The Rams front office stayed the course at the trade deadline and it’s paying off
Over the past two years, when the Los Angeles Rams have gotten off to a slow start, many have wondered whether or not they would start their massive re-build and blow everything up. Last year, there was plenty of speculation and rumors surrounding whether or not the Rams would trade Matthew Stafford. When the Rams were 1-4 this year, both Stafford and Cooper Kupp had their names thrown around the trade rumors.
When the Rams were sitting at 2-4 with a game against the Minnesota Vikings on deck, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that the Rams were willing to take on some of the ‘24 salary for Kupp and were seeking a second round pick.
While there was never anything concrete reported about Stafford, there was plenty of speculation. Giving the connection to Kevin O’Connell, the Minnesota Vikings were seen as a potential suitor as well as other teams such as the New York Giants. As Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote,
“If, for example, the Jets provided a blueprint for making Sam Darnold look mortal, the Vikings would be wise to at least entertain the possibility of an upgrade…That said, the Rams could still get hot. They’re off this week. If they can win in Week 7, 8, and 9, they might decide to let it ride with Stafford. Still, if they lose two of the next three, Stafford could become a candidate for a deadline deal to a contender who would be adding a guy who is still a top-10 quarterback.”
However, the Rams ended up standing pat and didn’t buy or sell at the deadline. They beat the Vikings on Thursday Night Football and climbed back to 4-4 following the 1-4 start. It may not have been exactly like the late-season run in the second half of last year, but there were certainly similarities.
With the window to win with the current core of veteran players quickly closing, there has been a lot of pressure to either win now or just start the inevitable rebuild. Not once, but twice now, the Rams coaching staff and front office have displayed patience and trusted their overall process. They have started 3-6 and 1-4 in each of the last two years, but there was also reason for that. It wasn’t because Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp weren’t playing well, but rather the situation around them was in a state of disarray.
Both last year and this year injuries to the offensive line have played a role in the slow starts. For the first time this season, a projected starting five on the offensive line played together in back-to-back weeks. The result was an offensive performance with an output of 0.28 EPA per play. Stafford was pressured on just 22% of his dropbacks which was the lowest mark all season. In the end, the offense put up 44 points and the Rams beat one of the AFC’s best teams.
It may have been easy for the Rams to at least move on from Kupp, if not Stafford as well. They could have simply taken the picks and moved on to the next era of Rams football. However, general manager Les Snead has shown that he’s not going to make the rash, emotional decision. For the most part, each move that is made is well-calculated and thought out.
Over the past two years, the Rams have been building for 2025. The vision may not look exactly as it did when it was initially thought out i.e. Aaron Donald retiring. Still, the pieces are in place. If there was ever a point that the Rams didn’t believe Stafford or Kupp could perform at the level needed to achieve that vision, a move would have been made. If McVay didn’t believe that he could still coach at a level to achieve that vision, there have been plenty of opportunities for him to explore elsewhere. The front office has shown a self-awareness to move on from an original plan when it has not worked out.
At some point, the Rams will have to embrace a retool or rebuild following the Stafford and Kupp era. That time is not now and the front office possesses that awareness. As shown on Sunday against the Bills, Stafford can still perform at an elite level.
It’s almost a guarantee that teams at least checked in with the Rams on the status of Kupp and Stafford at the trade deadline. The Rams front office deserves a lot of credit for not acting on those calls, even if they were slightly entertained. They currently sit at 7-6 and are in position to not just win the NFC West, but be one of the more dangerous playoff teams come January.