The Los Angeles Rams sit at 4-2 heading into Week 7 and are seen as one of the top contenders in the NFC. Through six weeks, the Rams rank fourth in DVOA and are one of two teams with an offense and defense inside the top five. With Matthew Stafford at 37 years old, it would make sense for the Rams to do whatever they can to capitalize on this window.
Rams general manager Les Snead has never been afraid to make a move in the past. This isn’t to say that the Rams are going to go into “f them picks” mode, but it’s worth wondering if the team will make a move at the trade deadline. The Rams remained quiet during their mini-bye following their loss to the San Francisco 49ers. While the Rams head to London on Sunday to play the Jacksonville Jaguars, they will have their bye week which lands right before the November 4 trade deadline.
Still, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Rams simply remain content with what they have. There is no doubt that the Rams could use a cornerback. Without Ahkello Witherspoon, their defensive backs have been especially vulnerable on the perimeter. With that said, when McVay was asked about this a few weeks ago, it didn’t seem to be something that the Rams are exploring. Said, McVay.
That hasn’t been something that we’ve talked about. You know, we’re always looking at ways to be able to upgrade the roster. I think, those guys did a good job and we’ll continue to lean into them.”
That could simply be coach’s speak and McVay not giving out too much information. It’s possible that the Rams used the mini-bye to ‘temperature check’ where teams were at on specific players. However, early trade deadline buzz doesn’t suggest that the Rams will be active on the trade market.
Prior to Week 6’s slate of games, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini put out what she was hearing regarding the upcoming trade deadline. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano also shared what they were hearing along with NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. Here are some of those bullet points:
- San Francisco is canvassing the pass rusher market.
- The Eagles insist they have no plans to trade AJ Brown.
- The Niners consider Trey Hendrickson an ideal fit for their defense.
- Also…the Bengals don’t intend to trade him.
- Teams have pegged the Patriots among teams that could look to add a running back.
- The Eagles are lurking in the trade market for cornerback or edge rusher (or both).
- Running back is expected to be a focus for the Chargers.
- The Kansas City Chiefs are also among the teams asking about running backs.
- Expect the Jaguars to call around for more help on defense.
- The Giants have called teams for receiver help.
Again, that’s not to say that the Rams won’t make a trade. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it is expected to be an active trade deadline. However, they also aren’t involved in any of the early trade market buzz. The options at cornerback could also be limited now that the Jaguars and Browns swapped Tyson Campbell and Greg Newsome.
It seems unlikely that we would see a splash type move from the Rams. While they have multiple first-round picks, it would make sense to keep those for next year’s draft and continue adding premier, young talent to an already talented roster.
In the case that the Rams had some ‘temperature check’ calls heading into their mini-bye, they may check back in on those as they enter their full bye week in Week 7. However, as it stands, the Rams seem to be content with the options currently on the roster.
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