LA Rams rumors over Tyrann Mathieu heating up, not going away
By Bret Stuter
Okay, are the LA Rams going for broke again? After the LA Rams traded for RB Sony Michel, traded for OLB Von Miller, and signed WR Odell Beckham Jr. in 2021, two seismic shifts occurred with the Rams’ roster-building strategy. It was unintended, of course, but it was a necessity, the motherhood of creative invention.
What has triggered this massive shift? Well, in the process of assembling the 2021 roster, the LA Rams needed to cannibalize their 2022 NFL Draft. That is, the Rams, in the course of the season, traded their second-round, third-round, and sixth-round picks over the span of four calendar months.
While that all seemed to work in building a formidable roster that eventually won a Super Bowl, it did come at a cost of fewer impact young players joining the team at the end of April 2022. Well, not so much much of a cost of players. Rather, the Rams have far fewer and less valuable picks in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft.
But the second shift, and the more valuable of the two changes, is the fact that the LA Rams learned that there can be gold in wisely choosing the right free agent addition to the team. The Rams discovered that wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was better than the brochure when infused into the LA Rams offense. And while his heart remained in Denver Colorado, rented OLB Von Miller rejuvenated his career lining up alongside Aaron Donald in the LA Rams defense.
The LA Rams have long been known as a place for defensive players to ignite interest among other teams. Players who have a chapter playing in this team’s defense have gone on to sign very lucrative contracts elsewhere. Will that track record finally begin to attract NFL star players?
Those forces may be at work as you read this. Even as other wide receivers are getting legendary contracts, the LA Rams signed WR Allen Robinson to a rather modestly priced deal. Despite more money over two years from the Baltimore Ravens, veteran ILB Bobby Wagner’s choice to sign with the LA Rams for five years was partly due to the Rams’ chances to repeat. Now, another veteran may be listening to an offer from the LA Rams