LA Rams mortgaged offensive line future to fix 2019 pass defense

Rams News: Rather than fixing an inexperienced offensive line riddled with injury, the LA Rams gambled on bolstering the Rams pass defense instead

Everyone knows in the NFL that getting something of great value means surrendering great value.  When the LA Rams believed they had the opportunity to replace aging cornerback Aqib Talib in the defensive backfield after his season-ending injury in 2019, the Rams set in motion a series of transactions that would ultimately land the team in a difficult position in 2020.

A single high-risk move which by its very nature invites the 20/20 hindsight analysis which is never complimentary.  After all, the transaction is a textbook case of immediate gratification.  The Rams believed their window for contending for the NFL Championship was so small, they rolled the dice on that very high-risk maneuver in the hopes to return to post-season in 2019.

The team failed to do so, and the aftermath resulted in a now facing a huge price to pay. At the time of the trade, NFL.com’s Jim Trotter wrote an almost prophetic article on the subject. In his piece, he cited the desperate state of the LA Rams offensive line, already crippled with injury, in need of talented rookies over 2020 and 2021.

The Rams, facing a defensive backfield pairing poorly suited CB Marcus Peters with Troy Hill, slot corner Nickell Robey-Coleman, and rookie David Long Jr., decided to pull the trigger on a series of trades which eventually would land the team CB Jalen Ramsey.