The Rams market, all you need to know

Source, LA Rams may move a key player by within the next 96 hours by Noah Schlaebitz6 hours ago Follow @SinkerOfArks TWEET SHARE x COMMENT NEXT1 of 6PREV POST Use your ← → (arrows) to browse LA Rams NFL trade deadline

LA Rams may move one of several key players before the NFL trade deadline expires in 96 hours The LA Rams have depth needs at key positions. They also have depth at other spots which can help balance out the depth chart. It is a great way to clear up cap space, while also getting young players for the future. However, all players on this list are still on rookie deals so there won’t be too much cap clearing. It is more about getting a return on investment, by either moving them before their contracts are up in the offseason or by getting rid of bloated depth to help out other areas that need it. Two names on this list, for sure, LA Rams general manager Les Snead should be trying to move or take calls for. The other two are just an idea of how the roster is shaping out. Team structure With the way the Rams are structured salary cap-wise, it is important to have more draft capital to find cheaper rookies. No draft pick is a certainty and some could bust. So having more increases your chances of finding the diamonds in the rough. It also gives a general manager some fluidity in the draft allowing them to move up to get a much-desired player. It is also mandatory to offset the expenses of the top of the roster since the Rams are top-heavy. The team has invested heavily in key players. That forces the team to rejuvenate the bottom two-thirds of the roster with talented by inexpensive players. Here are four possible before-the-NFL-deadline player trades the Rams may be mulling about.Bobby Evans Rams offensive tackle Bobby Evans is a second-year player out of Oklahoma. After Rob Havenstein went down with an injury in 2019, Evans stepped in and played admirably. While his sample size was limited to about half a season (seven starts), he was an improvement over a hobbled Havenstein who was having an abnormally bad year before landing on IR. Teams with bad offensive lines and young quarterbacks could benefit the most. Currently, the worst team in the NFL, the New York Jets, need to protect their young quarterback in Sam Darnold. If the Jets decide to move off of Darnold and get Trevor Lawrence, they’ll still need a better offensive line. They have George Fant on a three year 30 million dollar contract. Economic advantage Evans cost about 0.0675 percent as much per year with the same amount of time remaining on his contract. While Fant is showing improvement over his last year with the Seattle Seahawks (Pro Football Focus had him rated last in 2019), Evans should be better. To look for another team in need of a tackle you don’t need to go far. In fact, they share the same stadium. Say hello to the New York Giants. While they got their left tackle of the future in rookie Andrew Thomas the right side needs work. With their current right tackle Nate Solder opting out due to Covid they had to rent one for a year in Cameron Fleming. Just like the Jets they have an underperforming right tackle and could be looking to clear some cap space. Just like the Jets, protecting their young quarterback in Daniel Jones should be the goal. The Rams should get a return on investment in a day two pick, hopefully, one in the third round, that they can spend in other areas since they currently have a surplus in an offensive lineman.Gerald Everett LA Rams tight end Gerald Everett Is on the final year of his rookie deal. With no information on an extension being done, it’s fair to assume he’s going to hit free agency. Everett has been a very versatile tight end. He’s lined up next to the tackle, out wide, and in the fullback position. If not for Tyler Higbee, he would be a bonafide starter. So far Everett has taken advantage of his time on the field with a catch percentage of 83.33%. He’s been a reliable target even though he’s only getting 7.13 yards per reception. One team comes to mind as a possible trade partner and that’s the Cincinnati Bengals. Head coach Zac Taylor is familiar with Everett’s capability and with Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah out for the season Everett could take his place. The Bengals also have another tight end, Drew Sample, drafted in the second round in 2019. However, neither tight end is as versatile as Everett when it comes to where he can be lined up as mentioned earlier. Everett becomes a TE1 While he’s not going to a top ten team, rather a bottom ten, it’s not that bad of a deal for Everett. The Bengals should be slowly ascending under quarterback Joe Burrow and he goes to a team that uses the same system that he currently plays under. He should slide perfectly into the number one tight end spot and they’d pay nicely to keep him in free agency. The Bengals take a risk at not retaining him in free agency which means the Rams return won’t be as much but still should be able to get a fourth or fifth-rounder.Josh Reynolds Rams receiver Josh Reynolds is in the same boat as Gerald Everett. The Rams drafted a replacement player this year, and he’s on the final year of his contract. While Reynolds is number three on the depth chart, maybe four with Van Jefferson coming into his own, Reynolds needs room to flourish. While he isn’t a number one receiver, he is still a solid number two and could complement an offense nicely. Two teams come to mind in the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers. Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles has no receiving targets with most of his receiving core injured. Even before they were injured they weren’t great, to begin with. In a mediocre division, the Eagles front office should do anything to help elevated Wentz and the offense. It also gives them a chance to move off of Alshon Jeffery and get a cheaper option to replace in his role in the offense. Pack is back The Packers are in the same boat at the skill positions on offense as the Eagles. In the draft, they didn’t do any favors besides a 2nd round pick to get a back up to current running back Aaron Jones, and a tight end, Josiah Deguara, who’s out for the season. Their quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, still needs receiving targets and needs a solid number two option for receiver Davante Adams. While their other receiver Allen Lazard is coming into his own as an undrafted free agent from 2018, getting Rodgers more help should be the goal. Reynolds is at least worth an early day three pick, and recouping the value the Rams spent on him in 2017. He won’t blow teams away with his physical attributes, but he is a solid player as seen by taking over when Cooper Kupp went down and his role increased.Taylor Rapp With the emergence of rookie Jordan Fuller at safety Taylor Rapp seemed to have moved down the depth chart. With the high pick, the Rams spent on the depth they could try and recoup some of their lost value. If the Rams can resign John Johnson III and pair with Fuller they could offer to have a cheaper option at depth, namely in recent draft pick Terrell Burgess out of Utah(next season after return from Injury Reserve). While learning the new system under Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, Rapp inured himself under training camp derailing his progress. This allowed Fuller to make the jump over him. Rapp has also made some mistakes. Obviously as stated earlier this requires the Rams to resign Johnson for this to work but I believe he’s too valuable for the Rams to just let walk in Free Agency. Because of this Rapp will be the odd man out. While he did have an interception last week versus the Bears and showed promise his rookie season, he also did have multiple coverage busts vs the 49ers last year which cost the Rams that game on a 3rd and 15. Who is shopping for a starting safety? Who would be interested? The Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints are prime contenders. The Cowboys defense is one of the worst in the league. They’ve needed safety help for the past two seasons, and with them not making a move on free agent Earl Thomas due to character issues they must be looking into alternative options. Rapp is young and makes mistakes, but he is better than what they have now. The Saints’ defense has also struggled. While their front seven is more solid their back end is not. With Super Bowl hopes in New Orleans they need to make a play to shore up their weaknesses. Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins who they acquired in free agency this year has had his age catch up to him and is now a liability. While Rapp does not have Jenkins’s experience, he has a lot more athletic experience. Maybe he will be able to play overtop of former Ram Jenoris Jenkins and prevent a touchdown every time he blows coverage.Final Thoughts As stated in the beginning, the Rams are a top-heavy team. That being said, this team needs to acquire as many 2021 NFL Draft picks as possible. Once picks are in hand, the team must then convert those picks into quality players. With players on expiring deals and/or cheaper options on the roster already, it only makes sense to move off them now to stock up for the future. GM Les Snead has proven time after time that he is great at finding talent, whether that being a first or a seventh-round pick. With Snead’s track record, if a late-round pick is available, he can use that pick to find a player who can help the team the following season. Round out the roster Those starters on a rookie deal help to offset some of the more expensive players for less than a fraction of their cost. It’s the only way the Rams can succeed. If not the Rams will be stuck in cap hell and instead of reloading they will be forced to rebuild, which is a concern with so much uncertainty surrounding the future state of the NFL salary cap. So far the Rams are not connected to any trade rumors, which is odd because Snead always has something cooking. He is probably working behind the scenes and these are the moves I would make if I was in his shoes. But he can surprise everyone. Something is cooking. Let’s hope it’s the deal that puts the Rams over the top.