Emmanuel Forbes Jr., Los Angeles Rams
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Emmanuel Forbes Jr. #1 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on before a game against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Los Angeles Rams are one of the few 2025 playoff teams that enter the 2026 offseason among the top 10 in cap space, putting them in a unique position to build out their roster via the draft and free agency.
It also gives the Rams a better chance of retaining the players they want to and even being forward-thinking in their approach.
The Rams received significant additional context regarding what to do with Emmanuel Forbes.
NFL Announcements Loom Large for Emmanuel Forbes, Rams
Emmanuel Forbes
GettyEmmanuel Forbes Jr. #1 of the Los Angeles Rams reacts after a play against the Seattle Seahawks.
The NFL officially announced the highly anticipated news that the salary cap will surpass $300 million in 2026, the first time in league history for such a high limit, leaving Forbes’ Rams with $41.7 million in space, per Over The Cap.
Forbes is coming off a four-year, $15.4 million rookie-scale contract.
The Rams still have one more season on that original deal. They now know how much it would cost to retain Forbes on his fifth-year option: $12.6 million on the “base” tier.
“The NFL revealed the values on Friday afternoon,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote on February 27. “There are four levels of compensation at each position. Players who have made multiple Pro Bowls as an original selection are at the top followed by players with one Pro Bowl selection and players who have hit playing time milestones before reaching the lowest level.”
The Washington Commanders selected Forbes, who turned 25 in January, with the 13th overall pick of the 2023 draft. They waived him during the 2024 season, and the Rams claimed him, setting the stage for a potential extension this offseason.
Spotrac projected Forbes’ market value at $4.7 million annually.
They provided a two-year, $9.5 million contract as an example of what he could garner on the open market. That could be a palatable mark for the Rams.
Forbes, who has earned $12.5 million in his career, logged the second-highest snap share among the Rams’ corners during the 2025 season, per Pro Football Reference. He also allowed the seventh-lowest completion percentage among defenders to face at least 75 targets.
The Rams finished the season 10th in scoring defense and 17th overall.
However, they were 12th against the run and 19th against the pass. That indicates a clear need to beef up their coverage to match a fierce pass rush.
Rams Projected to Bolster CB Room
Emmanuel Forbes
GettyEmmanuel Forbes Jr. #1 of the Los Angeles Rams looks on during the NFL 2025 game against the Houston Texans
The Rams drew attention at the 2026 draft combine because they met with USC wide receiver Makai Lemon. Still, most projections have them adding one prospect–and sometimes two–to their roster in hopes of bolstering their cornerback room around Forbes.
Ahkello Witherspoon, Cobie Durant, and 2025 trade pickup Roger McCreary are all free agents.
Veteran Darious Williams is a cut candidate. Moreover, former UDFAs Alex Johnson and Josh Wallace are their only CBs under contract for 2026.
While most positions could be considered luxury additions on the Rams’ roster, they must address their cornerback spot this offseason. The draft figures to be a factor in that process in some capacity for the Rams.
The Rams currently own the 13th and 29th overall picks in the 2026 draft.
One, and quite possibly both, of those selections could go toward helping Forbes and the secondary.