Rams must make a blockbuster move to boost its Super Bowl chances
The Los Angeles Rams were once known for their bold blockbuster trades for veteran talent to boost Super Bowl aspirations. It’s been a few seasons since L.A. went all-in on acquiring stars, and it’s time for Les Snead to do it again. He can start by calling the Steelers and trading for T.J. Watt.
Point blank, the Rams are a championship contender. However, a gap remains between them and the Eagles, who are the NFC favorites entering the 2025 season. Trading for Watt would maximize whatever remains of Matthew Stafford’s time in Hollywood.
USA Today’s Jacob Camenker in his July 2 column had L.A. as a potential destination for Watt, alongside the Eagles, Lions, Packers (LOL, that would never happen) and Buccaneers:
“The Rams have plenty of young talent on the defensive line, including reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse. Los Angeles could choose to roll with what it has at the position, but there’s little doubt Watt and Verse would make a fierce pass-rushing duo, much like the one Von Miller and Aaron Donald formed during the Rams’ Super Bowl 56 win.
Les Snead has never been afraid to trade draft picks for proven players, and Matthew Stafford is entering his age-37 season. That should put Watt firmly on Los Angeles’ radar.”
Trading for someone of Watt’s caliber is easy because he’s one of the NFL’s best pure pass rushers. Watt won Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and has led the league in sacks three times. If he were to retire today, he’d be well on his way to Canton.
While Watt will turn 31 in October, he has shown zero signs of slowing down. He has double-digit sacks in six of his eight seasons, and would be an immediate upgrade on a Rams team that has plenty of young talent on the defensive line, but needs someone to put them over the top.
The main problem trading for Watt would bring is that he’ll have to be extended immediately. Currently, the Wisconsin product is entering the final year of a four-year, $112 million deal signed in September 2021. Myles Garrett’s massive $160 million extension received from the Browns earlier this offseason is a reason for the complications.
Understandably, that should give any front office pause. Yet, you can’t avoid winning championships by being cheap. Not in today’s NFL.
Snead used to never care about the price tag or the consequences when making significant trades. His less aggressive approach to roster building over the last two years has gotten the Rams back to contention. Les needs to go back to his old ways by injecting a superstar into a defense that could use it.
Green Bay must still be kicking themselves after essentially picking Kevin King over T.J. in the 2017 draft. L.A. cannot let that same feeling overcome them if one of their NFC counterparts beats them to the punch.