Why the Rams don't seem to be chasing compensatory picks like they always do

Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, left, talks to general manager Les Snead after NFL football practice Tuesday, July 26, 2022, in Irvine, Calif. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

The Los Angeles Rams are always among the teams that receive the most compensatory picks for their free-agent losses each year. That’s not just because they typically have big-name free agents who leave each offseason, but they also tend to refrain from signing premier players who count against the compensatory pick formula.

This offseason has been different. Very different.

According to Over The Cap, the Rams are not slated to receive a single compensatory pick in the 2025 draft for their free-agent losses this offseason. There are a couple of reasons for that.

For one, the Rams have been aggressive in signing unrestricted free agents. They’ve already signed Colby Parkinson, Jonah Jackson and Kamren Curl, all of whom count against the formula. Darious Williams, Tre’Davious White and Jimmy Garoppolo don’t because they were released.

That’s three qualified free agents signed by the Rams, which matches their total from the last six years combined.

• 2018: none
• 2019: Clay Matthews
• 2020: A’Shawn Robinson
• 2021: none
• 2022: Allen Robinson
• 2023: none
• 2024: Colby Parkinson, Kamren Curl, Jonah Jackson

Secondly, the Rams simply don’t have many top-end free agents on the market right now. Their only free-agent loss who could’ve earned them a pick was Jordan Fuller, but he was canceled out by the signing of Jackson. Tremayne Anchrum Jr.’s departure didn’t qualify, nor did Coleman Shelton because he voided his contract.

Ahkello Witherspoon and John Johnson III could still sign with another team for a large enough contract to earn the Rams a compensatory pick, but even if they do, they’ll be canceled out by Parkinson and Curl.

In all likelihood, the Rams won’t get a single compensatory pick for their free-agent losses. The only pick they’ll receive is the third-rounder for Raheem Morris’ departure; they also receive a third-rounder this year for it.

There’s been a clear shift in the Rams’ free agency strategy this year, even if it comes at the expense of future compensatory picks. Les Snead and Sean McVay likely saw their pending free agents and realized that they were unlikely to net the Rams many valuable picks, if any at all.

It’s not like last year when they had Baker Mayfield, Matt Gay and A’Shawn Robinson hitting the market, or the year prior when Von Miller, Darious Williams, Austin Corbett and Sebastian Joseph-Day were pending free agents.

The Rams knew that even if they signed unrestricted free agents, there wouldn’t be many compensatory picks coming their way anyway. If they had a star hitting the market who was sure to net them a third-rounder, they might’ve been a bit more prudent in their spending. But with little to lose, they went all-in on the likes of Jackson, Curl and Parkinson.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Why the Rams don’t seem to be chasing compensatory picks like they always do