.5 million guaranteed at signing and another $8.5 million next March, essentially making it a two-year deal worth $25 million. The Rams could technically cut him after one season, but that would leave a dead cap charge of $13.5 million and a cap savings of only $2.5 million in 2023.
Joseph Noteboom’s #Rams Extension
– 3 yrs, $40M
– $16.5M guaranteed at sign
– Another $8.5M in March 2023
– 2 void years for cap purposes
– 2 yrs, $25M practicalCap Hits
2022: $3.5M
2023: $15.5M
2024: $17M
2025: $4M (dead)Full Breakdown: https://t.co/vAC35BQWlv
— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 14, 2022
If the Rams cut Noteboom after the 2023 season, they’ll save $11 million in 2024, so they can easily get out of the contract after two years if he doesn’t meet expectations.
The structure of his contract shouldn’t surprise any fans, given how often the Rams utilize void years to keep players’ cap hits lower in the first year. That was a necessity with Los Angeles being $20 million over the cap before signing Noteboom.
