The Los Angeles Rams were one of the teams that did not make a move at the trade deadline this season. While just 3-5 through eight games, the Rams have still been one of the more pleasant surprises in the NFL this year, being competitive and entertaining for the most part. But the front office led by general manager Les Snead chose to stand pat at the deadline.
It does make sense that the Rams wouldn’t make moves, however, as the team is still in a bit of a rebuilding phase. They cut ties with numerous high-priced veterans this offseason and don’t have a bunch of future draft picks to trade after giving up so many in order to ultimately win Super Bowl LVI.
It simply didn’t make sense for the Rams to send more picks out for veterans who can help win now as they aren’t contenders. They could have gone the other way and done a complete teardown by looking to trade someone like Aaron Donald or Cooper Kupp, but Donald has a no-trade clause and those two veterans, as well as Matthew Stafford, are still valuable as leaders and locker room guys for the team.
But while the Rams didn’t make a move, their NFC West rivals made some big ones.
Most notable was the San Francisco 49ers acquiring former second overall pick Chase Young from the Washington Commanders for a third-round pick. The Seattle Seahawks also beefed up their defensive line, trading a 2024 second-rounder and a 2025 fifth-rounder for Leonard Williams from the New York Giants.
The 49ers felt they needed to make a big move after three straight losses and Young could be a game-changer for them, assuming he is able to stay healthy which has been his issue. Even still, the 49ers defensive line with Young, Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave and Arik Armstead will be almost impossible to block.
The Seahawks also know how important defensive line play is to their success and Williams should be an excellent fit there as well. While he doesn’t put up the flashiest numbers, Williams is an excellent all-around player who will help make the Seahawks even more formidable.
The Rams still have one game left against each of their three division rivals, including the Arizona Cardinals, who also made a move in dealing quarterback Joshua Dobbs to the Minnesota Vikings as Kyler Murray nears his return. It will eventually be known whether the Rams made the right call to stick with what they have.
