The Rams, in another major move to cut costs, plan to release running back Leonard Floyd on Friday, people with knowledge of the situation said.
The individuals requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about a transaction that did not complete.
The salary cap for the 2023 season is $224.8 million. The Rams currently have about $16 million over the cap, according to overthecap.com.
In March 2021, Floyd signed a four-year deal that included $32.5 million in guarantees. Floyd, 30, is scheduled to carry a salary cap of $22 million next season, according to the website.
Releasing Floyd before June 1 saves the Rams $3 million in cap space, but comes with a $19 million cap hit, according to the website.
Floyd would be the second premium defensive player to be released by the Rams since they finished the season with a 5-12 record, the worst performance by a defending Super Bowl champion in NFL history.
On February 23, the Rams and veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner agreed to part ways. Wagner’s release saves $5 million, though it also generates $7.5 million in salary cap money.
Floyd, selected ninth overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2016 draft, signed with the Rams in 2020. He had a career-high 10½ sacks in 2020, 9½ sacks in 2021 and nine sacks last season.
The Rams are scouting star trade cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who will have a salary cap of $25.2 million, and receiver Allen Robinson, who has a salary cap of just over $18 million.
General manager Les Snead declined to confirm Thursday if Floyd, Ramsey and Robinson would be traded or released.
During a video conference Friday morning, coach Sean McVay stuck to the script.
“Those are all fluid situations,” he said. “We’ve had a dialogue with those guys about, you know, what the possibilities are.
“You want to have some of those internal conversations, but you also don’t want people to be caught off guard.”
