With the 2020 NFL Draft just around the corner, the Los Angeles Rams are in a precarious spot as they have several needs to fill with a limited number of picks.
Les Snead has been one of the most aggressive general managers in recent seasons, flipping high draft picks for big names but that strategy is starting to bear some consequences as it has deleted their draft cupboard for the foreseeable future.
Los Angeles once again does not own a first-round pick this year after trading for Jalen Ramsey, but they did recently add another second-round selection after agreeing to trade Brandin Cooks and a 2021 fourth-round pick to the Houston Texans in exchange for the No. 57 pick in the upcoming draft.
Snead admitted that Los Angeles wanted to keep Cooks but the prospect of adding a high pick was too good to pass up, via Greg Beacham of Associated Press:
GM Les Snead says the Rams "naturally played hard to get" with Brandin Cooks because they initially wanted to keep him. But when they started getting offered 2nd-round picks, they felt they had to do a deal.
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) April 21, 2020
Cooks had an underwhelming third year with the Rams as he started 14 games but only managed to compile 42 receptions for 583 yards and two touchdowns. Part of that had to do with the deteriorated play of the offensive line as Jared Goff had less time to throw which meant less time for Cooks’ routes to develop and take the top off the defense.
However, the more concerning part was Cooks’ health as the wideout suffered a pair of concussions during the 2019 NFL season, adding to his already troubling injury history. While he was able to return later in the year, Cooks struggled to find much success on the field, making it an easier decision for the front office to offload him when they did.
The salary cap situation also very likely played a part in his departure as the receiver signed a five-year, $81 million deal with nearly $50 million guaranteed back in the 2018 offseason. Despite the move, Los Angeles is still going to take a $21.8 million dead cap hit given the timing of the trade which puts a dampen on the pick they received.
Still, the Rams did well to recoup some draft capital to help reinforce the roster. This draft is considered to be one of the deepest wide receiver classes in recent memory, so they can feasibly find Cooks’ replacement in the later rounds.
While things are not ideal for Snead and the Rams, they have an opportunity to turn things around if they can nail their picks. Hopefully the board goes their way and they are able to land impact players on Days 2 and 3.
