7 times the LA Rams may have been shortchanged in 2021 roster moves

Trade scenario IV

The pattern of trading starting players to other teams for next to nothing has been a common theme of the LA Rams this season. While we have shown two occasions where the team was more than happy to trade NFL-quality starters to future 2021 opponents, the same process had continued even into the 2021 NFL season, up to the trade deadline.

Once more, the team had started inside linebacker Kenny Young for seven consecutive games. At the time, he had played the lion’s share of defensive snaps for the Rams. Whether or not you agreed with the decision to start Young, it’s very unusual to simply outright trade away a starter, particularly for the bag of chips that the Rams got in return.

Recall that excess spent on a punter?

To recap, the LA Rams traded away starting inside linebacker Kenny Young and a 2024 seventh-round pick for a 2024 sixth-round pick. So here are the two problems with that trade that jump right off the page. First and foremost, the team simply put their starting inside linebacker on another roster. So how does that compare to the struggles the team is facing trying to replace tight end, Johnny Mundt?

Shouldn’t the challenge be the same? After all, the Rams indicated that rookie inside linebacker Ernest Jones needed more playing time. So they got rid of Young. But that really is no different than the sudden need to fill a blocking tight end position, is it?

While the two scenarios differ in one being a deliberate trade and the other being an injury, there is more to it. The trade was compelled by the Rams seeking salary relief (which they may have generated by keeping Corey Bojorquez and trading Johnny Hekker). The Rams’ decision to trade a starter from a shallow roster depth is one flaw in this trade. But getting an upgrade from a seventh-round to a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft for a starting inside linebacker is ridiculous.