It’s no secret that over the next few years, the Los Angeles Rams will have to pay many of the young players on the roster that have outperformed their contracts. Wide receiver Puka Nacua is a notable one and, while it won’t be for a few more seasons, edge rusher Jared Verse is another.
Nacua is certainly going to be expensive, especially given that he’s turned into one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. However, the more expensive contract is going to be Jared Verse. That’s especially the case considering that the Detroit Lions just extended Aidan Hutchinson to a four-year, $180 million contract extension on Wednesday.
While it doesn’t make Hutchinson the highest paid edge rusher, as he’s still behind Micah Parsons, it is a reminder that elite edge rushers don’t come cheaply. It is worth noting that Hutchinson got the most guaranteed money at $140 million.
The Rams still have two more years on Verse, and potentially three if they pick up his fifth-year option. However, when Verse is up for an extension, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him eclipse $200 million in total value. It was just back in March that the Cleveland Browns signed Myles Garrett to a deal worth up to $160 million. Hutchinson just eclipsed that by $20 million just over six months later. To put it simply, Hutchinson just set the new market.
Verse isn’t up for an extension until after his third season, but the Rams also have the benefit of waiting two more years. At the same time, given the edge rusher market, getting Verse done as soon as possible may be a benefit. Brian Burns could ask for a new contract within the next two years as he goes for his third contract. Kavyon Thibodeaux with the New York Giants will be a name to watch when it comes to Verse. However, the player that compares favorably to Verse and came into the NFL one year earlier is Will Anderson. Thibodeaux, Anderson, and Verse will be the next wave of young pass rushers to get paid.
As it stands, Verse’s valuation via OverTheCap is $37.9 million per season and that will likely only increase. It’s likely that the salary cap only continues to increase, meaning that the contracts will also become more expensive. By the time the Rams pay Verse, they could be looking at spending over $200 million total.
This is also a strong reminder that when it comes to Jared Verse and Byron Young, the Rams are only going to be able to pick one of them. It’s one of several decisions that the Rams are going to have to make over the next three ayrs.
Unfortunately for the Rams, Young’s sack production won’t make him cheap and by the time his rookie contract is up, he’ll be 29. His currently valuation via Over The Cap is $43.4 million. Just using those numbers that will probably only be larger, that would put the Rams at $80 million in one position group. It’s simply not doable from a cap perspective and Verse is more of a franchise building block on defense.
It’s always a risk doing player contracts early as the Rams have personally found out with Todd Gurley, Jared Goff, others. However, the Rams are going to want to get some of their home-grown talent done as early as they can. The longer they wait, the more they will have to pay. Nacua, and certainly Verse, aren’t going to get any cheaper. It’s very possible that the contract for Verse in two years is in the neighborhood of four years, $200 million with $160 million guaranteed. In a league that prioritizes stopping the quarterback, the edge rusher position is one of the more valuable in the NFL.
Over the past two years, the Rams have benefitted from young players outperforming their rookie contracts. However, as players become stars, that next contract only gets more expensive. At some point that bill comes due and it’s possible it’s a $200 million bill when Verse comes up for an extension.
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