The Los Angeles Rams have been both criticized and praised for the way they’ve constructed their roster. Before they won Super Bowl LVI, many doubted that their aggressive pursuit of a ring by trading draft picks for players would work. There were also plenty of people who bought into the idea and respected Les Snead’s willingness to take risks.
Blockbuster trades didn’t suddenly become a new thing when the Rams acquired players such as Marcus Peters, Brandin Cooks, Aqib Talib, and Sammy Watkins. Teams have always made trades to improve their roster, but typically, those deals didn’t involve stars – rarely with players of Matthew Stafford, Jalen Ramsey and Von Miller’s caliber.
This week alone, teams have made three deals for big-name players.
The Broncos agreed to trade several draft picks to the Seahawks for Russell Wilson, hoping to solve their ongoing quarterback woes since Peyton Manning retired. It was a somewhat similar deal to the Rams’ trade for Stafford last year, with Denver giving up two first-round picks and more. The Rams didn’t give up as much for Stafford as the Broncos did for Wilson, but there’s a clear resemblance in the trades and the thought process by Denver.
One day later, the Commanders struck a deal of their own. They agreed to send two third-round picks to the Colts for Carson Wentz, shockingly taking on his entire contract, which includes a $28.3 million cap hit in 2022. Obviously, this trade isn’t apples to apples with the Rams’ deal for Stafford, but it’s another example of a team using a different avenue to acquire its starting quarterback rather than hoping the right guy falls in their lap in the draft.
To cap off the busy week, the Chargers agreed to trade a second-round pick and a sixth-rounder to the Bears for Khalil Mack. It’s less than the Rams paid for Miller in November, but again, it’s a trade for a star pass rusher – an aggressive swing by former Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley and the Chargers.
And, the Chargers aren’t done. They could make a big splash or two in free agency.
The Chargers poised to acquire Bears DE Khalil Mack in a trade that pairs him with Joey Bosa off the edge, per @AdamSchefter. And Los Angeles won't be done: Expect the Chargers to look for run-stuffing help at DT and corner help in free agency.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 10, 2022
Teams aren’t sitting on their hands and waiting to add talent in the draft. They’re willingly moving picks for proven players, just as the Rams have in the last five years since Sean McVay arrived in 2017.
Again, the Rams weren’t the first team to trade picks for stars. However, those types of deals have become more common in recent years, and perhaps teams are realizing that after the Rams won a championship with this method, they too should try it.
The best part? The new league year hasn’t even begun, and there are more trades to be made. It’s fun to see the NFL embracing chaos with blockbuster deals this time of year.
