The Los Angeles Rams just cut an All-Pro to make cap space

Almost a year ago, future Hall of Fame linebacker Bobby Wagner signed a five-year, $50 million deal with the Los Angeles Rams. He played one year on that deal, earning second-team All-Pro honors, but that's as far as he'll get on that deal with LA.

ESPN is reporting that the Rams and Wagner are going to be parting ways. With the team approaching a figure of almost $15 million over the cap heading into the new league year, the Rams will be looking to save roughly $5 million in salary cap space by releasing the eight-time Pro Bowl and six-time All-Pro linebacker.

Per ESPN, the Rams do have the ability to designate Wagner as a post-June 1 release, which means the 2023 cap savings would jump up to $8.25 million, but that doesn't get credited to the salary cap until the summer — which won't help much in free agency. Had the Rams not made this move now and Wagner found himself on the roster on the fifth day of the 2023 league year, his $7.5 million in base salary for 2023 as well as a $2.5 million roster bonus due in 2024 would have become guaranteed.

Because he is being released by the Rams, he'll be able to sign with a new team as soon as the release becomes official. Other free agents will have to wait until the new league year starts at 4:00 PM EST on March 15th, 2023.

This will certainly be a hit for the Rams, who went 5-12 last season, just one campaign removed from winning the Super Bowl. Wagner led the team in tackles with 140, and he also notched 10 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, and a career-high six sacks. 

It was Wagner's first season in L.A. after spending 10 with the Seattle Seahawks, the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. For what it's worth, the Seahawks do have the eighth most cap space in the NFL right now, with $31.3 million to spend.