Matthew Stafford ice cold efficiency fits LA Rams high octane offense.

F them picks

It quickly became a punchline in the NFL media. What do the LA Rams have against first-round draft picks? Nothing, as a tool, or perhaps more appropriately, as NFL currency. The goal of dollars in your wallet or purse is not to have the dollars, but rather what that currency can buy you.

Most NFL teams shop the NFL Draft, where they get to drive the latest models off the lot, all the while paying top dollar for the chance to coach up a young player. But the LA Rams have discovered that if they go the trade route, it’s the equivalent of shopping for a used car. They can get far more bang for their bucks, and end up with a player who performs at an elite level from day one.

"“First of all, ego is the enemy. We execute what we call our Warren Buffett approach when it comes to first-rounders: Invest in really good players who are already there, then, with the rest of the draft, we take our venture approach. Trade back to collect more picks, collect (compensatory) picks, try to find our contributors and role players there. And every now and then, we hit on an Uber. This way we have pillars in their prime while the future is still bright because we’re young.” –general manager Les Snead shared with NFL.com columnist Jim Trotter."

The goal is not to accumulate first-round draft picks, or draft picks at all. It’s to accumulate talent, NFL caliber talent. The fallacy of whether or not a player drafted with the first pick pans out with immediate results doesn’t hold up to their track record. Some players perform well. Some players take time to achieve their potential. Even other players never seem to deliver.  The Rams have found a cheat code to avoid that uncertainty. They trade draft picks for known elite players.