What does the Goff-Stafford trade mean for LA Rams in 2021?

Rams will need to hit their 2021 NFL Draft in the late rounds

Like it or not, the LA Rams will need to keep up their track record of drafting well in the later rounds. In 2021, the Rams could opt to move back in the draft to end up with more picks, but have them fall in rounds four through seven.

If there was ever a year to employ that sort of strategy, this year is absolutely ideal.  The reason? There is utter and complete chaos in the draft this year. Just two months ago, nobody knew who offensive center Quinn Meinerz was. Suddenly, he’s one of the hottest names in the draft. And yet, he played no football in 2020. He grew popular from a dominating performance at the Reese Senior Bowl. Prior to that Senior Bowl week? He played so-so football in 2019.

If you thought that medical flags were a significant factor in the 2020 NFL Draft, wait until you witness the 2021 NFL Draft. NFL teams will be awfully jittery. So that will gravitate them to the consensus players, and there is no real consensus this year. So how will it all shake out?  Well, for starters, expect a record number of in-draft trades. Some first-round graded prospects could fall as far as day three in this draft. Some positions like the interior defensive line are in very short supply, so look for teams to draft those players early.

Thankfully, positions that the Rams appear to need in this year’s draft are deep, and the Rams will find linebackers, offensive linemen, edge rushers, defensive backs, and even wide receivers who are NFL caliber still available after the draft ends. And the LA Rams are without a doubt one of the savviest scouting departments when generally available information is in short supply.

Many NFL teams entrench or retreat in uncertain environments.  The LA Rams have proven that they become their most aggressive under these circumstances. Expect the same from the Rams in 2021.  Yes, the LA Rams merely made a change at quarterback. But with it comes sweeping changes to the offense.