The Rams' off-season trade for Nick Foles just got a lot more expensive
Rams coach Jeff Fisher made the announcement that backup Case Keenum will replace Foles, who has consistently ranked near the bottom of all starting quarterbacks this season.
Shortly after last season's Super Bowl, the Eagles and Rams pulled off a bit of a stunning trade, swapping quarterbacks and draft picks, with former No. 1 pick Sam Bradford going to the Eagles and Nick Foles going to the Rams.
The move was an eye-opener because Foles had shown signs of success in Chip Kelly's offense and Bradford had been mostly a disappointment - thanks in large part to some injuries - during his time with the Rams, but with a ton of upside.
To make matters worse for the Rams, just before the season, the Rams upped the ante, throwing out the final year of Foles' previous contract that would have paid him just $1.5 million this season, and gave him a new 3-year, $24.5 million contract.
The Rams will end up paying Foles $6 million this season. That's bad, but it gets worse.
Unlike most NFL contracts which have bloated numbers to make the player and agent look better, Foles' $1.75 million salary and $6 million roster bonus for next season are already guaranteed.
So even if the Rams decide to cut Foles after the season, they will still owe him $7.75 million next year.
There is some good news for the Rams. They did receive the Eagles' second-round pick in 2016 (the teams also swapped mid-round picks this year). In addition, if they cut Foles, they still have to pay him, but they will save $5 million in salary cap space next season.
However, that still means if Foles never starts another game for the Rams, they essentially gave up Bradford and paid Foles $13.8 million for nine starts and a second-round draft pick.
Depending on how you value draft picks, that is either not great or not terrible. But either way, it is not as much return on their investment as the Rams were hoping.