Los Angeles Rams sign Myles Garrett

Myles Garrett's four-year, $160M deal with the Rams at $40M AAV earns a C Contract Value Index (CVI) — a significant overpay that reflects the market premium commanded by elite pass-rushers rather than a shrewd front office maneuver. Garrett is unquestionably a franchise-caliber edge defender, arguably the best at his position in the league, but paying $40M AAV for any non-quarterback is a steep commitment that caps flexibility in ways that tend to haunt teams several years down the line. The CVI dips further when you factor in the career arc concern: by the time this contract expires, Garrett will be well into his early 30s, and history is littered with dominant pass-rushers whose production fell off a cliff in exactly that window. The guaranteed money — $88.8M on a $160M deal — tells its own story, representing a shade over 55 percent guaranteed, which means the Rams carry substantial dead-cap exposure in the back half of this contract if age or injury forces a restructure or release. Los Angeles is clearly betting that Garrett's elite production in the near term justifies the back-end risk, and given his sustained dominance, that logic is defensible — but "defensible" and "good value" are not the same thing. This is a win-now acquisition priced at a premium, and the CVI reflects exactly that: the Rams got a titan, but they overpaid to get him here.