Things are going well for the Los Angeles Rams right now as after a Week 7 win over the Detroit Lions, they currently sit at 6-1.
The team does have some holes, however, and it will be interesting to see if they address them ahead of the NFL’s Nov. 2 trade deadline.
The Rams have typically been an aggressive team ahead of the deadline, adding whatever they need in order to make a Super Bowl run.
It would appear they’re taking a different approach this year though as Sean McVay recently said he’s not anticipating any big moves. The Rams have made a deal, however, although it was a subtraction as Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that they have traded linebacker Kenny Young to the Denver Broncos:
Trade: Rams are sending LB Kenny Young and a 2024 7th-round pick to the Broncos in exchange for 2024 sixth-round pick, per sources.
Broncos have eight injured LBs, including six on injured reserve.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 25, 2021
This move comes as a huge surprise considering the Rams don’t have a ton of depth at linebacker and Young has been solid this season. In seven games (all starts), Young has recorded 46 total tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and a pass defensed.
The Rams originally acquired Young from the Baltimore Ravens in the trade that shipped out Marcus Peters in 2019. Perhaps there are more moves on the horizon, but on the surface, trading away one of your starting linebackers to move up from the seventh to the sixth round two years from now doesn’t make a ton of sense.
Without Young, the Rams will be relying on Troy Reeder, Travin Howard and rookie Ernest Jones to handle inside linebacker duties. Reports indicate they are high on Jones, who they drafted in the third round this year, but he doesn’t have a ton of experience so far so it remains to be seen if he can step into a starting role immediately.
Young is making $2.18 million this season, so this trade will free up some cap space, potentially for another move down the line.
