Los Angeles Rams sign DB Nate Valcarcel

The Los Angeles Rams' signing of DB Nate Valcarcel earns a B- Contract Value Index (CVI), a middling value verdict that reflects modest financial commitment paired with depth-piece upside. At $967.5K annually on a $1.935M total deal, this is a sub-minimum-salary commitment—the kind of low-risk roster filler the team can absorb without cap strain, particularly with the regular season 91 days away and a playoff-contending roster (currently 12-5, #5 seed in the NFC West) needing depth reinforcement. The age and salary fundamentals here are aligned efficiently; there's no dead-cap overhang or bloated guarantees to unwind if the signing doesn't produce. The real value hinges on whether Valcarcel can carve out snaps in a defensive rotation on a win-now team rather than on his standalone market price—this is a floor deal, not a talent bargain, and the CVI reflects that constraint. For the Rams, the risk calculus is minimal: a depth DB on a near-minimum contract is unlikely to move the needle either way, but it's precisely the kind of low-opportunity-cost move that contending teams make when they're filling holes in August. The B- grade signals this deal is competent roster management, not a steal or an overpay.